BY MARK CERULLI

Customers at London’s Bond in Motion exhibit could be forgiven for wondering about the steady stream of distinguished-looking people heading through the vehicle displays towards a private area – but they were witnessing a bit of James Bond history in the making. On on Thursday, October 11^th, the Ian Fleming Foundation, EON Productions, IFF founder Doug Redenius and this writer  hosted a remarkable book signing for Charles “Jerry” Juroe, the executive who ran publicity on 14 Bond movies, from Dr. No right up to the dawn of the Pierce Brosnan era. His memoir, Bond, The Beatles and My Year with Marilyn is just out from McFarland Press. (Shameless Plug: Doug and I “line produced” it and the book is a fascinating read, not just for Bond fans but for anyone interested in movie history.) For 50 years, Jerry knew, worked with or encountered “Anyone who was anyone”. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, Mary Pickford to John Wayne, William Holden, Alfred Hitchcock and, yes, the Fab Four. Jerry even crossed paths with the legendary Howard Hughes. Bond was only part of Juroe’s remarkable career – he served as Marilyn Monroe’s publicist (not an easy gig!) when she was making The Prince And the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier in England. Jerry was an executive at United Artists, Paramount and other major studios. Movies aside, Jerry is also a World War II veteran who took part in one of the most significant military actions in modern history – the D Day Invasion.

 Credit: Danny Gibbons.

The event’s guest list included many prominent alumni from the Bond series – director John Glen, line producer Anthony Waye, Oscar-winning production designer Peter Lamont, talent such as Carole Ashby, Valerie Leon, Jenny Hanley, Margaret Nolan, Caron Gardner, Sylvana Henriques and Terry Mountain, Roger Moore’s daughter Deborah, Harry Saltzman’s son Steven, former EON marketing executives Anne Bennett and John Parkinson, along with a number of staff members from EON, who graciously provided all manner of support for the event. (The signing was preceded by a private lunch for Jerry arranged and attended by Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson) American actor Billy Zane was on hand – meeting up with Peter Lamont who created the stunning sets for the “little” film they made together in 1997, Titanic. The Bond community was well represented with Cinema Retro’s Dave Worrall, From Sweden with Love’s Anders Frejdh, Some Kind of Hero authors Ajay Chowdhury and Matthew Field, Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan author Mark O’Connell and French Bond Club co-founder and Bond historian, Laurent Perriot in the crowd. Designer Mark Witherspoon was a photographer.

Above: Actor Billy Zane and director John Glen.Credit: Mark Cerulli.

Doug and I each made a brief address – reading well wishes from the likes of Pierce Brosnan and top Hollywood publicist Dick Guttman (a protégé of Jerry’s) then turned the floor over to the Man himself. Jerry, long famous in the industry for his tough exterior, was visibly moved. He thanked everyone for coming and simply wished them “My longevity” (he’s 95) which got a big round of applause. Many hadn’t seen Jerry – or each other – in decades so as the old saying goes, “There was a lot of love in the room”. One thinks that actors and filmmakers hang out with each other constantly, but in reality they do a film then it’s on to the next project and they may never work with the same people again. Since working on a Bond film is arguably a highlight of any career, these few hours in each other’s company were priceless- an All Time High, for real. It was a privilege to be there.

(Photos copyright Mark Cerulli. All rights reserved.)

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