Albert R. Broccoli

As the original producer of the James Bond franchise, Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli commenced an iconic franchise that became one of the longest-running and most successful in cinema history. Starting with "Dr. No" (1962), Broccoli introduced the world to the suave secret agent, James Bond, who had a license to kill, a love of vodka martinis and a weakness for bedding dangerous women. Though the first film was grounded in some degree of spy realism, Broccoli rapidly increased the size of his productions to include lavish locales, over-the-top stunts and impossible gadgets that only added to the success of the series. He worked in partnership with Harry Saltzman through EON Productions to make "From Russia with Love" (1963), "Goldfinger" (1964) and "Thunderball" (1965), all of which starred Sean Connery as the original and what most called the best actor to play Bond. Though he produced other films in the 1960s, Broccoli concentrated solely on Bond by the time Roger Moore took over the role. After Saltzman sold his share, Broccoli flew solo on "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977) and up to "For Your Eyes Only" (1981), increasing both the campy tone and box office take. Broccoli brought daughter Barbara and stepson Michael G. Wilson into the fold with "A View to A Kill" (1985), saw the series slip with the Dalton films and returned to prominence with his last, "GoldenEye" (1995), all of which cemented his legacy as the producer of cinema's most popular film series.