All 7 James Bond Movies From the 1960s, Ranked

“The name is Bond…James Bond”. Since the early 60s, these immortal words have been used as a suave introduction to everyone’s favorite gentleman spy. The invention of British author, Ian Fleming, James Bond is a secret agent working for MI6 under the code name 007. The cool gadgets, exotic locations and bounty of beauties Bond’s job comes with, have no doubt contributed to it being a highly coveted role which has been snagged by seven actors over as many decades.

Bond’s transition from page to screen goes back to 1961, and what turned out to be a very lucrative move for producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, when they purchased the filming rights to Fleming’s novels. They later founded Eon Productions, which has gone on to make all but two of the 27 Bond movies, the only exceptions being the 1967 version of Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again (1983). Bond is undeniably big business, with the franchise grossing more than $20 billion if adjusted for inflation. Here’s a look back over the decade when it all began.

7 ‘Casino Royale’ (1967)

Director: Irvin Kershner

Definitely, not to be confused with the 2006 Daniel Craig Bond Film of the same name, Casino Royale was a rather silly spoof, starring David Niven as the ‘original’ Bond, forced out of retirement to take on the evil Dr Noah and SMERSH. The parody story line also includes 6 other agents who pretend to be Bond at some point in the movie including Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers) and Vesper Lynd, played by the first ever Bond girl Ursula Andress.

Fans of Fleming and the character brought to screen by Eon Productions will probably squirm that Casino Royale is even considered a Bond film, but however cheesy the lines and hammy the acting, the film’s success does serve to prove how prominent Bond had become in just a few short years. Casino Royale had no less than 6 directors (1 uncredited), 3 screenwriters and 7 other uncredited writers. Add this to the sizable, star-studded cast, and it seems like a whole lot of people were clamoring for a ride on the Bond bandwagon.

6 ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)

Director: Lewis Gilbert

When an American spacecraft is hijacked from orbit, in You Only Live Twice, the United States suspects the Soviets, but the British suspect Japanese involvement and Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to Tokyo to investigate. With help from ally agents, Bond steals secret documents, containing information about a cargo ship delivering components for rocket fuel. After some customary seductions and a couple of near-death experiences, Bond discovers a secret base inside a volcano, operated by criminal mastermind and leader of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion) Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence), who’s objective is to start a Soviet-American war. Blofeld’s plans are foiled, but he escapes after triggering a pretty spectacular volcanic eruption.

Although You Only Live Twice was the fifth consecutive onscreen portrayal of Bond by Sean Connery, his relationship with the producers had become extremely strained, so much so that he refused to do his lines if they were on set. This might not have been Connery’s best performance, but the movie’s special effects more than made up for it. Almost one-tenth of the film’s $10.2 million budget was spent creating the impressive volcano set at Pinewood Studios.

5 ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)

Director: Peter R. Hunt

In the opening scene of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond (George Lazenby) rescues a damsel in distress, who happens to be the only daughter of the head of a European crime syndicate. Bond uses his new-found connection to uncover the whereabouts of Blofeld (Telly Savalas), the head of SPECTRE he has been after for the past 2 years. Bond then goes undercover, gaining access to Blofeld’s research institute in the Swiss Alps, where he meets the ‘Angels of Death’, 12 women who have been brainwashed into spreading a virus that will contaminate and destroy the world’s food supply. After a bit of cat and mouse, Bond manages to thwart Blofeld’s plans, but the villain wreaks his revenge with a drive-by shooting, killing the hero spy’s new bride.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the first and only time Lazenby graced the screen as 007. While his performance was admirable, it didn’t quite match up to the legendary Connery. In fact, Lazenby lied to land the role of James Bond, claiming in his initial meeting with producers that he was an experienced actor, which was completely untrue. Regardless, Lazenby was offered a contract for more Bond films, but he decided to walk away, certain the franchise had run its course, a decision some think he still secretly kicks himself for.

