By Dave Worrall

Last night saw Cinema Retro attend the exclusive private viewing of Designing OO7 - Fifty Years of Bond Style at The Barbican in London. This unique exhibition showcasing the design, craft and style of a screen icon - James Bond - is superbly designed (by Ab Rogers, and guest-curated by fashion historian Bronwyn Cosgrave and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming) . The exhibition is a must-see event for anyone with an interest in film, let alone James Bond. Produced in partnership with Eon Productions, ably assisted by the head of their archives, Meg Simmonds, the exhibition has amassed over 400 items that reflect the history of Bond over the last 50 years.

Following the press call in the day, the organizers invited people who have worked on the films over the years and also friends of Eon to a champagne reception and private view of the exhibition. And what a show it is! After walking down the red carpet and past the fabled Aston Martin DB5, guests were given their own 'OO7 passport' to gain access to all areas and greeted with a glass (or two) of Bollinger champagne.

Producer Michael G. Wilson (with Barbara Broccoli at his side) addressed the guests with a wonderful tribute speech to those 'background' women and men who have been responsible for creating the 'look' of the James Bond films over the years. Many were in attendance, including: Norman Wanstall, John Glenn, David Arnold, Neal Purvis, Rob Wade, Arthur Wooster, Anthony Waye, John Richardson, Chris Corbould, Debbie McWilliams, Lindy Hemming, and Peter Lamont, Wilson acknowledged Lamont as the production designer who not only took over from Ken Adam, but also oversaw the building of two studios for Eon Productions. Peter received a rapturous round of applause from the appreciative audience.

The entrance to the exhibition is designed to look like the now-famous gun barrel, and after walking through this, you enter a chamber resembling part of Fort Knox, with large metal bars adorning one wall from floor to ceiling. The centre-piece is a large revolving circular bed with a life-size model figure of a golden girl lying across it. From here, guests are led through five rooms and travel down a lift to one exhibit of large-scale models and props. Very impressive.

Entering through the legendary gun barrel.

There are props and costumes galore, including Oddjob's bowler hat, Scaramanga's 'Golden Gun', and even the white bikini worn by Ursula Andress in Dr. No (on loan from Planet Hollywood). The walls are adorned with production designs, sketches and storyboards, and they have even managed to squeeze in the BMW motorcycle from Tomorrow Never Die, too. It was also great to see the original attache case and prototype of Rosa Klebb's flick-knife shoe, both iconic props seen in From Russia With Love. It certainly brings back many memories of a series of films that have entertained generations of movie goers the world over.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Producer Norman Felton has passed away at age 99. Born in London, Felton emigrated to America as a teenager and became a successful TV producer.  By the mid-1950s, he was directing episodes of such high profile series as Robert Montgomery Presents and The Alocoa Hour. In the early 1960s, he produced the smash hit Dr. Kildare TV series, a spin-off of a successful 1940s film franchise. The show made Richard Chamberlain a star. Another series, The Lieutenant, was not successful but one of the stars, Robert Vaughn, impressed Felton. In 1964, Vaughn co-starred with David McCallum in the Bond-inspired TV series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The show ran until 1968 and became an international phenomenon, spawning 8 feature films derived from two-part episodes. Felton also produced the less successful Girl From U.N.C.L.E. spin-off starring Stefanie Powers and Noel Harrison. Felton remained active in the TV industry through the 1970s before retiring. The U.N.C.L.E. phenomenon lives on, with director Guy Ritchie developing a big screen update. For more click here

His name may not be well-known to international audiences, but UK film and TV fans are mourning the loss of Eric Sykes, who passed away at age 89. Sykes was an original writer, with Spike Milligan, on the classic Goon Show before establishing himself as one of England's most popular and enduring comedic character actors. He also appeared in such diverse feature films as Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Theatre of Blood and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Despite having to cope with serious health issues and physical handicaps in recent years, Sykes continued to perform regularly. He had been awarded both an OBE and CBE over the years. For more click here