Producers of No Time to Die and the James Bond Franchise announced in 2021 that James Bond Day will be held on October 5th – the date of the World Premiere of Dr. No, the first James Bond film, in 1962.

In 1961, American producer Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli wanted to bring Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels to the screen. Teaming up with Canadian producer Harry Saltzman, who had optioned the rights to the series, Broccoli landed the financing from United Artists, raising $1 million to bring 007 to the screen.

Filming began in Jamaica on January 16th, 1962 before moving to Pinewood to shoot interiors. From Maurice Binder’s title sequence to Ken Adam’s sets to Monty Norman’s theme arranged by John Barry, the film established many of the elements now associated with the series. Equally ground-breaking was the film’s sense of pace and action. “The secret of the James Bond fights is that they are dramatic but are never real enough to be violently sickening,” said stunt arranger Bob Simmons. Dr. No opened in England on October 5th, 1962 to critical praise and box office success. A new cinematic hero was born.