The First "No Time To Die!"
Barbel
ScotlandPosts: 37,854Chief of Staff
There hasn’t been a lot mentioned of an earlier film called “No Time To Die!”, despite it having many Bond connections. It’s been mentioned in the Imaginary Conversations thread more than once (young Michael G. Wilson makes a note of the title for future use in one of them, and Terence Young assures Cubby Broccoli that the film will be released on time in another) but not much elsewhere.
It’s a WW2 movie which was renamed “Tank Force” in the States, and was made by Warwick Productions which is arguably a predecessor to Eon Productions with Albert R. Broccoli being one of the producers.
With thanks to Alan More, here’s some of the credits-
Now, a lot of those names should seem familiar to those who read the credits on early Bond movies. Terence Young directed DN, FRWL, and TB. Richard Maibaum wrote or co-wrote most of the Bond movies from DN till LTK. Ted Moore was Director Of Photography on the early films… and so on.
Luciana Paluzzi is in TB. Anthony Newley co-wrote the lyrics to GF…. Etc.
It’s not a great film, though not the worst, but the Bond connections should justify a viewing.
Comments
Young, Maibaum, Broccoli, and Moore also collaborated on Zarak (1956), which I expect to be the name of Bond 26.
Young, Maibaum, and Broccoli also made Paratrooper (1953).
Maibaum and Broccoli collaborated on Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959), The Bandit of Zhobe (1959), Hell Below Zero (1954). I haven't seen any of these films but I'm guessing they range from passable to good.
Paratrooper (aka The Red Beret) and Hell Below Zero are both okay, in a workmanlike fashion. Alan Ladd stars in them both.
Where does one find this old film?
Try on YouTube or Daily Motion, and it might be under the alternative title "Tank Force".
If we keep digging, do you think we can find "Dr. Know," (the story of a genius), "From Rasher, With Love" (about a pork butcher) and, "Coldfinger" (the world's most unsuccessful proctologist)?
the original No Time to Die is up on youtube under the American title Tank Force
(EDIT: no its not any more, someone password protected it. Thatll teach me to link to things! sorry everybody)
I suddenly thought to look for it, because I stumbled across an interview with Barbara in a rival BondForum. I can't figure out the source of the interview, but the relevant passage says:
Barbara Broccoli: We were struggling to find a title. We wanted a title that wouldn’t give away anything but would be understandable, and after you see the movie, have a deeper resonance, because that’s often what Fleming titles are all about. I came up with this brainwave - thinking I was terribly clever. Of course, when we did the title search, I realized I hadn’t made it up, but had already seen it, No Time to Die was the UK title of one of Cubby’s films, Tank Force (1958). The connection to Cubby made me love the title even more. So I’m not clever, it’s him.
Ha ! She's right, she's not clever...