The world will once more stream to the theatres for another dose of Bond. "LIFE" was on the scene in the swinging '60s when James Bond became a cultural icon (in fact, when we put the gold-painted actress Shirley Eaton on the cover in 1964, we helped him along), and now "LIFE" tells the whole story in this commemorative book. Ian Fleming, a high-ranking officer in British Naval Intelligence during World War 11, dreamt up his MI6 spy, code number 007, in 1953, and a decade later, with "Dr. No", "From Russia With Love" and then the smash "Goldfinger", saw his creation take on a life entirely his own. All the fun of Bond is here: The movies; the reminiscences by the stars; the "LIFE" photo shoots; the knockoffs and spoofs ("The Man from U.N.C.L.E.;" "Get Smart;" "I Spy;" the first Casino Royale); the artefacts (a model of Bond's Aston Martin DB5 was one of the best -selling toys of 1 g65); the trivia and inside information on M, Q and Moneypenny - anything a Bond fan would want, packed into one book and then shaken, not stirred. James Bond was, back in the day, one of those cultural phenomena tailor-made for "LIFE": It was bright and colourful and vibrant. Today, it still is.
Happy birthday, and welcome back, Commander Bond.