The James Bond films represent an iconic era in the movie industry, and there is yet to be a series to compare. Chances are, if you're a fan, you've likely watched the movies on repeat, but did you know that there are hidden secrets and details that you might not have even realized were there? So serve yourself a drink (shaken, not stirred, of course) and dive into these classified facts and easter eggs that might change your entire perspective on the legendary film franchise.
The Conductor From 'Daylights' Actually Created Most of the Franchise's Soundtrack
Not many know that the conductor in The Living Daylights is the composer of all of the songs used in the Bond films. Music can seriously change the entire theme and feel of a movie, and John Barry, the conductor, did a great job making songs that perfectly fit the spy vibe. Although his songs might be recognizable, his face isn't, and that's commonly how fame works for music creators.
Surprisingly, most of the James Bond movie soundtracks were written and composed by the same person, but it's impossible to figure that out by just listening to each unique song.
Lyutsifer's Poison Garden Really Exists in Real Life
There's a book and movie version of Lyutsifer Safin's poison garden, but they were inspired by one that exists in real life. There's a poison garden in Japan, and while no one uses it to harm people, there are still similarities between the one in the Bond series and the real-life garden. Lyuitsifer is a terrorist who used the garden to create poisons and toxins for weapons, whereas the one in Japan is mainly a tourist destination.
Lyutsifer Safin's poison garden was a gruesome weapon that was created with the goal of harming people, but it was actually based on a garden that exists in real life.
The Surprising Reason the "Goldfinger" Crew Left a Hidden Patch of Skin Unpainted
When thinking about James Bond and the franchise's numerous murder scenes, the first ones to pop into your head might be those that Auric Goldfinger committed. His method is hard to forget since he would suffocate his victims by painting them pure gold. If this ever caused some fear on your end, there's no need to worry, but the Goldfinger crew left a secret patch of skin unpainted on the actress, just in case death from gold paint turned out to be real.
The skin suffocation scene is Goldfinger's staple murder tactic but doesn't relate to real life. That's because we only breathe through our lungs, so being painted in gold wouldn't cause death. We think this behind-the-scene secret is a wholesome one.
Skyfall Is Full of Hidden Easter Eggs That Reference Past Bond Movies, Including 'For Your Eyes Only'
Skyfall is a particular Bond film that's hard to forget, not only because it was excellently executed. While watching it, you may not have noticed some hidden messages scattered throughout the movie. Those hints become more evident as you watch Skyfall for the second time. Since the movie's release celebrates fifty years of Bond, they added scenes like a Whiskey bottle that was dated from the release of Dr. No.
Another Easter egg many fans missed was Skyfall's reference to For Your Eyes Only. In the newer film, we see Bond hand over a sample of analysis and say to Tanner, "For her eyes only." If you look closely at this scene, you can see the numbers on the bag. And guess what? It's the same number sequence as is displayed on Locque's record in For Your Eyes Only. If you don't recall, Locque was the hit movie's villain (pictured above).
One Superfan Bought Ursula Andress' Famous "Dr. No" Bathing Suit for $50K
In Dr. No, Ursula Andress' character was wearing an average bathing suit at the beach, but producers then decided to try to put the bathing suit up for auction. The price that it sold for was unexpected at the time. Although it's doubtful that the production was looking to profit from this bathing suit, a super-fan probably has this exact thing just sitting in their home somewhere in the world.
The bathing suit in this picture went up for auction in the early 2000s, and nobody expected that it would sell for 50k. Although, today, it'd likely be worth much more.
Did You Notice M's Bulldog Figurine Was Passed on to Bond After Her Passing?
It's hard to forget M., who lost her life ten years before the release of No Time to Die, but 007 still managed to memorialize her in the smallest of ways. She kept a dog statue on her desk wrapped in the British flag, and she passed that on to Bond. The special item can be seen again in one of the newer movies, proving that Bond never forgot about her.
Although Bond is known for being a character who isn't always in touch with his emotional side, it's pretty clear he did have a special place in his heart for M.
This Famous Billionaire Landed Himself a Cameo by Lending His Private Jet
Richard Branson's fame and fortune opened up many acting opportunities for him. From Superman Returns to Baywatch and Casino Royale, his roles changed from movie to movie. Although some of his parts have been minor cameos, it's not hard to miss that it's him. He earned a role in the Bond series because he helped the producers by lending them his private plane so they could make it to set on time.
