Barbara Broccoli and the popular image of the Bond producer

Hines, Claire (2024) Barbara Broccoli and the popular image of the Bond producer. Journal of British Cinema and Television, 21 (4). ISSN 1743-4521 (In Press)

PDF (Barbara Broccoli and the popular image of the Bond producer) - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 31 December 2099. Request a copy

Abstract

Of all the women involved in the James Bond film franchise over the years, for the last three decades producer Barbara Broccoli has had the greatest power and influence on its development. Since taking over as co-producer (alongside half-brother Michael G. Wilson) of the Bond films in the mid-1990s, Broccoli is constantly mentioned in relationship to James Bond, yet there has been no academic attention paid to her role as Bond producer. This article will address this oversight in Bond studies and contribute to the growing area of scholarship on the producer in the British film industry by analysing the popular image of ‘the Bond producer’ using promotional materials and press coverage. The approach adopted in this article is framed in terms of a negative stereotype of (male) film producers that is widely generalised, and pressbook evidence showing that the original Bond producers Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were positively caricatured in the Bond film publicity. It will consider the enduring legacy of the ‘Men Behind James Bond’ producer image to examine the role played by Broccoli in the discourses of marketing and promotion during the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig eras. The article will demonstrate that although a high degree of public visibility might be expected to come with the role of Bond producer, the woman behind the image and the day-to-day business of film production largely remains hidden in favour of the authorised narratives shaped by the earlier promotional materials, references made to Bondian character types, or popular discourses of gender which the mainstream press reproduce. In so doing the article will reflect on debates about gender and diversity in the Bond franchise to connect to wider discourses around inclusivity in British popular culture that have come to the fore in recent years.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	producer,barbara broccoli,daniel craig,casino royale,eon productions,gender,diversity,james bond,film promotion
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Art, Media and American Studies (former - to 2024)
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Film, Television and Media
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	31 Jul 2024 18:29
Last Modified:	31 Jul 2024 18:29
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/96079
DOI:	issn:1743-4521

Actions (login required)

View Item