George Lazenby Retirement Salute Video

A Salute to George Lazenby – Video

 

George Lazenby has announced his retirement from public life.  This is a well-earned retirement and we wish him nothing but the best.

In this episode, Dan and Tom bring Mike Reyes back for a salute to the second Eon Productions actor to play James Bond.  George had huge shoes to fill in following Sean Connery.  We think he filled them very well.

Some of the topics we decode include:

  • How George Lazenby landed the role of James Bond
  • The Hulu show “Becoming Bond”
  • How his James Bond was introduced in the movie and his “This never happened to the other fella” line in the ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE pre-title sequence.
  • The pressure of taking over for Sean Connery who emblazoned his version of James Bond in the moviegoers’ minds.
  • Lazenby’s upbringing
  • How his work on ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE shaped the role of James Bond for the rest of the series
  • What they think the next James Bond movie George Lazenby should have Hint, it isn’t DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, which was the successor to ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE

So, once again, we wish George Lazenby well in his retirement.  And we thank him for his work on ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE.

You can read Mike Reyes’ articles on CinemaBlend.com.

Tell us what you think

Let us hear from you about George Lazenby.  What did you think of his performance as James Bond in ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE.  Do you wish he’d done another Bond movie?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/3X8RO4j

George Lazenby Retirement Salute

Podcast Episode

George Lazenby Retirement Salute

A Salute to George Lazenby Click here to watch the video version of this episode George Lazenby has announced his retirement from public life.  This is a well-earned retirement and we wish him nothing but the best. In this episode, Dan and Tom bring Mike Reyes back for a salute to the second Eon Productions...

A Salute to George Lazenby

George Lazenby has announced his retirement from public life.  This is a well-earned retirement and we wish him nothing but the best.

In this episode, Dan and Tom bring Mike Reyes back for a salute to the second Eon Productions actor to play James Bond.  George had huge shoes to fill in following Sean Connery.  We think he filled them very well.

Some of the topics we decode include:

  • How George Lazenby landed the role of James Bond
  • The Hulu show “Becoming Bond”
  • How his James Bond was introduced in the movie and his “This never happened to the other fella” line in the ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE pre-title sequence.
  • The pressure of taking over for Sean Connery who emblazoned his version of James Bond in the moviegoers’ minds.
  • Lazenby’s upbringing
  • How his work on ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE shaped the role of James Bond for the rest of the series
  • What they think the next James Bond movie George Lazenby should have done.  Hint, it isn’t DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, which was the successor to ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE

So, once again, we wish George Lazenby well in his retirement.  And we thank him for his work on ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE.

You can read Mike Reyes’ articles on CinemaBlend.com.

Tell us what you think

Let us hear from you about George Lazenby.  What did you think of his performance as James Bond in ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE.  Do you wish he’d done another Bond movie?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!  

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.  

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/3X8RO4j

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Terence Mountain – interview – was in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds are Forever

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Join Dan and Tom as go on the road to Portugal to find the spot where Tracy is killed in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

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Top James Bond Kills of the Decade: 1960s

Top James Bond Kills of the Decade: 1960s

We all know James Bond has his license to kill.  And he uses it.

This is the first video in our series showing you James Bond’s best kills from each of his movies.   This one covers the seven James Bond movies released in the 1960s.

Seven James Bond movies?  Don’t we mean six? Yes, there were six EON Productions James Bond movies released in the 1960s.  However, a non-EON Productions James Bond movie was produced by Charles K. Feldman and Jerry Bresler was released in 1967. Of course, we’re talking about Casino Royale spoof.

So, in this video we look at James Bond’s kills in DR. NO, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, CASINO ROYALE (1967), and ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE.

Enjoy “Top James Bond Kills of the Decade: 1960s” here and let us know your thoughts about this video, ideas for future videos, and if we missed any quality James Bond kills in this movie by either leaving a comment below or by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.

And, Top James Bond Kills of the Decade: will return with our look at James Bond’s kills in the 1970s.

You can find more videos like this on our YouTube Channel or our website.

Was ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE good or not?

Podcast Episode

Was ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE good or not?

Dan and Tom answer the question: Was ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE good or not? They look at the top 10 reasons to see it either way.

Was ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE good?  That is a question that Bond fans have been arguing since its release. 

In this episode, Dan and Tom walk through the top 10 reasons why they think ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE is a good movie.  Then they look at it from the other side with the top 10 reasons it is criticized.   

Some things they examine are: 

  • George Lazenby 
  • The score 
  • The action 
  • Telly Savalas’ portrayal of Blofeld 
  • The emotional depth of the movie 
  • The fact that this is, in part, a romance movie 
  • And more… 

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE has gained popularity and likeability as it has aged.

Dan and Tom give you their thoughts. After listening to this episode, we’d love to know which side of the spectrum you are on and why.  Please let us know at info@spymovienavigator.com.  We might give you a shout-out in a future episode and pass your idea on.   

Please subscribe to our podcast show, CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES, on your favorite podcast app or listen on our website

Episode link: https://bit.ly/3SEJreZ

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ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – On Location – Road Where Tracy is Killed

Podcast Episode

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – On Location – Road Where Tracy is Killed

Join Dan and Tom as go on the road to Portugal to find the spot where Tracy is killed in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

Join Dan and Tom as they continue their search for more ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE filming locations in Portugal – this time, the road where Tracy is killed right after they leave their wedding reception!

Come on the road with us to Portugal for this on-location podcast episode!

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ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – On Location – Wedding Reception and Bull Ring

Podcast Episode

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – On Location – Wedding Reception and Bull Ring

Dan and Tom find two more ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE filming locations - Draco's mansion and the bullring.

 

Dan and Tom search & find two more ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE filming locations – two of the best – in Portugal:  Draco’s mansion where the Bond/Tracy wedding reception takes place, AND the bullring where Draco’s birthday party happens, and Bond & Tracy begin to fall in love!

Come with us to Portugal, as we present our on-location podcast!

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ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE On-Location – Formal Gardens (Love Montage)

Podcast Episode

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE On-Location – Formal Gardens (Love Montage)

Dan and Tom visited the Palacio des Marqueses Fronteira in Lisbon, Portugal. The gardens, appear in the love montage of Tracy and Bond in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

There are some great filming locations you can still see in Portugal from the movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

We searched for and found the formal gardens from ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – near Lisbon, Portugal!  Come with us as we intro our podcast recorded on-location in Portugal!

The gardens, which appear in the love montage of Tracy and Bond, are called, the Palacio Marqueses Fronteira!   Let’s go on-location!

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ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – On Location – Wedding Reception and Bull Ring

There are some great filming locations you can still see in Portugal from the movie ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE. This estate is one of them.

There are two key reasons you will want to see this site south-east of Lisbon. This estate is where they filmed Draco’s mansion for James’ and Tracy’s wedding reception. And the bullring on the estate is where Draco’s birthday party happens. These are two key scenes from ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE. Take a look. We know you will like it.

This 3-minute video gives you a look at what this estate looked like in both the movie and today.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – Filming Location – Palacio des Marqueses Fronteira – Lisbon

 

There are some great filming locations you can still see in Portugal from the movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The scene for this visit is the garden scene when Tracy and James fall in love.  In the movie, there are shots of them riding horses and on a beach interspersed with the garden shot.

Dan and Tom visited the Palacio des Marqueses Fronteira in Lisbon, Portugal.  This 3-minute video gives you a look at what this Palace and its garden looked like in both the movie and in 2017.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – Eon Productions 1969 James Bond movie, featuring a new actor in the James Bond role, George Lazenby.

James Bond falls in love with a beautiful women, Tracy, the daughter of mob boss, Marc-Ange Draco.  Along the way, he ends up in Switzerland tracking down Blofeld and his team of beautiful women.

We think this is one of the best James Bond movies. What do you think?