4 ‘Thunderball’ (1965)

Director: Terence Young

In Thunderball two nuclear warheads are stolen from the Royal Airforce by SPECTRE agents who hijack an Avro Vulcan jet bomber. The mastermind behind the plot is the evil, eye-patch wearing Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi) who demands a ransom of one million pounds from NATO under the threat of destroying a major city in the US or the UK. Bond’s investigations lead him to the Bahamas, where he discovers the Vulcan bomber camouflaged underwater and learns of Largo’s plans to transport the warheads to their detonation point by smuggling them aboard his ship. Bond calls in the US Coast Guard and US Navy and an underwater battle ensues with Largo’s henchmen as they attempt to recover the stolen weapons. Largo tries to escape by transforming his ship into a hydrofoil, but Bond manages to find his way aboard. However, it’s an embittered mistress, rather than the super spy that ends up bringing down the bad guy.

Featuring a thrilling fist fight, a jet-pack escape and a getaway car rigged with a bullet shield and water canons, the action-packed opening scenes of Thunderball are absolutely gripping and really set the expectations for future Bond ventures. It’s unfortunate that the rest of the movie doesn’t keep the same pace. About a quarter of the scenes were filmed underwater, which while being very innovative, unavoidably slowed down the action.

3 ‘Dr. No’ (1962)

Director: Terence Young

After the chief of MI6 is murdered in Jamaica, his home is ransacked and files on Dr .No and Crab Key are stolen. Bond (Connery) is sent to find out if there’s any connection to a case the Chief was working on with the CIA involving the disruption of rocket launches at Cape Canaveral using radio jamming. With the help of a local boatman and an ally CIA agent, Bond’s investigations lead him to a private island called Crab Key owned by the reclusive Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman). On the island, Bond meets Honey Ryder (Andress), who is searching for answers about her researcher father’s mysterious death, and the pair are kidnapped and taken to Dr No’s lair. A lengthy monologue reveals Dr. No joined SPECTRE after being shunned by the government, and he plans to demonstrate the organization’s power by using a radio beam to disrupt the Project Mercury space launch. When Bond refuses to join the mad scientist, he’s thrown in prison, but somehow manages to escape, infiltrate the base’s control center and put an end to Dr No.

This was the first time James Bond (Connery) ever appeared on-screen and the daring antics of the ruggedly handsome British agent chasing down the evil villain instantly captured the imagination of audiences across the globe. Pulling off such amazing cinematic feats was not without risk. In fact, Connery almost died filming a stunt for Dr No. where he drove a car underneath a crane with inches to spare. Luckily, Connery didn’t lose his head and went on to star in six more Bond movies, establishing himself and his iconic character as household names.

2 ‘From Russia With Love’ (1963)

Director: Terence Young

From Russia with Love is a story of secrets, spies and Soviet seduction. Seeking revenge for the death of Dr No, SPECTRE puts a target on Bond’s (Connery) back and lures him to the Russian consulate in Istanbul on the premise of procuring an encryption device. A consulate clerk, Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), becomes unwittingly entangled in a complex plot led by SPECTRE agent Red Grant (Robert Shaw) to assassinate Bond by pitting the Brits against the Russians and staging a murder-suicide. After a thrilling chase across Europe, Bond escapes with the goods and the girl.

In a 1983 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Connery said From Russia With Love was his personal favorite Bond film and, with such a scintillating story, it’s easy to see why. The on-location filming in exotic Turkey as well as his native Scotland were also perks of this particular role. Some might think the same about the world-famous Orient Express, which was the stage for the train fight between James Bond and Red Grant, but disappointingly, those scenes were actually filmed in the Pinewood Studios just outside London.

1 ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)

Director: Guy Hamilton

While vacationing in Miami Beach, Bond is tasked with getting information on a bullion dealer and suspected smuggler with the rather fitting name, Goldfinger. Bond tracks Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) to his refinery in Geneva and overhears him discussing a plan to break into Fort Knox with a group of American mafiosi. It’s later revealed that Goldfinger doesn’t intend on stealing the gold, but instead detonating a dirty bomb inside the vault to contaminate it with radiation in order to increase the value of his own gold and create global economic chaos. Using his charms to seduce one of Goldfinger’s female operatives, Bond manages to illicit her help in alerting the American authorities and the troops arrive in the nick of time to disarm the bomb.

Goldfinger often tops the ranks of the best Bond movies of all time. Its uncomplicated and more playful plot appeals to a much broader audience and the fabulous cast of larger-than-life characters like Oddjob (Harold Sakata) and Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) have a way of implanting themselves in viewer’s memories.

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