JAMES BOND
NEWS 2006

20 December 2006
Put quite simply, if my Dad hadn’t taken me at the age of 11 to see Dr. No at our local cinema in 1962 you wouldn’t be reading this now, or in fact any of the other content of 007 MAGAZINE for over quarter of a century. He had read and enjoyed all Ian Fleming’s novels published to that date and was sure I would thoroughly enjoy this, the first James Bond film in the series. Boy, was he right!

I have so much to thank him for but not enough words to adequately express my debt to him. Not only did he give me a stable home environment for the majority of my life, from where I was able to launch myself into my chosen career and all manner of projects, but he also helped bankroll as much of it as he could. Dad was a keen amateur photographer of a high standard, loved the cinema and theatre, and had the most eclectic taste in music of anyone I have ever known, and was a pretty fair snooker player too! All these cultural aspects of his personality he passed on to me during my childhood, absorption of culture that money couldn’t buy and something for which I will be eternally grateful.

FULL OBITUARY

13 December 2006

OMEGA, Swiss luxury watchmaker and creator of “the Bond watch”, has opened its James Bond Exhibition to the public at Cité du Temps in Geneva, Switzerland. On display until end of January 2007 is an exclusive selection of photographs, OMEGA watches worn by members of the cast, and props used in the filming of Casino Royale, the 21st and most recent film adventure featuring Ian Fleming’s legendary British spy. Among the artefacts on display are a number of personal items—a book of poems, a handkerchief, a letter, keys, a bottle of perfume belonging to Vesper Lynd, played by the beautiful French actress, Eva Green. Additional items of interest to Bond fans include the inhaler used by Bond’s nemesis, Le Chiffre, an architectural scale model of the fictional “Casino Royale” in Montenegro and, naturally, the Bond watch worn in the film by Daniel Craig, the British actor playing James Bond for the first time.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

Never Say McClory Again!
GRAHAM RYE takes a look at the life and times of Kevin McClory.

To the general reader the name Kevin McClory, who died aged 80 on November 20th, will strike no chord, but to most devotees of James Bond history the name will be forever associated with the Ian Fleming novel, film and THUNDERBALL trial - and his myriad aborted attempts countered by countless litigation to launch an alternative James Bond film franchise from highly questionable rights!

FULL OBITUARY

007 MAGAZINE takes a behind-the-scenes look at the HEINEKEN commercial produced to tie-in with the worldwide release of Casino Royale.

The 60 second commercial entitled ‘Waiter’ features Eva Green (Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale) and was directed by Stephen Gaghan, the Oscar-nominated Screenwriter of Syriana (2005), which he also directed. The commercial was shot on the Peter Lamont designed Casino Royale sets at the Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic which doubles as Hotel Splendide in the film.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

11 December 2006

Seamaster Planet Ocean Casino Royale Limited Edition

Even whilst relaxing on the beach, only the best is good enough for James Bond, an ethos perfectly reflected in his choice of diving partner. The Seamaster Planet Ocean Casino Royale is a potent combination of technical complexity and aesthetic elegance.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

9 November 2006

Casino Royale, the 21st film in the James Bond series, joins forces with the world’s premier luxury retailer for a major Christmas collaboration. A preview of HARRODS 2006 window displays and launch party opened by Caterina Murino (Solange in Casino Royale).

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

PICTURES FROM THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH PARTY

1 November 2006

SHAKEN NOT STIRRED… Three “Bond Girls” reunite to celebrate Delta Air Lines newest international route between London and New York.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

26 October 2006

Daniel Craig and Barbara Broccoli travel to Moscow to attend the opening of the world's first ever OMEGA Boutique.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

007 MAGAZINE presents an exclusive preview of the auction of James Bond guns and firearms from the BAPTY archive to be auctioned at CHRISTIE'S on December 5, 2006.

FULL REPORT AND EXCLUSIVE IMAGES

29 September 2006

007 MAGAZINE reports from COLLECTORMANIA 10, with exclusive photos of the attending James Bond celebrities including former 007 George Lazenby, and ‘Bond Girls’ Maryam d'Abo, Shirley Eaton, Madeline Smith, Caroline Munro, Martine Beswicke and Mollie Peters.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES FROM THE EVENT

28 September 2006

Exclusive photos from the concert held at the Royal Albert Hall on 28th September 2006.

