MI6 reviews Syd Cain`s autobiography, charting a 57 year career in film, and not forgetting James Bond...

"Not Forgetting James Bond" Review
11th April 2004

Over the twenty films of the James Bond series, Production Design has been the key element in defining the unique style of 007's world, with Ken Adam and Peter Lamont among the most famous names behind the drawing boards... and not forgetting Syd Cain.

Cain's 007 filmography includes “Dr. No” (Art Director), “From Russia With Love” (Art Director), “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (Production Designer), “Live and Let Die” (Art Department) and “GoldenEye” (Art Department), and his accounts of working as a member of the Bond family are fascinating - to Bond fans and general film buffs alike.

The book spans 57 years of work within the film industry, and a hefty amount of the 190 pages are lovingly devoted to the Bond productions Cain worked on, starting all the way back in 1962 designing Dr. No's dragon tank on Crab Key island. One of 007's most famous gadgets, the attaché ("From Russia With Love") was also one of Cain's early creations.

Perhaps the pinnacle of his 007 career was "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", where he was elevated to Production Designer, and was responsible for Blofeld's hideout at Piz Gloria. Here we learn about the trails and tribulations a Production Designer faces, trying to balance the conflicting pressures of such a big production.

If you thought the life of a Production Designer was mostly spent behind a drawing board, then this book will change your opinion quickly! Cain's tales of life on set, and the frequent run-ins with all manner of dangerous animal life, entertain as much as the anecdotes about the stars of the films.

Amongst the stories from his career, Cain also intersperses details of his life outside of work, albeit sometimes far too briefly. The book begins by tracking his pre-film career and service during World War II, where a number of skills would later prove useful.

 
Above: Bond veterans Syd Cain and Christopher Lee at the press bash for the James Bond exhibition at The Science Museum in London.

"Syd's book reminded me of the many fabulous times we had working together - an excellent read" - Sir Roger Moore


Above: Front cover jacket artwork.
 

Lavishly illustrated with Cain's artwork, "Not Forgetting" contains hundreds of rare photographs from Syd's personal collection as well as the archives of the Bond producers. Cain's designs and storyboards for "Live And Let Die" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" are amongst some of the most interesting pages for Bond fans, along with the humorous sketches he made whilst on set.

Outside the world of 007, the book charts his other work on films such as “Frenzy”, “The Wild Geese”, “Mister Moses”, “Lolita”, “Shout at the Devil”, “Gold”, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “Farenheit 451", and highly personal remembrances of working with countless cinematic legends including Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, Roger Moore, Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman and Richard Lester,

If you love reading about behind the scenes of Bond productions, Syd's autobiography is a mesmerizing volume filled with humour, drama, exotic travel and never-before-told anecdotes about the legendary people he’s worked with during the 57 years spent in the film industry.

“Not Forgetting James Bond: The Autobiography of Syd Cain, Production Designer” is a limited edition of 1,000 hardback copies only, each personally autographed and numbered by Syd Cain, and is only available only from GBU Publishing. You can order now for only £17.99 (save £7 off the RRP) for a signed hardback, or a softcover (unsigned) version for £12.99.