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

Norman Burton

December 5, 1923 – November 29, 2003

00Twelve and I would like to apologize for neglecting FelixLeiter.com lately. We’ve both been very busy with our lives outside of the Internet but today we want to break our silence and honor Norman Burton on the fifth anniversary of his death. In 2003 he was tragically killed in a car crash on the California/Arizona border while returning to his home in Mexico at age 79.

Mr. Burton was cast as the fourth cinematic Felix Leiter in 1971′s Diamonds Are Forever. Most Bond fans consider Diamonds Are Forever to be one of Connery’s worst outings as James Bond due to Maibaum and Mankiewicz’s campy script and Connery’s over the hill appearance among other reasons. At 41 years old, Connery looked more like a high school math teacher than the suave and sophisticated James Bond 007 and Felix Leiter didn’t look much better.

According to a poll called Favourite Felix Leiter II at CommanderBond.net, Burton has only one vote out of 94 votes. He’d be dead last (out of eight Felix Leiter actors) if it weren’t for John Terry (The Living Daylights). Wikipedia reinforces these results by saying, “In the movies, he [Burton] is best-known for his unconventional (and frequently disparaged) performance as Felix Leiter.” I’m not a big fan of his portrayal either but was he really miscast?

Remember, the cinematic Felix Leiter has never truly matched Ian Fleming’s description of the character:

“Felix Leiter was about thirty-five. He was tall with a thin bony frame and his lightweight, tan-coloured suit hung loosely from his shoulders like the clothes of Frank Sinatra. His movements and speech were slow, but one had the feeling that there was plenty of speed and strength in him, and that he would be a tough and cruel fighter. As he sat hunched over the table, he seemed to have some of the jackknife quality of a falcon. There was this impression also in his face, in the sharpness of his chin and cheekbones and the wide wry mouth. His grey eyes had a feline slant which was increased by his habit of screwing them up against the smoke of the Chesterfields which he tapped out of the pack in a chain. The permanent wrinkles which this habit had etched at the corners gave the impression that he smiled more with his eyes than with his mouth. A mop of straw-coloured hair lent his face a boyish look which closer examination contradicted.”

Casino Royale, Chapter Seven

Excluding John Terry, Leiter has never been younger than James Bond in the films therefore the actor that played him in Diamonds Are Forever had to be 41 years old or older. Since Connery looked like a high school math teacher in 1971, casting director Weston Drury Jr. took the liberty of complementing his James Bond with a man reminiscent of a college biology professor, 48 year old Norman Burton. The only trait Burton had that matched Fleming’s description of the character was that he was a white male yet he was the perfect counterpart to Connery’s worn out James Bond.

Jeffrey Wright is my favorite cinematic Felix Leiter but I love all eight actors. Each actor brought something unique and new to the role and Norman Burton certainly did both in 1971. As I stated above, Mr. Burton’s portrayal of Leiter wasn’t the series’ best but he wasn’t miscast as many believe. He would certainly be miscast if put opposite Daniel Craig’s James Bond today but opposite Sean Connery in 1971, Norman Burton was Captain Felix Leiter, James Bond’s brother from Langley.

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