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145-500: The Child Catcher does not appear in Fleming 's original book . Reputedly, Roald Dahl (co-author of the film's screenplay) created the character. Dahl's screenplay was heavily rewritten by Ken Hughes , the director, who said he had created the character. The Child Catcher is a vividly dark character who serves as the enforcer for Baron Bomburst , the tyrannical ruler of the fictional land of Vulgaria. In "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang," Vulgaria

290-616: A comic book adaptation of the screenplay, written by Norman J. Nodel, was published in Britain as part of the Classics Illustrated anthology series. It was later reprinted in the United States by DC Comics as part of its Showcase anthology series, in January 1963. This was the first American comic book appearance of James Bond and is noteworthy for being a relatively rare example of

435-502: A reality competition show based on the franchise, 007: Road to a Million , was released on Amazon Prime Video . In 1958, the novel Moonraker was adapted for broadcast on South African radio, with Bob Holness providing the voice of Bond. According to The Independent , "listeners across the Union thrilled to Bob's cultured tones as he defeated evil master criminals in search of world domination". The BBC have adapted five of

580-522: A British comic being reprinted in a fairly high-profile American comic. It was also one of the earliest comics to be censored on racial grounds (some skin tones and dialogue were changed for the American market). With the release of the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only , Marvel Comics published a two-issue comic book adaptation of the film. When Octopussy was released in the cinemas in 1983, Marvel published an accompanying comic; Eclipse also produced

725-602: A Mark II Continental Bentley, which he used in the remaining books of the series. During Goldfinger , Bond was issued an Aston Martin DB Mark III with a homing device, which he used to track Goldfinger across France. Bond returned to his Bentley for the subsequent novels. The Bond of the films has driven a number of cars, including the Aston Martin V8 Vantage , during the 1980s, the V12 Vanquish and DBS during

870-552: A Mind to Kill , was published on 26 May 2022. Charlie Higson's first adult Bond novel, On His Majesty's Secret Service , was published on 4 May 2023 to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and support the National Literacy Trust . The Young Bond series of novels was started by Charlie Higson and, between 2005 and 2009, five novels and one short story were published. The first Young Bond novel, SilverFin

1015-691: A US naval attaché and intelligence agent based in Budapest who took the Orient Express from Budapest to Paris in February 1950, carrying papers about blown US spy networks in the Eastern Bloc . Soviet assassins already on the train drugged the conductor, and Karp's body was found shortly afterwards in a railway tunnel south of Salzburg . Many of the names used in the Bond works came from people Fleming knew: Scaramanga ,

1160-627: A blunt instrument ... when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, [James Bond] is the dullest name I ever heard." Fleming based his creation on individuals he met during his time in the Naval Intelligence Division, and admitted that Bond "was a compound of all the secret agents and commando types I met during the war". Among those types were his brother Peter, whom he worshipped, and who had been involved in behind-the-lines operations in Norway and Greece during

1305-430: A casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul erosion produced by high gambling—a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension—becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it. Fleming had first mentioned to friends during the war that he wanted to write a spy novel, an ambition he achieved within two months with Casino Royale . He started writing the book at Goldeneye on 15 January 1952, and

1450-462: A collection of short stories derived from outlines written for a television series that did not come to fruition. Lycett noted that, as Fleming was writing the television scripts and the short stories, "Ian's mood of weariness and self-doubt was beginning to affect his writing", which can be seen in Bond's thoughts. In 1960 Fleming was commissioned by the Kuwait Oil Company to write a book on

1595-464: A copy to the publishing house Jonathan Cape . At first, they were unenthusiastic about the novel, but Fleming's brother Peter, whose books they managed, persuaded the company to publish it. On 13 April 1953 Casino Royale was released in the UK in hardcover, priced at 10s 6d , with a cover designed by Fleming. It was a success and three print runs were needed to cope with the demand. The novel centres on

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1740-478: A dancer. In 2005, the Child Catcher was voted "the scariest villain in children's books". In 2008, Entertainment Weekly called Helpmann's depiction of the Child Catcher one of the "50 Most Vile Movie Villains." However, the character's black hat, long black coat, pointed nose and role as, effectively, a Nazi substitute have been seen by some as antisemitic . Jessika Rieck found it "difficult to imagine that

