GRAHAM RYE BIOGRAPHY

The 1990s
In May 1990, Graham organised The JBIFC 25th Anniversary screening of Thunderball at London’s National Film Theatre, for which it became necessary for him, together with a film editor friend, to edit an acceptable print for screening from a battered selection of 56 reels of film. The screening and the following celebration dinner was attended by the film’s director Terence Young and two of the Bond girls from the film, Claudine Auger and Mollie Peters. Graham also ‘reunited’ two old school chums with Molly Peters to recreate a photograph taken 25 years earlier when all three as schoolboys met her at a special screening of Thunderball in 1965.

Also in 1990, Graham Rye became the first person to persuade the management of Pinewood Studios to allow an organisation outside the film industry to hold an event inside the studio complex and also hire a soundstage. Two hundred club members from around the world attended the JBIFC weekend event. 007 filmmakers EON Productions allowed total access to their Bond props storage areas that were located all over the studio complex; and so on ‘B Stage’, Rye organised the largest exhibition of Bond props ever to be displayed to the public under one roof. He also identified and itemised all the props – enabling the 007 filmmakers to have a detailed itemised inventory of their unique collection for the first time in their history. Later, he would also become responsible for guiding EON Productions’ archivist Meg Simmonds to the location at Pinewood of the last few surviving matte paintings (on glass) from the Bond films and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Celebrity guests at the 1990 JBIFC convention included: Desmond (Q) Llewelyn, credit title designer Maurice Binder, ex-Bond girls Mollie Peters and Carole Ashby, production designers Syd Cain and Peter Lamont, and Oscar-winning special effects technician John Stears. The JBIFC Convention was featured on TV and Radio around the world and Rye also produced The JBIFC’s own video of the event.

During 1991, Graham edited and designed the book The Most Famous Car In The World: the complete history of the James Bond Aston Martin DB5, which featured more than 300 photographs and illustrations throughout its 164 pages. The book was published by its author after partly promoting the project in 007 MAGAZINE, thus enabling a pre-sale of the required number of copies to raise the capital for the print run of 5,000 copies. The book went on to become one of the best-selling automotive books between 1991-1994. 

February 1992, and once again Graham took to the stage of the National Film Theatre, this time to interview Bond production designer Syd Cain, stunt arranger George Leech, and pilot and designer of the autogyro ‘Little Nellie’, Wing Commander Ken Wallis. The interviews were preceded by a special screening organised by Rye of You Only Live Twice and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service to a capacity audience of 466 JBIFC and NFT members.

1992 also saw the 30th Anniversary of James Bond in the cinema, and as there was no new Bond film due for release, or even in production, it fell to The James Bond International Fan Club to celebrate the occasion in appropriate ‘Bondian’ style. Once again an exclusive event took place at Pinewood Studios, attended by over 100 enthusiastic JBIFC members from around the world. The day began with a number of recorded ‘hellos’ from various Bond luminaries on videotape co-organised by Graham and London Weekend Television, including: Cubby Broccoli, directors Lewis Gilbert and Peter Hunt, Robert Davi, Roger Moore – and Sean Connery. The event was recorded for London Weekend Television’s hour-long documentary ‘30 Years of James Bond’ in which Graham was also involved as a consultant.

In autumn 1992 Graham Rye was also the subject of a student documentary, ‘The Man Who Would Be Bond’.   

Early 1993 saw Rye heading a 10-strong team to refurbish the JBIFC archive’s largest purchase, the Diamonds Are Forever Moon Buggy, in time for its transportation to Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas. Also during 1993, Rye supplied ideas, graphics, and props for a promotional CD and video for the Sega/Domark computer game, ‘James Bond 007 The Duel’. Christmas 1993, and The JBIFC returned to Pinewood Studios where Graham organised the ‘22 Carat Diamonds Are Forever Christmas Special’, which was held partly in aid of Guide Dogs For The Blind. Celebrity guests in attendance included: Lois (Moneypenny) Maxwell, Desmond (‘Q) Llewelyn (reunited by The JBIFC for the first time in 8 years), stunt arranger Paul Weston, and production designer Syd Cain. Also on display was the newly refurbished Moon Buggy before leaving for display at Planet Hollywood. The JBIFC event raised £1,500 for Guide Dogs For The Blind – with a new guide dog named ‘Miss Moneypenny’ as the result.

