Bond At 50
NFT 1 - The National Film Theatre
17:50 Saturday July 12th, 2003

In the early fifties an ex-Naval Intelligence officer was on the run from the perceived tedium of forthcoming marriage and the specter of ‘settling down’. Ian Fleming chose escape in a world he was to share with millions, a world of killers, cocktails and casinos; femme fatales, fantastic villains and an even more fantastic hero for a daring new age: James Bond, 007. Licensed to kill. Licensed to enthrall. Licensed to evolve and emerge as the most successful fictional character of the twentieth century.

In 1953 the suave secret agent was introduced to the public in the fast-moving thriller, CASINO ROYALE, and Bond At 50 celebrates and explores his complete multi-media universe and gradual development throughout his first half-century. The sensationally popular movie series which began with Dr. No will be covered, of course, but the feast of clips being screened comprises mainly rare footage: Behind-the-scenes material unscreened for decades, interviews with Ian Fleming and the men who made Bond, clips from the first ever 007 adaptation starring Barry Nelson as ‘Jimmy Bond’, and part of a talk given by Geoffrey Boothroyd – the ‘real life’ Q – will all feature.

Special guests will be in attendance to help celebrate this one-off event, and everyone attending the evening will have a chance to win a complete set of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels – the entire recent Penguin range, each with a striking new cover, will be given out during the proceedings, and for those who need a bigger fix of Fleming, Dr. No will be screened in its entirety shortly after the event, which is presented by Gavin Collinson.

To book tickets simply call the NFT box office on 020 7928 35 35
or order online at www.bfi.org.uk/nft
Bond At 50 - NFT 1 - The National Film Theatre
17:50 Saturday July 12th, 2003