On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Pre-Title Sequence Decoded!

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Join Dan, Tom & Vicky for a deep look into a great James Bond pre-title sequence in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE!

 

A car chase, a fight on the beach, guns, knives, suicide, a new James Bond, a different Aston, a time machine, a Queen with a trident, and more in the pre-title sequence to the 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service!

Join Dan, Tom & Vicky for a deep look into a great James Bond pre-title sequence!

Send us a comment on our website here or click the red button to your right that says “Send Us a Voicemail”

Dan, Tom, and Vicky Discuss:

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  • The gradual introduction of the new actor playing James Bond
  • James Bond’s cigarettes
  • Influences from earlier James Bond movies to solidify that George Lazenby is really James Bond
  • The fight on the beach
  • Scenes that may have influenced Mission: Impossible
  • Homage paid to Alfred Hitchcock and maybe even the 1923 movie Safety Last!
  • The title sequence and some hidden meanings (like the Trident)
  • And more …

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8 James Bond Movies Discussed by Worldwide Community of Spy Movie Fans!

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8 James Bond Movies Discussed by Worldwide Community of Spy Movie Fans!

Join Dan, Vicky, and Tom as they talk with four members of the SpyMovieNavigator's Worldwide Community of Spy Movie Fans Facebook group about their favorite James Bond movies.

Join Dan, Vicky, and Tom as they talk with four members of the SpyMovieNavigator’s Worldwide Community of Spy Movie Fans Facebook group about their favorite James Bond movies.

The topic of today’s discussion:  Tell us your two favorite James Bond movies.  The catch is both of their choices need to have a different actor playing James Bond.

This led to a lively discussion and all six James Bond actors to date are discussed.

Click on the Episode notes to see which movies they chose.

You can leave us a comment here or click the red button to the right to leave us a voicemail message.

Four of our Facebook Group discuss Eight James Bond Movies!

Here is the list of the fans on the podcast along with the movies they discuss and where they are located:

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    • The Spy Who Loved Me
    • Tomorrow Never Dies
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    • From Russia With Love
    • The Man With The Golden Gun
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      • Goldfinger
      • Skyfall
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      • Licence to Kill

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Terence Mountain – interview – was in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds are Forever

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Terence Mountain – interview – was in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds are Forever

Tom, Dan and Vicky interview Terry Mountain who was in two James Bond movies:  On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Diamonds Are Forever.

Tom, Dan and Vicky interview a mountain of a man – Terry Mountain who was in two James Bond movies:  On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (as Rafael, one of Draco’s guys fighting Bond on the beach, and other scenes) and Diamonds are Forever  (one of Blofeld’s guards) – as well as 7 episodes of The Saint, and lots more.

This is a great interview with Terry telling some really great back-stories & behind-the-scenes stories – fun stuff all the way!

Listeners:

“Loads of little inside stories and nuggets of info from Terry. I’d already heard some of his escapades at one of the SNS meet-ups, but he elaborates further here. And I whole heartedly agree with him, that Lazenby should have done more. I’m also in agreement, that OHMSS soundtrack is one of the best! – Denise

“Terry is obviously genuinely passionate about the world of Bond. He always comes across as being very real and authentic.”

“Listened to this earlier. Brilliant to hear the stories especially paying the bill one!” – Nick

Terry Mountain is one of the good guys!  Join us!

We discuss with Terry:

  • Terry’s role (Rafael) in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (OHMSS)
    • The different filming locations with stories about each
    • Terry talks about a shot that couldn’t be shown in OHMSS
  • Terry’s friendship with George Lazenby
  • Terry’s role in Diamonds are Forever
  • Terry’s experience on the tv show The Saint with Roger Moore.
  • And More …

 


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Gadgets – ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE and LIVE AND LET DIE – Can you Believe It?

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Gadgets – ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE and LIVE AND LET DIE – Can you Believe It?

Join Tom and Dan & special guest host Vicki Hodges (from the UK) as we discuss the gadgets in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and LIVE AND LET DIE - and some Bond movie locations that have been visited and celebrities met!  

Join Tom and Dan & special guest host Vicky Hodges (from the UK) as we discuss the gadgets in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Live and Let Die – and some Bond movie locations that have been visited and celebrities met!

Vicky joins us as a co-host on the show, and is an avid Bond memorabilia collector and knowledgeable James Bond and spy movie fan!  She’s great!

Subscribe to our show, Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!

Related Content

We add a new host to our podcast, Vicki Hodges who lives in the UK.   She helps us look at the viability of the gadgets from the movies On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Live and Let Die.

  • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    • How part of the Armalite AR-7 rifle is used and where we’ve seen that rifle before
    • The Safe-Cracking Device/Photo Copier
    • MacGyver-type gadgets Bond makes
    • Miniature spy camera
    • Blofeld’s gift for the Angels
  • Live and Let Die
    • Bond’s Rolex Submariner watch
      • How it made Madeline Smith. who played Miss Caruso, uncomfortable
      • Could it deflect bullets?
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    • The Felix Lighter
    • Dart guns
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The Lost and Overlooked Bonds

Contributed by: Daniel Silvestri and Tom Pizzato of SpyMovieNavigator.com

Posted on

James Bond has been big for decades!  Spies still rule movies, and James Bond still rules spies!  There have been six actors who have played James Bond so far in the EON Production James Bond 007 movies.  Hundreds of articles and polls rank these actors as to who is the best, with rankings from one to sixThere is some consensus that people like Sean Connery the best.  Daniel Craig is ranked highly as well And, there are those who love Pierce Brosnan, and others who adore Roger Moore. Many times, what influences a person’s rankings or favorite Bond is the era in which they grew up. If you grew up with Pierce, then a lot of people like Pierce and so on. As a result, that means that there are two who are the lost and overlooked Bonds. 

We would like to concentrate on these “forgotten” Bonds. Namely, George Lazenby from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and Timothy Dalton from The Living Daylights  and Licence to Kill 

Is George Lazenby – A lost and Overlooked Bond?

George Lazenby wearing a tux - headshotOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service is just one of the best Bond stories Fleming ever wroteAnd while bringing it to film, EON Productions stuck very closely to the Fleming text. George’s only acting experience had been in television commercials.  Still, he landed the role after Sean Connery decided to leave the franchise.

The Criticism

There is a loof criticism swirling about that George Lazenby was a poor Bond, that his acting was terrible, that his characterization of Bond was weak. However, we think that this is misguided.  In our opinion, George is one of the lost and overlooked Bonds who deserves more credit than he gets.  We think George did a wonderful job as Bond.  He was surrounded by an outstanding cast spearheaded by Diana Rigg (Tracy di Vincenzo) and Gabriele Ferzetti (Draco, Tracy’s father)The movie was well done.  It has great cinematography and wonderful locations selected in Portugal and Switzerland 

George Lazenby’s Talent

George Lazenby was a believable, emotional, real-person Bond: much like Fleming wrote Bond. For example, look at the scene  at Draco’s birthday party at the bull ring.  Bond follows Tracy down the stairs and speaks with her just outside the bull ring.  Lazenby’s acting is just spot-on, he’s a believable guy. He’s a guy, not just a spy guy.  

James Bond (George Lazenby) and Tracy (Diana Rigg) in the barn

 

And when Bond and Tracy are hiding in the barn, and Bond asks Tracy to marry him. We think this is just a perfect scene – well played.  Diana Rigg certainly elevates the emotions and acting here.

 

George Lazenby as James Bond - see his expression when he looks at Tracy's dead body

 

In the last scene, he is cradling his dead wife in his arms in the car after she is killed.  George is just outstandingWe believe is a very real Bond.  He’s a very believable spy who is also a human being.  Lazenby gives a very consistent portrayal of Bond throughout this production. 