Casino Royale was undoubtedly a great movie and included a scene where a man was stopped and searched while traveling through airport security; that actor was actually Richard Branson.
The Women on the Wall Behind Denise Richards Were All Former Bond Girls
The pictures of women hanging up on the wall for Valentin Zukovsky's pleasure weren't just random girls, and the closer you look, the sooner you'll notice where they came from. The scene happens in The World is Not Enough, but the women are actors featured throughout a series of past movies. The producers did a great job hiding this, so rewatch the film to see if you can find it.
Valentin Zukovsky notoriously made his second reappearance in The World is Not Enough, and the glimpse we get of the pictures of women hanging on the wall wasn't just incidental.
This "No Time to Die" Scene Was a Remake of an Older Iconic Bond Scene
If you've watched the Bond films, then you know what we're about to refer to; if not, that's okay too. No Time to Die begins with a scene where 007 is in front of Jesper's gravestone before the movie's first attack. It's certainly not a scene to forget, but it is similar to a specific scene in one of the franchises' older films, and we're about to tell you which one.
It's hard to forget when Bond went up to Vesper's grave. The specific scene referred to a similar one from For Your Eyes Only, where Bond visited his wife's tombstone.
This 007 Actor Wore a Wig in Every Film He Was in
James Bond in the earlier movies is known for his well-kept hairstyles, but the hair on his head wasn't completely natural. That's because, like many men, the actor's hair was starting to thin. Sean Connery would wear wigs or a hairpiece in all of his scenes to keep his hairstyle looking complete and consistent. Truthfully, it's tough to notice, and we're guessing you didn't know this before we told you.
James Bond certainly has a ton of strengths, but hair isn't one of them. Although, for the year, the production crew did an excellent job making the wigs look real.
MI6 Was a Secret Until 1994 - 40 Years After the First Bond Film Came Out
Believe it or not, MI6 is the actual name of Britain's spy agency, and although James Bond might not be a real-life agent outside of the film, there is some top-secret action going on. So much so that the British government kept the information about this sector of their agency a secret for about forty years after James Bond's character was created. That means nobody knew if it genuinely existed up until 1994.
Did you know that this top-secret sector of British intelligence was actually kept hidden up until the year 1994? That leaves us with one question: how did the Bond creator know about it?!
The Bond Actors Weren't Allowed to Wear Tuxedos When Filming Other Movies Outside the Franchise
Surprisingly, there was a "no tuxedos allowed" rule outside of the movies, which meant that if the Bond actors were featured in other films, they weren't permitted to dress up. The actors were technically allowed to dress up similarly, but they weren't allowed to wear a tie or look too similar to the way James Bond would. This rule was created to preserve the authenticity and look of 007 and ensure no other film role could compare.
For production, there was nothing more important than reserving and continuing the classy representation of James Bond, so the actors were not allowed to wear tuxes outside the Bond films.
George Lazenby Wasn't an Actor and Got the Role After a Chance Encounter at a Barber Shop
George Lazenby played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and he was recognized for nothing more than his skiing skills before the film. Lazenby was talented in many fields, even a skilled mechanic who eventually made his way from Australia to London. He just happened to be one of those lucky people who was approached by casting agents while at a barber shop, leading to his success onscreen.
Lazenby wasn't even acting when the movie's producer, Albert Broccoli, randomly met him. He thought that something about his personality would be perfect for the main role of James Bond.
Timothy Dalton Had a Near-Death Experience While Filming
Timothy Dalton's roles in the movies were short but unforgettable, and he actually had a really good reason for spending only a short time in the films. Acting can take a severe mental toll, but Timothy had an unforgettable trauma occur on set while a scene was being filmed. In License to Kill, he was almost caught in a serious car accident that could have easily turned deadly for everyone involved.
Timothy Dalton had only two brief appearances in the famous films, and many viewers have always wondered why. The real explanation isn't actually common knowledge and is quite surprising to hear.
Jaws' Metal Rope Was Actually Made of Licorice
Jaws notoriously has metal teeth, but wearing those throughout filming was super uncomfortable, and it's not hard to understand why. That's because the false teeth he was wearing were really made out of metal, which was a bit painful to work with after some time. Thankfully, he didn't have to bite through a metal wire with those chunky dentures because it was made out of something you probably didn't expect.
