James Bond actor Joe Caroff has passed away at the age of 103, as confirmed by his sons.
The graphic designer was celebrated for crafting the legendary 007 gun logo and contributed to the film posters for West Side Story and The Beatles' classic, A Hard Day's Night.
Joe's sons, Michael and Peter, informed The New York Times that their father died in hospice care at his Manhattan residence on Sunday, August 17, just one day shy of his 104th birthday.
In 1962, Joe was commissioned to design a letterhead for a publicity release for Dr. No, the inaugural Bond film. He also lent his talents to Last Tango in Paris, Manhattan, Cabaret, and numerous other iconic projects.
For many years, his name remained largely unrecognized, despite the widespread familiarity of his work.
“It’s astonishing that he was unknown,” remarked Mr. Heller, co-chairman emeritus of the Master of Fine Arts Design program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, during a recent interview.
Although he created the famous logo, the family reported that they “never received any royalties.” At the time, the fee for a letterhead logo was $300, without any film credits or profit-sharing.
“It was just a small publicity piece for me,” Joe Caroff stated.
“My only regrets are that they never compensated us for any of these works from back then,” Joe's wife, Phyllis Caroff, mentioned in the documentary. “We could have been wealthy.”
Joe admitted that he never kept the original sketches and designs over the years. “Probably not the wisest decision, but I never associated what I was doing with any greatness,” he confessed.
“I was simply working, that’s all. I was just being an artist.”
EON Productions, along with former franchise heads Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, gifted Joe Caroff an Omega watch engraved with 007 for his 100th birthday.