Dr No is a 1962 film adaptation of the sixth James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, originally published in 1958. It was the first official Bond film that would lead to a popular, long, and continuing series of films made by EON Productions.

Dr No was produced with a low budget, but was a financial success, leading to a series of films that continues to this day. Dr No also launched a successful genre of “secret agent” films that flourished in the 1960s. Many of the iconic aspects of a typical James Bond film were established in Dr No, beginning with what is known as the gun barrel sequence, an introduction to the character through the view of a gun barrel, and a highly stylised main title sequence, both created by Maurice Binder. In his work on film, production designer Ken Adam established a unique and expansive visual style that is the hallmark of the Bond film series.

Plot summary: John Strangways, the British Intelligence Station Chief in Jamaica, is ambushed and killed by three assassins while leaving a bridge game. As a result, MI6 agent James Bond is summoned to the British Intelligence headquarters. There, Bond is briefed by his chief, M, with orders to investigate Strangways’ disappearance, and to determine whether it is related to his cooperation with the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on a case involving the disruption of Cape Canaveral rocket launches by radio jamming.

Upon his arrival at Kingston Airport Bond is shadowed by a mysterious man in sunglasses, and a female photographer, who tries to snap his picture. He is picked up by a chauffeur, supposedly sent from Government House, whom Bond suspects to be an enemy agent. After the car ends up in an isolated beach road, Bond orders the chauffeur to pull over, subdues him after a brief fight and attempts to interrogate him, but his subject kills himself with a cyanide-embedded cigarette instead. After interviewing the other bridge players Bond is informed the name of Strangways’ fishing guide, Quarrel.

Bond goes to interview Quarrel at the Kingston docks, but finds the suspicious Cayman Islander to be uncooperative. Persisting with his questions in a local bar, Bond finally persuades his subject to talk in a back storeroom. There, however, the agent is jumped by Quarrel and the bar owner. Bond rapidly subdues them in a brief fight—only to be held at gunpoint by the mystery man from the airport. He reveals himself to be CIA agent Felix Leiter, and that not only are the two agents on the same mission, but Quarrel is helping Leiter.

The CIA has traced the mysterious radio jamming of American rockets to the Jamaica vicinity, but aerial photography cannot pinpoint the exact location of its origin. Quarrel reveals to have been guiding Strangways around the nearby islands to collect mineral samples. He also tells about the island of Crab Key, owned by the reclusive Dr No, who operates a bauxite mine which is rigorously protected against trespassers by an armed security force and low-scan radar. All this piques Bond’s interest, as his photo is snapped again by the camera girl from the airport. She is intercepted, but refuses to talk, so the agents take her film away and let her go, leaving Bond to wonder who could inspire so much fear that his employees would endure pain and even commit suicide before answering questions about him.

The next morning, Bond tries to view the official file on Crab Key, but finds that it has been lost by secretary Miss Taro. Bond also catches her listening at the keyhole and suspects her to be an enemy agent, but nevertheless asks her out on a date. Later, Bond detects radioactive traces on the floor of Quarrel’s boat, right where Strangways’ mineral samples had been. He convinces Quarrel to lead him to Crab Key, even though the fisherman is afraid of a dragon that is rumoured to inhabit the place.

On his way to pick up Miss Taro, Bond is stalked by Strangways’ murderers, who end up dying. At Miss Taro’s house Bond seduces her, and after her tryst, she is arrested by an arriving policeman. Now alone in the house, Bond arranges a trap in the bed—and after another henchman, Professor Dent, shows up and empties his silenced pistol into the bed, Bond kills him.

Honey Rider meets James Bond on the beach of Crab Key island.

Late that night Bond and Quarrel depart for Crab Key. The following morning, Bond meets nature girl Honey Ryder, who at first is suspicious of Bond but decides to help him. After avoiding an attack by a patrol boat full of security men, Honey leads Bond and Quarrel inland, where they again avoid a security foot patrol. Just after nightfall, the three trespassers reach an open swamp where they are attacked by the legendary dragon of Crab Key—which turns out to be a flame-throwing armored tractor. In the resulting gun battle, Quarrel is incinerated by the flame-thrower, and Bond and Honey are taken captive by the tractor’s radiation-suited crew.

Bond and Honey end up in Dr No’s private study. There the scientist, over a formal dinner, explains that he is a member of the private criminal/espionage organisation SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), and plans to disrupt a highly publicised Project Mercury space launch from Cape Canaveral with his atomic powered radio beam. He even offers Bond a position with SPECTRE, but is put off by his guest’s witty provocations. After dinner, Bond is beaten by the guards and Honey is dragged off for a separate punishment.

Bond is then locked into a holding cell, but manages to escape. After leaving, Bond disguises himself and finds his way to the base control center, a multi-level room full of high-tech instrumentation, with an atomic reactor set into the floor. Dr No oversees from the command console as the final stage of the SPECTRE plot is about to be executed. Bond overloads the nuclear reactor that powers the complex, just as the American spacecraft is about to take off. A hand-to-hand fight ensues between Bond and Dr No, with the scientist being pushed into the reactor’s cooling vat, in which he drowns. Bond goes after Honey, releases her, and the two escape in a boat just as the entire lair explodes.

See also:

• Dr No: Film - Cast
• Dr No: Film - Crew
• Dr No: Film - Goofups
• Dr No: Film - Locations
• Dr No: Film - Soundtrack
• Dr No: Film - Trivia