Licence to Legacy: Thunderball at 60 – part 1

Marking 60 years of Thunderball, the hosts revisit first impressions, McClory’s impact, and the tangled legacy of SPECTRE and Blofeld.

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S3E002: Bill Koenig, Javi Trujillo and David Leigh kick off a two-part celebration of Thunderball on its 60th anniversary. In this episode, they revisit their first viewings and the impressions the film left behind, then dive into Kevin McClory’s influence on the Bond series.

The discussion turns to SPECTRE and Blofeld—was it for the best that Eon dropped them in the 1970s, and why did their eventual return feel squandered? The hosts also talk about the SPECTRE ring and how the octopus logo makes no sense.

Where to find us

Bill Koenig
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Javi Trujillo
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/javitru.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thebondisnotenough/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

David Leigh
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com/⁠⁠

Recorded in the USA and Spain on 2nd September 2025

 

David Leigh founded The James Bond Dossier in 2002. A fan of 007 since the age of 8, he is also author of The Complete Guide to the Drinks of James Bond. You can order a copy here if you don't own it already.

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