2016.06.25

“Shaken Not Stirred”: Flyer for The Royal Danish Ballet (2001)

From 19 to 25 May 2001, The Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen performed three contemporary ballet choreographies as an end of season show called "Shaken Not Stirred".

The flyer, pictured below, was heavily influenced by the James Bond films, as was the third and final part of the performance, entitled "Off the Record". Artistic director Aage Thordal-Christensen choreographed this "highly dramatic and strongly sensual dance inspired by 70's spy thrillers".

The use of original music scores from EON Productions' film franchise was nixed due to rights issues. Instead, Norwegian-Danish DJ duo Ben Horn (Mikkas and Lars B) put together a suite of "classical music with elements of new electronic genres such as electronica, two-step and drum'n' bass".

2016.06.18

“Colonel Sun”: Danish first edition (1968)

2016.06.13

James Bond Agent 007 no. 5: “From Russia with Love” (1966)

Author: Henry Gammidge (uncredited) after Ian Fleming's novel "From Russia With Love" (1957)
Artist: John McLusky (uncredited)
Published: A/S Interpresse
Editor: K. Jespersen
Cover artist: (uncredited)
Format: 52 pages
Publishing date: 1966
First published in the UK: Daily Express 03.02.-21.05.1960
Danish reprint: James Bond 007 no. 59 (1981)

Contents:
"Agent 007 jages"/"From Russia with Love" (30 pages - newspaper stripts reformatted to 17x26 cm magazine format)
"Roy Allen: Den forgiftede kat" [Roy Allen: The Poisoned Cat] (8 pages)
"Tilbage i tiden" [Back in Time] (6 pages)
James Bonds fjender: Red Grant [James Bond's enemies] (1 page text excerpt from Ian Fleming's "From Russia with Love")
Back cover: color photo of Sean Connery and Claudine Auger in "Thunderball" (1 page)

NB: The cover art was reused for the Danish James Bond Agent 007 no. 42 (1977).

Front page scan courtesy of Tom Andersen

2016.06.02

Danish TV interview with Sean Connery (1994)

2016.05.28

“Untitled Ian Fleming biopic”: Screenwriter Matthew Brown on his script (2015)

Today marks the 108th anniversary of Ian Fleming's birthday. But the long-awaited, untitled Fleming biopic, based on Andrew Lycett's 2009 biography "Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond", still seems to be stuck in development hell.

Last autumn, James Bond•O•Rama caught up with the screenwriter of the Fleming biopic, Matthew Brown, at the Toronto Film Festival to enquire about the project.

Matthew Brown, who premiered his self-directed period piece "The Man Who Knew Infinity" at the festival, knew next to nothing about the current status of the Ian Fleming biopic.

● Official trailer for Matthew Browns "The Man Who Knew Infinity" (2015)

Asked about his take on the James Bond author, Matthew Brown coyly answered:

"I think he's a fascinating, complex man, that ... ehm ... Fascinating and complex. I'll leave it at that."

Matt Brown went on to share a few details about his screenplay for the Ian Fleming biopic:

"You know, it was set during World War II, primarily when he met with [admiral John] Godfrey and sort of put his talents to use. That's what that focused on. It was a fun script, I was really excited when Duncan [Jones] came on board [as director]. Maybe he'll come back, I don't know, after this or not. But that was one of my favourite scripts that I'd written. I wouldn't mind directing that one, actually!"

2016.05.25

“Octopussy and The Living Daylights”: Danish first edition (1966)

100.000 er budt – James Bond (1967)

Ian Fleming

Danish first edition
Original: Octopussy and The Living Daylights (Jonathan Cape 1966)
Publisher: Skrifola (Lommeromanen no. 451)
Translator: Rita Damm
Cover design: N/A

Ian Fleming's fourteenth James Bond book (his second collection of short stories) was the fourteenth to be published in Danish.

The short story "Snigskytten" (The Living Daylights) was reprinted separately in Danish as part of the anthology "Kisten og andre historier om gys og giftmord" (Lademann 1970).

Contains the short stories:
"Var det selvmord?" [= Was it suicide?] (Octopussy)
"100.000 er budt" [= The bid is 100.000] (The Property of a Lady)
"Snigskytten" [= The sniper] (The Living Daylights)

Later editions:
● Octopussy (Rosenkilde & Bahnhof 2014) - includes the short story "007 i New York" (007 in New York)

2016.05.21

James Bond Agent 007 no. 4: “Dr. No” (1965)

Author: Peter O'Donnell (uncredited) base on Ian Fleming's novel "Dr. No" (1958)
Artist: John McLusky (uncredited)
Publisher: A/S Interpresse
Editor: N/A
Cover art: Jordi Penalva
Format: 52 pages
Publishing date: 1965
First published in the UK: Daily Express 23.05.1960-01.10.1960
Danish reprints: None

Contents:
"Doktor No" (39 pages - newspaper strips reformatted to 17x26 cm magazine format)
"James Bonds fjender: SMERSH" (1 page text excerpt from Ian Fleming's "Casino Royal" [sic])
"Knockout” (9 page comic by Bardon Studios)
B&" photo of Sean Connery on the set of "Woman of Straw" (1 page)
Back cover: color photo of Sean Connery and Gert Fröbe in "Goldfinger" (1 page)

NOTE: Dell Publishing's movie adaptation of "Dr. No" by Norman Nodel was published in Danish as "Detektiv-Serien nr. 6" by International Productions in 1963.

Front page scan courtesy of Carsten Olsen

“Shaken Not Stirred”: Flyer for The Royal Danish Ballet (2001)

“Colonel Sun”: Danish first edition (1968)

NOVEL

Døden har dragetænder (1968)

Robert Markham (= Kingsley Amis)