There have been more than two dozen James Bond movies so far. That number includes a little-seen 1954 TV adaptation of Ian Fleming s first 007 book,
Casino Royale, which was published just a year earlier. That same work has shown up as two other films over the next five decades.
We outline the Stories Behind All 26 James Bond Movies below, revealing the history and secrets of the longest-running franchise in film history. Casino Royale (1954)
The first adaptation of Ian Fleming s James Bond was an episode of the TV anthology series
Climax! Played by Barry Nelson, the protagonist is referred to as Jimmy, not James Bond, and is Americanized in the teleplay. The show also featured Peter Lorre as the villain, Le Chiffre. Due to the novel s rights being sold prior to the combined production relationship between Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman,
Credit WAMC
When it comes to films about Hollywood history, the more cynical the presentation, the more audiences relish them. That concept has influenced the creation of Mank, a recent black-and-white arty release, written and directed by David Fincher and being streamed on Netflix.
Mank gives viewers a stylized pseudo-insider look at Hollywood in 1933 and 1940. Herman Mankiewicz, played exceptionally well by Gary Oldman, is seen writing the screenplay of Citizen Kane in 1941 for young Orson Welles, who would co-write, direct and star. The real Mank, was a contract screenwriter for Paramount from 1926-32, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1933-40, and RKO from 1944-48. He was clever, literate, outspoken, apparently a generous guy, but, in spite of his talents, an unhealthy alcoholic. As many other heavy drinkers, he only lived to age 55.
The Crazy True Story Of William Randolph Hearst Public Domain
By Natasha Lavender/Jan. 15, 2021 3:35 pm EDT
Media empires controlled by one rich and powerful man who has political ambitions and no problem with fake news sounds like a very modern drama. But William Randolph Hearst was born in the middle of the American Civil War.
WR as his mistress called him had a highly educated mother with equally high standards, and a father who had ambitioned his way from Missouri mining school to mine owner, rancher, Senator, and millionaire. At first, WR had the drive to live up to his family s expectations. Turning around one family newspaper paved the way to a media empire, and he celebrated his fame by constructing a dream castle on the California coast.
The witty and notoriously tempestuous Citizen Kane screenwriter comes into focus in this conversation between a Mankiewicz biographer and Fincher, whose new film Mank is remarkably faithful to the details of Hollywood history.