Jaws is a main character in many of James Bond's happenings, and the scene where he bit through metal was much more delicious than it looks since the rope was made of candy.
Halle Berry Was Supposed to Have Her Own James Bond Spin-Off Franchise
Halle Berry was a main character in one of the James Bond movies, but there were tons of terrible reviews about her after the film was released. The producers made the movie intending to create a spin-off focusing on Halle's character, but that didn't end up happening due to the poor ratings. Another reason is that the cost of the potential film was just way too much for any producers and investors to commit to.
Halle Berry played a ruthless CIA agent in Die Another Day, but not many people actually liked her specific character, which is why the potential spinoff wasn't approved for production.
The Hazmat Suits in 'No Time to Die' Were the Same as in 'Dr. No'
Hazmat suits were necessary for both No Time to Die and Dr. No since they were worn during some dangerously unforgettable moments. Even though both movies featured the suits, we didn't actually realize that they were exactly the same. The newer film did this to commemorate the former movie basically, and even though it might be hard to recognize at first- they did a really good job dedicating the memory.
The Hazmat suits in No Time to Die definitely brought back several memories of Dr. No, and that was actually the intention since they really do look exactly the same.
Liam Neeson Rejected the Bond Role
When thinking of actor Liam Neeson, most films that come to mind are typically action-based. Of course, that makes sense, especially since he's still going viral for his role in Taken. Neeson was initially offered the role of James Bond, but he ended up rejecting it because he simply couldn't imagine acting in an action movie. Things have clearly changed since the early 90s, which is when the casting department reached out to him.
In today's movie world, Liam Neeson is famous for his action-based acting, but there was a time when he ultimately rejected the idea of acting in an action movie. We can't help but wonder if he regrets rejecting that opportunity.
Author Ian Fleming's Real-Life Cousin Inspired the Creation of James Bond
Flemming is the founder of the James Bond franchise, and his brilliance is what created the movies. What's not as well known is that his cousin, Christopher Lee, acted in quite a few of the Bond films and was the inspiration for the creation of the character. Also, the two served in the Special Operations unit together, and although they're only related by marriage and not blood, their unique relationship continued.
It makes sense for a family member of a series creator to be featured in one of the films, especially if they already have some prior acting experience on their resume.
Bond Was Supposed to Be Fully British - Here's Why Ian Fleming Made Him Half-Scottish Instead
Ian Fleming, the man who wrote and created the James Bond novels, planned initially on labeling James Bond's nationality as British since he is working for British intelligence. The man that was going to be cast for the role, Sean Connery, was Scottish, and many people thought that would be an issue. Ian Fleming fell in love with Connery's role as Mr. Bond, so he ended up changing his nationality to half-Scottish.
Everyone knows that Sean Connery is Scottish, which is why lots of people are pretty happy about the fact that he didn't end up playing a British version of James Bond.
James Bond's Big Hair Mistake in "Quantum of Solace"
We can see why it would be hard for production to keep an actor's hair well-kept after going through a massive chase. Although Bond's hair in Quantum of Solace went from dry to wet and then dry again, they made up for the issue in other moments. Quantum of Solace was a great film, but one thing that's hard to forget about that moment would be the production's mistake with his hair.
Although Mr. 007 is known for his neatly kept, slicked-back hair, there were certainly moments where it got a bit messy; but after all that action, we can't really blame him.
The Real James Bond Wasn't a Secret Agent - He Was an Ornithologist
You might get excited after finding out that there once was a real James Bond, but we're going to have to burst your bubble by telling you that he was nothing more than a bird expert. Unfortunately, the real James Bond wasn't a top secret agent but a world-renowned ornithologist who was very passionate about his bird-based studies. The only resemblance he has to the onscreen James Bond is his name.
Even though James Bond was a real person, unfortunately, he wasn't a spy or anything close to it. They just took his name, thinking it would fit well for the films.
This Easter Egg in "the Living Daylights" Paid Tribute to the Previous Bond Actors
A problem that franchise creators typically encounter as time goes on is the alternating actors playing the same main character. Over time, actors start to age and aren't fit for the role they were once in or choose to retire at some point. In The Living Daylights, producers attempted to fix this by pointing out that there was a change in the actors in a super clever and simple way.