 

Our Thoughts On George Lazenby

Lazenby should have continued to do more Bond films, but he received advice from agents or friends that he should move onAnd he didThat is too bad because we think he would have been better and better as Bond, and a very solid contribution to the history of the franchiseGeorge Lazenby, at the time of this writing, is still active.  He participated in the 50th Anniversary of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service celebration held in Portugal and Switzerland in 2019, and is active on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lazenbyofficial 

We truly believe that George Lazenby is one of the lost and overlooked Bonds.  That is unfortunate because we really liked his performance in the role.

Is Timothy Dalton – a lost and overlooked Bond?

Timothy Dalton wearing a tux - headshotAfter Roger Moore left the Bond franchise having done seven James Bond films, Timothy Dalton stepped in as the next James Bond, for the 1987 film, The Living DaylightsHis take on the role was to bring back the Fleming-esque elements of Bond – the blunt instrument of the government – the tough, rough assassin who is dedicated to Queen and Country.   The transition from a very light Bond portrayed by Roger Moore, with a more tongue-in-cheek approach, lots of funny quips, more humor than we have seen ion any other Bond – to Timothy Dalton’s Bond was like Evel Knievel leaping across Grand Canyon on a motorcycle – a huge challenge.   

In short, after seven Bond films with Moore, the viewing public might not have been ready for this take on Bond. Dalton played a very serious James Bond – with few quips, few smiles, and a very hard-nosed focus on getting the job done, and in a way that was a very believable approach to how a spy in the real-world night workThe missions were more down-to-earth too: transporting a defecting spy from the Russians to the British in The Living Daylights, and capturing a South American drug lord in Licence to Kill.  This is stuff that really happens in the real world – not dealing with some demented, super-megalomaniacal enemy who wants to rule the world. Although in real life we have some instances of that.    

We like that “normal” approach to the spy world – which is more realistic.  However, we have enjoyed the world domination theme as well in the other films 

With Dalton, you can see several things which stand out in his acting: 

Facial Expressions

For instance, his facial expressions are exactly that – they express a lot to the viewer in just a few short seconds.  This is very difficult to doSome great examples of this are: 

    • In The Living Daylights:

Timothy Dalton looking for revenge after Saunder's death • Saunders gets killed and Bond runs to his side. A balloon blows in with “Smiert Spionom” written on it.  Dalton’s angry face says it all – he will retaliate.  

• Similarly, during the entire scene with Pushkin in the hotel room where Bond is threatening him with his gun.  Dalton has perfect facial expressions and body movement. 

    • In Licence to Kill:

Timothy Dalton's expression when looking at Della after her death 

When Bond finds Della’s body 

 

 

And then finds Felix in the body bag – his face just says it all – terrific acting.

 

 • His facial expression when M is talking to Bond at the Hemingway House, revoking his license to kill is top-notch.

• When Bond tells Sanchez about potential traitors and Sanchez says he was right and got the guy, and Bond says, “Only one?”  Again, lots of potential dialogue delivered in a couple of words and great facial communications which substitutes for more linePerfect.

In the scene where Sanchez dies.  Bond is wounded and bleeding.  Sanchez, after saying “You could have had it all” goes up in flames. Examine Bond’s face – you feel the pain, you feel the tension.   

Body Movement

Similarly, Timothy Dalton’s body movements are spot on.  In other words, he walks, he fights, and he runs just like what we think a normal human being would be like 

    • In Licence to Kill:
      • When Bond is walking with Hawkins through Mallory Square in Key West on the way to the Hemingway House to meet M. Bond which Bond did not know that’s where they were going at the time.  However,  he moves like a normal personNatural, walking, and walking. 
      • And, when he’s on the boat with Sharkey going to Wavecrest’s warehouse and research center – again, great facial expressions, and great, natural body movement. 
      • And, when he gets off the boat at the Barrelhead Bar in Bimini – again, perfect movement, perfect facial expressions, and inside the bar, his face says it allSo powerful.
    • In The Living Daylights, as above, with the Pushkin scene Dalton’s body movement is just what you think it should be. And, as you’re watching, you do not think about it. This is the pointThis entire scene is Dalton at his bestLove it! 

Our Thoughts On Timothy Dalton

These are just a few examplesDalton did a great job as Bond and we wish he would have done more Bond moviesFor a variety of reasons it was not to be.  This was partially due to delays in the next release (6 years).  Some licensing issues and rumors that lower box office numbers had something to do with it.  But, Dalton himself says, they approached him to do GoldenEye. However, they wanted a 5 movie deal.  As a result, Dalton thought that would be the rest of his life and turned them down.   See this article in Esquire where he talks about this very point.   

In our opinion, Timothy is the other lost and overlooked Bonds who deserves more credit than he gets.

Bravo Gentlemen

In short, these overlooked and mostly forgotten Bonds deserve an honored place in Bond movie folklore, performance, and durabilityThey have survived the years, and more people now think that their work should be appreciated as part of the James Bond 007 movie franchise 

Therefore, we salute both George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton as rightful Bonds! 

What do you think?

Examining Ian Fleming’s Original James Bond Manuscripts – Part 2

Podcast Episode

Examining Ian Fleming’s Original James Bond Manuscripts – Part 2

Join Dan and Tom for Part Two of their journey to The Lilly Library at Indiana University in the USA, as they examine, in-person, all of these wonderful James Bond masterpieces, gaining some insight into the novels and into Ian Fleming’s way of writing!

Dan and Tom of SpyMovieNavigator.com had the privilege of examining 11 of Ian Fleming’s James Bond manuscripts – his actual typed pages, with hand-written edits in the margins, crossed-out sections, add-ins and more!  You can see where he changes a name that we all know, and then – there it is in the final published version of the novel!
Come with us to The Lilly Library at Indiana University in the USA, as we examine, in-person, all of these wonderful James Bond masterpieces, gaining some insight into the novels and into Ian Fleming’s way of writing!
This is Part Two, covering Dr. No to Live and Let Die of a 2-part series!  Be sure to listen to Part 1 as well!”

Related Content

Ian Fleming and the Lily Library 

The Ian Fleming Manuscripts!  Bond from the Page to the Screen! 

Join us as we continue our discussion where we examine the Ian Fleming James Bond manuscripts at The Lilly Library at Indiana University in the state of Indiana in the United States.

We pick it up with the novel Dr. No:

Dr. No – published  1958 

  • Honey Ryder in the manuscript is not wearing a bikini – but just the wide leather belt and a hunting knife in a sheath!  Anyone can read this in the published book, of course, but looking at the manuscript and how Ian Fleming describes her is quite nice:   first he types that she emerges naked, but then in a handwritten note, in ink, he writes: “She was not quite naked.  She was wearing a broad leather belt around her waist, with a hunting knife in a leather sheath at the right hip.”   Fleming used a lot of detailed descriptions to make things spicy and hot.   The last line in his hand-written correction is, “The belt made her nakedness extraordinarily erotic.”  How cool is that!  Of course, in the movie, she was wearing a bikini and the knife was on her left hip.    
  • On pg 1, the Queens Club was originally called “The St. James Club”.  It was first changed to Kings Club and finally Queens club.  The manuscript goes on to say “which for fifty years, has boasted  ‘No Jews. No Negroes. No Dogs‘.  This was changed to “which, for fifty years has boasted the power and frequency of its black-balls.  This isn’t the last time in the Ian Fleming books where race and religion are written in, let’s call it “an ideology fortunately changed” 
  • The last line of the manuscript was handwritten by Fleming to be “Do what I tell you.   This was changed to “Do as you’re told” in the final version of the book. 

For Your Eyes Only – published 1960 

From A View to a Kill – nothing to do with the movie! 

  • A rosebush splits and opens to a shaft.   
    Takes place in Paris? 
  • “You’re just like a lot of children playing at Red Indians,” says Mary Ann.  Very close to in Goldeneye when Natalya Simonova says to Blond, “You are just like boys with toys.”  

