By Brian Bohl
Be prepared to place Hempstead alongside London, Paris, Monte Carlo and Hong Kong as places where James Bond has left his mark.
Instead of playing baccarat in a swank European casino or saving the world from destruction, the fictional British spy will be the subject of a three-day symposium starting Tuesday as part of the University’s “Bond, James Bond: The World of 007” program. In addition to holding film screenings every Thursday for the past several weeks, the Cultural Center-sponsored event will include presentations from scriptwriter Tom Mankiewicz, who worked on five of the Bond films. The event is free for students and will also feature remarks from actor Robert Davi and novelist Raymond Benson.
“The hope is to attract both the aficionado and those who have a more casual interest in Bond,” said James Kolb, a drama professor and symposium director. “The fact that the film franchise has lasted 45 years suggests that the popularity of the films crosses several generations. It is my hope that Hofstra students take advantage of this opportunity to get more acquainted with a major film icon of the 20th century.”
In the past, the University has hosted similar symposiums about Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. The Bond enterprise was inspired by the University’s wish to study an important figure in popular culture, Kolb said. It was scheduled for 2007 to mark the 45th anniversary of “Dr. No,” the first of the 21 films in a series that has grossed over $3 billion worldwide, making it the second most profitable franchise in cinema history next to “Star Wars.”
“This symposium also happens to be occurring in 2007-a once-in-a-century correlative to the rank of James Bond as 007,” Kolb said, referring to the British agent’s famous identification number. “The icon of James Bond seems to have an ongoing and potentially enduring appeal; one that is worth examining from scholarly and participatory perspectives.”
Some scholarly topics will include an analysis on the technology and science of the movies and original novels written by Ian Fleming. The symposium also attracted faculty members like English professor Lisa Dresner, who will present on a panel about the role of women in the Bond series.
“The character seems to have a wide life beyond the original series,” Dresner said. “It’s a very enduring character. Clearly, there is something that persists, independent of the medium in which it is represented.”
Benson, who authored the James Bond Bedside Companion encyclopedia, will deliver the keynote address in the Student Center Theater Wednesday afternoon. Mankiewicz will participate the following day via an interactive video conference starting at 5 p.m. The screenwriter for “Diamonds Are Forever” and “Moonraker,” among other films, will take questions from the audience.
“I think it’s great that the school has finally recognized a character that has lasted for so many decades,” said Rich Forestano, a junior journalism major. “The school has finally put together an attraction that would make me want to take time out of my day to go to. I loved the movies, loved the books, love the character. Every man wants to be Bond. I think they selected Bond because that character is the best fictional character of all time.”
A post-symposium concert is scheduled for next Friday at the Monroe Lecture Center Theater where a jazz quartet will play music from the series. General admission is $18, making it the only part of the symposium that is not free.