Anyone can be a fan of James Bond but only superfans will know to appreciate the film that started it all: Dr. No (1962, EON Productions) (rest in peace, Sean Connery). With that said, securing memorabilia of the first-ever James Bond flick is a must for any superfan. If you haven’t already acquired something from Dr. No, well, the opportunity to do so has just been dropped by book publisher TASCHEN.
Folks, meet the James Bond. Dr. No (1962) book (ISBN 978-3-8365-9334-2). Billed as the most complete account of the making of the first James Bond film, Dr. No (1962), this collectible coffee table book boasts over a thousand images and stories of cast, and crew members. In creating this book, EON Productions allowed TASCHEN no hold-barred access to EON’s James Bond archives.
“You can closely follow the making of the film through a day-by-day account of what took place, which scenes were shot and who made the decisions that shaped the story and characters as it was filmed. Among the 1007 images, you’ll see many rare and previously unpublished stills and on-set shots from photographers such as Bert Cann, Bunny Yaeger and Bradley Smith, as well as memos, documents, posters, and production designs.”
“And the behind-the-scenes stories paint their own pictures too, told by the people who were there. From producers Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to director Terence Young and production designer Ken Adam, as well as the cast, the crew, writers and stuntmen, these personal narratives invite readers back in time and on to the film set itself.”
The 492-page book is presented in hardcover with a slipcase and measures 29 by 44 cm (11.4 by 17.3 inches). The James Bond. Dr. No is, by default, a Collector’s Edition with an edition number of 1,462 with each copy going for US$850. The Collector’s Edition is numbered from 50 to 1,962. So, where’s the first 500 copies? Well, they are the Art Editions, which are numbered from 1-500.
There are two Art Editions, each accompanied by a framed ChromaLuxe print by Bert Cann. The first Art Edition, dubbed “Bond, James Bond”, has an edition number of 250, and comes with the framed ChromaLuxe print Bond, James Bond, 1962 by Bert Cann. The second Art Edition of 250 copies is dubbed ‘Publicity Portrait” featuring the framed ChromaLuxe print Publicity Portrait, 1962 by Bert Cann.
The James Dr. No. Art Edition. 1-250 ‘Bond, James Bond’ and the James Bond Dr. No. Art Edition No. 251-500 ‘Publicity Portrait’ commands a cool US$1,750 each.
Images: TASCHEN.