1885-502: A friend, "I am going to write the spy story to end all spy stories." On 17 February 1952, he began writing his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale , at his Goldeneye estate in Jamaica, where he wrote all his Bond novels during the months of January and February each year. He started the story shortly before his wedding to his pregnant girlfriend, Ann Charteris, in order to distract himself from his forthcoming nuptials. After completing

2030-489: A game based on then-upcoming film Casino Royale : the game was cancelled because it would not be ready by the film's release in November of that year. With MGM losing revenue from lost licensing fees, the franchise was moved from EA to Activision . Activision subsequently released the 007: Quantum of Solace game on 31 October 2008, based on the film of the same name. A new version of GoldenEye 007 featuring Daniel Craig

2175-837: A grandson of the Scottish financier Robert Fleming , who co-founded the Scottish American Investment Company and the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co. In 1914, with the start of the First World War, Valentine Fleming joined "C" Squadron of Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars , and rose to the rank of major . He was killed by German shelling on the Western Front on 20 May 1917. Winston Churchill wrote an obituary for him that appeared in The Times . Because Valentine had owned an estate at Arnisdale , his death

2320-503: A high achiever academically, he excelled at athletics and held the title of Victor Ludorum ("Winner of the Games") for two years between 1925 and 1927. He also edited a school magazine, The Wyvern . His lifestyle at Eton brought him into conflict with his housemaster, E. V. Slater, who disapproved of Fleming's attitude, his hair oil, his ownership of a car and his relations with women. Slater persuaded Fleming's mother to remove him from Eton

2465-514: A journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels . Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale , in 1952, at age 44. It was a success, and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels centre around James Bond , an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6 . Bond

2610-482: A keen birdwatcher , had a copy of Bond's guide, and later told the ornithologist's wife, "that this brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon and yet very masculine name was just what I needed, and so a second James Bond was born". In a 1962 interview in The New Yorker , he further explained: "When I wrote the first one in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened; I wanted him to be

2755-807: A liaison with other sections of the government's wartime administration, such as the Secret Intelligence Service , the Political Warfare Executive , the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Prime Minister 's staff. On 29 September 1939, soon after the start of the war, Godfrey circulated a memorandum that, "bore all the hallmarks of ... Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming", according to historian Ben Macintyre . It

2900-442: A licensed tabletop role-playing game , James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service , was published by Victory Games (a branch of Avalon Hill ) and designed by Gerard Christopher Klug . It was the most popular espionage role-playing game for its time. In addition to providing materials for players to create original scenarios, the game also offered players the opportunity to have adventures modelled after many of

3045-437: A long-term relationship with her. After her death during a World War II bombing raid in 1944, Fleming was overcome with guilt and remorse, and it is generally thought that she provided the inspiration for the women he was to create for his future novels. Early in 1939 Fleming began an affair with Ann O'Neill, née Charteris, who was married to the 3rd Baron O'Neill ; she was also having an affair with Esmond Harmsworth ,

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3190-408: A more masculine look. The first strip, Casino Royale was published from 7 July 1958 to 13 December 1958 and was written by Anthony Hern and illustrated by John McLusky. Most of the Bond novels and short stories have since been adapted for illustration, as well as Kingsley Amis's Colonel Sun ; the works were written by Henry Gammidge or Jim Lawrence (except for the adaptation of Dr. No which

3335-506: A neutral figure—an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department." Fleming decided that Bond should resemble both American singer Hoagy Carmichael and himself and in Casino Royale , Vesper Lynd remarks, "Bond reminds me rather of Hoagy Carmichael, but there is something cold and ruthless." Likewise, in Moonraker , Special Branch officer Gala Brand thinks that Bond

3480-566: A number of different Aston Martins for filming and publicity, one of which was sold in January 2006 at an auction in the US for $ 2.1 million to an unnamed European collector. In 2010, another DB5 used in Goldfinger was sold at auction for $ 4.6m million (£2.6 million). James Bond possesses a diverse set of skills that contribute to his effectiveness as a secret agent: Fleming's novels and early screen adaptations presented minimal equipment such as

