England's two biggest cultural exports went public on the same day, Oct. 5, 1962: The Beatles’ first single: Love Me Do and James Bond’s first movie: Dr. No.

An early draft of the screenplay made the villain a monkey god worshiped by island natives. The producer told the writer to “Come up with something less ridiculous.”

Cary Grant was first asked to play Bond, but turned it down. Grant’s daughter said, “My father later regretted it.”

Eunice Gayson who played Sylvia Trench said: "Sean was so nervous that he kept flubbing the famous line, 'Bond, James Bond.' He would mix names up like 'Sean Bond' and 'James Connery'. The director told me to take him off the set for a drink to calm him down. They must have given him something strong, because when he came back on set, he was stony calm.” 

The art director forgot to get background footage of fish to be projected in Dr. No’s underwater living room. He quickly found shots in a footage library the day before the scene was to be shot. However, the fish were too large, so the line about the glass magnifying the fish was added. This prompted a new and great line from Bond: “Minnows pretending to be whales, like you on this island, Dr. No."

The bikini worn by Ursula Andress in the movie was sold by her at Christie's Auctions in London for $43,000. (without her in it) It was purchased to be shown at Planet Hollywood.

Dr. No is the only Bond film where he is attacked by a woman (Miss Taro spits in his face) and he doesn’t retaliate.

“Dreadful. Simple dreadful,” was Ian Flemings reaction after seeing Dr. No. Fleming wanted his cousin, Christopher Lee to be Doctor No. Later, Lee would be a Bond villain in Man with the Golden Gun.

After appearing in Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure (a great movie), Connery was asked to appear in the next Tarzan movie. He sent a telegram to the producers saying: “Sorry. I can’t make this one. They want me for some spy movie. But I’ll be back for the next one.”