The cast of SPECTRE : Dave Bautista
March 24th, 2015 by Q-branch staff
When the ad for Mr Hinx went out it was short and to the point. And Dave Bautista, who was eventually cast, could have been born for the role. Here we look at his life and career so far. Dave Bautista was born in Washington on 18th January 1969 to a Filipino father and Greek […]
>> read articleThe cast of SPECTRE : Christoph Waltz
March 17th, 2015 by Q-branch staff
Christoph Waltz was confirmed for SPECTRE by Sam Mendes at the early December press event, a signing already reported in the weeks before filming thanks to a tipoff to the media. Here we take a look at the Austrian actor’s career to date. Christoph Waltz was born on 4th October 1956 in Vienna into a […]
>> read articleThe cast of SPECTRE : Monica Bellucci
March 4th, 2015 by Q-branch staff
Monica Bellucci says she was surprised to be approached by Sam Mendes, initially assuming her role in SPECTRE would be to replace Judi Dench. “Why do you call me? I’m 50 years old… what am I going to do in James Bond?” she demanded of the director. Photo: “Monica Bellucci, Women’s World Awards 2000” by Manfred Werner licensed […]
>> read articleA profile of Bernard Lee, the original M
March 8th, 2013 by Q-branch staff
With Ralph Fiennes introduced as the new M at the end of Skyfall following in the long-serving footsteps of Dame Judi Dench, we take a look at the career of the first actor to play the MI6 boss, Bernard Lee. Bernard Lee was a respected English actor who starred in over seventy different movies during his […]
>> read articleUrsula Andress: 50 years of 007 on the big screen
October 17th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
When Ursula Andress first appeared in Dr No, emerging from the Caribbean dressed in a white bikini, she not only got the pulses of millions racing, but also set the standard by which every following Bond girl would be judged. Cast as Honey Ryder, she helped launch what would eventually become one of the world’s […]
>> read articleJack Lord: 50 years of 007 on the big screen
October 15th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
Although James Bond’s CIA buddy Felix Leiter has been played by a number of actors, Jack Lord’s portrayal of Leiter in Dr No probably remains the most memorable. Although he was approached to reprise his role as Felix Leiter in Goldfinger, he pulled out when agreements between the financial terms of his contract and the […]
>> read articleTerence Young: 50 years of 007 on the big screen
October 14th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
Although Ian Fleming will be forever credited with the creation of James Bond, director Terence Young was responsible in many ways for the evolution of the smooth suave agent that people would later fall in love with. Young’s appreciation for tailored suits, fine wines and beautiful women was remarkably similar to that of Bond and […]
>> read articleSunbeam Alpine: the first screen Bond car
October 9th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
The Bond legend wouldn’t be the same without the cars but while the best known of these is the Aston Martin DB5 that first appeared in Goldfinger, Bond’s very first car was the Sunbeam Alpine from Dr No. 1962 Sunbeam Alpine series II roader (1592cc, top speed 160 km/h) In retrospect, the producers of Bond […]
>> read articleBringing Dr No to the big screen
October 5th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
Although Ian Fleming tried and failed to bring his creation to the big screen, it took the combined efforts of a Canadian and Italian American to bring the first James Bond film to the big screen. This article takes a look at how Dr No came to be made. Interest in bringing Dr No to […]
>> read articleCubby Broccoli: 50 years of 007 on the big screen
October 3rd, 2012 by Q-branch staff
Earlier this week we took a look at the life of Harry Saltzman, who was one of the principal driving forces behind putting James Bond on the big screen. In this article we look at his partner, Cubby Broccoli, with whom he formed Eon Productions and Danjaq. Albert “Cubby” Broccoli was born on Long Island […]
>> read articleHarry Saltzman: 50 years of 007 on the big screen
October 1st, 2012 by Q-branch staff
While Ian Fleming had seen the big screen potential for James Bond early on, his efforts to make a 007 film were ultimately thwarted, despite putting in considerable time and effort into the project. In this article to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Dr No this week we take a look at the life […]
>> read articleLittle Nellie – the Wallis WA-116 autogyro
August 14th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
A look at Little Nellie from You Only Live Twice. After identifying the area in Japan where the Ning-Po was unloaded in You Only Live Twice (1967), James Bond plans on scouting the mountainous area by air and tells Tiger Tanaka, head of the Japanese secret service, to “contact M. Tell him to send Little […]
>> read articleThe Citroën 2CV from For Your Eyes Only
July 12th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
When James Bond arrives in Spain on the tail of Cuban hitman Hector Gonzales in For Your Eyes Only, he sees him killed in front of him, shot with an arrow. Making his escape from the scene he runs into the assassin, Melina Havelock, who turns out to be the daughter of Sir Timothy Havelock, a marine biologist working for the British who had been murdered by Gonzales, triggering Bond’s investigation.
>> read articleRoger Moore: from The Saint to Sir Roger
May 9th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
As part of our celebrations of 50 years of James Bond on the big screen we takes a look at the longest serving actor to play the role, Roger Moore.
>> read articleNo well dressed man should be without one: the Thunderball Jetpack
March 29th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
The world loves Bond but it can be argued that we love his gadgets slightly more. Over the years, movie goers have been thrilled by dozens of impressive gadgets and there are very few of these that are as memorable or as well loved as the Bell-Textron Jet pack. The Bell-Textron Jet pack – or […]
>> read articleThe life of Sean Connery
March 20th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
As part of our celebrations of 50 years of James Bond movies we takes a look at the original James Bond, Sean Connery. Sean Connery’s relationship with the James Bond franchise is a curiously appealing one. Most critics would argue convincingly that Sean Connery’s success and acceptance by the public would have been impossible without […]
>> read articleHow the James Bond films have reinvented themselves over time
February 17th, 2012 by Q-branch staff
When Pierce Brosnan was dropped from the role of James Bond the producers took a big risk in moving away from the established 007 formula and rather than keep the existing timeline of the Bond franchise, they followed the Batman movies to revisit Bond’s early years, long before he had become the smooth secret agent with a licence to kill with a taste for tuxedoes and Martinis.
>> read article50 Years of James Bond Movies
January 1st, 2012 by Q-branch staff
In the last 50 years, 22 official James Bond movies have made their debut on the big screen. If there is one thing the world has come to accept, it is that James Bond will always return—mostly with a blast and girl in arm. The following is a look at all of the past Bond movies and the tiny little details that made each one of them special.
>> read articleAlbert Finney
December 20th, 2011 by Q-branch staff
Albert Finney was confirmed for Skyfall in the November press conference, although his role has not yet been announced. Here we take a look at his life.
>> read articleRalph Fiennes
December 16th, 2011 by Q-branch staff
Ralph Fiennes was linked to Skyfall months before it got under way, much like Javier Bardem. It was finally confirmed at the press conference in November that Fiennes had been signed in an unspecified role; however there is much discussion that Fiennes could mark the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld to the James Bond films.
>> read article