Did you watch the opening of The Living Daylights? If so, you might not have noticed that there were two actors who looked like the ones who once played Bond.
Michael G. Wilson Has Had a Cameo in Nearly Every Bond Movie
You may be unfamiliar with the name Michael G. Wilson, but we can guarantee that you'd recognize his face if you saw it. That's because, in addition to being a producer of the films, he's also appeared on-screen in all the James Bond movies. Wilson is closely related to Albert Broccoli, who produced all the earlier Bond films. He was his stepson, so the Bond franchise runs in the family.
There are people who belong in the Bond movies - even if just for a momentary cameo - and Michael G. Wilson is one of those people. Film after film, the producers kept this tradition.
Fans Missed Octopussy's Hidden Musical Tribute to Superman, the Man of Steel
James Bond once bent some metal bars while music from Superman was playing simultaneously. This was to show Bond's superhuman strength and honor director Roger Moore's work in the Bond films. Many directors and producers have a long list of accomplishments regarding work experience, but not often do they work to incorporate past executions with newer productions. It might be that only superfans noticed the correlation, but the dedication was meaningful.
John Glen was the director of several James Bond films, and although they were all extremely successful, he was also known in the film world for quite a few different acting roles.
Moore Felt Too Old for His Role
It's easy to bypass the thought of the age of the actor playing James Bond because we tend to be more focused on the character in a film. Either that or actor Roger Moore looked too good for his age in A View To Kill. Reportedly, he felt too old to play the role of James Bond in that movie, where filming took a mental and physical toll on him.
Roger Moore actually played James Bond for ten years, but towards the end of his acting career, he admitted that he was starting to feel too old for the part.
James Bond Author Ian Fleming Had a Cameo in "From Russia With Love"
In From Russia With Love, there's a scene where a man can be found walking with a cane alongside a train passing by. Amazingly, that actor just isn't some random guy- it's Ian Fleming himself, the creator of the Bond series. It's easy to completely dismiss the moment since the cameras aren't precisely focusing too intensely on Fleming, and not many people know exactly what the famous writer looks like.
We have to give Ian Fleming all of the credit for the James Bond films since he really is the father of the franchise and thoroughly deserved to appear in the movies.
The Portraits in "No Time to Die" Were of the Former Actors Who Played M
Images on the wall throughout the Bond movies often represent someone who is important or has something to do with the franchise. A scene in No Time to Die focuses on a gallery with professional paintings and portraits. In each of those pieces of art, former actors who played M are taking up the canvas, and if you've been around for some time, you might be able to recognize them.
The portraits in No Time to Die weren't just any old pictures; they were actually features of several famous M actors who are some of the best in the films.
"GoldenEye" Was Named After Author Ian Fleming's Vacation Home in Jamaica
Ian Fleming is the author of the James Bond novels, and of course, each title has a name that refers to a specific or general part of his life. GoldenEye, named after his home in Jamaica, is an example of this. He spent a ton of time there, and it's actually where his creativity would come to him. The place still exists today and is even open to the public.
You might consider GoldenEye to be nothing more than one of your favorite James Bond movies, but to the author, the word had a meaning unrelated to the film itself.
Moore Is Older Than Connery
Roger Moore and Sean Connery both played the role of James Bond, and people certainly realized a change. But one thing that wasn't obvious is that Moor was actually a little bit older than Connery by three years. Connery quit his world-famous role two times, where is when Moore was hired to step in as his replacement. Since then, there have been several actors who have played the famous 007 roles in the films.
There have been plenty of James Bond actors throughout the films, but you likely didn't notice that these two men had a bit of an age difference between them.
Director Martin Campbell Wanted to Act in "GoldenEye" - So He Was the Crashing Bicyclist
The cyclist who ends up crashing while Bond and Xenia are racing in GoldenEye just happens to be the movie's director. He's even featured in Casino Royale, another one of his films, where he portrays a victim who was killed by terrorists. It's possible that they weren't up to casting people for the role, but director Martin Campbell stepped in thinking that the position would be fun on his part.
It's not common for directors to act in their own films, but Martin Campbell actually featured himself in both GoldenEye and Casino Royale- just because he wanted to and could.
