James Bond in the Cinema (1972)
The first book to recount the plots of the James Bond films in great detail in the days before video tapes, DVDs or streaming services. The original edition covers the films through Diamonds Are Forever, while the second adds coverage of the films through Moonraker.
An entertaining and in-depth assessment of the world's most popular and durable literary and screen super-spy hero of the postwar period
The screen exploits of James 007 Bond, the secret agent with a license to kill, have proved to be the most successful and durable film series in the history of the cinema. James Bond made his first screen appearance in Dr. No (1962) and nearly two decades and ten films later the Bond films are more popular than they ever have been.
In this second edition, updated to include the latest Bond films, John Brosnan masterfully examines all of the Bond thrillers — Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, as well as Casino Royale. The highlights of each film are vividly recalled and much behind-the-scenes information is provided, including how the spectacular special effects were accomplished.
The author discusses the unique popularity of the James Bond figure and the changes that have taken place as the series has progressed, with particular emphasis on the differences between Sean Connery's original interpretation of the role and the later Roger Moore version. Mr. Brosnan also offers a valuable comparison between the films and author Ian Fleming's novels.
The fascinating story of how the literary James Bond made the long journey to the screen also is told, as is the background of the two men most responsible for turning James Bond into a box-office phenomenon: those astute producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.
This attractive volume contains over a hundred stills, many of them rare, and these illustrations together with John Brosnan's lively and authoritative text make James Bond in the Cinema an invaluable acquisition for anyone who has enjoyed the exploits of 007 on the printed page or on the cinema screen.
Author
Publication History
- London: Tantivy. Hardcover.
- Cranbury, NJ: A. S. Barnes. Hardcover.
- 2nd ed. London: Tantivy, 1981. Hardcover. (?)
- 2nd ed. Cranbury, NJ: A. S. Barnes, 1981. Hardcover.
Reviews
- L. Rubenstein, Cineaste, no. 1 (1983), p. 51.
- Ernest Callenbach, Film Quarterly, Summer 1982, p. 61.
- Filmmakers Newsletter, May 1977, p. 53.
- Library Journal, 1 September 1972, p. 2748.
- National Review, 16 October 1981, p. 1221.
- Wilson Library Bulletin, September 1981, p. 54.