The History of James Bond at the Movies

The words are instantly recognizable: "the name is Bond...James Bond." The character created by author Ian Fleming has been appearing on the big screen since 1962's Dr. No, and has been played by Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan in the official movie series from Eon Productions. Current Bond Daniel Craig will return to the role for the fifth (and final?) time in No Time To Die, which is currently set for release in 2021. There have been a number of books written about the 007 films, including Bruce Scivally and John Cork's James Bond: The Legacy, and Stephen Jay Rubin's The James Bond Films. One of the more recent attempts to outline the ongoing saga of the Bond series is Some Kind Of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films, by Ajay Chowdhury and Matthew Field. Originally published in 2015, and later updated in 2018, the book covers the 007 series from its inception to Craig's last Bond film, Spectre, released in 2015.

The book is an exhaustive history of the films, and feature interviews with many of the actors, directors and writers who worked on the iconic series. It all starts with a brief look at Ian Fleming and the creation of the literary Bond, and the initial attempts to bring the Bond character to the big screen. Every film gets its own chapter, which covers the making of each entry in the series from pre-production planning to its eventual release. There's even coverage of Never Say Never Again (1983), the non-Eon Productions remake of Thunderball, which marked Sean Connery's return to the role. There's an in-depth look at the legal battles which allowed that film to be produced, which date back to Ian Fleming's original novel, and the complicated rights surrounding that book, which was originally filmed in 1965 as part of the official series.

The book contains a wealth of information about the production of each film, including details about the creation of the many iconic moments and spectacular stunts featured in the series, and coverage of scenes that were either cut from the final versions of the movies, or never filmed. The interviews with the many actors, writers, directors, musicians and technicians that worked on the Bond films are compelling and fascinating. There are some interesting comparisons between the plots of the original Bond novels and short stories, and what portions of those literary Bond adventures made it into the movies. This isn't a critical history of the 007 series, but rather an exhaustive and detailed look at the making of each film. Ajay Chowdhury and Matthew Field have done an outstanding job of looking at the entire history of the series in this compulsively readable work.

There are a ton of books out there about the James Bond films, but if you're a fan, this lovingly detailed work is well worth reading. Some Kind Of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films is an entertaining, enjoyable look at the long running 007 franchise. The authors are clearly fans of the films, and you may find yourself re-reading some of the chapters to digest a nugget of information you missed, or to go back over the interviews regarding your favorite film in the series. The book is now available in paperback or as an e-book. The only minor issue here is that some of the information on No Time To Die is out of date, as there were changes to the production after the book was released. So if you want to immerse yourself in James Bond movie lore, check out this marvelous look at the history of the cinematic 007. 

Etzioni’s Exceptional “What’s The Mood”

Rock and roll music can accomplish many things. At its best, it can thrill us, move us, teach us, uplift us, and allow us to be carried away by its rhythms. When an artist can accomplish all of those things on one record, it's a very special occurrence. Marvin Etzioni, a founding member of Lone Justice, does just that on his latest solo release, What's The Mood Of The Country Now?, an exceptional record that defies categorization. The album is a masterful musical melting pot of rock, soul, folk, poetry and roots music, which shines a light on important social issues, and manages to both entertain and inspire us as listeners.

The album opens with Etzioni chanting the words "Every breathing soul needs to live in peace" which sets the tone for a terrific collection of songs that include the one-two punch of "God Bless The Homeless" and the stark title track. On the folk-tinged "Here Comes America" Etzioni and singer-songwriter Sy Smith sing that the "future of freedom is in your hands." These powerful songs examine and illuminate the state of the world we live in right now. Throughout this remarkable record, Etzioni provides us with a musical call to action, asking us to be more empathetic to the problems of our fellow human beings, and take a closer look at ourselves. There's never been a better time for self examination than right now, in these insane and unprecedented times.

One of the highlights of the album is the innovative "Abide In My Love" which features an innovative spoken word duet between Etzioni and the recorded voice of Anais Nin, effectively combining the innate talents of both artists. "Cover Your Bamboo" and "The Last Weapon Left Is The Heart" are offbeat (and lyrically unique) love songs which also feature vocals by Sy Smith, whose extraordinary work complements Etzioni’s throughout the record. There are also top notch contributions from Etzioni on guitar and mandolin, David Leach on percussion, Zach Baird on Moog bass and synthesizer and Gustavo Santaolalla, who provides marvelous backing on the ronroco (a 10-stringed mandolin) for the stirring and powerful "We Belong In America."

