FILM PICTURE LIBRARY PRESENTS

Issue 12:  DR. NO (1962)

A great opportunity to get hold of a copy of a rare comic books.  The series was produced for film fans and collectors in a very limited number.  It beautifully reproduces (approx. A4) in 64 pages the classic films using over 350 carefully selected high quality film stills and combines them with all the dialogue to produce every scene from these memorable Movies.  Re-live your favorite classics over again.  A great addition to your collection for years to come.

Global shipping abroad.

Dr. No (1962)

Although it was the first of the Bond books to be made into a film, Dr. No was in fact the sixth of Fleming's series, beginning with Casino Royale. The film makes a few references to threads from earlier books, and later books in the series such as the criminal organisation SPECTRE, which was not introduced until the much later novel Thunderball. While the film received a mixed critical reaction upon release, little did they know just how much of a worldwide phenomenon the franchise would become.  Dr. No was the original instalment and is seen by some as one of the series' best.  Many aspects of a typical James Bond film were established in Dr. No. The film begins with an introduction to the character through the view of a gun barrel and a highly stylised main title sequence as well as the now iconic theme music. Production designer Ken Adam also established an elaborate visual style that is one of the hallmarks of the Bond films.

When the MI6 Station Chief in Jamaica disappears, M sends James Bond to the Caribbean to look into the situation. Upon arrival, Bond is immediately the target of would-be assassins and, as his investigation leads him closer to the truth, attempts on his life become more frequent. After joining forces with CIA operative Felix Leiter, who is investigating possible disruption of rocket launches from Cape Canaveral by radio jamming, Bond enlists the aid of boat owner Quarrel to take him to Crab Key Island, which is ruled by the mysterious Dr. No. Once there, he not only meets the beautiful shell collector Honey Ryder, but also learns why no one ever returns from Crab Key.

Ian Fleming first wrote Dr. No as a television outline to promote the Jamaican tourism industry. After this project fell through Fleming began meeting with Canadian film producer Harry Saltzman about making a screen adaptation. Fleming sold him the rights to all of the James Bond novels except Casino Royale and Thunderball for $50,000. After Saltzman gained the rights for the novel, he initially had trouble financing the project. Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli attempted to buy the rights to the novels from Saltzman but after he refused, they agreed to form a partnership to try and get the films made. A number of Hollywood film studios did not want to fund the films, finding them "too British" or "too blatantly sexual". Eventually the two received authorisation from United Artists to produce Dr. No, to be released in 1962. Initially Broccoli and Saltzman had wanted to produce the eighth Bond novel, 1961's Thunderball, as the first film, but there was an ongoing legal dispute between the screenplay's co-author, Kevin McClory, and Ian Fleming. As a result, Broccoli and Saltzman chose Dr. No: the timing was apposite, with claims that American rocket testing at Cape Canaveral had problems with rockets going astray.

Dr. No was produced on a very low budget and when it was released initially in 168 UK cinemas, it grossed $840,000 in just two weeks, ending up being the fifth most popular movie of the year there. The film ended up grossing $6 million, worldwide making it a huge financial success compared to its original paltry budget. In 1999, it was ranked 41 on the BFI top 100 British films list compiled by the British Film Institute. The 2005 American Film Institute's '100 Years' series also recognised the character of James Bond himself in the film as the third greatest film hero.