I was only seven years old when Albert Romolo “Cubby” Broccoli passed away on June 27, 1996 so I unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet him. However, as an avid James Bond fan for almost a decade, I can say that I know more about him than the average movie buff. From watching documentaries on various Bond DVDs, I’ve learned that Cubby Broccoli was not only a legendary producer but also a devoted family man, mentor and selfless individual. He is also arguably the second most important and influential person in James Bond history, after Ian Fleming of course. These traits along with the fact that this website wouldn’t exist without his stamp on the series (I was first exposed to James Bond and Felix Leiter in 2001 when I watched Live and Let Die on VHS) is why I wanted FelixLeiter.com to honor him on this special occasion, the centenary of his birth.
Cubby Broccoli was married three times. In 1940, he married actress Gloria Blondell. They divorced five years later without having had any children. In 1951, he married Nedra Clark. After being told they had fertility problems, the couple adopted a son named Tony Broccoli. Nedra soon became pregnant and shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Tina Broccoli, she passed away. Cubby then married actress and novelist, Dana Wilson. Dana had a teenage son named Michael G. Wilson from her previous marriage and in 1960, Cubby’s last child, Barbara Broccoli, was born. Cubby always liked to have his family close to him so his children grew up around the Bond film sets.
After co-producing The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Harry Saltzman sold his 50% share of Eon Productions Ltd. (the company responsible for making the Bond films) to United Artists. From then on, Eon Productions became a Broccoli family business. Not only did Broccoli allow his wife and children to contribute to the Bond films but he also treated every single cast and crew member as if they were part of his family. Today, Michael G. Wilson and his half-sister Barbara Broccoli produce the series. Michael’s involvement with Eon Productions began in 1964 when he made a cameo appearance in Goldfinger. From then on, Cubby mentored him, giving him other roles such as assistant, executive producer, producer and screenwriter. Barbara began taking an active role in the production of the Bond films beginning in 1983 when she was an assistant director on Octopussy. She then became an associate producer and finally became producer on GoldenEye (1995), a year before Cubby’s death. Last year, the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, was released. Forty-seven years after the release of Dr. No, the series is still going strong! In my opinion, the longevity of the series is due to Cubby’s hands-on approach to filmmaking. Like most successful family business owners, Cubby treated his employees and talent very well and also groomed two of his children to someday run the company.
Usually when I think of the average movie producer, I think of somebody sitting behind a large desk whose sole responsibility is signing off on various things during all phases of production. But Cubby Broccoli was different and I think all of the producers in Hollywood today should model themselves after him. Anybody can produce a movie but how many people have the patience, determination and work ethic to create a movie franchise that has lasted for nearly half a century? Only one person in the history of cinema has accomplished that feat and his name is Albert R. Broccoli. In 1981, he was honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his work in film. This award is presented periodically to “creative producers, whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.” Roger Moore, the current James Bond at the time presented the award to him at the 1982 Academy Awards ceremony on March 29, 1982. Cubby was 72 years old when he received the award, which means he was a living legend!
I’m half way done with my education at Ohio University, which means I will be starting a career very soon. I don’t want to become a film producer or work in the movie industry but if I can be half as successful and half as respected in my future career as Cubby Broccoli was in his, I will be a very happy man. Sure, the name “Albert R. Broccoli” isn’t as famous as his cinematic creation “James Bond,” but you can take away more valuable life lessons by studying his life and career than you could ever take away from the life and career of James Bond, a fictional spy.
Thanks to Charles Helfenstein for the photo!
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Chris Wright, April 4, 2009
Managing Editor – FelixLeiter.com
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