By Lee Pfeiffer
As a political junkie, I didn't think anything would tempt me to miss last night's much-anticipated first debate between President Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney, but an invitation from Eon Productions to attend the New York premiere of the acclaimed documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of James Bond proved too tempting to resist. The film is a triumph for director Stevan Riley and his team, who worked for over a year and a half to put together the most unique look at the longest-running series in cinema history. The event took place at the Museum of Modern Art. The screening itself, in digital format, was enthusiastically received by all including some people who profess not to be particularly enamored of the films themselves but who felt the angle of covering the human side of the producer's stories was successful and engrossing on all levels.
The unique aspect of Everything or Nothing is that Riley avoids the generic, bland format of simply retelling anecdotes about how the films were made. In fact, there are virtually no such stories related. Instead, he concentrates on the stories of people whose lives were personally impacted by the films and, more specifically, producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. These stories aren't told in linear fashion, as the narrative bounces back and forth through the decades, interwoven with the personal experiences of the actors who played Bond (all are interviewed except - predictably- Sean Connery, who is nevertheless represented through vintage interviews.) One must acknowledge the courage of the Broccoli and Saltzman family for refusing to sanitize the subject matter. Director Riley was given no restraints regarding the content. The result is a warts-and-all human saga of two remarkable men and their achievements and foibles. There is triumph and tragedy as the ever-escalating popularity of the series puts increased strain on all those involved. There are some revelations that will surprise Bond scholars. For one, Broccoli and Saltzman were not at odds from day one, despite their different personalities. Their differences only became increasingly acerbic with the hiring of Roger Moore, who - it is revealed- Broccoli was not keen on hiring. Saltzman's notorious penchant for bad investments and reckless gambling on dubious ventures led him to fall into severe debt. His daughter Hilary recounts how his decision to sell his half of the series to United Artists brought immediate financial devastation to the family, resulting in personal effects having to be sold to raise money. The Saltzman fall from grace is a sad chapter in the saga, especially when the Broccoli and Saltzman "kids" recount how their fathers' fractured relationship almost destroyed their relationships as well. (The families do remain close today with Hilary and her brother Steven Saltzman are often invited as honored guests to Bond-related events.) Perhaps most moving is the revelation that, once apart, Harry and Cubby truly missed each other. Cubby's gregarious decision to invite Harry to the 1981 premiere of For Your Eyes Only marked Harry's emergence from self-imposed isolation and seclusion. Hilary recounts how nervous he was to attend the event. When she recalls how the two men ended up embracing, it's enough to bring tears to your eyes. Similarly, Roger Moore's anecdote about his ill-fated attempt to heal the wounds between Broccoli and Connery is offset by Barbara Broccoli recounting a particularly touching phone call Cubby received from Connery when when the producer was virtually on his death bed. I won't ruin the impact by recounting it here, but it is moving beyond words.
The film is interspersed with personal reflections from Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig. All avoid the cliched stories they have told so many times before. Moore speaks frankly about his old friend Connery's obsession with money. Dalton is far more engaging and animated than when he promoted the Bond films he starred in. (Refreshingly, Barbara Broccoli admits Dalton's films were ahead of their time and not want audiences wanted to see in the late 1980s.) Brosnan speaks candidly about the strained phone call he received from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson in which he was told he was fired. Lazenby, in a surprisingly upbeat mood, inexplicably reinforces the notion that he was fired when he says "the producers let me go". In fact, he quit the role, much to their chagrin. There are rare film interviews with Ian Fleming, whose life and work is given significant screen time. He is recalled by his friends and colleagues, who shed some new light on the Fleming persona. A significant amount of screen time is devoted Broccoli's decades-long legal battles with producer Kevin McClory over screen rights to the character of Bond. McClory is presented as a lazy opportunist whose obsession in life was to live off the 007 legacy built by Fleming and the filmmakers. (He does have a defender, however : actress Judy Geeson).
There is a candid conversation with Skyfall director Sam Mendes, who admits he thought the casting of Daniel Craig would be disastrous. Former United Artists production chief David V. Picker bluntly says that he agrees with Sean Connery that he was underpaid for his contributions. Picker recounts that, while Broccoli and Saltzman routinely renegotiated their own compensation, they never looked after Connery on the early films, meaning that he was stuck with the salary he had original contracted for. Such honesty is generally eschewed in such "tribute" documentaries, but it is what makes this one unique and refreshing. What does emerge primarily, however, is that, despite their personal flaws, both Cubby and Harry were devoted family men and loving fathers and husbands whose primary goal was to provide for their loved ones.
The film contains some tantalizing snippets of rare early behind the scenes footage and interviews that will leave Bond scholars aching to see them in their full context. I should also mention that the movie is exceptionally well-edited and photographed, beginning with a stunning opening sequence that presents the Bond actors walking into the famed gun barrel simultaneously.
After the film, I spoke with Stevan Riley, who expressed frustration that he has a tremendous amount of interview footage that couldn't be squeezed into the 90 minute film. These include comments from Prime Minister David Cameron, the head of MI 6, actors Eva Green and Richard Kiel and (full disclosure), this writer as well. However, I have to confess that the overall feature probably works better without such interviews because it concentrates on those people who lived through the emotional rollercoaster of making the Bond films, primarily Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Steven and Hilary Saltzman. Riley will attempt to use the unseen footage in a future DVD release. One non-"insider" who did make the final cut is President Bill Clinton, who not only confesses to being a life long Bond fan but also provides some interesting perspectives on Bond's role in the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. If there is one flaw with the film it is the fact that, while the narrative covers Broccoli's independent films, it never mentions Saltzman's. In fact, Saltzman was reinventing British cinema with "kitchen sink" dramas like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Look Back in Anger and The Entertainer. He also produced the successful Harry Palmer films and the epic Battle of Britain, none of which merit a mention here. Nevertheless, the film is the most significant effort yet to present Saltzman as a important figure instead of someone who lived in his partner's shadow.
Following the screening, invited guests migrated to the palatial Metropolitan Club in the shadow of Central Park. As with all Eon-sponsored events, it was a party to remember. Upon entering, you were greeted by a string quartet playing themes from the Bond films. The party, which was co-sponsored by the American cable TV channel Epix and Vanity Fair (the latest issue of which features a Bond cover), was set in an ornate room that made one feel they were in the Louvre. Liquor flowed freely from tuxedo-clad bartenders and the lobby featured giant, impressive boards each featuring a Bond actor that made for tempting photographic backdrops for seemingly everyone with a camera.
During the course of the evening, I ran into some old friends including David V. Picker, the seemingly ageless Maud Adams and Robert Davi. I also introduced legendary graphic design artist Joe Caroff to both Barbara Broccoli and Hilary Saltzman, who delighted in finally meeting the man who created the 007 gun logo. In all, it was a night to remember.
Everything or Nothing is receiving a theatrical release in the UK and is being shown on the EPIX cable TV channel in America.
(All photos copyright Cinema Retro. All rights reserved.)