Death Leaves an Echo 

  • Starts in Jamaica 
  • Mrs. Wilson is scratched to become Mrs. Havelock 

Quantum of Solace 

  • Not really a Bond story, but he is in it.   More of a story within a story, that someone narrates to Bond.   Weird. 
  • Nassau – Bond didn’t like Nassau.   Everyone was too rich. 
  • Bond leaving for Miami the next day.  Castro rebels etc. 
  • Last line:  about Bond: “For some reason, his life suddenly seemed hollow and lonely” 

 

Risico – 32 pages  

Hildebrand Rarity  32 pages 

  • On the island of Mahe – the largest island in the Seychelles group. 
  • Mr. Krest – who appears in the movie License to Kill, actually appears in the Hildebrand Rarity and he collects marine specimens – something to do with his Foundation.   There is supposedly a fish that is only found around Chagrin island 
  • Sharks and barracuda  
  • Bond sent to Seychelles because the British fleet is having trouble with their fleet based in the Maldives – communists sabotaging.  Bond found nothing and thought all was good. 
  • Krest is driven by money and he can get anything he wants – even species protected by law – with enough money.  Page 13  
  • Page 14: Krest: “Twenty-four hours on the island and I’ve already knocked off three-quarters of my list.”   
  • The Hildebrand Rarity – is a fish “caught by Professor Hildebrand of Johannesburg University in a net off Chagrin Island in the Seychelles group. April 1925”  A unique member of the SquirrelFish family 

 

Goldfinger – published 1959 

  • Title page: GOLDFINGER typed out. Then crossed out and above is handwritten: “The Richest Man in the World”, then that is scribbled out with pen, and beneath it is written in pen, “GOLDFINGER”   Fascinating to know what Ian Fleming was thinking when he did this, but the name could have been changed!     We could have been referring to Ian Fleming’s seventh novel (3rd movie from EON Productions) as “The Richest Man in the World.”   Doesn’t have the zing of Goldfinger, does it?   Maybe why Fleming changed it back! 
  • Jill Masterton was originally called Tilly Masterton.  Tilly was scratched out and renamed Jill.    Remember in the movie, the sisters have the last name of MasterSon, note the S, not Masterton with a T as the book has it 
  • His car was an Aston Martin DB III in the book.  In the manuscript, it was a DB7 until it was crossed out and became the DB III.  We all know the DB5 from this movie. 

 

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – published 1963 

 

  • Page 29: Fleming scratches out  “M. Stomboni” and hand-writes in pen, “Draco”!    Another name change that to us Bond fans, Draco is so well known!  Not Stomboni!”   And Fleming describes his face as a very delightful face, “so lit with humour and mischief and magnetism . . .”  Gabriele Ferzetti was perfectly cast to place Marc-Ange Draco!   One of my favorite Bond characters ever. 
  • On page 33:  Draco is talking about his marriage and the result of his marriage is his daughter, “Terrizina.”   But wait!  Fleming scratches out Terrzina and pens in “Teresa”! 
  • On page 34, we discover that Tracy’s first husband, an Italian that Draco did not like, deserted her.  BUT…..Fleming scratches out “Draco” which was going to be her husband’s last name, and puts in instead Count “Julio Vincenzo.”   Wow!  So Fleming reversed the surnames of her Italian husband and her father because earlier on page 29 he changed Stomboni to Draco for Teresa’s father!!  All on Page 34 
  • Page 29: When Bond meets Draco for the first time, he does indeed throw the knife at a calendar, saying “September the 16th” and throws the knife sticking it in the calendar.   “Draco says, “actually the 15th but quite respectable.”   Very close to the movie. 
  • Blofeld info on Page 50 
  • Page 67 is the description in Chapter Nine: Ten Gorgeous Girls (Piz Gloria in the movie) 
  • Page 125: Piz Gloria mentioned.  Back up to …. 
  • Page 129: Blofeldhandwritten 
  • Page `62 the Walther PPK is mentioned 
  • Page 1`66: Fleming scratches out Harpers and writes in “Jack Daniels’ bourbon”  Bond pours himself a drink on the rocks and added water 
  • Married at the British Council (page 192) on New Year’s Day at 10:30 am.  The head of Station M was the best man.   After the ceremony at the Counsel’s home, Bond walks down the steps to the waiting Lancia, with white ribbons tied from the corners of the windscreen to the grill of the radiator.  This is not in Portugal however, but on the Autobahn near Strasburg and Kufstein. 
  • Tracy is driving in the written manuscript and Bond asks her to pull over because “I’ve got two things to do.”   1) He took her into his arms and kissed her.  In pen, Fleming writes about the typewritten lines, “That’s the first thing and I just want to say that” (back to typewritten  “I’ll look after you, Tracy.   Will you mind being looked after?”    Tracy replies with a smile, and concludes “Let’s just look after each other.” 
  • Then Bond wants to get out of the car and take down the ribbons, saying, “ I can’t stand looking like a coronation. D’you mind?”  So this part is very close to the movie.   Then they took the roof down on the car.  “Let’s,” says Tracy.  “We can only see half the world with it up (handwritten)… 
  • As they drive, Bond notices a speck of red – a car miles behind them.    And Tracy notices it is coming up fast and asks, “Do you want me to lose him?”  “No,” said Bond.  “Let him go.  We’ve got all the time in the world.”  And Bond waves them past.  He hears a shattering roar and the windscreen disappeared.  Bond catches sight of a gun being withdrawn into the red car, and Bond and Tracy’s Lancia crashed on the side of the road, and Bond’s head hits the windscreen and he was out. When he came to, an Autobahn patrolman was shaking him.  When Bond awoke, he saw Tracy with her face buried in the steering wheel.  That’s when Bond sayto the patrolman, just like in the movie, “It’s all right.  It’s quite alright.  She’s having a rest.  We’ll be going on soon.  There’s no hurry.  You see,” and Bond whispers into Tracy’s hair, “You see, we’ve got all the time in the world.”  This is the iconic line in the entire movie, and the Louis Armstrong song of the same title is haunting when heard from this point forward.   

Diamonds are Forever 

  • The manuscript starts out untitled – Handwritten Chapter 1 at the start 
  • Fleming had some major rework with inserts and cross-outs with his discussion with Vallance. 
  • Fleming is trying to describe the fake diamond that Bond was looking at.  He originally typed glass, then hand wrote crystal, crossed it out and changed it to quartz.  He had to change “glass” to quartz later on the page as well.  
  • Chapter 13 in the book:  Page 85 in the manuscript.  Insert describing Bond’s feelings about Negroes.  Probably good Fleming scratched it out. “Bond liked the Negro races but something in him objected to the idea of close physical contact with them and he knew that anthropologists were agreed that the revulsion was mutual.”
  • Wint and Kidd were originally Wint and Gore, no Mr. in front of their names, just the last names. 

 

The Spy Who Loved Me 

Ian Fleming with Vivienne Michel 

  • Spine & Title credits this to Ian Fleming and Vivienne Michel.  Vivienne Michel is the character name of the person who tells the story from her perspective 
  • On pg 9, “My name is Vivienne Michel and at the time I …”   Vivienne is originally spelled Vivian, crossed out and spelled Vivienne” 
  • Most of the edits were minor grammar, spelling, wordsmithing in this manuscript. 
  • Look at the last page as he changed the last line. I love looking at the last line changes.  It can really shape your closing thoughts of the book  It originally said: 
  • I knew exactly who he was and what he was. … This was a man.  
  • (the ellipses were words overtyped so we can’t read them.) 
  • Now says: 
  • “I knew exactly who he was and what he was and everything, every smallest detail would be written on my heart forever.”

