Rewriting Dr. No in 1962: James Bond and the End of the British Empire in Jamaica

“Rewriting Dr. No” reappraises the unexpected success of the first James Bond film and its depictions of colonial Jamaica just prior to independence. Recasting Ian Fleming's novel into a film prompted rewritings and alterations. Some reflect the transition to a script; others, and particularly the addition of a CIA agent to the cast, mark wider shifts as Britain's imperial presence came to an end. The choices made on how Jamaicans were depicted, along with the local resonances that helped make it surprisingly popular in Jamaica, shed unexpected light onto wider imperial transitions.