3625-442: A number of such title characters (e.g. Richard Hannay and Bulldog Drummond ). The documentary included James Bond in dramatised scenes from Goldfinger —notably featuring 007 being threatened with the novel's circular saw, rather than the film's laser beam—and Diamonds Are Forever . In 1991, a spin-off animated series, James Bond Jr. , was produced with Corey Burton in the role of Bond's nephew, James Bond Jr. In 2022,

3770-588: A one-hour show in 1954 as part of the CBS series Climax! . The Bond films are renowned for a number of features, including their soundtracks , with the theme songs having received Academy Award nominations on several occasions, and three wins. Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond's cars, his guns, and the gadgets with which he is supplied by Q Branch . The films are also noted for Bond's relationships with various women, who are popularly referred to as " Bond girls ". Ian Fleming created

3915-418: A one-hour television adventure, "Casino Royale" , as part of its Climax! series. The episode aired live on 21 October 1954 and starred Barry Nelson as "Card Sense" James Bond and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre. The novel was adapted for American audiences to show Bond as an American agent working for "Combined Intelligence", while the character Felix Leiter —American in the novel—became British onscreen and

4060-453: A one-off comic for Licence to Kill , although Timothy Dalton refused to allow his likeness to be used. New Bond stories were also drawn up and published from 1989 onwards through Marvel, Eclipse Comics , Dark Horse Comics and Dynamite Entertainment . Eon Productions, the company of Canadian Harry Saltzman and American Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli , released the first cinema adaptation of an Ian Fleming novel, Dr. No (1962), based on

4205-672: A parachute that has failed. I understand there is no difficulty in obtaining corpses at the Naval Hospital, but, of course, it would have to be a fresh one." In 1940 Fleming and Godfrey contacted Kenneth Mason , Professor of Geography at Oxford University , about the preparation of reports on the geography of countries involved in military operations. These reports were the precursors of the Naval Intelligence Division Geographical Handbook Series produced between 1941 and 1946. Operation Ruthless ,

4350-632: A plan aimed at obtaining details of the Enigma codes used by the German Navy , was instigated by a memo written by Fleming to Godfrey on 12 September 1940. The idea was to "obtain" a Nazi bomber, man it with a German-speaking crew dressed in Luftwaffe uniforms, and crash it into the English Channel. The crew would then attack their German rescuers and bring their boat and Enigma machine back to England. Much to

4495-558: A plot of land in Saint Mary Parish where, in 1945, Fleming had a house built, which he named Goldeneye . (His main residence remained in London, in Victoria ). The name of the house and estate where he wrote his novels has many possible sources. Fleming himself mentioned both his wartime Operation Goldeneye and Carson McCullers ' 1941 novel Reflections in a Golden Eye , which described

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4640-509: A recommendation from him and Bryce that McClory act as producer. He additionally told McClory that if MCA rejected the film because of McClory's involvement, then McClory should either sell himself to MCA, back out of the deal, or file a suit in court. Working at Goldeneye between January and March 1960, Fleming wrote the novel Thunderball , based on the screenplay written by himself, Whittingham and McClory. In March 1961 McClory read an advance copy, and he and Whittingham immediately petitioned

4785-463: A share of takings from syndication. After initial reluctance, Fleming, who felt the strips would lack the quality of his writing, agreed. To aid the Daily Express in illustrating Bond, Fleming commissioned an artist to create a sketch of how he believed James Bond looked. The illustrator, John McLusky , however, felt that Fleming's 007 looked too "outdated" and "pre-war" and changed Bond to give him

4930-505: A six-month option on the film rights to his published and future James Bond novels and short stories to Harry Saltzman . Saltzman formed the production vehicle Eon Productions along with Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli , and after an extensive search, they hired Sean Connery on a six-film deal, later reduced to five beginning with Dr. No (1962). Connery's depiction of Bond affected the literary character; in You Only Live Twice ,

