There’s a ton of James Bond talk out there. On Oct. 5th, the world celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the first James Bond movie, Dr. No. And now, Bond fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Skyfall because we are hoping Sam Mendes will use his Oscar-winning talent to give us back what we lost with Quantum of Solace. So naturally all the excitement has made me look back to the older Bond movies.
I was introduced to Bond movies early in life because my older brother was (and still is) a big fan. My favorite is Goldfinger because not only is it one of the best, but it was also my first Bond movie. If you are a newbie to the older Bond movies I recommend starting with this one. The story is simple – James Bond must prevent Auric Goldfinger from breaking into Fort Knox and stealing America’s gold reserve. Yet, it’s the simplicity that makes this movie work because the focus is on the battle of the wits between Bond and Goldfinger and not on a complicated over-the-top plot. After Goldfinger, you can move on to the world-domination/destruction Bond movies (but put Moonraker last on the list, trust me).
Those of us who love Goldfinger may share a similar memory associated with this movie. I was around seven or eight years old when I watched it with my older brother. Early in the movie there is an infamous scene where James Bond finds a dead woman entirely painted in gold on his bed. Bond explains later that she died from skin asphyxiation because her skin wouldn’t breathe. While watching this scene, my brother told me the actress (Shirley Eaton) actually died on set for the same reason. Being so young, this macabre image was branded on my mind. Twenty-seven years later, I was randomly Googling Goldfinger and found out that it was never true. In fact, Shirley Eaton is still alive (and you can’t die from painting your skin; check out the MythBuster episode).
My brother wasn’t trying to dupe his little sister. There were a lot of people who really believed (maybe still believe) that Eaton died. It amazes me how times have changed. In the pre-Internet days, rumors like these spread like wildfire. Since information wasn’t at your fingertips, if you had your doubts the only way to discredit the rumor was to go down to the local library and scan newspapers on microfiche. Of course, this required you to ask the librarian for help because who the hell knows how to use microfiche. Then you look like a loser because if you have reached this point you have invested way too much time into this. Who wants to bother with all that? It’s easier to believe the rumor. Now, little sisters can just whip out their iPhones and wiki everything their older brothers tell them just for the sole purpose of proving them wrong.
I can’t leave without mentioning another favorite Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It’s not as mainstream as Goldfinger, but this Bond movie has it all. The film balances action and sentiment. It was well directed. Bond is more human than secret agent. Telly Savalas is a solid villain playing Blofeld, Bond’s nemesis, and Diana Rigg is tops as a Bond girl. Plus, I love Bond movies with good ski chase scenes and according to IMDB this movie was the first Bond film to have one.
OHMSS is the history books for two reasons. First, there was no Connery. After five Bond movies, Sean Connery left the franchise and was replaced by George Lazenby. Lazenby was handsome and suave but didn’t have the acting chops like Connery, who was (and still is) a tough act to follow. OHMSS did have fun with this in the opening scene. Lazenby rescues Diana Rigg first from attempting suicide and then from being attacked on the beach. Instead of a thank you kiss (or shag) she runs off in her car without even saying a word to Bond. Lazenby then turns to the camera and says, “This never happened to the other fellow.” Overall, Lazenby did an adequate job and he benefitted from being in a solid movie. Had he chosen to stay with the character he could have grown into it. After OHMSS, Connery was brought back for Diamonds Are Forever and then Roger Moore took over.
The second reason this movie is in the history books is a spoiler. I hate spoilers but this may actually spark your interest in watching the movie. Your call….jump past the movie poster to skip…
In this movie, James Bond marries. Yes, marries! He weds Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo “Tracy,” played by Diana Rigg. Growing up, I was fascinated by this because prior to Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale the idea that Bond could actually fall in love was incredible and the fact that he would commit to one woman was unfathomable. Plus, all girls love the bad-boy who falls in love. You will have to watch to see what happens
These are two older Bond films to start with. If feel like a marathon then I recommend: any film with Connery, The Spy Who Loved Me, and The Man With the Golden Gun. That will keep you busy on a rainy day.
Categories: Spy Movies
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