FEBRUARY 2024 - Michael Culver (1938-2024) |
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27 February
2024
British actor Michael Culver, who had small roles in From
Russia With Love (1963) and Thunderball (1965), has
died at the age of 85.
Culver began
his career in theatre and worked at the Old Vic in London,
and Dundee Repertory Theatre 1959-61. In June 1962 Michael
Culver appeared in the West End production of French dramatist
Jean Giraudoux's 1931 play
Judith at Her
Majesty's Theatre, which starred
Sean
Connery as Holofernes - his next role (and final theatre
performance) after completing work
on Dr. No
(1962). In 1963 Michael Culver would appear uncredited in
From Russia With Love
(1963), [speaking just two lines in his first film] as the young man who passes James
Bond and Sylvia Trench (Eunice
Gayson) in a punt on the river Thames as
Matt Monro's
‘From Russia With Love’ (playing on Bond's radio) is heard on
the soundtrack. Culver then appeared (also uncredited) as the
co-pilot of the hijacked Vulcan Bomber in
Thunderball (1965),
which also featured his father Roland Culver (1900-1984) as the
Foreign Secretary.
Michael Culver
is perhaps best-known for his roles in several popular British
TV series including The Adventures of Black Beauty
(1973-74), Secret Army (1977-78), and Cadfael
(1994-98). Culver also memorably played Sir Reginald Musgrave in
The Musgrave Ritual - a standout episode of ITV series
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986) starring Jeremy Brett (who
tested for the role of James Bond in 1972). Another
significant big screen performance was as Major MacBryde in
David Lean's final film A Passage To India (1984).
However, it is Culver's one-scene performance as the doomed
Captain Needa in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) opposite
David Prowse as Darth Vader, that was singled out in all the
news media reports of his death. |
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FEBRUARY 2024 - Pamela Salem (1944-2024) |
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21 February
2024
The British actress Pamela Salem, who played Miss Moneypenny
in Never Say Never Again (1983), has died at the age of
80.
Pamela Salem
was born in Bombay, India, educated at
Heidelberg University in Germany, and later studied at the
Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and started her
acting career in repertory theatre. During the 1970s
Pamela Salem had small roles in many British television series
including Jason King (1971) and The Onedin Line
(1972). One of her early film roles was as Emily Trent in The
First Great Train Robbery (1978) which starred Sean Connery,
but she will perhaps be best-remembered as the evil Belor in all 21
episodes of the children's fantasy television series Into The
Labyrinth (1981-82).
After appearing in a Tom Baker Doctor Who adventure
The Robots of Death in 1977, Salem auditioned for the role
of the Fourth Doctor's companion Leela, but the role went to
Louise Jameson. Salem returned to the series in 1988 playing
opposite Sylvester McCoy in Remembrance of the Daleks
(1988). This was followed by 37 episodes of the popular
long-running BBC-TV soap opera Eastenders (1988-89). Alternating
between television and film, one of her later big-screen roles was as Sarah Whale in Gods and Monsters
(1998), which starred Ian McKellen as iconic film director James
Whale.
Although her
appearance as Moneypenny in
Never Say Never Again
(1983) was very brief, she took part in promotion for the film
with Sean Connery and co-star Barbara Carrera.
Read 007 MAGAZINE's
1984 interview with Pamela Salem |
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FEBRUARY 2024 - Many important James Bond props to be auctioned by PROPSTORE |
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Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction
Los Angeles 12th - 14th March 2024
Several
important James Bond props and costumes are featured in the live
auction including Sean Connery's grey Anthony Sinclair suit worn
in You
Only Live Twice (1967), originally offered by PROPSTORE in
London in their 2021 sale,
where the item failed to sell.
Also included
in the auction are several unusual items including an
entertainment unit, a pair of oxygen masks and one of the
windows from the Lockheed Jetstar aircraft featured in
Goldfinger (1964). James Bond's (Pierce Brosnan) Walther PPK
from GoldenEye (1995), and several other prop weapons
from Die Another Day (2002), Skyfall (2012) and
No Time To Die (2021) are also part of this auction, along
with the now obligatory casino gaming chips from Dr. No
(1962) and Casino Royale (2006). Some items only seen in
the background of certain scenes in the film series are also
offered for sale.
PREVIEW OF IMPORTANT LOTS
FULL CATALOGUE
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FEBRUARY 2024 - ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE paperback cover
revealed |
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13 February
2024
BOND SAVE THE KING
Ian Fleming Publications have revealed the cover of the
paperback edition of Charlie Higson's 2023 best-seller ON HIS
MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. Due to be published on June 6, 2024,
the bold cover was designed by Marc Ecob of
Mecob.