An Evening with John Barry featuring the Ten Tenors.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

26 September 2006

Best known for his portrayal of ‘Tiger” Tanaka, head of the Japanese Secret Service in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, Tetsuro Tamba has died of pneumonia at the age of 84. Although he appeared in over 200 films in a career that spanned half a century, Tamba made relatively few English language films but ironically it was his knowledge of English that made him invaluable to director Lewis Gilbert during the making of the fifth 007 adventure. Tamba learnt English for the 1964 film The 7th Dawn (starring William Holden and also directed by Lewis Gilbert) and became the liaison between the Japanese actresses working on You Only Live Twice. Tamba helped the producers avoid problems when Mie Hama found difficulty in learning the language for her role as Aki. In order to avoid Hama returning to Japan and being replaced, she switched roles with Akiko Wakabayashi who was originally cast as Kissy Suzuki.

While producing the two-part You Only Live Twice 007 MAGAZINE (issues #35 and #36), we received a letter from Tetsuro Tamba which in very broken English said: “I remember my time on the picture with great fondness, and my director Lewis. Sean was the most potent of men and a true big box-office star.”

23rd-24th September 2006

James Bond fans from all over the UK and overseas travelled this weekend to Kempton Park in Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex to meet and purchase autographs from the largest number of Bond celebrities ever gathered at one convention.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

5 September 2006

GRAHAM RYE takes a personal look at the passing of an important figure in the evolution of the James Bond character.

John McLusky, the original artist who brought James Bond to life in the strip cartoons of The Daily Express and The Daily Star, died aged 83 on Tuesday 5th September. John’s last wishes, which have been duly respected by his sons Graham and Sean, were that his body be donated to medical science, as John never did want to attend his own funeral!

FULL OBITUARY

Sir Sean Connery was awarded the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award at a celebration of his career held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 8, 2006

The award is the highest that the AFI can bestow and Sir Sean is the 34th recipient.

The award was presented by Harrison Ford, who played his son in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989) directed by Steven Spielberg. The gala ceremony was attended by a multitude of Hollywood legends, many of whom took to the stage to pay their own personal tributes to Sean Connery, who was visibly moved by the experience.

In his acceptance speech Sir Sean commented “He had no idea this was such a big deal!”, ending with “It's been a long journey from Fountainbridge to this evening here with you all, though my feet are tired, my heart is not.”

10 May 2006
Prolific English film director and screenwriter Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman), has died at the age of 94.

Guest was one of five credited directors to work on the spoof James Bond film Casino Royale (1967). After the departure of Peter Sellers from the project, Guest was asked by Producer Charles K. Feldman to also direct linking material to make what was left unfinished into a coherent narrative. Guest opted for an ‘Additional Sequences’ credit after he saw the completed film. After writing and directing many films in the 1930s and 1940s, Guest began an association with Hammer Films in 1954. Despite his career in comedy films, Guest was offered the chance to direct Hammer's first Quatermass film, adapted from the 1953 BBC television serial by Nigel Kneale. The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) was a huge critical and commercial hit, which led to Guest directing the second film in the series, Quatermass 2 (1957), and The Abominable Snowman (1957) which starred Peter Cushing.

Val Guest also directed the acclaimed British science-fiction film The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961), which won him [and co-writer Wolf Mankowitz] a BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. In 1970 Guest wrote and directed the British science-fiction musical Toomorrow starring Olivia Newton-John. Guest later issued an injunction against the producer Harry Saltzman, as he had not been paid for his work, and the film was quickly pulled from screenings.

4 April 2006
OMEGA has unveiled a new Seamaster James Bond 007 Limited Edition watch, featuring a version of the classic gun barrel logo. The new James Bond 007 edition will be one of the first 007 watches to feature OMEGA's new Co-Axial Escapement.

FULL STORY

5 March 2006

DUNCAN CARTER reports for 007 MAGAZINE on his visit to the ‘Vue Sur Bond 007’ event in Canada.

The event honoured James Bond producer Harry Saltzman and was attended by a number of 007 notables including Sir Roger Moore, Britt Ekland, Richard Kiel and Dame Shirley Bassey.

FULL STORY AND EXCLUSIVE IMAGES

Pierce Brosnan was in London this week to attend the BAFTA ceremonies at the ODEON Leicester Square and the premiere of his latest movie The Matador, at the Coronet Cinema, Notting Hill Gate, West London. He also found time to appear on the new Davina (McCall) chat show on February 22nd.

On his entrance to the ODEON Leicester Square when accosted by a SKY NEWS reporter, Pierce even obliged her request to do an impression of Daniel Craig saying “The name's Bond. James Bond” without teeth. Magic!