 

You Only Live Twice 

  • Credit for the poem at beginning changed from “Japanese itinerant poet” to “Japanese poet” 
  • “To R.M. Hughes & Torao Sito” changed to “To Richard Hughes & Roao Saito 
  • Chapter 7 inserts for page 49 list the poison categories apparently replacing what was originally on pgs. 50 and 51 which are not in the manuscript 

 

  • Not many corrections in this version.  However, there are numerous pages with different typefaces and paper sizes.   I presume that this means pages were replaced in this edition of the manuscript so we can’t see the original 

 

Moonraker 

  • This must have been an early draft – a lot of inserts are in this manuscript 
  • 3T2A0178.jpg –  Title page with lots of renamed chapters including:
    “The Man with Ogre’s Teeth”   Was changed to  The “Shiner” 
  • My favorite Insert in all of the manuscripts was in chapter 2 of Moonraker.   There is a long hand-written insert that was pasted on top of the original manuscript page so we couldn’t see what it replaced.  What makes this so classic is that the paper Ian Fleming used for this had a letterhead of CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON DC.  This letterhead isn’t in the book.  It just happened to be the paper Fleming used to write his changes. 
  • The ending again changes with a hand-written addition:  

She laughed. ‘I’m sorry I can’t oblige.  But there are plenty of others waiting to be picked.’ 

‘Yes, I suppose so,’ said Bond.  ‘Well, goodbye, Gala.’  He held out his hand. 

‘Goodbye, James.’ 

He touched her for the last time and then they turned away from each other and walked off into their different lives. 

 So, 11 manuscripts later, we feel like we know Bond, and Ian Fleming much better.  We’ve gotten a peek into Fleming’s mind as he developed these stories. This was a fabulous outing to see the original manuscripts of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels  – what a unique experience and opportunity!   We really loved seeing the handwritten entries Fleming made.  That was really cool.  We would love to go back and study the manuscripts even more!   Just as a reminder, you need to make a reservation to use the reading room so don’t just show up.    

One final thought:  Indiana University is at a very large university in the US.   If you are into college sports of any type, you can try to schedule a visit around a game.  I scheduled our trip so that we could see the Indiana University basketball team play.  Dan is a big Marquette basketball fan.  I sort of forced him to go see Indiana play.  Unfortunately, the Indiana Hoosier basketball team got blown out.  That was the only disappointment with this trip.  The campus was great, the Lilly Library was fantastic, and Mother Bear’s pizza still is fantastic. 

This wraps up our trip to The Lilly Library at Indiana University!  

Subscribe to our podcasts on spy movies, as we look at connections between these films and other spy movie films, and their connections to the real world!  This podcast was focused on Bond and the Ian Fleming manuscripts.  We have podcasts focused on Mission: Impossibleclassic spy moviesconnections between Bond and Sherlock Holmes, classic spy movies like The 39 Steps, Filming Location trips we’ve taken and more. 

Thanks for listening!   This is Dan Silvestri and Tom Pizzato from SpyMovienavigator.com – the Worldwide Community of Spy Move Fans – spy movie podcasts, videos, discussions and more!  If you like our podcasts, please give us a 5-star rating on iTunes and in Google Play – that helps us a lot!  Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram too.  And when you have feedback, an idea for a podcast, something you want to say – just click the red button on our website that says “Send us a Voicemail”, or send us a message and we may include it on our show! 


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Examining Ian Fleming’s Original James Bond Manuscripts – Part 1

Podcast Episode

Examining Ian Fleming’s Original James Bond Manuscripts – Part 1

Join Dan and Tom for Part One of their journey to The Lilly Library at Indiana University in the USA, as they examine, in-person, all of these wonderful James Bond masterpieces, gaining some insight into the novels and into Ian Fleming’s way of writing!

Dan and Tom of SpyMovieNavigator.com had the privilege of examining 11 of Ian Fleming’s original James Bond manuscripts – his actual typed pages, with hand-written edits in the margins, crossed-out sections, add-ins and more!  You can see where he changes a name that we all know, and then – there it is in the final published version of the novel!
Come with us to The Lilly Library at Indiana University in the USA, as we examine, in-person, all of these wonderful James Bond masterpieces, gaining some insight into the novels and into Ian Fleming’s way of writing!
This is Part one, covering Casino Royale to From Russia With Love, of a 2-part series!  Look for Part 2 as well!”

Related Content

Ian Fleming and the Lily Library 

The Ian Fleming Manuscripts!  Bond from the Page to the Screen! 

How would you like to touch and examine the actual pages that Ian Fleming typed when writing his James Bond novels?  Well, we did and here’s our story! 

Hi, this is Dan Silvestri and Tom Pizzato from SpyMovienavigator.com – the Worldwide Community of Spy Move Fans – spy movie podcasts, videos, discussions and more!  If you like our podcasts, please give us a 5star rating on iTunes and in Google Play – that helps us a lot!  Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram too.  And when you have feedback, an idea for a podcast, something you want to say – just click the red button on our website that says “Send us a Voicemail”, or send us a message and we may include it on our show! 

We like traveling, hunting down spy movie filming locations and other significant places that played a part in spy movies.   Like, when we were in London not too long ago, we stood on the steps, and at the door of Les Ambassadeurs in London.   Of course, we know that is the casino that Bond is playing baccarat in at the beginning of Dr. No – where we first meet Bond on film, and with his now-famous, “Bond. James Bond” introduction to Sylvia Trench and all of us!  It’s also when Ian Fleming met with some of the EON folks early on to solidify a deal to turn the books into films.  

Well, how about visiting a place that owns 11 of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels?  Type-written pages that he typed at Goldeneye in Jamaica!  With Ian Fleming’s hand-written notes, deletions and additions, edits in blue ink?  Well, Indiana University in the State of Indiana in the United States has a special library called, The Lilly Library – and they have the manuscripts!   

The maddening thing is that this is where I got my undergraduate degree.  I knew the library existed and that is was a rare book library.  I knew it had part of the Gutenberg Bible.  They have the letter with George Washington accepting the first presidency of the United States.  I just knew it as a rare book library and never went in there in my four years of study.  Now I find out it had 11 James Bond manuscripts typed and hand-written by Ian Fleming?   What better reason to go visit my alma mater, read the manuscripts and get a chance to see if Mother Bear’s pizza is still as good as I remember (it is). 

Only a fourhour ride for us, we drove down and spent a day and a half pouring over all 11 of the manuscripts.   We photographed every page of Casino Royale, the first novel.   We are trying to get permission to post some of these pictures.   We were able to turn the pages of each manuscript with ungloved hands – touching the very pages that Fleming typed in his typewriter in Jamaica.  And examining every edit he made in all 11 manuscripts.  

This was a thrill beyond belief!  If you are a spy movie fan, and especially as a James Bond fan, we would highly recommend this.   When we drove down there, parked the car in the nearby Student Union parking lot, and were walking to the door of the library, our hearts were racing!  We walked in, signed in, and went into the special room where they brought the manuscripts – from the vault!  SpyMovieNavigator was about to examine in person, the original manuscripts! 

One quick note:  you need to make a reservation for the reading room which you can do online at https://libraries.indiana.edu/lilly-library . You request what you want to read.   We allocated a day and a half and really could have used 3 – 4 days in order to go page-by-page with the manuscript and the published book.  

They brought each manuscript out, 2 at a time – one for Dan and one for Tom.  They set then on foam rubber stands that allowed the book to sit there, opened, on an angle so you can read, and easily turn the pages.   We were not allowed to pick up the books, and of course, not to make ANY marks on these valuable pages.    

Here are the manuscripts that they have.   Now, keep in mind, there may be other editions of these drafts – because there were some things in other drafts that made it into the books, and so on.   The only novel they don’t have is his last one, The Man With The Golden Gun. They don’t have Thunderball either, but that was based on a screenplay that was credited to Kevin McClory, Jack Wittingham, and Ian Fleming.  But that’s a different story we won’t go into this podcast, maybe a later one. 

