How to Sell James Bond

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As Kingsley Amis wrote in 1965, “We don’t want to have Bond to dinner… We want to be Bond.” James Bond, the world’s ultimate lover/spy, has thrilled millions with the exciting trinity of cinematic “martinis, girls and guns”. No matter what his current incarnation, Bond, like the Doctor in Doctor Who, can be played by a canny Scot, a suave Irishman or even an athletic Australian but he will always be James Bond. And that character shines immediately and vividly through the film’s posters.

According to Meg Simmonds, James Bond archivist at EON, the production company that produces the movies, visual design for Bond is key, “The design process starts very early and continues throughout the film-making process to the very end. For Bond films – I’d say the average time it takes is about one year.” It’s the visual imagery of Bond’s fantasy formula that keeps us wanting more.

^{'DR. NO / JAMES BOND 007 CONTRE DR. NO' (1962). ESTIMATE £1,500–2,500.}

Posters for James Bond movies contributed hugely to the franchise’s success. According to Reel Art Press founder and editor-in-chief Tony Nourmand, the author of several official books on James Bond poster art, artwork was the first thing Bond lovers saw of the upcoming film. It was the visual elements that reeled them in - and he finds that there are some very interesting examples of Bond for sale in the Original Film Posters Online sale (13–22 March).

This poster for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Lot 130), “is a concept art work,” says Nourmand. “You see a silhouette. They didn’t want the world to know who the new Bond was going to be.” The man became, of course George Lazenby, but as a teaser, it kept fans keen to see who was cast as the new Bond.

^{'ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE' (1969) TWO CONCEPT ART PHOTOS. ESTIMATE £400–600.}

Nicolette Tomkinson, a poster expert from Tomkinson Churcher Art Consultants agrees that James Bond posters play a unique role in our culture. “As Bond is the longest running film franchise, everybody has grown up with 007 and has their favourite film. The posters play an important part in illustrating how Bond has changed since the release of Dr. No in 1962. The unique combination of cultural significance and visual appeal gives the poster a special place in the eye of a collector,” she adds, “My personal favourite would be the stunning set of four original US cinema door panel posters for Thunderball (Lot 71).” 

^{'THUNDERBALL' (1965). ESTIMATE £12,000–18,000.}

As designed by Robert McGinnis, the four fantastic teaser posters of Thunderball would have been displayed separately in America and the UK to show the various super exciting elements of the new film, which was one of the first to show underwater action. Connery, in evening dress holding the space helmet for You Only Live Twice (Lot 73), shows Bond in a stance echoed in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Lot 128) which has the then new Bond, Lazenby, standing in his skis in the exact position as Connery before him, signalling that while he was a new Bond, he was still James Bond.

^{'YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE' (1967). ESTIMATE £2,000–3,000.}

“From the beginning, French, Italian, American and British posters were all different so there was no real continuity,” says Nourmand, “but one of the most iconic images of James Bond is from the French poster for From Russia With Love (Lot 70) where he is holding his gun. That was taken by David Herne, a Magnum photographer. When they turned up for the photo shoot, the prop man had forgotten to bring the gun and David happened to have an air pistol which, although it was the same make, had a different shape with a much longer barrel.” The longer barrel, although technically an error, stood out and made Bond seem more dangerous.

^{'FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE' (1963). ESTIMATE £2,000–3,000.}

Visual innovation became a norm for Bond poster art and nowhere is that more evident than in the poster for For Your Eyes Only (Lot 133). “The guy who designed that - Bill Gold, who is now 96 or 97 - turned the model’s bikini bottom back to front to make the cheeks stand out more. The poster was so famous that every model in LA claimed they were her legs,” reveals Nourmand.

^{'FOR YOUR EYES ONLY' (1981). ESTIMATE £400–600.}

Bond’s appeal stretches from the popular books by Ian Fleming to the current iteration of Daniel Craig. “From every country, every age group, all walks of life,” says Nourmand, “Bond is a favourite. My five year old nephew’s favourite Bond film is Goldfinger.” He’s in good company. Steven Spielberg admitted that his ownership of an Aston Martin DB5 is because his favourite Bond film is also Goldfinger - and that’s the only reason he has it. “What is Bond’s secret? I’ve worked with EON and they are very particular with what they allow and not allow,” Nourmand says, “But really the franchise is one of those freaks of nature.”

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