Joe Caroff, the son of James Bond actor Joe Caroff, passed away at the age of 103, his sons have confirmed. The graphic designer was known for working on the West Side Story and The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night movie posters, including the recognizable 007 gun logo.
The star passed away on Sunday, one day before his 104th birthday, in the care of his two sons, Michael and Peter, according to The New York Times.
Joe was given the task of making the letterhead for the first Bond movie, Dr. No, back in 1962. Additionally, Joe was involved in numerous other renowned projects, including Last Tango in Paris, Cabaret, and Manhattan. Following Sir Michael Palin’s claim in a sad update that he is getting ready for the end of his life, it comes.
Despite having a very obvious name, his name remained unknown for a long time. In a recent interview, Mr. Heller, co-chairman emeritus of the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, said that Mr. Heller’s identity was shocking.
Joe wasn’t impressed by the 007 agent’s Walther PPK pistol’s aesthetic appeal when he was given the task of producing Dr. No’s letterhead in 1962. The number seven’s upper guideline appeared to be an elongated gun barrel, which he later added to his sketch, drawing the numbers 007 and adding pencilled lines above and below as a guide.
He soon developed the most recognizable symbol in film. In By Design: The Joe Caroff Story in 2022, he wrote, “I knew that 007 meant license to kill, and that, I think, at an unconscious level, was the reason I knew the gun had to be in the logo.”
The family was “never paid any royalties” despite creating the legendary logo. Without any profit-sharing or movie credits, it was claimed that the price for a letterhead logo was $300 at the time.
He said, “It was like a little publicity piece for me.”
In the documentary, Phyllis Caroff, Joe’s wife, added, “My only regrets are that they never paid any royalties for any of these things that were done in those days.” “We would have been wealthy,” he said.
Joe claimed that he had never saved the original sketches and renders over time. He admitted that while it’s “probably not a smart thing to do,” he never felt like greatness about what I was doing.
“I was just working,” I said. I was merely an artist.
For his 100th birthday, EON Productions and former franchise bosses Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson gave him an Omega watch with a 007 engraving.
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Source: Mirror
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