The 10 Best Moments from Casino Royale (1967): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from the spoof Casino Royale (1967). I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments?

10. Sir James Bond (David Niven) karate chops the cement ball in half to the delight of Lady Fiona McTarry/ Agent Mimi (Deborah Kerr).

9. Peter O'Toole's cameo in the bagpipers sequence.

8. Orson Welles, hamming it up to the hilt as Le Chiffre, conjures numerous international flags in his scarf trick, accompanied by flying doves, sparklers, and flashing light.

7. Dr. Noah's evil plan is revealed.

6. Mata Bond (Joanna Petit) first appears, dancing amidst the scarves and petals in the Indian temple.

5. Jimmy Bond (Woody Allen) attempts to talk his way out of his execution: "What if I told you I was pregnant?"

4. Evelyn Tremble as "James Bond" beats Le Chiffre at baccarat.

TOP THREE

3. Evelyn Tremble poses on the rotating bed [itself parodied by Mike Myers in Austin Powers].

2. To the strands of "The Look of Love," Vesper Lynd invites Evelyn Tremble into her home: in slow motion, we see them through a fish tank, with the fish appearing in suspended animation.

1. Jimmy Bond uses an exploding cigarette to escape the firing squad ("So long suckers!") and jumps over the wall— finding a firing squad in the midst of another execution on the other side.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Casino Royale (1967): I was never a big fan of this movie but it has great music, fun cameos, and both Woody Allen and Peter Sellers are quite funny; every other joke is kind of a misfire, however, and I suppose the worst "moment" for me is when the Indians arrive in the climactic fight at the casino, jumping out of a plane with teepee-shaped parachutes.

The 10 Best Moments from Thunderball (1965): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from Thunderball. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments?

10. With a casual jab of the elbow, Bond sets off the fire alarm at Shrublands.

9. Bond's reaction to seeing Q in the field, solidifying the two character's relationship with one another for the rest of the series.

8. Bond tricks Largo's henchmen into shooting at each other.

7. When Fiona Volpe in the tub asks Bond to give her something to put on, Bond brings over her shoes.

6. Count Lippe cranks up the lever of the "rack" to maximum on Bond.

5. Underwater, Largo eliminates greedy Derval-imposter Angelo by cutting his air line.

4. Bond shows up Largo skeet shooting: "It seems terribly difficult..."

TOP THREE

3. Number 9 learns the penalty of embezzling from SPECTRE.

2. Bond gives Vargas the point.

1. 007 makes his escape in the pre-title sequence via jet pack.

Thunderball has always been for me the most underrated of the films.  I consider it one of the very best entries in the series, with Connery's most assured performance as 007.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Thunderball: actually there really aren't any, although I'm always a little disappointed that Bond doesn't get to use his car gadgets when Fiona does his dirty work for him (on the motorcycle).

The 10 Best Moments from Goldfinger (1964): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from Goldfinger. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments? 

10. In the pre-title sequence, seeing a man about to knock him out in the girl's eye, Bond puts her in the way of the blow.

9. Goldfinger misses an easy putt, eyeing the gold bar Bond has thrown down on the green.

8. Revealing the Slazenger 7, Bond calls the golf match for himself.

7. Bond instructs the card cheating Goldfinger through his earpiece to start losing.

6. The bomb is defused after Bond sweats it out.

5. Oddjob gets fried.

4. Q's deadly serious response to Bond's incredulity of an ejector seat in the Aston Martin.

TOP THREE

3. Bond reacts to Pussy Galore's introduction of herself.

2. Goldfinger's line following Bond's "Do you expect me to talk?"

1. Bond discovers Jill Masterson's body.

Goldfinger most cleverly changes the exact plan at Fort Knox from the novel to a much more realistic one, but conversely it's change from tainting the drinking water to the ridiculous gassing from above adds a particularly cartoonish aspect to the proceedings; nonetheless, Goldfinger is easily the most iconic entry in the 007 movie cannon.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Goldfinger: We learn that Bond isn't hip to the Beatles!

The 10 Best Moments from From Russia, With Love (1963): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from From Russia with Love. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments? 

10. Bond tosses his hat onto Moneypenny's coat tree and playfully says "and for my next miracle...," then realizes M is behind the door.

9. Rosa Klebb lasciviously touches Tatiana, as she tells her how fortunate she is to have been chosen for an assignment that's such a "labor of love."

8. In a championship chess match, Kronsteen delivers the coup de grace in one move (Queen to King 4) after receiving a message that he's "required at once."