Here are the 11 they have and we examined: 

  • Casino Royale published 1953  (21st  Movie: 2006) 
  • Live and Let Die – published 1954 (8th Movie: 1973) 
  • Moonraker – published 1955 (11th Movie: 1979) 
  • Diamonds are Forever – published 1956 ( 7th Movie:1971 ) 
  • From Russia With Love  published 1957 (Second Movie: 1963) 
  • Dr. No – published  1958 (First Movie: 1962) 
  • Goldfinger – published 1959 (3rd Movie – 1964) 
  • For Your Eyes Only – published 1960 (From A View to a Kill).  (12th Movie – 1981) 
  • Also part of this short story set: Death Leaves an Echo, Quantum of Solace, Risico 
  • The Spy Who Loved Me – published 1962 (10th Movie: 1977)  
  • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – published 1963 (6th Movie – 1969) 
  • You Only Live Twice – published 1964 (5th Movie: 1967) 

Fleming used a lot of inserts to make changes.  Sometimes these would be written on the back of the previous page.  Other times they were typed and either inserted or pasted on the page. 

 We’re just going to go through a few of the highlights of paging through these manuscripts, book by book.   We can talk for a couple of hours about this great outing! 

Casino Royale published 1953  (Movie – 1962) 

  • The first page of the book and the manuscript have some slight differences so this isn’t the last manuscript. Many edits in all of the books handwritten by Ian Fleming.  
  • Fleming liked to name people in his books with names similar to real-life people.  Therefore, in the manuscripts, there are some name changes.  The first change is actually a company name change.  Messrs. Lascelles de Mercado was changed to Messrs. Caffrey.  It is interesting to see these as he had to go through other references to those names and change them too.  This was before cut/paste, Word, WordPerfect, Word processors, or even Wite-Out.  
  • What do you think, Petty?  Petty is scratched out.  Hand-written by Fleming is the word: “Penny.”   A couple of sentences later, Miss Pettavel is scratched out, and hand-written in its place is Miss Moneypenny!   OMG!  This is where it happened – right on this page!  Significant name change! 
  • The person who he modeled Pettavel after was based on Kathleen Pettigrew who was the personal assistant to the real-life MI6 director. 
  • CHECK FOR A VERSION RELEASED IN 2013 where Fleming had Bond as the real name, but James Secretan as his real name.  From an article by Susanna Lazarus, April 15th, 2013.  On page 59 in the version we have examined, he says his name is Bond! This isn’t until chapter 7. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2309144/The-names-Secretan–James-Secretan-Early-Ian-Fleming-draft-reveals-nearly-chose-different-007.html  
  • Bentley details: changed it to an almost new 1933. 
  • The Bitch is dead – it’s in there! 
  • Vesper Martini – ingredients described 
  • In describing a member of SMERSH, the name “Maxim Gorki” is changed to “Trotsky” and gives an assassination date of August 22, 1940.  There was a real-life Russian Revolutionary named Leon Trotsky who was killed in Mexico.  Actually, the attack came on Aug 20th and Trotsky died on the 21st.  There was a Russian writer named Maxim Gorky who died in 1936.   

 

Live and Let Die – published 1954 

  • Title page IN RED INK: “The Undertaker’s Wind”, which is scratched out in blue ink, and above it printed in blue ink: “Live and Let Die”.   “Live and Let Die was also written in on the left side of the title page and scratched out.    
  • 134 manuscript pages Bond in America – because he did well with the CIA in the Casino job (Bond handling the Jamaican end for the British) 
  • All the gold coins minted before 1620.  Over 1000 have shown up in the US in the last few months 
  • Mr. Big stands for Buonaparte Ignace Gallia.  Plus he is huge height and bulk.  This was added to the story as an insert at x on page 11`.  Chapter 3 
  • There is a hand-written insert for Page 18,  “and don’t go stirring up a lot of trouble for us.  This case isn’t ripe yet.  Until it is, our policy with Mr. Big is “live and let live.”  Bond looked quizzically at Dexter.  “In my job,” he said, “when I come up against a man like this one, I have another motto.  It’s ‘live and let die.”   This is cool because this is an edit to the story and now a big part of it! 
  • Description of Solitaire page 36 
  • Solitaire: Her real name was added as a written in the edit by Fleming at the top of page 53: to Bond: “I will just tell you my real name.   It is Simone Latrelle, but you can call me what you like.” 

 

From Russia With Love  published 1957 

  • Puts chapter titles 
  • Donovan Grant – the result of a midnight union between a German professional (The Mighty O’Donavanweight lifter and a Southern Irish waitress (Grant).  Behind a circus test just outside of Belfast.  Page 11 in the original manuscript 
  • Lots of background details on Grant and his life.  Kills Dr. Baumbartner as a test.   Then put into training for Russians.  He was an advanced manic depressive.  He carried out many executions for the soviets 
  • Head of SMERSH was General Brubozabou – schikovknow as G. 
  • Soviets agree that an act of terrorism against the British Secret Service would be their next move – looking for a target of someone who is admired and whose destruction would cause dismay.   They decide on Bond who had twice frustrated the operations of SMERSH – at the Casino with LeChiffre and Mr. Big.  And another adds Drax (Moonraker) WHO WAS FOILED BY Bond.  The most recent info was Bond having something to do with a diamond affair, from Africa to America,  Pages 38 – 42.  Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker had already been published – so some acknowledgment of previous missions and books.   
  • Bond’s scar: “three-inch scar showing whitely down the sunburned skin of his right cheek”  Page 43.  Page 44: Expert pistol shot, boxer, knife-thrower, does not use disguises; languages French and German; smokes heavily; vices; drinks but not to excess and women.  Knows the basic holds of Judo 
  • Kronsteen and Klebb get the orders to kill Bond.   Page 52 
  • Biela Klebb changed to Rosa Page 54 and  Fleming must scratch out Biela and insert Rosa from now on! 
  • Romanov gets recruited by Klebb page 58 and the dialogue is very very close to the movie.  It is a remarkable job in the movie to capture this moment.   
  • Klebb picks Grant page 75 
  • Bond in a funk page 84 because Tiffany Case, his love of several months, had left him.  They had gotten on very well, because M asked him to explain, and there “was some idea we might get married”  Page 89.  But she then met some American on the Military Attaché staff and they both went to America.   Fleming writes in the next top margin (page 90) that M was secretly pleased and the last thing he would want is “for Bond to be permanently tied to one woman’s skirt” and that is in the final print version of the book! 
  • Bond prefers to fly on the 13th of the month because no one wants to and he has fewer passengers to deal with and gets better service.  “I always choose the thirteenth whenever I can”  Page 97 
  • During a very rough part of the flight to Istanbul, Bond gets concerned, and Fleming writes in the bottom margin with an arrow to where it should be placed: “Bond “smelled the smell of danger.   It was a real smell, something like the mixture of sweat and electricity you get in an amusement arcade.”    Fleming describes Bond as going into his hurricane room – the kind of strong room they have in the middle of their homes in the tropics to protect themselves – he only did this when things were “beyond his control and no other possible action could be taken”   Page 100. 
  • Kerim: “Common blood is the best security” talking about his sons and uncles working with him. 
  • In the manuscript, the chapter titles The Tunnel of Rats – has pages 121 – 177 lined out in pencil.  Yet a lot of it is in the book.   Then again with CHAPTER TWENTY THREE from 178-187, and again for Chapter twenty-four FROM 188-195 and CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE from 196-20-5, and CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX from 206-213 and CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN from 214-220 
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT is NOT lined out from 221–  228  

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Spy Movies & Real-World Connections – Part 1

Podcast Episode

Spy Movies & Real-World Connections – Part 1

Have you ever thought about how events in the real world and other movies could affect and work their way into some of our favorite spy movies? Well, think about it a minute because that’s what we are going to explore today on Spy Movie Navigator. Join Dan and Tom as they explore the unique connections between spy movies and the real-world impact on what goes into a spy movie! This is Part 1 of a multi-part series! If you have any suggestions on what to include in a future podcast, send them to Dan@SpyMovieNavigator.com

Many movies get ideas for their scenes from either other movies or real-world events.  Think about the jet-pack in Thunderball or the dinner jacket that 007 reveals when removing the wet suit in Goldfinger.  Were these ideas made up for the movie or were they based on real events?  Spy Movie Navigator is starting an on-going series of podcasts that cover scenes like these.   We will tie the scene back to either another movie or a real-life event of which the scene may have been based.

