Dr. No (1962)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screenplay) &
Johanna Harwood (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 May 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

NOW meet the most extraordinary gentleman spy in all fiction!...JAMES BOND, Agent 007!

Plot:

James Bond's investigation of a missing colleague in Jamaica leads him to the island of the mysterious Dr. No and a scheme to end the US space program.

Plot Keywords:

James Bond | Island | CIA | Scientist | Jamaica

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 2 wins

Cast

Sean Connery	...	James Bond
Ursula Andress	...	Honey Ryder
Joseph Wiseman	...	Dr. No
Jack Lord	...	Felix Leiter
Bernard Lee	...	M.
Anthony Dawson	...	Professor Dent
Zena Marshall	...	Miss Taro
John Kitzmiller	...	Quarrel (as John Kitzmuller)
Eunice Gayson	...	Sylvia Trench
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Peter Burton	...	Major Boothroyd
Yvonne Shima	...	Sister Lily
Michel Mok	...	Sister Rose
Marguerite LeWars	...	Annabelle Chung - Photographer (also as Marguerite Le Wars) (as Marguerite Lewars)
William Foster-Davis	...	Superintendent

Also Known As:

Doctor No (UK) (alternative spelling)
Ian Fleming's Dr. No (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Norway:12 (re-rating) (1979) | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16 (nf) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) | Ireland:PG | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #20322) | USA:GP (re-rating) (1971) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1994) | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

2171 Magenta Drive, Jamaica

Company:

Eon Productions

Trivia:

The Jamiacan production office was the Courtleigh Manor Hotel in Kingston. Terribly wet weather was a big problem for the crew.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Bond sets traps in his hotel room, including the closet, but is wearing a darker suit when we see him check them later. He changed suits in his room and reset the traps afterward; we didn't see it happening because it wasn't interesting.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John Strangways: That's it. Hundred honors and ninety below.
Professor R. J. Dent: Nicely done, Strangways. I have to give it to you.
John Strangways: I must leave you for a few minutes. Order a round on my chit, will you Professor.
Professor R. J. Dent: Right.
Gen. Potter: Damn it all! Must you break off at this time every evening?
John Strangways: Sorry, General. My managing director is a creature of habit. There's a call booked through to me every day about this time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge: (#1.2)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Jump Up

THE LEGEND IS BORN...

Ahhh...let's go back to the year 1962. What was going on than? Well, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her L.A. home, the Cuba crisis, racial integration in U.S. and yes, the first 007 was released in London. The legend was born.

They launch into the orbit until till than fairly unknown actor, and they hit the jackpot. Stalwart, confident, cool under pressure and witty. Sean Connery was all that and more. Beside him, was gorgeous and talented Honey Ryder (26-years old Ursula Andress) as the main "love bird" beside Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) and villain Miss Taro (Zena Marshall). And as always trusty allies from Q (this time played by Peter Burton and only appeared for 10 seconds) to CIA and of course M. Thus, we can't forget his Jamaican friends Puss-Feller and Quarrel (a nice play from John Kitzmiller).

On the other hand we have interesting villains in this one. Though we have seen toughest and better opponents in other Bond movies, Dr. No have some class and helpful friends such as "funny" three blind assassins and Professor Dent (great scene by the way in the cabin).

So, is the first also the best in series? No, but it definitively ranks in top 5 Bond movies ever. It got best Bond actor (Sean Connery), great woman (Ursulla Andres) though we have seen better chemistry, superb jazzy score by Monty Norman with nice Jamaica sounds, witty bond humor ("i think that they were on the way to a funeral" or "make sure that he doesn't escape"), dreamy locations (Jamaica) and the component director who made the timeless classic. For this reasons, although not the best in the series, it still deserves a highest possible rate

10 out of 10.