In 1994, Rye was hired by an American TV company as consultant for the documentary ‘James Bond: The Secret Life of 007’, in which he also appeared. With his video crew he also interviewed Bond editor and director Peter Hunt, conducted vox pops in the street, and covered the auction of Ian Fleming’s golden typewriter at CHRISTIE’S for the TV documentary. During 1994, Silva Screen Records hired Rye to write the detailed liner notes for their new digital CD recording of the James Bond themes by the City of Prague Philharmonic. Christmas 1994 saw a great coup for Graham when one-time 007 George Lazenby agreed to be the central guest at The James Bond International Fan Club Christmas lunch, themed around his 007 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. This was the first UK autograph signing ever undertaken by the ex-Bond star. Graham also appeared together with Lazenby on SKY TV. Other celebrity guests in attendance included Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn, reunited with Lazenby for the first time since the release of the film in 1969.

During 1995, Rye compiled and published ‘The James Bond 007 International Fan Club & Archive Fact File’, an astonishing 200-page spirex-bound reference guide to everything the media wanted to know about James Bond – but didn’t know what to ask! Bond video distributors MGM Home Video (UK) were Rye’s first customers, who purchased enough copies of the reference work to recoup the total production costs. As intended, the publication proved to be a great success with the media, and many editorial departments and freelance journalists purchased copies as an invaluable research source. Later in 1995 the MGM/UA special widescreen video box set for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service included a specially reprinted copy of 007 MAGAZINE OHMSS special, written and designed by Graham Rye. Christmas 1995, and 200 Club members attended a morning preview of GoldenEye, followed by a JBIFC lunch at Planet Hollywood, at which Rye’s book The James Bond Girls was re-launched.

During 1996 Graham Rye acted as design consultant for MCI Spoken Word’s new recordings of the Ian Fleming James Bond novels read by Richard E. Grant. Rye was also commissioned by Slow Dazzle Worldwide to design two best-selling official 1997 James Bond calendars. Christmas 1996 saw yet another 200 enthusiastic JBIFC members attending a themed lunch at Pinewood. This time the event centred on gold – and accordingly, the films celebrated were Goldfinger, The Man With The Golden Gun, and GoldenEye. Guests reflecting this glittering occasion were Christopher Lee and Guy Hamilton (director of 4 James Bond movies). Rye also discovered the whereabouts of Sixties Bond girls Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet, and Oscar-winning sound editor Norman Wanstall, who also attended the event.

Also in 1996, Graham was commissioned to design a 40,000 square foot exhibition entitled ‘The World of James Bond 007’ for display at the Paris Motor Show. One million people saw the exhibition over a period of two weeks. Rye also wrote and designed the accompanying brochure, and directed and produced the promotional video of the exhibition. Later in 1996, Rye’s photo-research led to the publication of the book Dressed To Kill, which examined the world of James Bond from a sartorial standpoint. Published by Flammarion, the book was encouraged and supported by Brioni and EON Productions. As a thank you for his involvement with the book Dressed To Kill, Brioni’s master tailor, Checchino Fonticoli, rewarded Graham with a fitting for a new suit.

During 1995 Graham Rye appeared in the documentaries ‘The Goldfinger Phenomenon’ and ‘The Thunderball Phenomenon’, featured in the special Deluxe Collector’s Edition of MGM/UA’s laser disc releases of Goldfinger and Thunderball (and later in 2000 on the equivalent DVD releases). The Thunderball laser disc presentation box also featured an illustration from the 007 MAGAZINE Archive. Later the same year the MGM/UA special widescreen video box set for GoldenEye included a specially reprinted copy of 007 MAGAZINE GoldenEye special, written and designed by Graham Rye.

During 1997, Rye designed and published the ‘Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ 1998 calendar for The JBIFC, which featured an impressive selection of rare photographs of Sean Connery as James Bond from the 007 MAGAZINE Archive.

In 1999, Rye supplied images and information for an exhibition on the work of legendary 007 Production Designer Ken Adam for the Serpentine Gallery, and was also invited to host a special guided tour of the exhibit. Over the Christmas period 1999/2000 The JBIFC moved into larger offices which Graham was able to design and customise to The JBIFC’s very special requirements, and where The JBIFC also opened a sales counter. The JBIFC’s retail store was the first time anywhere in the world that Bond fans could shop exclusively for 007 memorabilia.

IMBD LISTING

BIOGRAPHY PART 1