Dr. No: 12 Images from the Initial James Bond 007 Movie

      Dr. No, the inaugural James Bond film featuring Sean Connery as Agent 007, premiered on May 8, 1963.

      The upcoming Bond installment in the enduring series will be directed by Denis Villenueve, who is also busy with the forthcoming Dune: Part Three.

      As we anticipate how he will steer the franchise — and who will portray Bond next — let’s revisit some memorable images from the very first James Bond film.

      Welcome to Jamaica

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Although Dr. No wasn’t the initial novel by Ian Fleming about James Bond — that title belongs to 1953’s Casino Royale — it was the first to be adapted into a feature film.

      Filmed in London, Jamaica, and the fictional Crab Kay island, the movie was shot on location in Jamaica in 1962.

      The storyline follows Agent 007 as he travels to Jamaica to investigate the death of MI6 station chief John Strangways. However, this serves merely as a plot device to unite Bond (Sean Connery) and Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), as seen above.

      Take 007

      United Artists

      According to the new book Ian Fleming: The Complete Man by Nicholas Shakespeare, Sean Connery secured the role of 007 partly due to his distinctive walk.

      Shakespeare cites producer Albert Broccoli, who remarked, “He walked like the most arrogant son of a gun you’ve ever seen,” leading him to the realization: “That’s our Bond.”

      The book details Fleming’s life, whose works inspired the series of 27 Bond films, starting with Dr. No.

      Ursula Andress and Ian Fleming

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Above: Ursula Andress is pictured with Bond creator Ian Fleming. As recounted in Nicholas Shakespeare’s book, Bond was partially inspired by Fleming himself, who dramatized and exaggerated his personal experiences in love and espionage.

      Andress’ character, Honey Ryder, is often regarded as the first "Bond girl," although her famous bikini entrance occurs around the midpoint of Dr. No.

      She is preceded on screen by Sylvia Trench and Miss Taro.

      Enter Bearing Shells

      United Artists

      Honey Ryder’s profession is shell diving, and fittingly, she appears in Dr. No carrying shells. If her opening outfit in the film — a white swimsuit and belt — seems quite revealing, it’s worth noting that in the original novel, she wears only the belt.

      The shell sequence altered expectations for the film, according to Ian Fleming: The Complete Man.

      “‘It was going to be a low-budget flop,’” recalled Chris Blackwell, son of Ian Fleming’s muse Blanche Blackwell, in the book. “Everything changed when we viewed the rushes of Ursula Andress emerging from the sea.”

      He continued, “It was electrifying. We suddenly felt, ‘Gosh, we’ve got a movie.’”

      Bad Boys

      United Artists – Credit: C/O United Artists

      Shakespeare's book notes that Fleming nearly ruined a take of the iconic beach scene. He was leading two friends along Laughing Waters — the beach where the scene was shot — when he almost wandered into the shot.

      Director Terence Young shouted at them to “Lie down!” which they did. Shakespeare adds, “Composer Monty Norman had arrived in Jamaica to write the score and observed Young yelling at them — ‘They were shooed off like little boys.’

      “Ian and his friends were left laying behind a dune, forgotten, until someone remembered to let them go an hour later.”

      That’s Fleming, right, with Andress and Connery.

      Chemistry, Raw Chemistry

      United Artists – Credit: C/O United Artists

      What stands out in the promotional photos for Dr. No is the undeniable chemistry between Connery and Andress, which we assume was the intended effect.

      “He was very protective towards me, he was delightful, fantastic,” Andress stated in a 2020 interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera after Connery’s passing at 90. “He adored women; he was undoubtedly very much a man.”

      She continued: “We shared many evenings together, and he invited me everywhere — Monte Carlo, London, New York. From our first meeting and even now, we have always remained friends. Friends, friends.”

      At Sea

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Andress and Connery share smiles, relaxing on a boat offshore.

      Connery brought a wealth of life experience to his role as Bond.

      Before his iconic role, Connery held various jobs, including naval boxer, lifeguard, and art model, as noted in Shakespeare’s Ian Fleming: The Complete Man.

      Director Terence Young at Work

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Filming wasn’t always a carefree experience — here, Connery and Andress are seen discussing a scene with director Terence Young.

      Young not only introduced Bond to the big screen for the first