5075-518: A social phenomenon of some importance", but this was seen as a negative element, as the phenomenon concerned "three basic ingredients in Dr No , all unhealthy, all thoroughly English: the sadism of a schoolboy bully, the mechanical, two-dimensional sex-longings of a frustrated adolescent, and the crude, snob-cravings of a suburban adult." Johnson saw no positives in Dr. No , and said, "Mr Fleming has no literary skill,

5220-557: A solo show about Robert Helpmann called LyreBird (Tales of Helpmann). The Child Catcher also appeared in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London during a segment dedicated to classic villains of children's literature. He appeared alongside inflatable representations of Cruella de Vil , Lord Voldemort , The Queen of Hearts and Captain Hook . He is noticeably the only villain not to be an inflatable replica, instead being performed by

5365-435: A spy series for television, Fleming provided several ideas, including the names of characters Napoleon Solo and April Dancer , for the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. However, Fleming withdrew from the project following a request from Eon Productions, who were keen to avoid any legal problems that might occur if the project overlapped with the Bond films. James Bond The James Bond franchise focuses on

5510-847: A term early for a crammer course to gain entry to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst . He spent less than a year there, leaving in 1927 without gaining a commission, after contracting gonorrhea . In 1927, to prepare Fleming for possible entry into the Foreign Office , his mother sent him to the Tennerhof in Kitzbühel , Austria, a small private school run by the Adlerian disciple and former British spy Ernan Forbes Dennis and his novelist wife, Phyllis Bottome . After improving his language skills there, he studied briefly at Munich University and

5655-522: A very nice lady at that!" Boothroyd suggested that Bond should swap his Beretta for a 7.65mm Walther PPK and this exchange of arms made it to Dr. No . Boothroyd also gave Fleming advice on the Berns-Martin triple draw shoulder holster and a number of the weapons used by SMERSH and other villains. In thanks, Fleming gave the MI6 Armourer in his novels the name Major Boothroyd and, in Dr. No , M ,

5800-487: Is With a Mind to Kill by Anthony Horowitz, published in May 2022. Additionally, Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond , and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character , Moneypenny . The character—also known by the code number 007 (pronounced "double-oh-seven")—has also been adapted for television, radio, comic strips, video games and film. The films constitute one of

5945-446: Is "certainly good-looking ... Rather like Hoagy Carmichael in a way. That black hair falling down over the right eyebrow. Much the same bones. But there was something a bit cruel in the mouth, and the eyes were cold." Fleming endowed Bond with many of his own traits, including sharing the same golf handicap, the taste for scrambled eggs, and using the same brand of toiletries. Bond's tastes are also often taken from Fleming's own as

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6090-523: Is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve . The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Fleming

6235-448: Is also sported by The Child Catcher. Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was an English writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels . Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co. , and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on

6380-543: Is portrayed as a place where children are forbidden by law, reflecting the Baroness's intense dislike for them. The Child Catcher's role is to enforce this law by locating and capturing any children who are hiding within the country. He dresses in a dark, old-fashioned outfit, complete with a top hat, and wields a large, butterfly net-like contraption to ensnare his young victims. His eerie, high-pitched voice and exaggerated movements add to his terrifying demeanor, making him one of

6525-456: Is that each one of the books seems to have been a favourite with one or other section of the public and none has yet been completely damned." In April 1961, shortly before the second court case on Thunderball , Fleming had a heart attack during a regular weekly meeting at The Sunday Times . While he was convalescing, one of his friends, Duff Dunbar, gave him a copy of Beatrix Potter 's The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and suggested that he take

6670-487: Is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series. There have also been two independent Bond film productions: Casino Royale (a 1967 spoof starring David Niven ) and Never Say Never Again (a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, 1965's Thunderball , both starring Connery). The James Bond franchise is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time . Casino Royale has also been adapted for television, as

6815-720: The Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service , introduces him to Bond as "the greatest small-arms expert in the world". Bond also used a variety of rifles , including the Savage Model 99 in "For Your Eyes Only" and a Winchester .308 target rifle in "The Living Daylights". Other handguns used by Bond in the Fleming books included the Colt Detective Special and a long-barrelled Colt .45 Army Special . The first Bond film, Dr. No , saw M ordering Bond to leave his Beretta behind and take up

