Dr. No

In 1952, British author Ian Fleming introduced the world to a character that would become one of the most famous, instantly recognizable characters in literature-film-pop culture history. That name....Bond, James Bond. Fleming would write 14 007 novels, starting with 1952's Casino Royale, but it took 10 years for the British super spy to make it to the big screen. It was worth the wait, and one of the most successful franchises in film history was born. It all started with 1962's Dr. No.

A station chief and his new secretary working for British intelligence in Jamaica has gone missing without a trace, leaving London scrambling to figure out what happened. The station chief, Strangways, had been investigating possible interference with American missiles but all his files have been stolen as well. In steps another agent, James Bond (Sean Connery), dispatched to Jamaica to investigate. He's quickly stone-walled wherever he goes, finally receiving some help from a CIA agent, Felix Leiter (Jack Lord), and a local fisherman, Quarrel (John Kitzmiller), who had worked with Strangways. What little evidence Bond can find -- among several attempts to kill him -- is an isolated, mysterious cove, Crab Key, owned by the equally mysterious, Dr. No., who no one knows much about. What's waiting out there? And is Dr. No behind these wayward American rockets? Maybe only Bond can find out.

All successful franchises have to start somewhere, right? This is an excellent jumping off point for my all-time favorite franchise. Producers debated over which Fleming novel to use as the first film, finally settling here on Dr. No. It immediately resonated with fans, propelling Connery to stardom basically instantaneously. It isn't one of the best 007 movies, but it's pretty damn good. You see all the groundwork being laid out for what was to come from the one-liners to the diabolical villains, the girls to the gadgets, the exotic locations and effortless style. And of course, that main theme, maybe the most famous movie theme of all-time. An excellent starting off point. Listen HERE to the theme but shame on you if you haven't heard it by now. No Bond song here, just Monty Norman and John Barry's perfect theme to play over the stylish 1960's credits.

When he was cast to play 007 himself, James Bond, Connery was a young actor who'd worked regularly in films and television but was far from a star. That kinda sorta changed with this film. Just a bit. This is a rare example of perfect casting. Connery was born to play Bond. It's the style, charisma, confidence, it all flows so effortlessly. Maybe not physically, but Connery brings Fleming's Bond to life as well as anyone with Daniel Craig knocking on the door in that department. He's a killer, brutally efficient with his license to kill, but he's also smooth and suave, an impeccably dressed ladies man. Connery finds a rhythm immediately with the character. There's no sense of an actor feeling out what works and what doesn't work. He just knows what he wants to do and goes for it. There were better Connery/Bond entries -- From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball -- but Connery is and always will be 007. The maiden voyage with an iconic character, and the young Scottish actor hits a home run with ease.

The rest of the cast lacks huge star power, but that ends up being a positive. It's cool to see Lord in a pre-Hawaii Five-O part and he's got some good chemistry with Connery, as does Kitzmiller in their scenes together. But what about those Bond villains and Bond girls?!? The franchise is off to a good start with Joseph Wiseman as Dr. No and maybe the most iconic Bond girl of all-time, Ursula Andress, as Honey Ryder. Who hasn't seen the famous shot of her in a white bikini coming out of the water? She actually isn't introduced until the hour-mark, but her appearance is definitely an idea of things to come. The same for Wiseman's Dr. No, and he's not introduced until there is less than 25 minutes left in the movie! He's intelligent, foreboding and gets the franchise started off right. Now, if he had just killed Bond on the spot rather than let him waste away in a cell....oh, the possibilities.

Also look for Bernard Lee as M and Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny, introduced in the early goings. Anthony Dawson plays a potential lead for Bond once he arrives in Jamaica while Zena Marshall and Eunice Gayson play two more Bond girls.

I think what's most alarming about this first James Bond movie is how calm it is. It is self-assured and confident, hitting a groove pretty quick, but it barely resembles what the franchise would become (for good and bad). This is more of a detective story than a secret agent story. It isn't necessarily low-key because of all the chases, Bond girl-seducing, perfectly-timed one-liners and all, but it's certainly in that territory. Director Terence Young simply isn't trying too hard -- that would come later in the franchise -- in introducing 007. It's a good intro and not a great one, but it is an excellent film just the same. The next venture, From Russia With Love two years later, is a true classic and one of the series' best.

