DR. NO (1962) // James Bond Review and Whisky Pairing
"Dr. No" Plot
A Spectre agent (Joseph Wiseman) plans to disrupt an American space launch with a radio beam.
Whiskey Lore Review
The movie that started it all - although it was not the first book. The goal was to make Thunderball the first movie, but that fell through. I don't know how good it could have been, since underwater scenes would be expensive and this first movie had a shoestring budget.
Ian Fleming did consult a bit on this movie, but we can all thank him for letting Director Terence Young put his own spin on the 007. Fleming wanted him as a blunt instrument that was somewhat plain (he modeled him after singer Hoagy Carmichael), and just got the job done. He actually chose the name James Bond from the author of one of his island bird books - saying the name was the most boring he'd ever heard. Young turned Sean Connery into a business-like, suave, attractive, well-groomed, intelligent, and sophisticated character.
I really thought this would rank higher, but it does suffer a bit from the low budget - plus the story line meanders a bit. But there is no doubting the impact Ursula Andress had as a Bond girl - they have never bested her entrance. There is a lot of spy craft in this film and I love that they showed his switch from the Beretta to the Walthier - poor Bond gets sentimental over a gun. An unsung hero of the movie is Peter Hunt, whose quick edits were quite unique for the time and added to the energy of the film. But to me, an even more impactful moment was when Professor Dent walks in and tries to assassinate Bond shooting at pillows he thinks are the secret agent. Bond cruelly kills him after saying "that's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six." Terrance Young had to fight the film review board to keep this scene in. They thought it distasteful. Young explained that the man had just tried to kill Bond and so he was well within his rights to enact revenge.
Best of the movie: The most iconic moment of the entire series happens when Miss Sylvia Trench (who was supposed to be a recurring character for the next few movies) introduces herself as "Trench, Sylvia Trench," to which Connery returns his now famous "Bond, James Bond."
Memorable: This movie is the only EON film without an opening scene, but it introduces us to Maurice Bender's opening titles and that magnificent Monty Norman Bond Theme.
Where it goes wrong: Most of Dr. No's employees are supposed to be Chinese. They used British actors and taped their faces. Bad form.
Paired Whisky: Octomore 12.1 Islay Single Malt Whisky
To pair it, I brought on another original. Octomore 12.1 ups the ante and brings some interesting tropical notes and a sophisticated packaging. It's definitely creative, aggressive, and full of style.
Whiskey Lore Rank: #14 (Score 6.00) > Next Movie
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Monty Norman's classic Bond theme was actually evolved from a theme he'd used in a musical previously - it was a song about a deadly sneeze! ? Don't listen to this theme below if you don't want the song ruined forever! You were warned!