JAMES BOND 007 MAGAZINE | London Calling! 007 in the cinema

Originally published in February 2016 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the general release of Thunderball across the UK, LONDON CALLING! has been revised and updated to present the most complete overview of the release schedules of the James Bond films in London's West End. Now including details of many additional cinemas where the James Bond films originally played for their premiere West End engagement. Part two - GOODBYE PICCADILLY, FAREWELL LEICESTER SQUARE, looks at the series from 1985 to the present day, when several films first played outside the UK before opening in London's West End. As an appendix to LONDON CALLING!, SHOWMANSHIP & EXPLOITATION is a new and exclusive article looking at the studio responsible for bringing James Bond to the big screen, and examines some of the other films and spin-offs distributed by United Artists that screened with the 007 titles in London and across the UK.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the release of Thunderball, 007 MAGAZINE looks back to a time when the only place to see a James Bond film was on the big screen! KEVIN HARPER takes a fascinating look at the release schedules of the James Bond films in London's West End. Part one - 1962 to 1984.

“Here Comes The Biggest Bond of All…”
Thunderball had its London premiere on Wednesday December 29, 1965 with many stars from the film attending the lavish openings at two West End cinemas – the London Pavilion, Piccadilly Circus and the smaller 570-seat Rialto 100-yards away on Coventry Street. The fourth 007 adventure had already opened at the Hibiya Theatre in Tokyo, Japan on December 9, 1965 – and in selected European cities throughout the month before its US release on December 21st in New York. Meanwhile less than a mile away across London, a double-bill of Dr. No and From Russia With Love was showing at the Studio One cinema on Oxford Street. On Thursday February 3, 1966 Goldfinger was re-released for an exclusive six-week run at the ODEON Haymarket, and for a very brief period it was then possible to see all four James Bond films in London's West End. Thunderball and the double-bill continued to screen across the country throughout 1966, but depending on where in the UK you lived your choice was often limited – with months, sometimes years, to wait until the next instalment. With the entire series now readily available on Blu-ray and DVD, access to the Bond film of your choice is just a matter of pushing a button and watching in the comfort of your own home; streaming on a portable device, or even, heaven forbid… on your mobile phone.

The James Bond films were kept off UK television until October 1975 (1972 in the USA), and even then only shown sporadically – usually saved for public holidays at Christmas or Easter. In the 2015 Christmas/New Year period no less than six Bond films were shown at least once on UK terrestrial television. It was only in 1982 when the series began appearing on VHS video that fans had access to more James Bond films, but even then not all titles were initially available.

What's on In London/Thunderball premiere London Pavilion

ABOVE: (left) What's On IN LONDON magazine January 7, 1966 announcing the release of Thunderball. (right & below left) Thunderball was simultaneously premiered on Wednesday December 29, 1965 at the London Pavilion cinema where the film played for 19 weeks, and (below right) 100-yards away on Coventry Street at the Rialto cinema, where it played for 12 weeks.

Thunderball premieres - London Pavilion/Rialto Coventry Street

During the 1960s and 1970s the only way to see the James Bond films was in a cinema, so it’s hardly surprising that myths were made and memories have become hazy and confused over the last six decades. Was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service really such a failure? Did I really see From Russia With Love with Thunderball in 1968? Holidaying with grandparents in the summer sometimes gave the opportunity to stumble upon a double-bill and a chance to catch up with old favourites, or to perhaps see the film missed the first time around.

With no point of reference, private sellers and auction houses to this day often guess at the date of a double-bill poster on offer; generally assuming that the pairing would be seen the year after the release of the most recent of the two films, but this was rarely the case. The initial release dates of each new Bond film are widely known but what happened in between has rarely, if ever, been documented – until now! Different cities played different films at different times, and cinema managers were then able to book pretty much what they wanted to in order to create their own double-bills. This makes a definitive list of what played where and when almost impossible to compile; however, as the James Bond films all opened first in London's West End (with very few exceptions) it is possible to chart their history in the capital from 1962 through to 1984, when the last double-bill was released. As the West End is a term used colloquially by Londoner's, and not an official geographical or municipal definition, its exact constituent parts are up for debate. However, it is traditionally defined as the two square-miles of streets north of the River Thames where the Capital's main shopping and entertainment venues are located, and the home of London's ‘Theatreland’.

