John McElwee's Greenbriar Picture Show blog has a nifty feature recalling how the James Bond franchise had its launch on American soil "in Spring of 1963 when United Artists saturated 450 Midwest theatres and drive-ins." Rather than the glossy New York/L.A. red carpet premiere one might have expected for Her Majesty's finest, "Dr. No was hosted for three weeks in fly-over country before landing in New York as part of United Artists’ 'Premiere Showcase', booking new product in metropolitan and neighborhood theatres day-and-date with the Broadway opening. These were really just more saturation dates given a new label." United Artists had high hopes that 007 could repeat the box-office success he'd already established overseas, but the movie was still a "UK import...[which] were always notoriously tough merchandise. Most wilted in art houses and on exchange shelves. A British (cultural) invasion was imminent but not yet upon us. Dr. No differed for being keyed from its beginning to reach an international audience, with action and sex the focal points crossing borders everywhere. United Artists was committed to James Bond, viewing the series as a long-range investment likely to gather momentum even if initial returns were modest. The American campaign began in earnest with a showing of theatre and television trailers to UA field men and trade press in February of 1963. Exhibitors were encouraged to use tie-ups (particularly the paperbacks) rather than just running the pressbooks ads, as 007’s penetration into the national consciousness was very much a goal yet to be accomplished." It's become a well-established part of the legend of James Bond that the superspy got a foothold in the U.S. market because of President Kennedy's much-publicized enthusiasm for the Ian Fleming books, but, McElwee wonders on behalf of the publicists of the day, "how many Podunk moviegoers shared his rarified tastes?"
Dr. No began May 29 at eighteen theatres, then widened out to eighty NYC venues for mid-summer play-off. Its Washington DC playdate got a publicity stimulus when the 1963 Memorial Day parade honoring astronaut Gordon Cooper passed a marquee... Stunts included girls 'wearing' the Fleming novels for street ballys, and the inevitable bikini models displayed where volunteers showed up (generally in exchange for passes and press notice)." By the time the smoke had cleared, Bond had gotten his ass kicked by
Irma la Douche. "It was reissues that leveled the playing field for
Dr. No, plus foreign rentals way in excess of what the film realized domestically. Once the James Bond craze caught fire with
Goldfinger, UA was quick to repackage their first two 007 features.
Dr. No and
From Russia With Love were offered 4-14-65 as a double feature and at terms of 50% to the distributor. Theatres were swamped, as many fans hadn’t noticed the secret agent prior to seeing
Goldfinger. Now they were intent on catching up, and this time Dr. No realized a brisk $2.255 million in domestic rentals, nearly what was recovered during its original release." In those pre-home-video years, the early Bond movies would draw paying crowds to packed theaters again and again, until
Dr. No made its bow on network TV on November 10, 1974. Since then, "
Dr. No, along with the rest of the James Bond series, have had incredible shelf lives of over forty-five years and counting. There probably isn’t a minute ticking by when one or more aren’t generating profits somewhere."
