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MI6 reviews Syd Cain`s autobiography, charting a
57 year career in film, and not forgetting James
Bond...
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"Not Forgetting James Bond" Review
11th April 2004
Over the twenty films of the James Bond series, Production Design
has been the key element in defining the unique style of 007's
world, with Ken Adam and Peter Lamont among the most famous names
behind the drawing boards... and not forgetting Syd Cain.
Cain's 007 filmography includes “Dr. No” (Art Director), “From
Russia With Love” (Art Director), “On Her Majesty’s
Secret Service” (Production Designer), “Live and
Let Die” (Art Department) and “GoldenEye” (Art
Department), and his accounts of working as a member of the Bond
family are fascinating - to Bond fans and general film buffs
alike.
The book spans 57 years of work within
the film industry, and a hefty amount of the 190 pages
are lovingly devoted to the Bond productions Cain worked
on, starting all the way back in 1962 designing Dr. No's
dragon tank on Crab Key island. One of 007's most famous
gadgets, the attaché ("From Russia With Love")
was also one of Cain's early creations.
Perhaps the pinnacle
of his 007 career was "On Her Majesty's Secret Service",
where he was elevated to Production Designer, and was responsible
for Blofeld's hideout at Piz Gloria. Here we learn about
the trails and tribulations a Production Designer faces,
trying to balance the conflicting pressures of such a big
production. If you thought the life of a Production Designer was
mostly spent behind a drawing board, then this book will
change your opinion quickly! Cain's tales of life on set,
and the frequent run-ins with all manner of dangerous animal
life, entertain as much as the anecdotes about the stars
of the films.
Amongst the stories from his career, Cain
also intersperses details of his life outside of work,
albeit sometimes far too briefly. The book begins by
tracking his pre-film career and service during World War
II, where
a number of skills would later prove useful. |
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Above: Bond veterans Syd Cain and Christopher
Lee at the press bash for the James Bond exhibition at The
Science Museum
in London. |
"Syd's book reminded me of the many
fabulous times we had working together - an excellent read" -
Sir Roger Moore
Above: Front cover jacket artwork. |
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Lavishly illustrated with Cain's artwork, "Not
Forgetting" contains hundreds of rare photographs
from Syd's personal collection as well as the archives
of the Bond producers. Cain's designs and storyboards for "Live
And Let Die" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" are
amongst some of the most interesting pages for Bond fans,
along with the humorous sketches he made whilst on set.
Outside the world of 007, the book charts his other
work on films such as “Frenzy”, “The
Wild Geese”, “Mister Moses”, “Lolita”, “Shout
at the Devil”, “Gold”, “A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “Farenheit
451", and highly personal remembrances of working
with countless cinematic legends including Alfred Hitchcock,
Stanley Kubrick, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, Laurence
Olivier, Roger Moore, Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
and Richard Lester,
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If you love reading about behind the scenes of Bond productions,
Syd's autobiography is a mesmerizing volume filled with humour,
drama, exotic travel and never-before-told anecdotes about the
legendary people he’s worked with during the 57 years spent
in the film industry.
“Not Forgetting James Bond: The Autobiography of Syd Cain,
Production Designer” is a limited edition of
1,000 hardback copies only, each personally autographed and numbered
by Syd Cain, and is only available only from GBU
Publishing.
You can order now for only £17.99 (save £7 off the
RRP) for a signed hardback, or a softcover (unsigned) version
for £12.99.
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