COLUMN
Albert Broccoli: The Queens link to James Bond
In conjunction with the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society, the TimesLedger
newspaper presents
noteworthy events in the
borough’s history.
Born on April 5, 1909,
Queens native Albert
“Cubby” Broccoli was a film
producer best known for
the James Bond film series.
Broccoli produced over 40
films in a prolific career
spanning five decades.
In his youth, the famed
director actually worked on
a relative’s broccoli farm
on Long Island, and family
lore claims that an uncle
brought the vegetable to
America in the 1870s. His
daughter Barbara Broccoli
and stepson Michael G.
Wilson also worked on the
Bond series as producers.
The future Bond producer
was born in Queens to
Italian immigrant parents,
and as a child acquired the
nickname Cubby from his
cousin, the movie producer
and alleged mobster Pat
DiCicco. Following the
death of his father, Broccoli
lived in Astoria with his
grandmother and worked a
series of jobs before moving to
Hollywood and entering the
film industry.
Starting from the bottom
as a gofer on the 1943
western film The Outlaw,
the rising star from Queens
became friends with the
film’s director, Howard
Hughes, and soon found
work as an assistant director
on other productions. In
the early 1950s, Broccoli
moved to London, where the
British government offered
subsidies to film producers.
He soon founded Warwick
Films in partnership with
fellow producer Irving Allen
and began making films for
Columbia Pictures.
While living in London,
Broccoli became interested in
films featuring Ian Fleming’s
best- known fictional
character, the British Secret
Service agent James Bond.
When he discovered that
the rights to the legendary
spy belonged to Canadian
producer Harry Saltzman,
the two reached a deal to coproduce
Bond movies.
Starting with Dr. No in
1962 through The Man with
the Golden Gun in 1974,
the partnership produced
the first nine films in a
wildly successful series of
increasingly complex plots,
stunts and special effects.
Incidentally, while
scouting locations in Japan
for You Only Live Twice,
Broccoli and Saltzman
were scheduled to fly
on BOAC Flight 911, but
cancelled their tickets to
see a ninja demonstration.
The flight crashed
near Mount Fuji with
no survivors.
In the late 1970s and
early 1980s, the renowned
filmmaker was the sole
producer of four more Bond
films: The Spy Who Loved
Me, Moonraker, For Your
Eyes Only and Octopussy.
Broccoli went on to produce
the next three movies in the
series with his stepson.
In 1995 he served as a
consultant on Goldeneye,
the 17th film in the series
and the first starring Pierce
Brosnan as 007, before
passing away in Beverly Hills
in 1996.
In recognition of a career
producing the suspenseful
international adventures
of James Bond, in 1982
Broccoli received the Irving
G. Thalberg Award.
He was presented the
award by Bond actor Roger
Moore, and considered the
presentation one of the
happiest days of his life.
His star was placed on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in
1990, and he was presented
the Order of the British
Empire by Queen Elizabeth.
Looking back on a career
shaped by the world’s most
famous secret agent, Broccoli
had a special fondness for
Bond actor Sean Connery.
“It was the sheer
confidence he exuded,” the
father of the modern action
hero recalled. “Every time
he made a point he hit the
desk with that great fist of
his, or slapped his thigh.
It wasn’t just an act either.
When he left we watched
him through the window as
he walked down the street.
“I’ve never seen a surer
guy. He walked like the most
arrogant son-of-a-gun you’ve
ever seen.”
Compiled by Dan
McDonald for the Greater
Astoria Historical Society.
For further information,
contact the Society at 718-278-
0700 or visit astorialic.org.
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