Bond Never Dies: Festival examines a cultural icon

By nicholas slayton · Daily Trojan

Posted November 5, 2009 (3 weeks ago) at 11:19 pm in Lifestyle

“The name’s Bond, James Bond.”

Everyone knows those iconic words of the martini-slugging, woman-chasing 007, but if not for Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, Ian Fleming’s super-spy might not have uttered them on the silver screen.

Broccoli was the longtime producer of the James Bond films, and one of the key reasons the franchise flourished. A man who initially struggled to find a career, Broccoli became involved in film production, and, in the late 1950s, took an interest in adapting Fleming’s James Bond novels into films. Partnering with Harry Saltzman, who owned the rights, Broccoli oversaw the production of all the Bond films until his death in 1996.

In celebration of what would be his 100th birthday, the USC School of Cinematic Arts is presenting “James Bond: Behind the Scenes with the World’s Favorite Secret Agent,” a three-day festival running from Nov. 6 through Nov. 8, celebrating Bond, Broccoli and the lasting legacy of each of them. Hosted by film professor Rick Jewell, the festival features a movie marathon, an exhibit of Bond props and two panels.

“I read somewhere that at least half the people on this planet have seen at least one Bond film, so the pictures have certainly affected people’s lives,” Jewell said. “I became [a Bond fan] when I saw Goldfinger in 1964; it’s still my favorite Bond film … I am teaching this semester, for the third time, a class on the James Bond films.”

Moderated by Jewell, the panels on Nov. 7 and 8 will examine both Bond and Broccoli in their current context. The first, “James Bond Today,” features Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the screenwriters behind the last four Bond films, and Marc Forster, the director of the latest film, Quantum of Solace.

“I want to explore the new directions the series has taken since Daniel Craig became 007,” Jewell said. “I believe the last two films are fascinating when placed in the context of the 20 Bond pictures that preceded them, and who better to talk about that subject than the two producers plus the two writers of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace and the director of the latter picture.”

The second panel, “Cubby Broccoli, Producer,” looks back on the longtime producer and his work. Panelists include Broccoli’s family members and current Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, as well as screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz (Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun) and actors Richard Kiel (the steel-crushing Jaws) and Maud Adams (the title character of Octopussy).

“All of the panelists knew and worked with Cubby and will talk about his approach to producing and the special qualities that made him one of the greatest producers in motion picture history,” Jewell said.

The film festival, located at the Norris Cinema Theatre, features nine films, showcasing all six actors that have played Bond. The festival starts off with the first film of the series, Dr. No — Sean Connery’s Bond debut.

The screenings also include George Lazenby’s brilliant, if underrated, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Sir Roger Moore’s iconic The Spy Who Loved Me and Pierce Brosnan’s franchise-revitalizing GoldenEye.

Capping off the event on Sunday night is a screening of Daniel Craig’s modern classic Casino Royale.

Alongside the film festival, there will be an exhibit of Bond props and memorabilia in the George Lucas Building on campus. Though the film festival only runs through Nov. 8, the exhibit continues through February.

“Like many James Bond fans, we had a list of ‘iconic’ props and photos that resonated with us,” said Sandra Garcia-Myers, curator of the exhibit. “We couldn’t get the larger pieces like the rocket pack and the Aston Martin but EON Productions, the producer of the James Bond films, worked with us to provide the most bang for our Visions and Voices budget.”

Although without the Aston Martin, the exhibit still features many classic Bond props.

“Among the iconic Bond items in the exhibit are Oddjob’s steel rimmed killing hat from Goldfinger, Rosa Kreb’s knife-toed shoes from From Russia with Love, and Daniel Craig’s blood soaked tux from Casino Royale,” Garcia-Myers said.

For a film franchise that is 47 years old, and a character that has existed since 1953, James Bond has constantly evolved and adapted to the times, constantly staying relevant.

“James Bond has certainly been a reflection of it’s times,” Garcia-Myers said. “The character is, at once, a reflection of old fashioned British colonialism and chauvinism, 1960’s sexual liberation and a certain end of the century nihilism.”

Jewell sees Bond’s character as constantly modern and engaging.

“Bond is a magical creature who lives in the moment and yet never really changes,” Jewell said. “He is always tough, smart, youthful, witty, professional, sexy, but also able to mobilize the most cutting-edge gadgets, adjust to the most daunting social and geopolitical changes.”

When it comes to the enduring legacy of the franchise, Jewell only sees more possibilities ahead.

“I suppose eventually James Bond will run out of gas and they will stop making films about his adventures. But I don’t think this will happen any time soon. This is already the longest-running, most financially successful series in motion picture history,” he said.

Comments are closed.

