Dr. No (1962, Dir: Terence Young)

Watching the first of James Bond’s adventures is an odd experience. The film is so far removed from the Bond of today – or even the Bond of the 70s, 80s and 90s- that it doesn’t even seem to be part of the same series. Sure, the same elements are there – M, Moneypenny, Universal Exports, and a raft of catchphrases and mannerisms introduced to an unsuspecting pre-Beatlemania, early 60s cinema-going audience – but the film just seems tame in comparison.

I’m writing this after watching the film in high-definition, and thankfully it looks superb. MGM Home Entertainment have spent some real money, investing time and effort into cleaning up the picture and sound, turning it into something that looks – in its external sequences at least – as though it was filmed yesterday.

The plot is pretty simple. Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a British Intelligence Station Chief, and the trail leads him to Crab Key and the reclusive Dr. No. Along the way, we meet Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) emerging from the sea in a white bikini and we’re introduced to Ken Adam’s jaw-dropping sets.

Sean Connery plays the role with a determination we don’t really see again until the Dalton years, and there’s nothing of the humour that was injected into the series from Goldfinger onwards. Taking its cue from Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, the films sets up the formula of event–briefing–investigation that remained the blueprint for many years, and it’s nice to see Bond relying on his wits and actually operating as a spy, rather than resorting to gadgets and smart quips to solve his problems.

Bizarrely, in Japan the translators first interpreted the title as "Dr.? No!" and produced posters with a translation that meant "We don't want a doctor". However the most interesting fact about the release of Dr. No into the cinemas was that on the same day, Friday October 5th 1962, the debut 7” single of a certain quartet from Liverpool was introduced to record stores. What an exciting time – two pillars of popular culture sharing the same birthday.