Designing 007: Exhibition marks 50 years of James Bond

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Wonder how many here connect with James Bond.

He did stir the imagination and captivate generations with technology & gadgets in a world that had no internet.

Not sure who was better Sean Connery or Roger Moore. Ursula Andress was I feel the best lady in all JB movies.

Designing 007: Exhibition marks 50 years of James Bond - CNN.com

For 50 years one spy has outfoxed, outgunned, and outdressed every villain thrown his way. His name? Bond ... James Bond.

Now a new 007 exhibition in London is celebrating the half century since the world's most famous secret agent first appeared on screen.

It was 1962 when Sean Connery's Bond defeated Dr. No and floated off into the sunset with Honey Ryder. Today the first Bond Girl's bikini is one of more than 400 items on display in an exhibition tracing the design of the one of the world's most profitable film franchises.

From Scaramanga's golden gun to Daniel Craig's tiny trunks in the 2006 remake of "Casino Royale," the Barbican Centre exhibition in London allows fans to follow in 007's footsteps on a journey from 1962 up through Bond's golden anniversary ahead of "Skyfall", which is due to be released in October.

"Adventure films have come and gone, but James Bond has remained a huge box office draw throughout," exhibition co-curator Bronwyn Cosgrave told CNN. "And he's also the best-dressed man in cinema history."

James Bond's 'Quantum of Solace' speedboat is show's star turn

Fans are greeted at the gallery's exhibition by a waxwork of Sean Connery leaning against a replica of Bond's famous 1964 Aston Martin DB5 car.

From there, a bullet-shaped entry way leads through to the Gold Room, which features a life-sized recreation of character Jill Masterson's death by gold paint from the 1964 film "Goldfinger."

"Shirley Eaton's golden body is one of the most iconic Bond images, and we went to great lengths to cast a form -- not just a mannequin -- to painstakingly make a body that resembled her nubile proportions from Goldfinger," Cosgrave said.

The exhibition's narrative arc is formulated much like a Bond film: visitors pass through M's office, where Britain's top spy received his mission orders, to Q Branch, where he picked up his latest gadgets.

A montage of the casino scenes from every Bond film play on the walls of the casino room before visitors take a trip through the "real, fictional, and otherworldly" exotic locations of 007's many adventures.


The exhibition also traces the evolution of Bond's formidable wardrobe, from Connery's Savile Row-made tuxedos to Pierce Brosnan's Brioni suits, and showcases a number of Bond Girl dresses, including Halle Berry's Versace dress from "Die Another Day."

Cosgrave and her colleagues dug deep into the 007 archive in order to find pieces that evoke design in Bond films.

"This is the only exhibition where Bond is a supporting character -- equally iconic are the sets, the gadgets, and the costumes," she said.

The costumes are remarkable, but at the end of the day Bond is a man of action -- which is why the exhibition's grand finale culminates in the Ice Palace from "Die Another Day," where visitors are surrounded with footage of 007's many chase scenes in the snow.

The exhibition ends where many of the spy's adventures began: at the bar with a martini -- shaken, not stirred, obviously -- in classic Bond fashion.

 

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Weekly Classics: Goldfinger

Weekly Classics: Goldfinger | DAWN.COM

Not every man would like to be James Bond, but every boy would. In one adventure after another, he saves the world, defeats bizarre villains, gets to play with neat gadgets and seduces, or is seduced by stupendously sexy women (this last attribute appeals less to boys younger than 12). –Roger Ebert

The above quote from film critic Roger Ebert pretty much summarises the appeal and the general formula of the James Bond movies, which has become the longest running, most enduring film series ever committed to film. Of all the Bond flicks, “Goldfinger” (1964) is arguably the best of the lot, and certainly the one that set the template for all the James Bond movies that followed. It wasn’t the first film of the series, nor was it the last, but for many film critics and Bond fans, it’s still the best.

The character of James Bond has become such an icon in popular culture that according to one survey conducted many years ago, at least half the population of the planet has seen at least one Bond flick in their life. Quite a feat for a character that was created by a playboy writer named Ian Fleming, who blessed his famous creation with all the characteristics that he himself was imbibed with, including a love of danger, good food and drink as well as an attraction for women.

“Goldfinger” was the third film of the series, and became such a huge hit when it was released, that Bond joined the ranks of the other big B, the Beatles, to become a phenomenon of the 1960s that had a dramatic effect on popular culture. One reason for this sea change was the fact that Bond films pushed the envelope on what action films could do, and how much material of a sexual nature could be used to pull in the crowds into the movie theatres.

Bond was projected as the ultimate male fantasy, who travelled to exotic locales, always saved the day and managed to court at least three women while doing so, no strings attached on top of that.

Probably no film showed this absurd yet incredibly appealing fantasy world like “Goldfinger”. Right from the start of the film we see Bond on a perilous pre-credits mission to stop an unseen villain from “using heroin flavored bananas to finance revolutions.” After having placed the explosives to do so, Bond calmly takes off his wetsuit to reveal a crisp clean white tuxedo and makes his way to a club where he proceeds to seduce one girl and fights off an assassin sent to kill him. All of this done within a few minutes and done in style. When a movie starts off in such a wild way, you know that you’re in for a treat.

Sure enough when the film starts rolling ahead we are introduced to the main villain, Auric Goldfinger, a megalomaniacal bullion dealer, who like some modern day King Midas has an obsession with gold that becomes the main driving force of his nefarious schemes. This dubious obsession with gold has alerted British Intelligence officials who send Bond to investigate what he is up to. As it turns out, not all of Goldfinger’s dealings are legitimate, especially when it comes to smuggling gold, to increase the value of his own stock.

To first get close to Goldfinger, he must of course first seduce his female assistant Jill Masterson, who among other things helps her employer cheat at gin rummy. Bond, however, soon learns that crossing Goldfinger comes at a price when Jill is killed by skin suffocation after Goldfinger’s henchman OddJob has her painted in gold. The scene in which the lifeless body of Jill Masterson is shown in bed, drenched in gold, is one of the most iconic in all of movie history.

This first tussle makes Bond a bit wiser, and he subsequently meets Goldfinger on the golf course where he beats the main villain by out-cheating him in the game. Irked by the impudence of Bond, Goldfinger warns our hero by showing him a sample of what his henchman Oddjob can do with his unique bowler hat.

But as it turns out, our hero refuses to give in and ultimately with the help of his stylish Aston Martin DB5, his charming mannerism, and the aid of an improbably named Bond girl called “***** Galore” finds out that Goldfinger plans to break into Fort Knox and leave behind a dirty bomb inside with the express hope of seeing the gold supply of the United States radioactive for decades. Achieving that goal would see the value of his own gold reserves increased dramatically. It’s now up to Bond to stop this from happening.

Sean Connery made his name as James Bond, at it will be the role he will always be associated with. “Goldfinger” shows him at his charming best, using his dry wit and tremendous sex appeal, to effortlessly play the role of James Bond. The fact that he was practically bald and wore a wig throughout the Bond films in which he acted in, only goes to show that Connery was born to play the role, despite this handicap. Director Guy Hamilton directed four Bond films and must be credited for putting together the perfect formula that made the series so appealing. The structure of all the subsequent films followed the path set out by this movie.

From strange villains, even stranger henchmen, and an innuendo-named Bond girl, along with a stirring film score sung by Shirley Bassey, this movie has it all. The film may not be a masterpiece to rival films like “Lawrence of Arabia” or “The Godfather” series, but it’s still a great piece of entertainment. It may have aged compared with the other modern action films; nevertheless its lasting appeal has not aged a bit.