Next step consideration of (cumulative) gross receipts [1] as metric for ranking James Bond movies now turns here to perspectives viz “entries that launched the franchise.”
I’ve labeled that “Danjaq 1.0 Perspectives” [2].
There are nine films total in this group, meaning those produced through the partnership between Albert R Broccoli and Harry Saltzman; five of those are in positions 23 through 27 — which means compared relative to themselves.
Dead-last is Dr No (1962), which is not really a surprise. But it does mean need to factor-in a number of unique variables.
- As the very first motion picture, it did not enjoy benefit of predecessor-established pre-positioning or momentum.
- It had to work within constraints of the lowest production budget of any 007 entry, ever.
- Many “elements of the Bond formula that would work again and again” had yet to gel.
To lessening degrees, it would then be reasonable to anticipate that the considerations above would obtain, successively, through the next eight Danjaq 1.0 positionings. But it’s not clear that they do. While the next four in cluster includes From Russia with Love (1963), it also includes On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) and the first two Roger Moore movies, from 1973 and 1974.
- Maybe it was that difficult for James Bond to break out of the 1960s (the 1967 Casino Royale shows next up, then the 1967 You Only Live Twice).
- Or maybe it was that difficult to replace Sean Connery as lead: See Goldfinger (1964) at position 16, Never Say Never Again (1983) at 14, and Thunderball (1965) at 13.
Starting in 1977, Albert R Broccoli made four James Bond movies on his own.
One of those is topped by a collaboration he had had with Harry Saltzman, and one by a collaboration with Mr Saltzman that was produced by Kevin McClory. Additionally, Mr Broccoli co-produced three with his stepson, Michael G Wilson. Two are bettered by both his aforementioned collaboration on Goldfinger and by his joint effort involving Messrs McClory and Saltzman on Thunderball.
Too, the fact that “James Bond” effectively remained a Danjaq 1.0 Perspectives (read, “Broccoli/Saltzman”) powerhouse into the 1980s cannot be ignored. Its two best from the mid-1960s continue to beat A View to a Kill (1985) and The Living Daylights (1987) according to the gross receipts yardstick.
After that, things get mushy.
Historians John Cork and Bruce Scivally recorded that “1990 marked the beginning of a period of trials … which lasted for another five years” [3].
007, the quintissential Cold War hero, suddenly seemed obsolete to some. Other critics flatly declared that James Bond, after a long life as a cultural icon, was finally dead.
Whatever one thinks of what came next, the fact of the matter is that GoldenEye in 1995 marked a very different period of “James Bond” — one that included neither Harry Saltzman nor Cubby Broccoli [4].
And that casts serious doubt that any sort of insightful apples-to-apples ranking can come from merely sorting global box office receipts in isolation.
© 2022 Dell Deaton, All Rights Reserved. USA
References
- IMDbPro (accessed December 31, 2021).
- “‘Danjaq 1.0 Perspectives’” / January 16, 2022 / Dell Deaton / Branding Bond (accessed January 16, 2022).
- James Bond: The Legacy / 2002 / John Cork and Bruce Scivally (page 233; Harry N Abrams: New York).
- James Bond (pages 244-245).