Dr. No (1962)

No Quote for this film.

Producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman used Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest as the template for this film and the subsequent early James Bond films. In fact, the role of James Bond was first offered to Cary Grant, the star of North by Northwest, who would commit to one film only and was otherwise too old, and then to its suave and urbane villain, James Mason, who would commit to only two, while Broccoli and Saltzman wanted an actor willing to make a multi-film commitment to the role and the projected series. American actor Steve Reeves who turned the role down. At the time, Reeves had become an international box office sensation in a group of European-made mythological/historical spectacles. Acoording to legend, Irish actor Patrick McGoohan of Danger Man turned the role down on moral grounds. Other actors considered for the lead role included Trevor Howard, Rex Harris

In the source novel, the full names of Honey Ryder and Doctor No are Honeychile Rider and Doctor Julius No. Honeychile is the last surviving member of an old sugar plantation family, and was raised by the family servants. The freelance photographer is named Annabelle Chung. Puss-Feller's name means he wrestled an octopus, but the film changes this to an alligator, rendering the name meaningless. The Professor was not named Dent and was not a villain. Strangways and Quarrel were old friends of Bond (from the Live and Let Die novel). There was no evil chauffeur and no Felix Leiter (the latter was in other novels).

The budget was only $1,000,000, but when costs overran by $100,000 United Artists wanted to pull the plug, fearing it would never recoup its outlay.

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