Dr. No. (1962): ***/****

Ride to Hangman's Tree

When I think of Jack Lord, I think of one thing; Lord as Steve McGarrett on CBS' Hawaii Five-O. The cop drama ran for 12 years, and Lord became forever associated with the part. He nonetheless had many other parts, including key roles in Dr. No and Man of the West. There were some stinkers in the group too, like 1967's Ride to Hangman's Tree.

After a botched robbery and narrowly escaping a lynch mob, outlaws Guy Russell (Lord), Matt Stone (James Farentino) and Nevada Jones (Don Galloway) go their separate ways. Matt heads for California while Guy and Nevada stick together, riding into Texas to continue their outlaw ways. Two years pass as Matt creates a name for himself, albeit a hidden one. Working with an inside source, Matt robs Wells Fargo stagecoaches as the Black Bandit. His identity is hidden though as he creates a new life for himself. Things seem rosy until Guy and Nevada show up and threaten to spoil the secret unless they're allowed in for a cut. As if that wasn't fun enough, Guy and Matt are fighting over a traveling singer, Lizzie Malone (Melodie Johnson).

Remakes can be tolerable when done correctly, right? Sure, why not? This western from director Alan Rafkin is a remake of another American western, 1948's Black Bart. A remake is one thing though, and an exact copy another thing. This is one of the laziest efforts I've ever seen, and it's made worse by the fact that 'Ride' was made some 19 years later. Already a B-movie on a limited scale, 'Ride' just splices footage from the 1948 version into the 1967 version. The 19-year difference rears its head there. Grainy footage doesn't translate well to the less grainy footage in 1967, and it stands out like a sore thumb. Money-saving effort, maybe, but that's not all. The producers can't even splice it accurately. We see the 1948 footage, the splice, and the 1967 footage doesn't even look the same. At one point, characters are wearing completely different clothes from scene to scene. Smooth, huh?

More than just the general laziness and cheapness in the moviemaking process, 'Ride' just isn't a very good movie. In just 90 minutes, it manages to cover a lot of ground, and none of it very well. The 'Ride' referred to in the title is covered in the first 15 minutes, and then it's off to California for the Gold Rush: Part 2. At no point does it really no where it's going or even what story it is telling. We're talking outlaws betraying each other, corrupt businessmen working both sides, a love triangle that goes nowhere, and an ending that tops everything in terms of laziness. My theory? It looks like 'Ride' simply ran out of money and decided to wrap things up as tidy as possible. The end result is less than impressive.

But as a fan of both westerns and Jack Lord, I stuck with this one. In a sea of mediocrity, Lord stands out from the rest. He manages to rise above the rather dull story, having some fun with the part of likable outlaw Guy Russell. Always looking out for himself -- but with a smile on his face -- he's a likable quasi-bad guy. So if there's a positive, it comes from the outlaw trio. Bad script though it may be, Lord, Farentino and Galloway show off an easy-going, likable chemistry of three outlaws who have ridden together for quite awhile. Lord's Guy and Farentino's Matt are always fighting, always trying to top each other while Galloway is the goofy third wheel, always ready with a cheesy one-liner to lighten the mood or rescue his partners as needed.

The rest of the cast is straightforward and unspectacular. Playing the love interest, Melodie Johnson gets to sing (badly), dance (badly) and be seductive (not well). It is 1967 though, and we get some "risque" scenes; Melodie swimming naked, changing with her bare shoulders exposed (GASP!), and dancing and singing in skimpy outfits. Richard Anderson plays the Wells Fargo man tasked with finding the Black Bandit with Ed Peck as Sheriff Stewart, the clueless peace officer. I can't really recommend this one. There's just not enough positive going on to give it even a slight recommendation. If you're going to watch, I'll say this. It's bad, but in an entertaining bad way. See how much worse it gets by the finale. You won't thank me.

Ride to Hangman's Tree (1967): * 1/2 /****