What follows is a nostalgic look back to a golden age of cinema-going before the concept of actually owning the film yourself could be imagined, let alone a reality. So run down to the usherette standing at the front of the auditorium and buy a carton of Kia-Ora orange juice; then settle down in your seat with a tub of Lyons Maid ice-cream and a small wooden spoon. Look back through the flickering beam in the cigarette smoke and be transported to a time in your childhood when James Bond was back… to back!

“The First James Bond Film!”
Ian Fleming first saw Dr. No at a private screening in Soho in late July 1962, followed by dinner at the exclusive Travellers Club on London's Pall Mall at the invitation of director Terence Young. The British Board of Film Censors awarded Dr. No an ‘A’ certificate on August 13, 1962, and a further sneak preview took place the 1,710-seat Granada cinema in Slough, close to Pinewood Studios. The first James Bond film was then screened at a Trade Show for exhibitors held at the ODEON Haymarket on the morning of Friday August 31, 1962. Dr. No was therefore completed just seven months after shooting began in Jamaica on January 16th. Following a press screening on October 2nd, Dr. No film then opened at the 1,186-seat London Pavilion, Piccadilly Circus on Friday October 5, 1962 – the same day as The Beatles released their first single ‘Love Me Do’.

Dr. No Trade Show Ticket

The London Pavilion was operated by United Artists as their flagship venue to premiere films distributed by the company in the UK until its closure in 1981. On the evening of Friday October 5, 1962 invited cast and crew members attended a Gala Screening of Dr. No at the London Pavilion. The event was attended by Sean Connery, accompanied by Zena Marshall (Miss Taro in the film), as his girlfriend (and soon to be wife) Diane Cilento had only been granted a divorce a week earlier, and it was deemed too early for them to be seen in public together. Director Terence Young and producers Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli also attended, and composer Monty Norman was one of the invited guests. James Bond author Ian Fleming brought as his special guest the noted playwright and novelist W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). In reality the event was not a ‘premiere’ in the sense that we know it today. Dr. No had five showings at the London Pavilion that day starting at 10.45am, with cast and members and invited guests attending the last performance of the day which began at 8.50pm. A party was then held at The Milroy Nightclub, housed within Les Ambassadeurs club in London's Mayfair. The Le Cercle gaming club for members of Les Ambassadeurs was established at the venue in May 1961, and served as the backdrop for James Bond's introduction at the Chemin de fer table opposite Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) in Dr. No (1962). The scene was filmed at Pinewood Studios on March 2, 1962 on a set designed by Ken Adam based on Les Ambassadeurs Club, and where Sean Connery delivers the immortal line “Bond. James Bond.” for the first time.

ABOVE: (top left) Sean Connery and Zena Marshall attend the Gala Screening of Dr. No at the London Pavilion on the evening of Friday October 5, 1962. (top right) Newspaper advertisement announcing the release of Dr. No across the United Kingdom. (bottom left) James Bond author Ian Fleming attended the Dr. No opening and brought as his special guest the noted novelist W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). (bottom right) Swedish actress Anita Ekberg (in London to film the Saltzman/Broccoli produced comedy Call Me Bwana), director Terence Young and producer Harry Saltzman at the London Pavilion. The poster for Call Me Bwana features prominently in the next James Bond film From Russia With Love. Anita Ekberg is often mistakenly identified as Ursula Andress by press agencies when captioning photographs from the London Pavilion opening, and after screening party. Ursula Andress did not attend the Dr. No Gala Screening as she was filming Fun In Acapulco (1963) in the USA with Elvis Presley at the time.
BELOW: (left) Dr. No opened in North West London cinemas from October 7th; North East London cinemas from October 14th, and South London a week later (right) Queues outside the London Pavilion on October 6, 1962.

