I was recently asked to appraise a Dr. No film poster that had been scraped off a wall by Jim the Scrim.
Once scraped off it was put in a frame by a fan of the James Bond series of films.
So it was my job to look it over and put the poster into context, from its then...to its now. Had it appreciated.............................
Dr. NO
Poster designed by MITCHEL HOOKS AND DAVID CHASMAN
PRINTED IN ENGLAND by STAFFORD AND CO Nethinfield Nottingham and London.
It introduced The Spectre Organisation
The first James Bond film was not really tipped for anything spectacular but numerous films later its now a multi billion pound industry.
Ian Flemings sixth James Bond novel was originally written in 1956 for an episode of a never produced TV series 'James Gunn Secret Agent' with the episode being entitled Commander Jamaica. The working title of the film was 'The Wound Man'.
Dr. No was written in 1958 was a follow up to From Russia with Love.
LIVE AND LET DIE AND DIAMOND ARE FOREVER are written before Dr. No.
All the sets and furniture were filmed slightly smaller so Connery would look bigger.
It featured a stolen Francisco Goya picture. The Duke of Wellington, which was stolen in 1961 from London's national gallery.
Next to the stairs in Dr. No's dining area Bond stops to notice it. As he passes. Bond says "So there it is". The audience laughed as it had been widely publicized at the time. It was recovered in 1965. Read More Here
After viewing the film Ian Fleming simply said 'Dreadful Simply Dreadful'
He didnt like Sean Connery being Scottish as Bond was English and not upper class but then when the money started rolling in he wrote a Scottish Heritage into James Bonds past. A recent Bond film Skyfall brings in his Scottish ancestry.
Albert R Broccoli attended a screening of Darby O'Gill and The Little People (1959) and then asked his wife Dana to confirm Connery's sex appeal.
The theory is, BOND IS someone all men wanted to be. AND ALL WOMEN WANTED TO BE WITH.
Cary Grants daughter would say her father later regretted turning down the role.
Patrick McGoohan also turned down the role.
Dr. No was losely based around Fu Man Chu.
Fleming asked his good friend Noel Coward to play the role and he replied in a telegram
Dr No? No! No! No!
Dr. No is plotting to disrupt an American space launch from Cape Canaveral.
John Barry did not compose the theme but arranged and orchestrated it from a song by Monty Norman for a aborted musical called The House of Dr Biswas.
Anthony Sinclair the Saville Row tailor stated that a truly great suit would be able to stand up to a great deal of abuse such as grabbing by the lapels and still look great afterwards. Connery was asked to sleep in his suit and was stunned to wake up the next morning and it still looked great.
Filming lasted 58 days.
Bond sings 'Under The Mango Tree' the only time he has ever sung in a film.
Location manager was Chris Blackwell who later founded Island Records
It was filmed in 1962 but was delayed release in America till 1964 because of the Cuban missile crisis.
JFK was shot in in November 1963.
Now a lot of people say they remember where they were when they heard the news that JFK had been shot.
I remember exactly where I was when in the 70's I first saw Honey Rider came out of the sea in that white bikini.
I was at home with the family..My mother said “Wayne close your mouth you'll catch flies in it”.
Julie Christie was considered for the role.
The scene of Honey Rider walking out of the sea was shot at Laughing Waters, an estate owned by Mrs Minnie Simpson in St Ann Jamaica.
The discovery of Ursula Andress.
Brocolli wanted an unknown with a new face who wouldn't demand a large salary.
Two weeks before casting Honey Rider part had not been cast the producers then saw a photograph of an unknown actress in a wet T-shirt and offered her the part without even meeting her.
Ursula's voice was dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl.
Andress salary for the film was $6000.
Ursula later says “I am amazed all all I did was wear this bikini not even a small one and whoosh overnight I made it”.
All my school chums were talking about it the next day.
Honeychile Ryder the last surviving member of an old plantation family in Jamaica.
Ursula won golden globe best newcomer 1964.
After the film bikini sales rocketed.
The Vatican issued a special communique expressing its disapproval of the movies moral sentiment.
In Catholic countries local artists were employed to redesign and all implied nudity was censored.
THE POSTER HAD TO BE CENSORED IN IRELAND AND we see URSULA UNDRESS, IN A DRESS. The small amount of posters were coloured in by hand with marker pens for display.
THE Girls in the poster were designed from studio shot STILLS. They seem to be props.
First Ursula Andress from a still that is retouched.
Second ZENA MARSHAL She is really The Model Hooks with Zena Marshals painted in face
Third Eunice Grayson was the first ever Bond Girl Sylvia Trench.
Fourth in line and FAR RIGHT is ZENA MARSHALL her hair has been altered to look like Margerite Le Wars playing Dr No's photographer Anabel Chung she was a Miss Jamaica 1961.
She played the role while serving the title.
Years later the famous white Bikini was sold for $35,000 dollars with commissions and taxes £41,000.
But recently has caused a new stir Read More Here
So would you have a priceless Francisco Goya on your wall or a Dr No Poster?
WELL TODAY ORIGINAL DR NO POSTERS SELL AT THE WORLDS LEADING AUCTION HOUSES........... alongside Goyas.
ONE 30 by 30 inch Quad POSTER Linen backed. In perfect conserved condition. It had an estimate of £12,000 to £18,000 sold for £87,000. 10th April 2019.
A Dr No poster albeit a bigger size sold for £40,000 with commission and taxes.
Generally you could acquire one in good condition for around £25,000.
This poster was in quite bad condition though..................
So how much? For a poster scraped off a wall!!!!
Well, you will have to watch The Antiques Roadshow Sunday 21st February to find out.
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