When Dr. No premiered at the London Pavilion on October 5, 1962, no one
predicted that it would launch the longest-running series in cinema
history. It introduced the James Bond formula that has been a box-office
fixture ever since: sensational plots, colorful locations, beautiful
women, diabolical villains, thrilling action set pieces, and a
tongue-in-cheek tone. An explosive cocktail of action, spectacle, and
sex, Dr. No transformed popular cinema.
James Chapman provides a lively and comprehensive study of Dr. No,
marshaling a wealth of archival research to place the film in its
historical moment. He demonstrates that, contrary to many fan myths, the
film was the product of a carefully considered transnational production
process. Chapman explores the British super-spy's origins in Ian
Fleming's snobbery-with-violence thrillers, examining the process of
adaptation from page to screen. He considers Dr. No in the contexts of
the UK and Hollywood film industries as well as the film's place in
relation to the changing social and cultural landscape of the 1960s,
particularly Cold War anxieties and the decline of the British Empire.
The book also analyzes the film's problematic politics of gender and
race and considers its cultural legacy.
This thorough and insightful account of Dr. No will appeal to film
historians and Bond fans alike.