Dr. No newspaper advertisement/London Pavilion

On Sunday October 7, 1962 Dr. No was released in over 100 cinemas in the UK, and within two weeks had spread to 198 venues where it had already almost recouped its production costs. With the world on the brink of nuclear disaster as the Cuban missile crisis unfolded, the seemingly far-fetched plot of Dr. No became frighteningly real.

ABOVE: (left) Dr. No played at the London Pavilion for eight weeks from Friday October 5, 1962. (right) One of London's iconic Routemaster buses passes the London Pavilion where Dr. No is playing. On the front of the bus can be seen one of the two advance double-crown posters advertising the release of the first James Bond film.

Dr. No then moved to the 983-seat Berkeley Cinema on Tottenham Court Road from Sunday December 2, 1962, where it played until Wednesday January 9, 1963. Dr. No did not have a wide release in the USA until May 1963. Shooting on From Russia With Love began on April 1, 1963 – coincidentally the same day that Ian Fleming’s tenth James Bond novel ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE was published in London by Jonathan Cape. That evening Fleming attended a party arranged by EON Productions at Pinewood Studios to celebrate the double event. The author had been so taken with actress Ursula Andress after meeting her on location in Jamaica during the shooting of Dr. No that he mentions her in his latest novel.

“James Bond is Back!”
Six months later the second James Bond film From Russia With Love opened at the ODEON Leicester Square on Thursday October 10, 1963. Opened in 1937 with 2,116 seats, the prestigious West End venue was built to be the flagship of Oscar Deutsch's ODEON Cinema circuit, and for many years remained the largest single-screen cinema in the UK. Sean Connery attended (with his parents and wife, actress Diane Cilento) but would not be present at another Bond premiere in the UK until You Only Live Twice in 1967. Once again, the ‘premiere’ was actually another ‘Gala Screening’ as the film had already played three times for paying customers. Distributor United Artists took over part of dress circle of the ODEON Leicester Square, and the Gala Screening was the final performance of the day beginning at 8.20pm. Sean Connery's co-stars Robert Shaw [with his wife, actress Mary Ure (1933-1975)] and Daniela Bianchi were also invited to the ODEON Leicester Square and after screening party. Also attending was British actor Trevor Howard, who a decade later, would star opposite Sean Connery in The Offence (1972). Crew members attending the Gala Screening of From Russia With Love included director Terence Young, editor Peter Hunt, composer John Barry, ‘From Russia With Love’ lyricist Lionel Bart, and singer Matt Monro with his wife Renata [known as ‘Mickie’]. The pair were initially disappointed to discover the song relegated to a few bars briefly heard over the radio of a passing punt, but relieved when the song was heard in full over the closing credits. Ian Fleming also attended the Gala Screening, although his health was particularly fragile. His wife Ann had arranged for Fleming's doctor Jack Beal to also be present. Ian Fleming's health had deteriorated since his heart attack in April 1961, and the strain of the ongoing High Court case with Kevin McClory over the writing of THUNDERBALL was taking its toll on the author. After the From Russia With Love screening the Fleming's hosted a private party for 70 guests at their London home (16 Victoria Square SW1), away from the media attention. Ian Fleming would visit the set of Goldfinger at Pinewood Studios in March 1964, and later suffered a heart attack at the Royal St. George's Golf Club at Sandwich in Kent on August 11, 1964. Ian Fleming died at Canterbury Hospital on August 12, 1964, just five weeks before the release of Goldfinger.