While some of the songs on the album focus on the darker side of the world as we know it, the record also manages to strike a hopeful note, and point us in a more positive direction with the hard-driving, soulful "Wheels of Freedom" and the joyous, celebratory "(There's Gonna Be A) Jubilation." Marvin Etzioni, who also produced the album and wrote or co-wrote most of the songs, has worked with artists like Peter Case, Toad The Wet Sprocket and Counting Crows. With What's The Mood Of The Country Now? he provides us with some of his finest work to date. This superb album is just the kind of music you need to be listening to right now. It's one of the best records of the past year. You can get more information on the album, and some other recent releases, at Marvin's label, Regional Records, at https://regionalrecords.net.

Film Noir Flashback: 99 River Street

Evelyn Keyes and John Payne

Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) is a former prizefighter who was forced to quit the ring after a permanent injury to his eye. He’s eking out a living as a cab driver in New York City. Ernie’s wife Pauline is not thrilled with their bottom dwelling lifestyle. He may think he’s got it rough right now, but Ernie doesn’t know just how bad things are going to get in 99 River Street, a tough as nails thriller directed by genre veteran Phil Karlson. This hard-hitting film takes place over the span of one fateful night, as Ernie learns just how far his spouse will go to escape her low-rent existence.

Pauline has hooked up with a criminal named Victor Rawlins, who’s just pulled off a diamond heist. She plans to skip town with him, and find herself a better life. That decision will have deadly consequences. When Victor goes to see Christopher, his fence (with Pauline in tow) the man isn’t too happy that a woman is involved, or that Rawlins killed the owner of the diamonds. The fence tells the thief to scram. Victor later kills Pauline and frames Ernie for his wife’s murder. Meanwhile, Ernie’s gotten mixed up with the good-hearted but ambitious Linda James, an aspiring stage actress who tells him she’s killed a man and needs his help. But there’s more to Linda's story than meets the eye, and it doesn’t bode well for Ernie.

Things go from bad to worse as the police hunt for Ernie in connection with Pauline’s murder, as well as a scuffle that he got into with the producers of Linda’s show. Both Ernie’s pal Stan, who runs the cab company and Linda try to help him evade the cops until he can find out the truth about his wife’s murder. Meanwhile, Victor Rawlins has forced Christopher (at gunpoint) to give him cash for the diamonds, and is now planning to flee the country by boat. But the fence doesn’t plan to let Rawlins get away that easily. Everyone comes together at the title address, located at the docks, as their fates intertwine one last time. Who will survive the climactic meeting at 99 River Street?

John Payne turns in a good performance as Ernie, who just wants a chance at a better life, and is thwarted by circumstances beyond his control. There are some familiar faces in the strong supporting cast, including Brad Dexter as Victor Rawlins, Frank Faylen as Stan and Jay Adler as Christopher. But this film really belongs to the ladies. Peggie Castle as Pauline and Evelyn Keyes as Linda manage to steal the movie right out from under their male co-stars. Castle is perfect as Pauline and brings some real nuance to the standard role of the scheming wife. Keyes is equally good as Linda, whose heart is in the right place, even when she makes some bad choices. She gets a great scene late in the story when she has to charm the slimy Rawlins at a dive bar.

This swiftly paced noir is well directed by Phil Karlson, who also worked with star Payne on Kansas City Confidential and Hell’s Island. The excellent cinematography is by Franz Planer, who imbues the film’s night-time NYC settings with a real sense of menace. The screenplay by Robert Smith manages to sneak a couple of decent twists into a relatively by the book crime thriller. While 99 River Street isn’t an iconic or ground-breaking noir like Double Indemnity, The Killers or Out of the Past, it’s an enjoyable 83 minute ride for fans of the genre. The film is currently available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber home video, featuring an audio commentary from Eddie Muller, the host of Noir Alley on Turner Classic Movies. You can take a look at the film's trailer at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYY48zTTsDk.