6960-508: The Eon Productions Bond films appeared in print, James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me and James Bond and Moonraker , both written by screenwriter Christopher Wood , the series of novels did not continue until the 1980s. In 1981, the thriller writer John Gardner picked up the series with Licence Renewed . Gardner went on to write sixteen Bond books in total; two of the books he wrote were novelisations of Eon Productions films of

7105-500: The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. Several of the songs produced for the films have been nominated for Academy Awards for Original Song , including Paul McCartney 's " Live and Let Die ", Carly Simon 's " Nobody Does It Better ", Sheena Easton 's " For Your Eyes Only ", Adele 's " Skyfall ", Sam Smith 's " Writing's on the Wall ", and Billie Eilish 's " No Time to Die ". Adele won

7250-711: The High Court in London for an injunction to stop publication. After two court actions , the second in November 1961, Fleming offered McClory a deal, settling out of court. McClory gained the literary and film rights for the screenplay, while Fleming was given the rights to the novel, provided it was acknowledged as "based on a screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham and the Author". Fleming's books had always sold well, but in 1961 sales increased dramatically. On 17 March 1961, four years after its publication and three years after

7395-567: The Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition . Fleming had a long-term affair in Jamaica with one of his neighbours, Blanche Blackwell , the mother of Chris Blackwell of Island Records . Fleming was also friends with British Prime Minister Anthony Eden whom he allowed to stay at Goldeneye in late November 1953 due to Eden's deteriorating health. The scent and smoke and sweat of

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7540-603: The Nintendo 64 followed by 007 Racing for the PlayStation on 21 November 2000. In 2003, the company released James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing , which included the likenesses and voices of Pierce Brosnan, Willem Dafoe , Heidi Klum , Judi Dench and John Cleese , amongst others. In November 2005, Electronic Arts released a video game adaptation of 007: From Russia with Love , which involved Sean Connery's image and voice-over for Bond. In 2006, Electronic Arts announced

7685-670: The University of Geneva . While in Geneva, Fleming began a romance with Monique Panchaud de Bottens and the couple became engaged just before he returned to London in September 1931 to take the Foreign Office exam. He scored an adequate pass standard, but failed to get a job offer. His mother intervened in his affairs, lobbying Sir Roderick Jones , head of Reuters News Agency , and in October 1931 he

7830-466: The V-2 rocket , Messerschmitt Me 163 fighters and high-speed U-boats. Fleming later used elements of the activities of T-Force in his writing, particularly in his 1955 Bond novel Moonraker . In 1942 Fleming attended an Anglo-American intelligence summit in Jamaica and, despite the constant heavy rain during his visit, he decided to live on the island once the war was over. His friend Ivar Bryce helped find

7975-528: The Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton , Sandhurst , and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva , Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing. While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units: 30 Assault Unit and T-Force . He drew from his wartime service and his career as

8120-407: The eponymous 1958 novel and featuring Sean Connery as 007 . Connery starred in a further four films before leaving the role after You Only Live Twice (1967), which was taken up by George Lazenby for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). Lazenby left the role after just one appearance and Connery was brought back for his last Eon-produced film Diamonds Are Forever . Roger Moore

8265-482: The pseudonym Kate Westbrook, who is depicted as the book's "editor". The first instalment of the trilogy, subtitled Guardian Angel , was released on 10 October 2005 in the UK. A second volume, subtitled Secret Servant was released on 2 November 2006 in the UK, published by John Murray . A third volume, subtitled Final Fling was released on 1 May 2008. In 1954, CBS paid Ian Fleming $ 1,000 ($ 11,346 in 2023 dollars ) to adapt his novel Casino Royale into

8410-614: The 1930s, Patrick Dalzel-Job , who served with distinction in 30AU during the war, and Bill "Biffy" Dunderdale , station head of MI6 in Paris, who wore cufflinks and handmade suits and was chauffeured around Paris in a Rolls-Royce . Sir Fitzroy Maclean was another possible model for Bond, based on his wartime work behind enemy lines in the Balkans , as was the MI6 double agent Duško Popov . Fleming also endowed Bond with many of his own traits, including