What's On In London/Odeon Leicester Square 1963

From Russia With Love then opened at the New Victoria (now the Apollo Victoria), ODEON Kensington and principal cities across the country on Sunday October 13, 1963. On the same day it opened in North London cinemas, followed by South London cinemas from Sunday November 3, 1963. It is no surprise that From Russia With Love subsequently became the highest-grossing British film of all time on its initial release, and broke the house record at the ODEON Leicester Square taking £14,528 in its first week. Due to its enormous popularity From Russia With Love was also shown for three weeks at the huge 2,400-seat ODEON Marble Arch from Thursday October 17, 1963.

The ODEON Marble Arch opened in 1928 and operated until March 22, 1964 when it was demolished and replaced by an office block and a new modern single-screen cinema where all of the James Bond films played from 1979 to 1989. Opened in 1967, the new ODEON Marble Arch was the largest cinema constructed in London in the post-war era, with a screen that measured 75 X 30 feet, which for many years was the biggest in the country. Originally constructed to showcase films in the 70mm format, the ODEON Marble Arch later became a first run venue for standard 35mm releases after the decline of ‘Roadshow’ presentations in the early 1970s. The venue was converted into a five-screen complex in September 1996, and reopened in January 1997, with subsequent James Bond films all playing on one of the smaller screens as part of their initial West End run. The ODEON Marble Arch closed in May 2016, and was demolished six months later.

The second James Bond film continued its record-breaking success across London and the rest of the country from Sunday October 27, 1963 in a total of 489 cinemas. From Russia With Love took £3,400 in Cardiff during one week, £6,736 in Glasgow, £5,912 in Sheffield and over £3,000 in Norwich! It is estimated that more than 250,000 people saw From Russia With Love in its first week alone, when the average ticket price was three shillings. [In pre-decimal days there were 20 shillings in one pound - 3 shillings is the equivalent of 15 pence in decimal currency]. In order to capitalise on the enormous public demand to see the film, the original 85-minute supporting feature Stowaway In The Sky (1960) was replaced by a 24-minute documentary/travelogue This is Jordan (1963), which enabled cinemas to schedule more screenings each day. The trade magazine Kinematograph Weekly reported that police were called at many locations to control the enthusiastic crowds queuing to see From Russia With Love.

From Russia With Love - Odeon Leicester Square 1963

ABOVE: (left) From Russia With Love press show invite for the morning of Tuesday October 8, 1963 at the ODEON Leicester Square. New films are usually screened for members of the press shortly before their premiere so that reviews can be printed on the day of release. (right) Ticket holders begin to gather outside the ODEON Leicester Square on release day.

ABOVE: (top left) Sean Connery attends the premiere with his wife Diane Cilento, and proud parents Joseph and Euphemia. (top right) Outside the ODEON Leicester Square on opening night. (bottom left) A special quad-crown poster was printed for the ODEON Leicester Square engagement of which only a handful still still exist. The poster was also on display at the New Victoria cinema [renamed ODEON Clerk Street in 1964] in Edinburgh for a special screening of From Russia With Love attended by Sean Connery's parents. (bottom right) Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli chat with James Bond creator Ian Fleming at the Gala Screening of From Russia With Love at the ODEON Leicester Square.
BELOW: (left) Daniela Bianchi with co-producer Albert R. Broccoli and his wife Dana. (right) ‘From Russia With Love’ singer Matt Monro with his wife Renata [known as “Mickie”]. (bottom) Queues form around the block in Leicester Square in the opening week of From Russia With Love in October 1963.

Following its initial six-week engagement at the ODEON Leicester Square From Russia With Love returned to the West End on Thursday November 21, 1963, at the 430-seat Ritz cinema in Leicester Square where it played for another four weeks. On Friday December 20, 1963 Dr. No was then revived at the 420-seat Gala Royal, Marble Arch, playing for eight weeks until Thursday February 13, 1964. From Russia With Love opened the same day at the 640-seat Continentale cinema (known as La Continentale) on Tottenham Court Road, where it played for six weeks until Wednesday January 29, 1964. To capitalise on the success upon its initial release, From Russia With Love was quickly reissued ‘By public demand!’ in selected North London cinemas for one week from January 19, 1964; and in South London venues the following Sunday.

