By Jeff Salter
Wow, finally an easy topic! My favorite James Bond film is From Russia With Love. But you’re gonna want to know WHY.
I had not even heard of James Bond when my dad took my brother and me to New Orleans – some 50 miles from our home – to see a film about a “super spy.” I had no idea what the movie was even about.
I asked my dad, “Does that mean he can fly?”
“No,” Dad replied, “it just means he’s super good at everything he does.”
“What does this guy do?” I asked innocently.
I suppose my dad could have told me he kills bunches of bad guys and beds bunches of pretty women, but I believe he left the topic up in the air for that moment.
I knew this would be a special experience because Dad rarely took us to a movie without Mom and little sister. For us three guys to drive that far to a movie must mean we were “bonding” or something … though that term did not enter my vocabulary until decades later.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057076/?ref_=sr_1
According to IMDb, FRWL (filmed in 1963) was released in America in the early summer of 1964, which is undoubtedly when I saw it … at the tender age of 13.5.
Wow.
Beautiful girls, deadly villains, whiz-bang crashes and fights, and even very cool gadgets. On top of all that, it had a stunning musical score. Did I mention voluptuous girls? Certainly after viewing that film, I finally realized that 007 was indeed a super spy.
After we saw that movie, my dad started buying the Ian Fleming paperbacks. I read every one. Later, I was given my own complete set of the titles in print at the time … by several buddies (when I left Covington LA for Mt. Pleasant IA).
So you see, folks, FRWL represents not only my first Bond film, but it was my very first exposure to the character James Bond, the actor Sean Connery, the author Ian Fleming, super spies, British secret agents, and the entire concept of “license to kill.” No movie since could possibly duplicate the thrill of that total immersion into such fantastic “guy territory” … at just the age zone when I had departed boyhood and was entering manhood.
Question:
What is YOUR favorite Bond film? Why?
Angela Schroeder
Patricia Kiyono
Elaine Cantrell
Jeff Salter
Joselyn
Tonette Joyce
Four Foxes, One Hound 
I think James Bond has been a ‘coming of age’ eye-opener for many boys for a long time now, Jeff.I dare to guess some girls decided to be femme fatales ,(at least in their fantasies), because of him, too.And I think the first Bond always has a special place in your heart, especially for those of us who were around when the Bond movies exploded into the world.
The Bonds were movie game-changers, that’s for sure!
I am so glad everyone is enjoying this month’s Bond topics.It will be fin to see what is on everyone’s mind.Of course, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for mine, but I will tell you, Mr.Hound, you are the only one who can give a definitive answer to this week’s question; we Foxes are hard-pressed to decide!
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Yes, a definitive answer. But, as someone else pointed out already this week — these early Bond films have clearly gotten cheesier over the 50 years since they arrived.
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Cheesy, granted, but that ,too, is part of the continuing fun.The ‘realism’ of the earliest two Craig Bond movies left me cold…why bother with a spy who couldn’t get even his ‘girlfriend’ to do things for him,(let alone a strange hardened female spy or previously devoted mistress of a criminal mastermind), and had no cool gadgets? Almost anyone could aspire to that sort of life.Bonds are fantasy, something to build dreams on.Glad they are back on track.
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Since I mentioned my favorite Bond films yesterday (Casino Royale and Skyfall – Daniel Craig fan), you already knew those. But I can understand your favoritism with your first Bond movie experience. But I definitely agree with the great music. I do admit to loving another “Bond” movie that you probably haven’t heard of or seen. It’s called “The Crystal” and it was my husband and his family who made the movie when he was about 13 or 14. I prefer Q in that movie to that James Bond. Then again, since that James Bond is my brother-in-law, I prefer EVERYONE in the movie to him, including “Duke the Attack Dog” and the bug that crawled across the screen/camera during the filming of the car chase.
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Post that film on youtube, Micki. I want to see it!
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Yes, you should! I bet it would be a hit! I’d love to see it!
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What a great way to have your “first” introduction to James Bond …. and what a memorable one. I vaguely remember (my mind is not as good as yours), I think my “first” James experience at the movies was “For your eyes Only”, but I had seen other James’ on telly I have to admit.
From Russia with love is not a bad choice either …. So many choices …… 🙂
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absolutely, Iris — I entered that theater with absolutely NO preconceived notions about the movie, the characters, the action, etc. That may be the only movie I’ve seen which had no basis for me to create expectations.
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Sounds like you “guys “had some very special “Bond”ing moments at FRWL . I don’t have any special memories associated with Bond movies, other than hero worship, 😉 and therefore have no particular “favorite” movie, as I’ve mentioned previously. I enjoyed reading about your special “father & son/s” time. 🙂
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Thanks, Janette. Yeah, that movie viewing experience was indeed special for that reason also — me with big brother and Dad at a movie out of town. Very cool memory.
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