50 years of James Bond films

British secret agent James Bond, code named 007, made his first appearance on movie screens on October 5, 1962, in the lean Caribbean thriller "Dr. No." The low-budget actioner, starring Scottish actor Sean Connery as the spy with a license to kill, was a hit, leading to a long-running series of globe-trotting spy adventures that continues now, 50 years later, with the latest James Bond adventure, "Skyfall."

By CBSNews.com senior editor David Morgan

The Canon

Ian Fleming's spy made his debut in the 1953 novel "Casino Royale," and appeared in 14 novels and short story collections written by the former newspaper editor who had served in naval intelligence. Following Fleming's death in 1964, several other authors (including Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and Raymond Benson) penned further adventures of 007.

007 was first dramatized in a 1954 live TV adaptation of "Casino Royale" (played by Barry Nelson) on the CBS series "Climax," and the network discussed with Fleming a possible series based on Bond. The idea fell through, but the big screen beckoned.

"Dr. No"

Sean Connery had had a few minor film roles, and a starring role in Disney's "Darby O'Gill and the Little People," before being cast as James Bond in "Dr. No" (1962). Ian Fleming was skeptical at first, believing Connery failed to project his literary character's refinement, but was won over by his charismatic performance.

Ursula Andress

You always remember your first . . . Bond Girl. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder made an entrance in "Dr. No" that few Bond Women could match.

"From Russia With Love"

Sean Connery with Daniela Bianchi in "From Russia With Love" (1963), one of the best Bond films, with a memorable turn by Robert Shaw as a cool, cruel assassin.

MI5

Bernard Lee as the no-nonsense spymaster M (center) suffered Bond's attitude to no end, but the secret agent had a fan in the form of Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell), one Bond Woman who kept a light burning for him through every film.

"Goldfinger"

James Bond discovers that the golden touch of the villain "Goldfinger" (1964) can prove fatal to a comely lass, when she is encased in gold paint. It's just the beginning of a mystery that leads Bond to a plot focused on all the gold in Fort Knox.

"Goldfinger"

"Goldfinger" helped carve into stone some of the timeless elements of Bond movies - the brassy title song, the ever-flashier sets for villain hideouts, and sci-fi gadgets. Here Bond finds himself at the mercy of Goldfinger's laser.

Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?"
Goldfinger: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"

"Goldfinger"

In "Goldfinger" (1964), James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 came equipped with all the extras - machine guns, ejection seat, rotating license plates, spikes and other defensive weaponry.

"Thunderball"

James Bond makes his escape via jet backpack in "Thunderball" (1965). Much of the film took place underwater, with thrilling fight scenes staged for Bond's desperate bid to recover stolen nuclear warheads.

"You Only Live Twice"

Roald Dahl ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") penned the screenplay of "You Only Live Twice" (1967), which made Bond fans feel like a kid in a candy store: exotic locations, nifty gadgets, spaceships, and Ken Adams' design for arch villain Blofeld's hideout situated inside an extinct volcano. The actual set measured 400 feet in diameter and 120 feet high, with a 70-ft.-diameter sliding roof on top.

"You Only Live Twice"

Weapons ace Q (Desmond Llewelyn) explains his latest gadget, an autogyro nicknamed "Little Nellie," to James Bond (Sean Connery) in "You Only Live Twice."

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service"

When Connery bowed out of playing Bond for a sixth time, the producers brought on board Australian actor George Lazenby for 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Shot in the Swiss Alps, the film featured some nifty stuntwork and, as Bond girl, Diana Rigg of the TV spy series "The Avengers."

"Diamonds Are Forever"

When Lazenby balked at signing a long-term contract, Connery was wooed back by producers for "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), in which Bond had to save the world, again, from Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who was using a diamond-laden laser satellite to wreak havoc.

"Live and Let Die"

Roger Moore, who had starred in the TV spy series "The Saint," became the third movie Bond in "Live and Let Die" (1973). The actor projected a more upper crust Bond than Connery, as he scampered through America and the Caribbean among voodoo sects and Harlem drug kingpins. Also featured were Gloria Hendry (left) as a CIA agent; Jane Seymour as Solitaire; and a title song by Paul McCartney and Wings.

"Live and Let Die"

A boat chase goes airborne in "Live and Let Die."

"The Man With the Golden Gun"

"The Man With the Golden Gun" (1974) was memorable chiefly for some martial arts acrobatics and the titular assassin Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee (who was actually a distant cousin of Ian Fleming).

"The Man With the Golden Gun"

Scaramanga's getaway car, an AMC Matador, had a distinct advantage in being able to turn into a getaway plane.

"The Spy Who Loved Me"

Another memorable Ken Adams set from "The Spy Who Loves Me" (1977). The largest film stage in the world, dubbed the "007 Stage," was built at Pinewood Studios in order to accommodate a supertanker that swallows British, American and Soviet submarines. The stage burned to the ground during production of "Legend," but was later rebuilt.

"The Spy Who Loved Me"

Bond's Lotus Esprit automobile converted into a submersible in "The Spy Who Loved Me." The submarine also came equipped with surface-to-air missiles, mines and harpoons.

"Moonraker"

Not even James Bond's producers could ignore the success of "Star Wars," so 1979's "Moonraker" featured an arch villain camped out in Earth's orbit (Hugo Drax, played by Michael Lonsdale) ready to unleash a biological holocaust.