8555-468: The 1943 plan to conceal the intended invasion of Italy from North Africa, which was developed by Charles Cholmondoley in October 1942. The recommendation in the Trout Memo was titled: "A Suggestion (not a very nice one)", and continued: "The following suggestion is used in a book by Basil Thomson : a corpse dressed as an airman, with despatches in his pockets, could be dropped on the coast, supposedly from

8700-442: The 1950s two weeks after the events of Goldfinger , it contains material written, but previously unreleased, by Fleming. Trigger Mortis was released on 8 September 2015. Horowitz's second Bond novel, Forever and a Day , tells the origin story of Bond as a 00 agent prior to the events of Casino Royale . The novel, also based on unpublished material from Fleming, was released on 31 May 2018. Horowitz's third Bond novel, With

8845-757: The 2000s, as well as the Lotus Esprit ; the BMW Z3 , BMW 750iL and the BMW Z8 . He has, however, also needed to drive a number of other vehicles, ranging from a Citroën 2CV to a Routemaster Bus, amongst others. Bond's most famous car is the silver grey Aston Martin DB5 , first seen in Goldfinger ; it later featured in Thunderball , GoldenEye , Tomorrow Never Dies , Casino Royale , Skyfall and Spectre . The films have used

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8990-449: The American ornithologist James Bond , a Caribbean bird expert and author of the definitive field guide Birds of the West Indies . Fleming, a keen birdwatcher himself, had a copy of Bond's guide and he later explained to the ornithologist's wife that "It struck me that this brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon and yet very masculine name was just what I needed, and so a second James Bond was born". He further explained that: When I wrote

9135-460: The BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for UK Developer of the Year in 1998, and sold over eight million copies worldwide, grossing $ 250 million, making it the third- best-selling Nintendo 64 game . It is frequently cited as one of the greatest video games of all time . In 1999, Electronic Arts acquired the licence and released Tomorrow Never Dies on 16 December 1999. In October 2000, they released The World Is Not Enough for

9280-426: The Eon Productions film adaptations, albeit with modifications to provide challenges by preventing players from slavishly imitating Bond's actions in the stories. For the first five novels, Fleming armed Bond with a Beretta 418 until he received a letter from a thirty-one-year-old Bond enthusiast and gun expert, Geoffrey Boothroyd , criticising Fleming's choice of firearm for Bond, calling it "a lady's gun—and not

9425-450: The Fleming novels for broadcast: in 1990 You Only Live Twice was adapted into a 90-minute radio play for BBC Radio 4 with Michael Jayston playing James Bond. The production was repeated a number of times between 2008 and 2011. On 24 May 2008 BBC Radio 4 broadcast an adaptation of Dr. No . The actor Toby Stephens , who played Bond villain Gustav Graves in the Eon Productions version of Die Another Day , played Bond, while Dr. No

9570-518: The German naval archives from 1870. In December 1944 Fleming was posted on an intelligence fact-finding trip to the Far East on behalf of the Director of Naval Intelligence. Much of the trip was spent identifying opportunities for 30AU in the Pacific; the unit saw little action because of the Japanese surrender . The success of 30AU led to the August 1944 decision to establish a "Target Force", which became known as T-Force . The official memorandum, held at The National Archives in London, describes

9715-505: The Second World War, admitting that Bond "was a compound of all the secret agents and commando types I met during the war". Among those types were his brother, Peter , who had been involved in behind-the-lines operations in Norway and Greece during the war. Aside from Fleming's brother, a number of others also provided some aspects of Bond's make up, including Conrad O'Brien-ffrench , Patrick Dalzel-Job , Bill "Biffy" Dunderdale and Duško Popov . The name James Bond came from that of

9860-427: The Second World War. Richard served with Scottish regiments ( Lovat Scouts and Seaforth Highlanders ) and was the father of author, James Fleming . Michael died of wounds in October 1940 after being captured at Normandy while serving with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry . Fleming also had a younger maternal half-sister born out of wedlock, the cellist Amaryllis Fleming (1925–1999), whose father

