Today marks the 100th birthday of Albert Romolo “Cubby” Broccoli, the legendary producer of the James Bond films series. While he passed away in 1996 his legacy still lives on today, as we witnessed with the 2008 release of Quantum of Solace, the 22nd 007 film produced by Mr. Broccoli’s Eon Productions Ltd.

When I think of the average movie producer, I think of somebody sitting behind a desk whose sole responsibility is signing off on various things during all phases of production. If you know anything about Mr. Broccoli, you’ll know that he famously took a hands-on approach when “producing” films. He was so dedicated to every aspect of film production on the Bond film series that he only produced two non-Bond films (1963′s Call Me Bwana and 1968′s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) during his thirty-four years as co-owner (and later sole owner) of Eon Productions!

As his step-son Michael G. Wilson and daughter Barbara Broccoli gear up for production on the 23rd James Bond film, FelixLeiter.com celebrates the life and career of a man that was loved and admired by not only his friends and family but by everybody he ever worked with as well as every Bond fan and film buff familiar with his work.

I encourage you to take some time to read through the tributes written by the authors below. If you’re a 007 fan and/or involved in the online James Bond fan community, you will recognize most of these names. This select group of people includes actors that worked with Mr. Broccoli over the years on the Bond films as well as well-known members of the James Bond fan community.

Editor Hunter Graybeal and I are confident that you will enjoy reading the tributes. Not only do they contain anecdotes that you may not have heard or read about before but altogether, they paint a portrait of the man that changed the film industry forever. Because of Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, you have seen at least one film starring “Bond. James Bond” in your lifetime and if you haven’t, well then perhaps after reading these tributes you’ll decide to rent one of the 22 Bond films available from your local video rental store.

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Chris Wright

Managing Editor, FelixLeiter.com

Click on each author’s name to read his/her tribute to Albert R. Broccoli:

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Matthew Bradford

Tanner – Double O Section

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Jeremy Bulloch

Smithers – For Your Eyes Only (1981) & Octopussy (1983)
JeremyBulloch.com

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Ajay Chowdhury

Editor – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the James Bond Journal
The James Bond International Fan Club

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Simon Gardner

Son of John Gardner

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Hunter Graybeal

Editor – FelixLeiter.com

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Harmsway

Member – CBn Forums

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David Hedison

Felix Leiter - Live and Let Die (1973) & Licence to Kill (1989)
DavidHedison.com • David-Hedison.com

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Gloria Hendry

Rosie Carver - Live and Let Die (1973)
GloriaHendry.com

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Richard Kiel

Jaws – The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) & Moonraker (1979)
RichardKiel.com

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Paul Kyriazi

Author – How to Live the James Bond Lifestyle
PaulKyriazi.com

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Deborah Lipp

Author – The Ultimate James Bond Fan Book
Ultimate James Bond Fan Blog

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Trina Parks

Thumper – Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Trina Parks Tribute Page

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SILHOUETTE MAN

Member – CBn Forums

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Chris Wright

Managing Editor, FelixLeiter.com

‘QUANTUM OF SOLACE’ TO BOW IN NORTH AMERICA ON NOVEMBER 14, 2008

(Culver City, August 21, 2008) — Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, announced today that it will release Quantum of Solace on November 14th in North America. The strategic move places the highly-anticipated James Bond adventure one week closer to the prime movie-going holiday window and takes advantage of last week’s decision to move the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

“We saw the film recently in London and Marc Forster, Daniel Craig and the entire team at EON have truly delivered another extraordinary Bond adventure,” said Jeff Blake, Chairman of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution for the Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Group. “Quantum of Solace is a seamless continuation of the storyline that began with the last film. We believe November 14th is a great date that allows us to play straight through Thanksgiving and right into Christmas. The Bond films have a long history of entertaining audiences in this holiday corridor going back to GoldenEye in 1995. The studio enjoyed tremendous success opening Casino Royale in North America on November 17, 2006, and we believe this decision will give the public a wider opportunity to see the film over the holiday.”

Daniel Craig reprises his role as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Quantum of Solace, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures release of EON Productions’ 22nd adventure in the longest-running film franchise in motion picture history. The film is produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and directed by Marc Forster. The screenplay was written by Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade

Prince William and Prince Harry will attend the world premiere of the 22nd 007 adventure on Wednesday, October 29th 2008 in London. The film will begin its worldwide roll out on October 31.

About EON Productions
EON Productions/Danjaq, LLC, is owned by the Broccoli family and has produced twenty two James Bond films since 1962, including QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The James Bond films, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, make up the longest running franchise in film history and include the recent blockbuster films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day and Casino Royale. EON Productions and Danjaq LLC, are affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising of the James Bond franchise.

About Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Domestic Networks LLC, MGM Distribution Co, MGM International Television Distribution Inc, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 120 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com.

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Leiter’s Role in ‘Quantum of Solace’ Minimized

‘Quantum of Solace’ UK Release Pulled to October 31, 2008

Niki Rokni, director of sales and marketing for Ocean Sky, had convinced EON Productions at a series of meetings that the company would be the ideal partner but then, she says, the hard work began. “One of the major issues for us was insurance,” explained Rokni. “The value of the aircraft we provided was in excess of $190 million, more than the budget for the film. EON said they’d never dealt with a company whose products were worth more than their entire budget. It took a lot of working out, but we got there with just a few days before filming was due.”

Rokni has no doubts about the benefits of Ocean Sky being placed visibly in Quantum of Solace. “We are in an age when it is estimated that more than half the world’s population has seen a James Bond film,” she points out. “It’s the perfect association for us. We pride ourselves on offering elegance and cutting edge excellence, and this is all evident in the film. We could not be happier.”

In April, FelixLeiter.com confirmed that Quantum of Solace contains a scene featuring a CIA jet on a tarmac in Haiti with Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and a character called Gregg Beam (possibly played by an actor named David Harbour). Now we know that Ocean Sky is providing the jet seen in the following screenshot:

Discuss this Quantum of Solace news in this thread on the FelixLeiter.com Forums, the only place dedicated to the discussion of Felix Leiter on the Internet. Thanks to FLc Forums member ‘Felixdaman’ for the tip-off!

Related Articles:

Activision’s ‘Quantum of Solace’ Site Launched

Wright in Austria for ‘Quantum of Solace’?

Leiter in Haiti with Gregg Beam?

Leiter’s Role in ‘Quantum of Solace’ Minimized

‘Quantum of Solace’ UK Release Pulled to October 31, 2008

Brand New ‘Quantum of Solace’ Footage featuring Leiter

Jeffrey Wright to Return as Felix Leiter in ‘Quantum of Solace’