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With 'Skyfall' Bond celebrates 50 years

As the 23rd film of the iconic James Bond franchise opens Friday, take a look through some of the special retrospectives honoring the 50th anniversary of 007's debut on film.
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The original Bond, Sean Connery, in Dr. No.
The original Bond, Sean Connery, in Dr. No.
Published: Oct. 31, 2012 at 1:55 PM
By GABRIELLE LEVY, UPI.com

For half a century, nothing in cinema has done outlandish, sexy adventure, toeing, but just staying within the line of spy caper impossibility, as Bond, James Bond.

Dr. No's Sean Connery brought Ian Fleming's 007 suave secret serviceman to screens on October 5, 1962, the first of six actors to portray him (so far!) through 23 films. Skyfall, hitting theaters on Friday, has so far received glowing critical reviews and a 94 percent rating on RottenTomatoes.

To celebrate the dual events of the franchise's 50th anniversary and the release of Daniel Craig's third turn as a 007, the internet is awash in retrospectives and remixes, ginning up even more excitement for the occasion.

Bond versus Bond (versus Bond)

One of the cleverer celebrations of the Bond tradition is a well-edited video showing Craig's 007 take on Connery's, who then faces off with Roger Moore, and so on.

Top Gear special: 50 years of Bond cars

The spectacular British car show takes a tour through the special relationship between James Bond and his cars.

The show also tackled the seemingly impossible task of trying to build a Bond car on just £300. They succeeded, too! (More or less.)

Museum exhibitions

The Museum of Modern Art in New York launched an exhibition through October, screening all 22 Bond films on specially made 35mm prints. And over the summer, the Barbican Center in London had a show on 50 years of Bond's iconic style.

Remixes and mashups

Six Bonds and 23 movies opens up numerous possibilities for quick cuts and footage comparisons. "The Evolution of Bond" lines up classic moments from the car to the guns, explosions, drinking, sidekicks and--of course, Bond girls. (This one is fun, too.)

And speaking of Bond girls...

CBS spoke with several of the lucky actresses who had the fortune to play the ladies who caught James Bond's eye. Naturally, each has her own favorite Bond.

The Ultimate James Bond Fan Book author Deborah Lipp talks movingly about growing up with the sexier side of Bond, and how, as a feminist, characters such as Sylvia Trench and Pussy Galore were eye-opening for a young women an in era where women were almost exclusively portrayed as "defending their virginity at all costs."

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