Casino Royale USA Premiere
As many of you know I am somewhat a Bond fanatic so it would not come as a surprise that to attend the premiere of Casino Royale, the new James Bond film would be like a dream come true. Well, that is exactly what happened on November 15th. The US premier was in Baltimore at the Senator Theater. Why Baltimore? Dr. Vincent Gott, director of the Dana and Albert “Cubby” Broccoli Center for Aortic Diseases at Johns Hopkins explains that it was the location where Broccoli, the original producer of the Bond films, arrived at for cataract surgery in 1994. He received a chest X-ray upon admission, where doctors found a ‘large aneurysm of the aorta.’ As a result of this connection between Hopkins and Broccoli, the previous three Bond films—Die Another Day, The World Is Not Enough, and Tomorrow Never Dies—all had their US premieres in Baltimore. ‘Each screening we use as a fundraiser for the center,’ Gott said.
When I first received my invitation to go to this event from Sony Pictures and Johns Hopkins I thought my wife and I would just be attending the screening and champagne reception. Much to my happy surprise the organizers sent me a GOLDFINGER ticket which allowed Danielle and I to go to the pre-screening VIP bash which was located in the gorgeous Club House of Pilmico raceway in Towson, MD. They mentioned that my affiliation with the medical community mixed with my Bond enthusiasm with collecting was the perfect "mixture" for the event. We showed up (drove up in the Z4---had to!) and I was floored. They went all out for this bash. Giant Hollywood flood lights marked the entrance of the party but once we were in it was Casino Royale part deux! Celebrity look a-likes, golden encrusted women, Smirnoff ice bars and Bollinger champagne filled the room. The food was gourmet and top notch but as a Bond fan (and vodka fan) I quickly ran to the bar to start sampling the martini menu. There were news cameras and professional photographers everywhere taking photos and chatting up the VIPs. They had a photo area where they imposed every couple onto a Casino Royale backdrop so we all had our own personalized mini poster to bring home. A live band played all the greatest Bond themes as people mingled, shared Bond memories or just ogled all the well dressed people. Two hours of fun and Bond frivolity went very quickly and soon it was time to go to the theater to be the first in the USA to see the film. As we went outside we were greeted by twenty two stretch limos lead by a HUGE police escort. Yes, they stopped traffic so the limos had an uninterrupted ride to the theater. Once at Senator Theater, a vintage art deco monster of a movie house, we were escorted to roped off seats and given MORE champagne and goody bags. An auction ensued that raised not funds for the event but awareness of the Center itself. Around 9 PM the movie started to a packed house of fans, benefactors and local celebrities and my fantasy was complete with an excellent addition to the Bond legacy that is Casino Royale. As we left the theater to return to our waiting limo they surprised us all by having one of the Aston Martin DBS from the movie parked outside. GREAT eye candy and soon the golden girls were ignored. As I look back at the evening I know that it will take me weeks to remember everything that happened but I wanted to share some pictures with you as a representation of a Bond fan’s memories…