More News

Current Weather

FairLA Downtown, CA
68°F (feels like 68°F)
Weather data provided by weather.com®

Daily Trojan Poll

Do you think it is reasonable to ban potential protestors at the Horowitz event? Story >

  • No, I think that everyone's voice deserves to be heard. (41%, 27 Votes)
  • Yes, I think that Horowitz deserves to be heard without distractions or safety concerns. (32%, 21 Votes)
  • I think that Horowitz should not be allowed to speak in the first place. (27%, 19 Votes)

Total Voters: 66

Loading ... Loading ...

Archives

November 2009
S M T W T F S
« Oct    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  

Browse Archives

News

Organizers postpone inaugural ‘undie run’

Everyone looking forward to blowing off some pre-finals steam by sprinting through campus wearing very little clothing will have to wait another semester. This semester, three ...

LAPD takes new approach to enforcing bike laws

The Los Angeles Police Department took a slightly different approach to Wednesday’s traffic enforcement operation near USC’s campus than it took during its September effort. At ...

USG event brings presidents together

Student leaders from across campus met under the Undergraduate Student Government banner Wednesday night at USG’s first Council of Presidents, an event bringing together executive ...

A burger a day keeps the apples away

For America’s largest universities, achieving a nutritiously balanced campus is a lot harder than it looks. With each student comes a different set of eating ...

USC, embattled County hospital tread murky water

Situated two miles away from the heart of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County and USC County Hospital serves a population of about 1.2 million ...

Bikes mounting, it’s time to break the cycle

At high noon on Trousdale Parkway, the walkway is choked by the ritual lunch rush. Among the maze of legs slides a pair of wheels ...

Opinion

Task force shouldn’t dismiss breast health

Task force shouldn’t dismiss breast health

Here is an important message most women in America have heard for the majority of their lives: Get mammograms every one to two years in ...

Seven habits of highly ineffective governors

With Gov. Schwarzenegger’s second term about to wrap up, several names have begun to surface as his possible replacement, with California Attorney General Jerry Brown ...

Americans focused on the wrong hunger problem

Can you believe it’s been one year? A full 365 days! Fifty-two weeks! Two seasons of G’s to Gents! Yes, believe it or not, an entire year has passed ...

Fliers buy offsets for their guilt

Last month, “Responsible Travel” aborted its nine-year initiative allowing airplane passengers to purchase carbon offsets to compensate for jet fuel emissions — a program that ...

Letter to the Editor

Right of way I was excited to see the issue of pedestrian safety and traffic code infringement make front-page news on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The article ...

Bike regulation requires a more cohesive plan

Today, many student cyclists will dismount and walk their bikes through the two major intersections along Jefferson Boulevard, under the threat of a ticket. But tomorrow, ...

Sports

Trojan seniors see their USC careers come full circle

Trojan seniors see their USC careers come full circle

More than three years ago, the newest USC men’s water polo team members began their careers with a 10-4 victory over UC Irvine at McDonald’s ...

Playing injured not worth the risks

The senior had been waiting his whole life for this moment. Ever since his high school football team lost in the state championship last year, the ...

O’Neill wants Trojans to improve in the second half

Kevin O’Neill was content with his debut but wouldn’t stand for his team’s imperfections. The new head coach of USC men’s basketball made that message loud ...

USC falls in its first road test

Coming into the third game of the season, sophomore Ashley Corral was charged with the difficult task of leading the USC women’s basketball team to ...

Williams’ playing chances are improving

Bye weeks present USC with an opportunity to get healthy, and this one is coming at just the right time. Four key USC players sat out ...

Carroll faces most difficult challenge yet

Nothing compares to the challenge facing coach Pete Carroll right now. Not preparing for an undefeated Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Not getting ready to face ...

Lifestyle

German director remains one of cinema’s finest weirdos

This story might not be true, but it’s alleged that during the filming of Fitzcarraldo in 1982, the great yet insane Polish actor Klaus Kinski, ...

A very LA birthday for Peter Bjorn and John

Few bands have the extensive résumé and indie credibility of Swedish pop-rock group Peter Bjorn and John. Even fewer bands in the current music industry ...

Herzog, Cage go off the deep end in ‘Lieutenant’

Take an eccentric director, add an eccentric star, and what’s the outcome? A truly bizarre film. In Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, the combination of ...

Despite worthy attempt, play falls short in flavor

“Have you eaten yet?” is the way the Chinese greet each other, and that is the way Gloria B (Esther Scott) is greeted by Richie ...

Comedy highlights quirky ensemble cast

Writer, director and producer Sebastian Gutierrez adds indie comedy to his long résumé of thriller and horror films with Women in Trouble. Premiered at the 2009 ...

Flower mart an evergreen LA fixture

Hidden in the grid of Downtown Los Angeles, the LA Flower District boasts the title of largest flower wholesale district in the country. Comprised of ...