In this episode, Dan Silvestri and Tom Pizzato will examine the first six James Bond movies and look at the roots of some of their scenes.  We’ll discuss those two scenes from Thunderball and Goldfinger and also look at many other scenes in these films to identify their roots.

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HOW EVENTS IN THE REAL-WORLD AFFECT WHAT GOES INTO SPY FILMS – Part 1

Have you ever thought about how events in the real world and other movies could affect and work their way into some of our favorite spy movies?  Well, think about it a minute because that’s what we are going to explore today on Spy Movie Navigator.  (MUSIC) 

Hi, this is Dan Silvestri and Tom Pizzato at Spy Movie Navigator.com – the Worldwide Community of Spy Movie Fans – Spy Movie podcasts, videos, discussions and more! 

Let’s start by looking at some of the Bond films –  the biggest success franchise in all of spy films and a few others. 

The first real fact is, of course, Ian Fleming got the name James Bond from one of his favorite books, Birds of the West Indies, by…. James Bond. 

Dr. No was written in 1957 by Ian Fleming, published in 1958, and was his 6th James Bond novel.   The movie Dr. No, EON Production’s first Bond movie, came out in 1962.   So, here is the first instance the real world affecting this spy movie: 

  1. By 1962, both the Soviet Union and the USA were launching astronauts into space, so far ahead of the theme in the novel where the USA was launching test missiles.   In the novel, Dr. No says he is working with the Russians to disrupt American test missiles, in the movie, he is disrupting American space flights.  Also, in the movie both the East and the West have rejected his services, and so he is a member of SPECTRE Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), and not working with the Russians.  The cold war between Russia (the Soviet Union) and the US in real life was heating up by the time the movie came out, so here, the movie was influenced by real world happenings.   
  1. And, in a subtle nod to life happening,  the painting of the Duke of Wellington by Francisco de Goya was stolen August 21st, 1961 from the National Gallery in London.   It was still missing when EON Productions was filming Dr. No.  So,  In Dr. No, when Bond is in Dr. No’s lair, he walks through the lair about to step up a couple of steps, stops and looks at a painting on an easel – it is the Duke of Wellington!  So, if you are watching Dr. No and don’t realize the painting he stops to look at is this real-life stolen Duke of Wellington, you just think, ah Bond finds that painting interesting.   Once you know the reallife incident, then this adds a brilliant glow to this scene, where the writers for EON Productions were indeed very clever and inventive.   By the way, the painting was eventually recovered in real-life and now hangs in Gallery A at the National Gallery in London once again – we saw it there while visiting Gallery # 24 where in SPECTRE, Bond meets the new Q. 

From Russia With Love – 1963 – released in 1963 by EON Productions as their second James Bond film, and Ian Fleming’s 5th James Bond novel published in 1957 (the year the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite), was heavily influenced by the times – and the Cold War.   The tensions between the US and the Soviets was at an all-time high.  Remember, the Cuban Missile Crisis (the showdown between Russia and the US) was in October 1962, the year EON was filming From Russia With Love.  So, once again, EON Productions was brilliant in their release of From Russia With Love! 

  • In addition, check out the book,  “For Your Eyes Only – Ian Fleming + James Bond” by Ben Macintyre.  Here he tells of the attempt to murder Bond on the Orient Express by SMERSH was based on a US Naval attaché in Romania, Eugene Karp, who was more than likely trying to escape from Russian agents.  He boarded the Orient Express in Bucharest in February 1950, and his body was found in a railway tunnel near Salzburg.  It was never proven the Soviet assassins did it, but it is highly probable.      
  • Even SMERSH is from the Russian Smyert Shpionam = “death to spies” – and we will see this is The Living Daylights 

 

 

Goldfinger – 1964 released in 1964 by EON Productions as their third James Bond film, based on Ian Fleming’s 7th novel of the same name, published in 1959.  In the pre-title sequence in the movie (not written in the novel) is James Bond in a wet/dry suit emerging from the water, setting explosives, and then removing his wetsuit (really a dry suit) to reveal a perfectly neat and crisp white dinner jacket, bow tie etc.    Ah, you are thinking like we were thinking – what is the chance of that really happening or being able to happen?!   

Well, let’s talk to MI6 about a similar WW-II operation!  In an article by David Harrison in April 2010 for The Telegraph, he reveals that a Jeremy Duns,  a British writer, was researching a new book.  He found out that a Dutch spy used a very similar technique to infiltrate a German-occupied mansion in the Netherlands during WW-II  From the water, he emerged in a wetsuit.  Underneath this specially designed wetsuit, he wore the evening wear.  His evening wear would make him look like he belonged, and he could slip past the guards into the party.   He was supposed to extract two comrades and escape.   Well, Jeremy Duns thinks that a Brit screenwriter, Paul Dehn, who was called in to polish up the Goldfinger script, knew about this WW-II incident, because he was a former intelligence officer in WW-II.  Hmm!   The original script did not have this scene, and, as said, it was not in the novel.     He feels it is too much of a coincidence that this scene was written into the screenplay by Paul Dehn, who most certainly was aware of this WW-II operation!  True real-life incident put into the movie! 

Skipping ahead, at the point in the film where Bond is captured by Goldfinger’s henchmeafter another great car chase scene, Bond finds himself strapped to a metal table, as Goldfinger is about to demonstrate his new toy – a laser beam.  Here in the film, the laser beam is directed at the base of the table and is guided to rise-up between Bond’s legs, into his crotch and eventually kill him.   In the book by Fleming, published March 23 1959, there were no lasers yet – and so this device was a table saw.   The laser was not invented until 1960.   The first working laser was built on May 16, 1960 by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories based on the theoretical work of Charles Hard Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow.   The term laser came to be an  acronym for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.”   Again, EON Productions was brilliant at integrating a real-life happening, the invention of the laser, into this film which was being shot in 1963 for release in 1964.  And at the time, this was a very high-tech scene in Goldfinger!  We cannot think of another film of any kind using a laser before Goldfinger, so here is another first for EON Productions!   

This scene is famous the world-over for the laser, and for the dialogue: Bond: “ You expect me to talk?”  Goldfinger” “No, Mr. Bond I expect you to die!”   

   

 

Thunderball – 1965 Thunderball was Ian Fleming’s 9th James Bond novel, published in 1961, and EON Production’s 4th James Bond 007 movie, which opened in 1965.   Thunderball probably would have been the first movie produced but there were some copyright issues that were delayed in settlement.  Kevin McClory and Fleming had worked on a script that never made it to production.   Fleming used part of it for Thunderball, and eventually a settlement was reached.  Thunderball is the only early EON production  movie where the producers are not listed as “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.  Here they are listed as Executive Producers (which is a lesser status) and McClory is listed as the producer.   Also, McClory got the right to produce his own James Bond film based on his Thunderball contributions and eventually did Never Say Never Again which is basically the same story.   

But we digress!   In Thunderball, SPECTRE is at it again.  So, we get away from the US versus the Soviet Union and have this other entity as the enemy again.   Remember in Dr. No we were introduced to SPECTRE.   

Of course, by 1961 when the novel was published, we had lots of atomic bombs in the world, and there was an arms race between the Soviet Union and the US.  So, atomic weapons were on everyone’s minds.    