The ODEON Hammersmith [pictured below right] screened From Russia With Love for six days from Monday January 20, 1964. Opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace, the 3,487 seat cinema was renamed the ODEON Hammersmith in 1962, and became known as one of London’s major live entertainment venues, playing host to some of the world's greatest performers. On Sunday January 19, 1964 the ODEON Hammersmith hosted two concerts by The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra supported by Frank Sinatra Jr., who returned the following Sunday for a repeat engagement after From Russia With Love had ended its six-day run. The venue became a Grade II listed building in 1990, and was renamed the Hammersmith Apollo [now eventimapollo], with occasional film screenings to fill empty dates between its live shows and concerts.

ODEON Leicester Square last day | ODEON Hammersmith 1964

From Russia With Love London Pavilion Premiere?
Over the years there have been many references that From Russia With Love (1963) received its premiere at the London Pavilion, Piccadilly Circus, as was the case with the first James Bond film Dr. No (1962), and later Thunderball in 1965. Perhaps the earliest mention was printed in the gate-fold interior of the ‘James Bond Collection’ Special 10th Anniversary double-LP released in 1972. This error was subsequently repeated in many publications in the following years. Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury's much-lauded, but often factually inaccurate book, Some Kind Of Hero, published in 2015, states that after an enthusiastic press show on October 8, 1963, From Russia With Love then had a glitzy premiere at the London Pavilion. Andrew Lycett also perpetuated this erroneous myth in his 1995 biography of Ian Fleming, asserting that the author attended the premiere and “took over the whole of the front row of the vast dress circle of the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus for himself and his party of friends.”

Aside from the fact that From Russia With Love did have its press show on October 8, 1963, all of these statements are 100% incorrect! From Russia With Love actually opened at the ODEON Leicester Square on October 10, 1963 - but instead of a glitzy premiere the film had its first public screening at 12.40pm, then several cast and crew members attended a special Gala Screening (often labelled as the premiere) which was the last performance of the day. Many photos from the so-called Leicester Square ‘premiere’ taken by Harry Myers then appeared in the October 17, 1963 issue of the trade magazine Kinematograph Weekly.

From Russia With Love never screened at the London Pavilion until it played as part of a Sean Connery James Bond Season in February/March 1972. United Artists’ flagship venue had played host to the World Premiere of Tom Jones (1963) on Wednesday June 26, 1963. The hugely successful period comedy-drama starred Albert Finney [whose final film role would be Kincade in Skyfall (2012)], and Sean Connery's then wife Diane Cilento. The film Tom Jones then began an uninterrupted 54-week run at the cinema, during which time it received four Academy Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), before being replaced by The Beatles’ debut film A Hard Day's Night, which had its World Premiere at the London Pavilion on Monday July 6, 1964. With Tom Jones screening at the London Pavilion for just over a year one wonders how so many authors and commentators got the facts so spectacularly wrong, when simple research shows that From Russia With Love never screened at the London Pavilion in 1963/64.

“James Bond Back in Action Again!”
The ODEON Leicester Square once again played home to the world premiere of the third James Bond film Goldfinger on the evening of Thursday September 17, 1964. Huge crowds gathered outside the cinema, which at one point became so unruly a policeman was pushed backwards through a glass door resulting in the film starting 10 minutes late. Honor Blackman attended wearing a specially commissioned 22-carat ‘gold finger’ jewel [designed by Mexican-born British jeweller Charles de Temple (1923-2019)], along with co-stars Gert Frobe, Nadja Regin, Tania Mallet, Shirley Eaton and title song performer Shirley Bassey. Also attending was Michael Caine who would later star as Harry Palmer in three films produced by Harry Saltzman from the novels of Len Deighton. Sean Connery did not attend due to filming commitments in Spain for The Hill. This was the first true James Bond premiere as Goldfinger only played once on September 17, 1964 before opening to the public at ODEON Leicester Square the following day.