It's the 4th of May, two days before the coronation of King
Charles III and the world's favourite spy has his work cut out
for him.
Bond is sent at the last minute to thwart an attempt to disrupt
the coronation by the deadly megalomaniac Æthelstan of Wessex,
who is on a mission of his own to rule the United Kingdom and
rewrite history.
Can Bond thwart his plans by infiltrating Æthelstan’s private
army and ending his reign of terror before it begins?
In support of the National Literacy Trust.
The new
paperback edition features revised text and exclusive bonus
content.
AMAZON UK |
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FEBRUARY 2024 - Alec Mills (1932-2024) |
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12 February
2024
Alec Mills, director of photography for the two Timothy Dalton
James Bond films, has died at the age of 91. He began his career
in the late 1940s, as an uncredited clapper loader and focus puller
on several low-budget British films made at the small Carlton Hill
Studios in Maida Vale, returning to the industry after his
National Service in the Navy.
His
introduction to the James Bond series was
On Her Majesty's
Secret Service (1969), when he was offered the job of camera
operator by director of photography
Michael Reed. It was Reed
who had also given Mills his big break on television, working on
several episodes of The Saint starring
Roger Moore in
1966. For OHMSS, Mills worked largely on location in
Portugal and Switzerland, but memorably captured shots of
George
Lazenby at Pinewood Studios, with the pair suspended in mid-air
on the set of the cable car winding house of Blofeld's Piz
Gloria lair. Mills returned to the James Bond series as camera
operator on The Spy Who Loved Me (1977),
Moonraker
(1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981) and
Octopussy
(1983). |
Alec Mills
later progressed to overall director of photography on
The
Living Daylights (1987) and
Licence To Kill (1989),
both starring
Timothy Dalton as James Bond. Other notable
productions were Roman Polanski's Macbeth (1971) [as
camera operator], Shout At The Devil (1976)
directed by Peter Hunt [Mills was camera operator for
cinematographer Michael Reed] and Return Of The Jedi
(1983) [as camera operator]. Alec's son Simon Mills (born 1961)
worked as uncredited clapper loader on The Living Daylights
and Licence To Kill, returning to the series as first
assistant cameramen in the underwater unit for
Die Another
Day (2002). |
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FEBRUARY 2024 - ITVX to stream all 25 James Bond films for free in
the UK |
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8
February 2024
It has been announced that all 25 James Bond films are going to
be available for the first time on a free streaming service in
the UK. From March 4th each day a different James Bond film will
screen on the ITV4 channel, and then for 30 days afterwards will
be available on demand via ITVX.
Scheduled so far are:
4th March: Goldfinger (1964)
5th March: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
6th March: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
7th March: Licence To Kill (1989)
8th March: GoldenEye (1995)
10th March: Skyfall (2012) |
ITV is also
adding a pair of official documentary features to its streaming
service - Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007,
and Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story.
The deal that ITV has struck with Amazon MGM Studios for the
rights also allows them to screen the official James Bond films
several times a year on ITV channels.
Read the controversial story behind
the sale of the James Bond films to ITV back in 1975! |
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FEBRUARY 2024 - Kim Sherwood's second Double O novel A SPY LIKE ME
UK cover revealed |
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6 February
2024
The stunning new spy thriller that blows the world of James Bond
wide open!
Six days.
A bomb goes off at the BBC. The country is in chaos, but this is
just the start. A global terrorist organisation is plotting a
series of deadly attacks. MI6 has just six days’ warning for
when the next one will strike.
Three agents.
With James Bond missing, three of MI6’s toughest Double O agents
race across the world to stop the attacks. From Venice to
Australia to Dubai, they soon uncover a vast network of terror.
One chance to find James Bond.
As the Double Os close in, they find themselves unexpectedly
inching closer to 007. Now the race is on to stop the terrorists
– and save Britain’s finest spy.
Published 25 April 2024
AMAZON UK & 23 April 2024
AMAZON US |
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FEBRUARY 2024 - Michael Jayston (1935-2024) |
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5 February
2024
English actor Michael Jayston (born Michael James 29 October
1935) who played James Bond in the 1990 BBC Radio 4 adaptation
of YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, has died at the age of 88.
Best known as a
theatre and television actor, Jayston began his stage career in
1962, and performed at the Bristol Old Vic and Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1970, he played Henry Ireton in
Cromwell -the British historical drama film written and
directed by
Ken Hughes, which also featured a young
Timothy
Dalton in the supporting role of Prince Rupert. The
following year Jayston starred as Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in
the British-made historical epic Nicholas and Alexandra
directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Jayston later appeared as
Gratiano opposite Laurence Olivier as Shylock in the National
Theatre's film The Merchant of Venice (1974). In 1975
Michael Jayston starred in 13 episodes of the BBC-TV drama
series Quiller. ‘Quiller’ is the alias of a fictional spy
created by English novelist Elleston Trevor (1920-1995) [written
under the pseudonym “Adam Hall”], who featured in a series of 19
Cold War thriller novels published between 1965 and 1996.