  1. The basis of this story is based in real life – people were worried about a nuclear war and atomic weapons.   Here, two atomic weapons are hijacked by SPECTRE who threaten to destroy a major city either in the US or in the United Kingdom.  So even though EON Productions did not make this their first Bond film, in 1965 the world was very aware of the threat from major powers building up supplies of nuclear weapons.    So, the topic was hot. 
  1. The sky hook, which recovers Bond and Domino at the end, is an actual real-life device developed by Robert Fulton for the CIA in the 1950s.  By letting up a line from the ground with a self-inflating balloon, a specially equipped plane can fly by and scoop up the line and the one or two personnel it was designed to retrieve.  Cool!  A real-life gadget at the time.   
  1. In 1956, a Soviet cruiser came to Britain, with Nikita Khrushchev on a state visit to Britain.   He was the former Premiere of the Soviet Union.  It was also in 1956 where, Khrushchev said: We will bury you” while addressing Western ambassadors at a reception at the Polish embassy in Moscow on November 18, 1956.  So Soviet/Western relations were not good.   So on this visit to Britain, Britain wanted to get a look at this new Soviet ship – some reports say to examine for mine-laying hatches, or sonar equipment, and other reports, like from Peter Wright’s book, “Spycatcher,”  Britain’s Naval Intelligence  wanted information on the potential new propeller system this ship had.  So MI6 sent a scuba diver down (actually, two were reported as being sent) and one was a great diver, Lionel Crabb.  Crabb never returned from this mission, and a headless, handless body was found 14 months later dressed in the scuba gear he had worn on that date (April 15 1956).  MI6 covered up the mission, saying Crabb was lost in some underwater exercise.   Many theories floated about, one being that Soviet sentries were stationed underwater to guard the ship, caught Crabb, cut his air hose and brought him aboard and he later died.  Other theories say he was shot underwater by a Soviet sniper.   

Now, you will remember in Thunderball, Bond is sent to inspect the hull of the Disco Volante, Largo the villain’s boat.  Bond is discovered too by Largos frogmen, as Bond was taking photos of the hull to determine if there was an underwater hatch.   Bond, more luck than Crabb, escapes.  The photos showed an underwater hatch which leeds Bond to think Largo’s entire operation (the theft of the plane carrying to nuclear missiles) might be underwater – including the plane that was hijacked.  Is there a connection between the Crabb event and these scenes in Thunderball?  The MI6 officer in charge of the Lionel Crabb underwater deployment and mission was Nicholas Elliott – a friend of Fleming’s! 

  1. In the 1958 movie, Silent Enemy(based on a true story) – 2 British battleships are sunk in Alexandria by explosives set under their hulls.  The explosives, in real life, were being set by Italian scuba-divers, who were launched from a submarine using what they called, “underwater chariots” – which in Thunderball and other spy movies to come – were the underwater sleds used to transport the bombs, get divers to certain locations underwater, etc.!  In real life, they were using these underwater chariots to bring frogmen to the British ships where they would attach torpedoes and mines.  The British had to figure this out and stop it – and here, Lionel Crabb (who we mentioned earlier) was in charge of the operation to infiltrate the enemy shipdestroy their capabilities of continuing to blow up British ships!   So, in this movie we see real-life events.  Of course, we see in The Spy Who Loved Me, Stromberg’s (the villain) ship, the “Liparus,” has underwater bow hatches that capture the Soviet and US submarines (with nuclear weapons aboard).   

In the same movie, Silent EnemyALSO, there is a great underwater battle of frogmen, cutting breathing hoses and more – just like in Thunderball and additional spy movies to come.   The Thunderball underwater scenes, filmed in the Bahamas, were set the standard for future underwater battles, and the potential connections to real-life events from World War 2 makes Thunderball underwater hull investigations, and underwater battles with frogmen and underwater sleds even more grounded in reality.   

Also in Thunderball, the jet pack, was real and flown by Bill Suiter, who demanded using a helmet which is why Sean Connery as Bond puts on a helmet when he takes off.   

  1. Though the movie came out in 1965, Fleming’s 9th novel was published in 1961.  And it foreshadowed the threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis to the US Florida cities (like Miami, Cape Canaveral etc).  

 

You Only Live Twice – 1967 Ian Fleming’s 12th novel published in 1964 (counting the For Your Eyes Only collection of short stories, and it’s the last novel published before his death), and EON Production’s 5th James Bond 007 film which opened in 1967.  The movie has little to do with the actual novel.   Here, the beginning of the movie depicts the death of James Bond, complete with obituary in the newspapers.   There is a burial at sea for Commander Bond, and when the body sinks to the bottom of the ocean, scuba divers retrieve the body and bring it to the awaiting submarine where it is taken aboard, the wrappings open, only to reveal a live James Bond who quips, “Request permission to come aboard, Sir.” 

Thank God Bond is alive – we were worried, right?   His death was faked to throw off the enemy .  Of course, that means they knew who James Bond was, which is often the case, but that’s another podcast! 

  1. The faked death of spies is definitely grounded in reality.  Google Arkady Babchenko, faked his own death because being very critical of Vladimir Putin, he was certain that he would be killed by the KGB.  In a huge real-life situation in World War-II, Operation Mincemeat (Google it!) the Allies floated the body of a dead man with fake papers identifying him as a Captain who the Germans had been tracking. With papers indicating an invasion of Sardinia Italy and Greece instead of Sicily, to mislead the Germans.  Some stories say the fictitious name of the dead man was Captain William Martin, while other reports say the Germans were aware of the supposed dead man and felt he really knew something.  Regardless, the deception worked.  And the source of the plan came from Rear Admiral John Godfrey and his assistant, Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming.    Yep!
  2. We all remember Henderson, the contact Bond meets in Japan and who has key information, was based on Richard Hughes, a reporter and double agent who worked for Ian Fleming at one point during WW-II.  Hughes did a lot of Bond-like things.  Hughes spent a great deal of time in Japan.   Hence, a great place to film this movie.  Google The extraordinary untold Japan story of ‘You Only Live Twice’ by Damian Flanigan, special to the Japan Times.   Great story!
  3. “Little Nellie,” the one-man autogyro that Bond flies to do surveillance in Japan was a real-life invention, developed by Ken Wallis, a Royal Air Force guy, in the early part of the 1960s.  The one used in the movie was modified, of course.  
  4. Of course, the Space Race played a part here too – the US and Soviet Union at the time were racing each other for outer space advantages and achievements.   So, SPECTRE capturing Soviet and US space capsules is a natural, given the times in 1967, two years before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin will land on the moon on the US Apollo 11. 

 

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – 1969 Ian Fleming’s 11th novel, published in 1963; and EON Production’s 6th James Bond 007 movie, showing in 1969.  The first Bond movies without Sean Connery, George Lazenby steps in to be Bond and to be bonded – married – to Teresa Di Vincenzo (Tracy) – played by Diana Rigg. 

In his mountain-top laboratory, posing as an allergy clinic, at Piz Gloria (Schilthorn, Switzerland  Blofeld is brainwashing young women to deliver a chemical agent that will stop plants and animals from reproducing- creating a tremendous food crisis.  The setting is spectacular – we have been to Piz Gloria about 10,000 feet up! 

  1. In 1968, there was an experiment done by the US Army at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah.  Through a malfunction of a spraying nozzle, a toxic chemical was released and almost 30 miles away, over 6,000 sheep were found dead.   There was no definitive connection to the agent released and the sheep deaths, but traces of the toxic chemical were supposedly found on the carcasses.   So, draw your own conclusion!   So, when OHMSS comes out in 1969, chemical warfare and potential devastation to life through chemicals was very much real.
  2. The Soviet Union was ramping up chemical warfare research, while the US began to downgrade ours.  Again, what Blofeld was thinking was not out of the realm of possibility! 

 


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