Goldfinger premiere ODEON Leicester Square 17 September 1964

ABOVE: Goldfinger World Premiere ODEON Leicester Square Thursday September 17, 1964. (top left) Huge crowds gathered outside the ODEON had to be held back by a line of policemen. (right) Honor Blackman arrives at the Goldfinger premiere wearing a specially commissioned 22-carat ‘gold finger’ jewel. (bottom left) Auric Goldfinger himself Gert Frobe attends the premiere at the ODEON Leicester Square with his wife Beate.
BELOW: (top left) Goldfinger premiere at the ODEON Leicester Square. (right) What's On IN LONDON magazine September 18, 1964 announcing the release of Goldfinger in London's West End. (bottom left) L-R Jacqueline Saltzman, co-producers Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli & Harry Saltzman, and Dana Broccoli at the ODEON Leicester Square for the World Premiere of Goldfinger.

Goldfinger then opened at nine large ‘Premiere Showcase Theatres’ in the London suburbs from Sunday September 20, 1964; and key cities across the country from Sunday October 4, 1964. This new release pattern was modelled on New York's ‘Red Carpet Theatres’ which gave more London cinemagoers the opportunity to see the film just three days after its West End premiere, although ticket prices were slightly higher than those charged for general releases.

ODEON Hammersmith Premiere Showcase Theatre

Goldfinger marked the first time that ‘Premiere Showcase Theatres’ showed new films well ahead of their general release in Britain. Goldfinger was booked into nine ‘Premiere Showcase Theatres’ (chosen by the Rank Theatre Division and United Artists) for three weeks [eight weeks at the New Victoria] from Sunday September 20, 1964, and then went on general release across the country on Sunday October 18th. The 1,948-seat Gaumont Watford had undergone a five-month decoration project in readiness for the theatre's change of name to ODEON, and it's re-opening with Goldfinger. The ODEON Hammersmith, the largest of the ‘Premiere Showcase Theatres’ with 3,487-seats, took a staggering £10,000 in the first week (a good average week for the cinema would be around £2,000). Honor Blackman made personal appearances at six of the nine ‘Premiere Showcase Theatres’, and then embarked on a provincial tour the following week, appearing in Leicester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow.

Co-producer Albert R. Broccoli and wife Dana attended a screening at the ODEON Streatham on Thursday September 24, 1964 which attracted a crowd of 1,200 fans. It was later reported in the Streatham News that more than 70,000 people had seen Goldfinger in its first three weeks at the ODEON. To cater for those cinemagoers who were unable to get in, a special midnight screening was arranged for Saturday October 10, 1964 - the final performance of its three-week season. At this time it was unusual for suburban cinemas to have late-night screenings, and these could only take place with approval from the local council licensing authority. A late-night screening of Goldfinger at the ODEON Northfields, Ealing on Saturday October 24, 1964 was the first such event for seven years. On September 15, 1964, two days before the premiere of Goldfinger, both Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli (accompanied by their wives) had attended Ian Fleming's memorial service in London held at the church of St. Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield. Also attending were Michael Howard representing publisher Jonathan Cape; and Richard Chopping, who painted the trompe l'oeil dust jacket illustrations for nine of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels beginning with FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE in 1957.

Goldfinger World Premiere advertisement, premiere ticket and original end title

ABOVE: (left) Advertisement announcing the World Charity Premiere of Goldfinger and release at ‘Premiere Showcase Theatres’. (top right) Goldfinger world premiere ticket. (bottom right) Original prints of Goldfinger showing in London and across the UK in September/October 1964 announced that On Her Majesty's Secret Service would be the next film in the series.