Another of
Jayston's most notable television roles was as Peter Guillam in
the seven-part 1979 BBC adaptation of John Le Carre's acclaimed
1974 novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, playing opposite
Alec Guinness as George Smiley.
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In 1986,
Michael Jayston played ‘The Valeyard’ in 14 episodes
of the long-running British science fiction television series
Doctor Who. Four stories were broadcast under the umbrella
title The Trial of a Time Lord, and was the final season
to star Colin Baker as The Doctor. In 007 MAGAZINE's
exclusive article ‘The
Search For Bond’ Jayston recalled that he had a meeting with
James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli and director John Glen in
1981. During the half-hour interview they discussed James Bond,
but Jayston was never offered the role. Michael Jayston later
did play James Bond in the 1990
one-off BBC Radio 4 drama adapted by Michael Bakewell from
Ian Fleming's 1964 novel YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. The programme
co-starred Clive Merrison as Tanaka, James Laurenson as
Henderson, David King as M, Sayo Inaba as Kissy,
Burt Kwouk
as Ando, and Maxine Audley as Irma Bunt. |
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JANUARY 2024 - Ian Fleming Publications Ltd announce their
2024 releases |
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29 January
2024
Ian Fleming Publications Ltd have announced a new omnibus
that collects
Raymond Benson’s six original James Bond novels together
into a single eBook. To be published on February 26, 2024
James Bond: The Raymond Benson Years includes
Zero Minus Ten, The
Facts of Death, High Time to Kill, DoubleShot, Never Dream of
Dying and The Man
with the Red Tattoo.
On June 6, 2024
IFPL will publish a paperback edition of
Charlie
Higson's 2023 best-seller ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.
The paperback edition will feature some exclusive new content,
and as with the hardback, all royalties will continue to support
the work of the National Literacy Trust.
2024 marks 60
years since the publication of Ian Fleming’s classic children’s
story about a flying car,
Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang. To celebrate this anniversary, IFPL will
publish a new paperback edition of this beloved tale on June 13,
2024. Aimed at young readers and featuring brand new
illustrations, IFPL also have other plans to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of the world’s most famous flying car.
In time for James Bond Day in October 2024, IFPL will be
releasing fourteen new hardback editions of Ian Fleming’s
original Bond stories. |
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JANUARY 2024 - Bond In Motion opens at The International Spy
Museum, Washington in March |
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Vehicle
exhibition Bond In Motion is travelling to The
International Spy Museum in Washington.
Opening on March 1, 2024 at L’Enfant Plaza, Bond In Motion
will feature 17 vehicles from the 007 film series, ranging from
the Aston Martin DBS from
Quantum of Solace
(2008) to the Jaguar XKR from
Die Another Day
(2002). Other highlights include the submarine from
For Your Eyes Only
(1981) and the MR Glastron Boat from
Moonraker (1979),
offering a journey chronicling James Bond’s 60+ years of
adventures.
Tickets are available for
purchase priced at $12.00. For more information, visit
www.spymuseum.org |
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JANUARY 2024 - ‘John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond’ A BFI
Southbank Film Season |
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1 January
2024
Spies, swingers and shadows were what John Barry, Britain’s
greatest soundtrack writer, first encountered in his career. In
February and March 2024 BFI Southbank presents a two-part season
of films showcasing the musical talents of the celebrated film
composer. Included in the season are three classic Sixties James
Bond films.
Goldfinger
(1964): Sunday 4 February 16:10 NFT1 & Wednesday 21 February
20:45 NFT1 Digital 4K
You Only Live Twice (1967): Sunday 4 February 18:40
NFT1 & Tuesday 6 February 20:45 NFT1 Digital 4K
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969): Sunday 3
March 15:00
NFT3 & Sunday 10 March 18.10 NFT1 Digital 4K
Also on Tuesday
February 6, 2024 at 16:10 in NFT1 is ‘Spies, Swingers and
Shadows: The Films and Scores of John Barry’. Join special guests including
season curator Bob Stanley for a richly illustrated discussion
about the distinctive sounds of John Barry. With a focus on
Barry’s British years, the panel will explore the significance
of his scores for the James Bond franchise and other key titles,
consider the changes in British music that influenced his
compositions, and reflect on John Barry’s legacy.
TICKETS
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