Today we celebrate International Women's Day!

International Women's Day is a holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement. IWD gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. (Wikipedia)  

My favorite women are all the Bond girls from the Sean Connery era and I celebrate all of them!

SEAN CONNERY'S BIRTHDAY

SEAN CONNERY was born on August 25th, 1930 in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

According to WIKIPEDIA: 

In 2004, a poll in the UK Sunday Herald recognised Connery as "The Greatest Living Scot" and a 2011 EuroMillions survey named him "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure".  He was voted by People magazine as the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century" in 1999. Connery shares the record for the most portrayals as James Bond with Roger Moore (with seven apiece). In June 1965, Time magazine observed "James Bond has developed into the biggest mass-cult hero of the decade".

Vic Flick and Plas Johnson

 VIC FLICK -                                                                                                                                              You may not know the name Vic Flick, but you know his signature motif–that reverby lick from the James Bond theme, recorded in 1962 for Dr. No, the first in the long-running film franchise. Flick played on every Bond smash through Diamonds are Forever, and even recorded with Eric Clapton on the latter-day 007 soundtrack, License to Kill. You can further hear the guitarist in the film scores such as Midnight Cowboy and The Return of the Pink Panther, as well as cult shows like “The Avengers” and “The Prisoner.”

The John Barry Seven, featuring John Barry on trumpet and Vic Flick on the guitar.

Vic Flick 

The Clifford Essex Paragon Deluxe Guitar used by Vic Flick 

on the original James Bond Theme recording of 1962.

John Barry recorded a revised version in 1967.

You can listen to it here:

THE JAMES BOND THEME

The original James Bond Theme used in DR. NO :

The Original James Bond Theme

PLAS JOHNSON -

Plas Johnson's seductive tenor sound has been utilized on many studio sessions, including - most notably - the Pink Panther film (1963). A more versatile player than one might think, Johnson sounds equally at home in blues, R&B-ish, and hard bop settings. He recorded a single in New Orleans (1950), moved to Los Angeles, and was quickly established as a popular studio musician. Johnson worked with Johnny Otis and Charles Brown, recorded dates as a leader for Tampa (1956-1957), Score, Capitol (1958-1960), Ava (1964), and Concord (1975-1976), worked with the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut, and toured with the Gene Harris Superband in 1990. But to date, his most famous piece is the theme from THE PINK PANTHER, composed by Henry Mancini and recorded in 1963. 

"The Pink Panther Theme" is an instrumental composition by Henry Mancini written as the theme for the 1963 film The Pink Panther and subsequently nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score at the 37th Academy Awards but lost to the Sherman Brothers for Mary Poppins. The eponymous cartoon character created for the film's opening credits by David DePatie and Friz Freleng was animated in time to the tune. The tenor saxophone solo was played by Plas Johnson.

PLAS JOHNSON

The Pink Panther original recording:

THE PINK PANTHER THEME

The First and the Best James Bond 007!

Remembering Sean Connery on his birthday. The first and the best James Bond 007!

GET MICHAEL CAINE!

 Michael Caine, one of my favorite actors is 89 years old today and in celebration of this famous British icon, I will review here some of my favorite Caine performances.  His filmography on IMDb lists 134 film credits, which is quite a large body of work so it is rather difficult to pick out just a few. However, these here are my most memorable Michael Caine appearances:

ZULU (1964) 

With Stanley Baker

THE IPCRESS FILE (1965) 

 

With Sue Lloyd

ALFIE (1966)With Shelley Winters

THE ITALIAN JOB (1969)

TOO LATE THE HERO (1970)

         With Cliff Robertson

GET CARTER (1971)

 

SLEUTH (1972)

With Sir Laurence Olivier

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975)

With Sean Connery 

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED (1976)

DRESSED TO KILL (1980) 

With Angie Dickinson

                                                                                                                          

DEATHTRAP (1982)  

                                                           With Christopher Reeve

                   EDUCATING RITA (1983) 

With Julie Walters

BLAME IT ON RIO (1984)

 

With Michelle Johnson and Joseph Bologna

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1985)

 With Barbara Hershey

MONA LISA (1986)  With Bob Hoskins

THE FOURTH PROTOCOL (1987)

WITHOUT A CLUE (1988)

 With Ben Kingsley

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (1988)

A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM (1990)

NOISES OFF (1992)

THE CIDER HOUSE RULES (1999)

 With Toby McGuire

SHINER (2000)

THE QUIET AMERICAN (2002)

SECONDHAND LIONS (2003)

THE STATEMENT (2003)

BATMAN BEGINS (2004)

With director Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale

As Alfred Pennyworth

 THE PRESTIGE (2006)

FLAWLESS (2007)

With Demi Moore

HARRY BROWN (2009)

GOING IN STYLE (2017)

With Alan Arkin and Morgan Freeman

KING OF THIEVES (2018) 

TWIST (2021)

BEST SELLERS (2021)

MICHAEL CAINE on IMDb