Thunderball had been announced as the next film in the series on September 23, 1964, but prints of Goldfinger currently showing in London and across the country still bore the end caption ‘But James Bond will be back “On Her Majesty's Secret Service.”’ Producers Albert R. Broccoli & Harry Saltzman had recently come to an agreement with Kevin McClory following his acquisition of the screen rights to Thunderball in 1963. Rather than have McClory release a rival Bond film as he had announced, Broccoli & Saltzman reluctantly went into partnership with the Irishman. A new end credit was hastily created for Goldfinger and subsequent UK prints (and all US prints of the film) correctly named Thunderball as the next film in the series.

Goldfinger box-office Odeon Leicester Square

ABOVE: September 1964 - Robert Brownjohn's iconic Goldfinger poster displayed on the advertising hoarding at the end of Gerrard Place leading onto Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End.

Goldfinger once again broke the house record at the ODEON Leicester Square in its first week, going on to take £32,874 in its first fortnight, smashing all records held by its predecessor From Russia With Love, and becoming the highest grossing film ever released in the UK. Distributor United Artists were keen to promote this fact in the USA where Goldfinger was due to open at the end of the year.

Dr. No on the cover of What's On In London magazine 1964

Dr. No at the Leicester Square Theatre 1964

“James Bond 007 Takes Over Leicester Square!”
On Thursday October 1, 1964 a reissue of Dr. No opened at the 1,303-seat Leicester Square Theatre opposite Goldfinger which was still playing at the ODEON. Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie starring Sean Connery was also playing at the 430-seat Ritz cinema in Leicester Square at the same time, after transferring from the ODEON Leicester Square.

Goldfinger then replaced Dr. No at the Leicester Square Theatre on Thursday October 29, 1964 and played for a further seven weeks until Wednesday December 16, 1964. When the revival of Dr. No went on general release across the UK from Sunday November 1, 1964, it was supported in many locations by the 1959 Hammer Film The Hound Of The Baskervilles, also distributed by United Artists. It was originally announced that From Russia With Love would replace Dr. No at the Leicester Square Theatre from Thursday October 15, 1964, but the first James Bond film proved so popular screening opposite Goldfinger at the ODEON that it was retained throughout October.

Goldfinger Leicester Square Theatre October 1964

James Bond once again became ‘Gala Holiday Entertainment’ when on Saturday December 26, 1964, Goldfinger opened at the Gala Royal Cinema, Marble Arch; whilst Dr. No played for the same five weeks at La Continentale. Goldfinger also played concurrently at the Berkeley on Tottenham Court Road – primarily a 983-seat independent art-house cinema owned by Kenneth Rive (along with La Continentale; Gala Royal, Marble Arch and International Film Theatre, Bayswater). The founder of Gala Film Distributors in 1952, Kenneth Rive (1918-2002) was the biggest distributor of foreign films in the UK, and largely responsible for introducing British audiences to the works of Francois Truffaut and Ingmar Bergman. His London cinemas showed continental art-house films but also became second run venues for more popular mainstream films. Goldfinger finished its eight week engagement at the New Victoria (one of the nine ‘Premiere Showcase Theatres’) on Saturday November 14, 1964, and was replaced by From Russia With Love which ran from Sunday 15th to Saturday 21st November. The 1,934-seat New Victoria was operated by the Rank Organisation and often used as an alternate West End venue for the opening of new films until 1975, when it became one of London's premier live entertainment and concert venues. During the eight-week run of Goldfinger at the New Victoria, there were no screenings on Sunday October 4, 1964, as the venue played host to a series of Modern Jazz concerts as part of the 1964 Jazz Jamboree.

ABOVE: Christmas 1964 - ‘Gala Holiday Entertainment’ Goldfinger and Dr. No were both playing at three of Kenneth Rive's Gala cinemas in London's West End. Kenneth Rive (1918-2002) [pictured above right] was the founder of Gala Film Distributors in 1952 - the biggest distributor of foreign films in the UK, and largely responsible for introducing British audiences to the works of Francois Truffaut and Ingmar Bergman. His London cinemas showed continental art-house titles but also became second run venues for more popular mainstream films.

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