"For Your Eyes Only"

Back on terra firma: In "For Your Eyes Only" (1981), adapted from two Fleming short stories, Bond's search for a missing missile guidance system intersects with a woman seeking revenge for her parents' murders. The less-gadget-driven film featured locations in Greece, the Bahamas and Italy; a title song performed (on-camera) by Sheena Easton; and, as Bond's romantic interest, Carole Bouquet.

"Never Say Never Again"

Thanks to a court decision that awarded remake rights of "Thunderball" to film producer Kevin McClory, Sean Connery was enticed to take on the James Bond role again in "Never Say Never Again" (1983). Though it closely adhered to the story of nuclear theft it also incorporated winking elements pointing to the increasing age of its star.

The title itself was an in-joke, suggested by Connery's wife, after the actor had once vowed "never again" to play Bond.

"Octopussy"

Competing against "Never Say Never Again" in cinemas in 1983 was an official Bond production with Roger Moore, "Octopussy." It ranged in locale from India to East Germany, and featured Bond in clown makeup. But it also upped his quota of Bond Girls.

"A View to a Kill"

Grace Jones starred as May Day, a woman not afraid to get her hands dirty, in "A View to a Kill" (1985), the last Bond film to star Roger Moore.

"A View to a Kill"

Christopher Walken as arch fiend Max Zorin and Grace Jones as May Day in "A View to a Kill."

"The Living Daylights"

After Roger Moore's seven turns as Bond, the producers were ready for a younger star with a fresh take on the Fleming character. Pierce Brosnan was approached but could not get out of his contract for the TV series "Remington Steele." Timothy Dalton, whom producers had approached back in 1969 when he was in his mid 20s, was signed for "The Living Daylights" (1987), in which he played a darker, more rueful agent less given to quips. A critical favorite and popular success, the film featured Bond among the mujahideen in Afghanistan.

"License to Kill"

Less successful in the United States was Dalton's second Bond film, "License to Kill" (1989), in which the agent seeks personal vengeance against a drug lord.

Legal bouts between MGM and the producers delayed production of the next Bond adventure, by which time Dalton quit.

"GoldenEye"

With "Remington Steele" cancelled, Pierce Brosnan was able to pick up the Bond baton in the 17th film of the series, "GoldenEye" (1995). The first post-Cold War Bond film, it eschewed elements of the original Ian Fleming stories with a totally originally story and script.

"GoldenEye"

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in "GoldenEye."

"Tomorrow Never Dies"

Jonathan Pryce as a media mogul who believes coercing superpowers into a war will boost ratings (he may have a point) in "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997). The film performed well at the box office despite opening on the same day as a little film called "Titanic."

"Tomorrow Never Dies"

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond and Michelle Yeoh in "Tomorrow Never Dies."

"The World Is Not Enough"

Some bravura stuntwork in "The World Is Not Enough" (1999), which revolved around assassinations and a plot to destroy a Russian oil pipeline.

"Die Another Day"

In "Die Another Day" (2002), Pierce Brosnan as Bond infiltrated a military camp in North Korea to block an arms shipment. Getting in proved a lot easier than getting out.

"Die Another Day"

In attire that recalled Ursula Andress in "Dr. No," Halle Berry co-starred in "Die Another Day" as American agent Jinx. Speculation that she would star in a spin-off film failed to pan out.

Seven 007s

In addition to the official (and lawsuit allowed) Bond films, there was also a spoof film produced in 1967 slightly inspired by Fleming's "Casino Royale." The story featured seven 007s, including David Niven, Peter Sellers, and former Bond Girl Ursula Andress.

"Casino Royale" Spoof

Woody Allen as "Jimmy Bond" in "Casino Royale."

"Casino Royale"

The movies' sixth official Bond, Daniel Craig, starred in the successful 2006 reboot of the franchise, "Casino Royale." Examining the origins of the Bond character in his first assignments, the film was as lean and dashing as its star, and featured some expertly filmed and edited chase sequences, and a narrative much more emotional than the typical Bond outing.

"Quantum of Solace"

Daniel Craig in the direct follow-up to "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" (2008), in which Bond sought revenge for the death of his girlfriend in the previous film. Production was rushed owing to a pending writers strike. Later, MGM's financial woes led to a delay in production of a third Bond film starring Craig until 2012's "Skyfall."

"Skyfall"

In "Skyfall" the intelligence organization MI6 comes under attack. This latest James Bond adventure comes with an especially high pedigree: in addition to Judi Dench returning as M, the film also stars Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, and Albert Finney; was directed by Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"); and features such under-the-line stars as screenwriter Josh Logan ("Hugo"), cinematographer Roger Deakins, composer Thomas Newsman, and songstress Adele.

"Skyfall"

Judi Dench as M in "Skyfall."

"Skyfall"

Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva in the James Bond thriller "Skyfall."

"Skyfall"

When asked if he had tried to avoid being typecast as Bond, Craig - who has starred in "The Golden Compass," "Defiance," "Cowboys & Aliens" and "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" - told a "Skyfall" press conference, "I just like working. I mean it's as simple as that. I don't think about it, genuinely. . . . I've been lucky enough to get some really nice roles thrown at me, and I grabbed them.

"If I could do this for a few more years I'd be more than happy."

An Icon

For more on "Bond. James Bond":

Article: James Bond films celebrate 50th anniv.
Music: Adele releases video of "Skyfall" theme
Gallery: Spies on screen
Gallery: Bond girls through the years
Gallery: The music of James Bond

Official site: "Skyfall"
Official site: ianfleming.com
Pinewood Studios: 007 Stage

By CBSNews.com senior editor David Morgan