By Matthew Field
Last night Cinema Retro attended the world premiere of Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story of OO7 in London. Bond alumni were out in force as many faces from in front and behind the camera attended the Leicester Square screening. The film was followed by a fascinating Q&A with Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Steven Saltzman and Hilary Saltzman. They spoke affectionately about growing up together on the set of the early Bond movies, as well as the challenges faced by their fathers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in bringing and keeping James Bond on the screen. They were joined by director Stevan Riley who discussed the daunting task of navigating a story through 60 years of Bond heritage.
Guests included Charles Dance, Maryam d’Abo, former EON publicist Jerry Juroe, Fiona Fullerton, Shirley Eaton, Samantha Bond, Vic Armstrong, Eunice Gayson, Madeline Smith, Martine Beswick, Caroline Munro, Shane Rimmer, John Glen, and Sir Ken Adam. Following the screening, guests relocated to The Naval and Military Club (In & Out) for a wonderful reception.
Everything Or Nothing is one of the finest documentaries ever made about James Bond. It doesn’t attempt to cover every angle, but instead Riley has focused on the human story to be found in the subject - the emotional and personal journeys of Bond creators: Ian Fleming, Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Not only have EON opened up the archives to the filmmakers, they’ve bravely allowed Riley to tell the story the way he wanted – documenting both the rough with the smooth. It’s an important piece of work that will continue to inform and educate many generations to come as to how one of the 20th Century’s most popular cultural icons, came to be.
This film undoubtedly deserves a solo home entertainment release. Fingers crossed it does.