7. Bond pins Rosa Klebb to the wall to keep her deadly shoe dagger at bay.

6. Rosa Klebb punches Red Grant with the brass knuckles.

5. Bond causes "one of their aircraft to be missing..." when he targets the grenade-throwing passenger of the enemy helicopter.

4. "Russian clocks are always correct."

TOP THREE

3. A nude Tatiana, save for a ribbon around her neck, gets into Bond's bed.

2. Kronsteen learns the penalty of failure.

1. 007 gets the better of Red Grant with his own piano wire.

From Russia with Love is perhaps the closest to perfection that any Bond film has ever come: the book receives a brilliant adaptation (bringing in SPECTRE as the villains), with a stellar cast and nice location flavor. My pick for the best James Bond movie of all-time.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from From Russia with Love: Weird wave Bond makes to the disposed of 8mm film at the end of the movie.

The 10 Best Moments from Dr. No (1962): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

And now my list of the top ten best moments from Dr. No, the first 007 outing. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments?

10. Spotting "Freelance" at the last moment, Bond holds up his (Trilby) hat, obscuring his face from the photo she's taking.

9. Seeing Professor Dent about Strangways' inquiry, as Bond's about to leave, he steps back in and retrieves Strangways' receipt.

8. Bond tries to retain his Beretta by sneaking it out after being ordered to use the Walther PPK, but M tells him to leave it.

7. After escaping the spider, Bond dispenses with it, to appropriate music cues.

6. Realizing that Bond bed her opportunistically, Miss Taro spits in his face.

5. Dr. No, with his steel hands, can't pull himself up from impending doom.

4. In cold blood, 007 cuts down Dr. No's henchman Professor Dent.

TOP THREE

3. The introduction of the gun barrel logo.

2. Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress, as the first Bond girl) emerges from the water in a white bikini.

1. Sean Connery inaugurates the self-introduction: "Bond, James Bond."

The strength of Dr. No is in how it set up so many of the recurring elements of the Bond movies; in terms of the series as a whole, it falls somewhere middle-of-the-pack, but it remains an always enjoyable film to re-visit.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Dr. No: Dr. No crushes a (clearly rubber prop) metal figurine in an attempt to be menacing ("... usually when a man gets in my way....")

The 10 Best Moments from Climax!: "Casino Royale" (1954): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. 

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from Climax!: "Casino Royale". I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments?

10. Bond explains in just a few words the basics of baccarat as cover talk when consulting with Leiter, but this also serves to explain the game to the audience.

9. Bond kisses Valerie and says it's for "old times sake," than says "this is for now" and plants another one on her.

8. Leiter, fast on his feet, outsmarts Le Chiffre's henchman, who's trying rob him of Bond's stake money before the game.

7. After Bond is miraculously resupplied with money, he takes Le Chiffre on the next hand 4 to 3.

6. Le Chiffre announces: "It's about time we stopped joking, I think he's ready for the bathtub."

5. Bond sees Le Chiffre's cigarette case, and his chance to cut himself free.

4. Le Chiffre lays it out for Bond: "I'm quite without mercy.... you'll be tortured to the edge of madness."

TOP THREE

3. As Bond stakes the money for his last hand with Le Chiffre, a cloud of smoke rolls by (whether this was intentional or otherwise, nice moment).

2. Le Chiffre holds a razor blade to Valerie's neck.

[Note: there is a version that floats around missing this final sequence; watch the You Tube video that has a running time of 51:50 here, which is NOT the one labeled "full film"]

1. Straight from the book and well-handled in this "live" TV presentation, Bond throws himself backward, knocking the gun-cane from Le Chiffre's henchman.

Climax!: "Casino Royale" (1954) is a well-done early American TV presentation, boosted by good performances and a fairly faithful adaptation of the source material.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Climax!: "Casino Royale": for what this is, a "live" TV presentation, again, it's pretty good, so it's hard to quibble: but I guess the gun shots at the start are pretty crudely done, with Barry Nelson just kind of waiting for them to go off.

Countdown to Skyfall ~ The Best of Bond

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films and to countdown the days until the new one, starting tomorrow, I will profile the canon of 007 movies (the 22 Eon productions + the "live" 1954 TV presentation of "Casino Royale" [from the American dramatic anthology series Climax!], the 1967 Casino Royale spoof, and Never Say Never Again), creating a list of the top ten moments from each one.  As a fan of the series, creating these top ten movie moments lists will be a blast and will get me (and hopefully you fellow 007 watchers) in the mood for the latest Bond adventure: Skyfall. On November 9, I'll compile the top ten James Bond moments of all-time from all of these lists to coincide with the US opening of Skyfall. 

(In my August 3rd blog entry, I graded each film in response to the Entertainment Weekly list.)