Goldfinger Featured the First Ever On-Screen Laser
Remember the infamous laser weapon that was featured in the Goldfinger movie? That was a historical moment since it was the first laser to be shown in a featured film. Working and filming with lasers can be difficult, but this movie made it work easily. In the book, there wasn't any mention of a laser, but production decided to spice things up by adding some cool technology to the movie.
Thought that Star Wars was the first film ever to depict lasers? Well, that's okay because we did too, and we're really surprised to hear that this movie gets the credit.
Hidden Sounds Throughout the Films
Before high-tech special effects became standard, older films would have to rely on nothing more than music to spice up a scene. The James Bond series loves having fun with that to this day, where tons of hidden music references are hidden within scenes. Some of those films include The Spy Who Loved Me and even Close Encounters. Next time you watch them, pay close attention to the music playing.
One of the greatest parts of any film is the music, especially when every song happens to fit the vibe. The James Bond series happened to do an excellent job when it came to that.
The Major Audio Problems in "The Living Daylights"
If you're ever watching The Living Daylights and find that a few scenes seem not to be syncing up, the truth is- you're right. The movie struggles to keep up with a particular song in certain parts. That would be "Take On Me," to be specific, and although it was a good choice for the film, it certainly caused some issues. At some point, Bond's words seem to stop matching the movements of his mouth.
Audio difficulties are common in older films, but they usually figure out how to make it work. That didn't happen in Living Daylights, so the movie is hard to watch.
No, Daniel Craig Didn't Get a Free Car
Daniel Craig might be the notorious James Bond that you know and love if you've never watched older movies. There's no denying that he did a fantastic job playing the famous 007 roles, but many believed he was gifted a free sports car. More specifically, the Aston Martin appeared in the film, but the actor has confirmed that isn't exactly the case. Although, we're guessing he wouldn't have passed up on the option if it was offered.
When it comes to movies, rumors, and theories are super common within fan groups, but they're not always correct in the long run, which is definitely why they're called rumors.
Tom Jones Fainted While Recording His James Bond Track
Every singer wants their song featured in a film since that can be super profitable for the recording artist. While recording the very last note of Thunderball for the James Bond film, Tom Jones ended up blacking out. It seems like he was so passionate about perfectly hitting that final note that he ended up fainting. We just hope he got back on his feet quickly after the incident.
Tom Jones could have passed out just became he wasn't feeling well, but also possibly because he was just too excited about recording a song for a James Bond film.
Spy Gadgets Really Do Exist
The best part of watching a spy series is the gadgets they use, and most of us spend time wishing that they existed in real life. We have good news because MI6 has confirmed that their agents use high-tech spyware. Although likely, the real-life versions may not be as cool as the ones on film, it's still highly possible. That's because what MI6 uses is classified, so we'll never know.
We truly thought that super cool spy gadgets only existed in the movies, but apparently, British spies really do use top secreted gadgets when they're working out in the field.
James Bond Author Ian Fleming Also Wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Ian Fleming didn't just base the James Bond books on incredible creativity. The inspiration for the novels came from the time he spent as an intelligence officer in the Navy. He also wrote some childhood favorites like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where the flying car is even highly recognizable today. Needless to say, Fleming was a talented writer who was able to spend his time writing a variety of different kind of genres.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang truly is a childhood classic, but we would never have imagined that the creator of that book was also the writer of the James Bond series.
How "Skyfall" Bond Made It Across Turkey in Just Seconds
James Bond has had quite a few wild chases in his long past, and an unforgettable pursuit is the one that happened in Skyfall. It was intense, and somehow, he managed to travel to two locations in seconds. It could be because he has the fastest motorcycle in the world, or maybe the film creators didn't keep time in mind when it came to Bond's epic yet memorable action scene.
The truth is, we'll never know how Bond made it across Turkey in just a few seconds, but we'll just have to blame that on a bit of production magic.
Bond Truly Loved His Aston Martin
Bond loved his Aston Martin because it's a fantastic car. So much so that the series writer decided to ensure that 007 is continuously faithful to his trusty vehicle. Also, it looks beautiful in just about every scene, and we assume that the film's production managers keep that in mind. It looks just as pretty in the newer movies as in the first ones, making it everyone Bond lover's dream car.
We can definitely understand why James Bond loved his Aston Martin DB5 so much because who wouldn't? There's nothing cooler than what would now be considered a vintage collectible sportscar.