CBn takes a look at some of the birthdays and past events of the James Bond series that have taken place during the month of April… Note: This article was originally posted on 1 April 2005.

1 April

• 1963: Filming began for From Russia With Love, the second “official” James Bond film. The scenes between Bond, M, Moneypenny, and Major Boothroyd were the first scenes shot.

4 April

• 1995: Under the watchful eye of Russian dialogue coach, Andrew Jack, Alan Cumming delivered his first lines as Boris in GoldenEye, the seventeenth “official” James Bond film, on the Cuban control room set.

5 April

• 1963: The chess scene in From Russia With Love was filmed on D Stage at Pinewood Studios.


• 1971: Filming began in the desert outside Las Vegas for Diamonds Are Forever, the seventh “official” James Bond film. The first scenes filmed were of Wint and Kidd murdering the dentist with a scorpion in the South African desert. Originally, Mr. Wint was to jam the scorpion in the dentist’s mouth, but it was deemed to shocking. An alternate version, the one used for the film, was shot. It features Mr. Wint sticking the scorpion down the back of the dentist’s shirt.

8 April

• 1954: Live and Let Die, Ian Fleming’s second James Bond novel, was published by Jonathan Cape in the United Kingdom.

10 April

• 1963: The scenes in From Russia With Love between Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Rosa Klebb, and Kronsteen were filmed.

11 April

• 1967: The British premiere of You Only Live Twice, the fifth “official” James Bond film, was held at the Odeon Cinema, Leicester Square in London, England.

13 April

• 1953: Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, was published in England by Jonathan Cape. By May the novel went into its second printing.

19 April

• 1967: Casino Royale, the first “unofficial” James Bond film, was released in the United States of America.

24 April

• 1967: Kingsley Amis announced that he had been selected by Glidrose Publications (Ian Fleming Publications) to continue the James Bond saga after the death of Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming. His first and only entry in the series, Colonel Sun, was published in 1968.


• 1995: Filming for GoldenEye continued at Queen’s Stand on Epsom Racecourse Surrey (which doubles for St. Petersburg’s airport). Bond’s first meeting with CIA operative Jack Wade was filmed.

26 April

• 1965: Chicago toy designer Marvin Glass & Associates, creators of the Mouse Trap board game, announced that they had secured exclusive rights to the use of “James Bond, Secret Agent 007” for their proposed line of toys, novelties, and other items. (Three days later, is was revealed that their rights were actually non-exclusive, with rights also held by such corporations as Multiple Products and the Milton Bradley Company.)

30 April

• 1963: At the Greek border, the Second Unit working on From Russia With Love arrived to shoot plates for the Orient Express scenes.

• 1st - 1931, George Baker (Sir Hilary Bray, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service & Captain Benson, The Spy Who Loved Me)
• 3rd - 1942, Wayne Newton (Professor Joe Butcher, Licence To Kill)
• 4th - 1921, Peter Burton (Major Boothroyd, Dr. No)
• 5th - 1909, Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli (Producer, 1962-1995)
• 6th - 1940, Pedro Armendáriz Jr. (President Hector Lopez, Licence To Kill)
• 10th - 1929, Max von Sydow (Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Never Say Never Again)
• 13th - 1937, Edward Fox (M, Never Say Never Again)
• 13th - 1942, Bill Conti (Composer, For Your Eyes Only)
• 14th - 1961, Robert Carlyle (Renard, The World Is Not Enough)
• 15th - 1947, Lois Chiles (Dr. Holly Goodhead, Moonraker)
• 16th - 1920, Barry Nelson (James Bond, Climax! television production of Casino Royale)
• 17th - 1918, William Holden (Ransome, 1976’s Casino Royale)
• 17th - 1959, Sean Bean (Alec Trevelyan, GoldenEye)
• 20th - 1904, Bruce Cabot (Burt Saxby, Diamonds Are Forever)
• 23rd - 1943, Hervé Villechaize (Nick Nack, The Man With The Golden Gun)
• 26th - 1942, Claudine Auger (Dominique ‘Domino’ Derval, Thunderball)
• 27th - 1959, Sheena Easton (Title Song Performer, For Your Eyes Only)
• 29th - 1923, Irvin Kershner (Director, Never Say Never Again)

• 3rd - 1999, Lionel Bart (Title Song Composer, From Russia With Love)
• 9th - 1991, Maurice Binder (Title Designer, Various)
• 10th - 1992, Cec Linder (Felix Leiter, Goldfinger)
• 19th - 2004, Philip Locke (Vargas, Thunderball)
• 27th - 1999, John Stears (Special Effects, Various)