10005-420: The US. American writer Jeffery Deaver was then commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications to produce Carte Blanche , which was published on 26 May 2011. The book turned Bond into a post-9/11 agent, independent of MI5 or MI6. On 26 September 2013, Solo by William Boyd , set in 1969, was published. In October 2014, it was announced that Anthony Horowitz was to write a Bond continuation novel. Set in

10150-407: The United States, where he assisted in writing a blueprint for the Office of the Coordinator of Information , the department that turned into the Office of Strategic Services and eventually became the CIA . Admiral Godfrey put Fleming in charge of Operation Goldeneye between 1941 and 1942; Goldeneye was a plan to maintain an intelligence framework in Spain in the event of a German takeover of

10295-400: The Walther PPK, which Bond used in eighteen films. In Tomorrow Never Dies and the two subsequent films, Bond's main weapon was the Walther P99 semi-automatic pistol . In the early Bond stories Fleming gave Bond a battleship-grey Bentley 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 Litre with an Amherst Villiers supercharger . After Bond's car was written off by Hugo Drax in Moonraker , Fleming gave Bond

10440-520: The actual authorship of the music has been a matter of controversy for many years. In 2001, Norman won £30,000 in libel damages from The Sunday Times newspaper, which suggested that Barry was entirely responsible for the composition. The theme, as written by Norman and arranged by Barry, was described by another Bond film composer, David Arnold , as "bebop-swing vibe coupled with that vicious, dark, distorted electric guitar, definitely an instrument of rock 'n' roll ... it represented everything about

10585-585: The annoyance of Alan Turing and Peter Twinn at Bletchley Park , the mission was never carried out. According to Fleming's niece, Lucy , an official of the Royal Air Force pointed out that if they were to drop a downed Heinkel bomber in the English Channel, it would probably sink rather quickly. Fleming also worked with Colonel "Wild Bill" Donovan , President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's special representative on intelligence co-operation between London and Washington. In May 1941 Fleming accompanied Godfrey to

10730-404: The award at the 85th Academy Awards , Smith won at the 88th Academy Awards , and Eilish won at the 94th Academy Awards . For the non-Eon produced Casino Royale , Burt Bacharach 's score included " The Look of Love " (sung by Dusty Springfield ), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 1983, the first Bond video game, developed and published by Parker Brothers ,

10875-575: The background to the stories came from Fleming's previous work in the Naval Intelligence Division or from events he knew of from the Cold War . The plot of From Russia, with Love uses a fictional Soviet Spektor decoding machine as a lure to trap Bond; the Spektor had its roots in the wartime German Enigma machine. The novel's plot device of spies on the Orient Express was based on the story of Eugene Karp,

11020-539: The booby-trapped attaché case in From Russia, with Love , although this situation changed dramatically with the films. However, the effects of the two Eon-produced Bond films Dr. No and From Russia with Love had an effect on the novel The Man with the Golden Gun , through the increased number of devices used in Fleming's final story. For the film adaptations of Bond, the pre-mission briefing by Q Branch became one of

11165-400: The canton of Vaud , Switzerland. Fleming did not provide Bond's date of birth, but John Pearson 's fictional biography of Bond, James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007 , gives Bond a birth date on 11 November 1920, while a study by John Griswold puts the date at 11 November 1921. Whilst serving in the Naval Intelligence Division, Fleming had planned to become an author and had told

11310-458: The carriage and skipping across the crashing vehicle to safety. Van Dyke later commented that he had never seen anything as graceful in his life. Helpmann was 59 years old at the time of the film's release. Helpmann's child co-stars recalled that behind the scenes, the actor loved children and was extremely kind to them, often making them laugh between takes, which made it difficult for them to pretend to be afraid of him. Also, Helpmann often shielded

11455-427: The character Miss Moneypenny was partially based. Clare Blanchard, a former girlfriend, advised him not to publish the book, or at least to do so under a pseudonym. During Casino Royale's final draft stages, Fleming allowed his friend William Plomer to see a copy, and remarked "so far as I can see the element of suspense is completely absent". Despite this, Plomer thought the book had sufficient promise and sent

11600-552: The character you would want: It was cocky, swaggering, confident, dark, dangerous, suggestive, sexy, unstoppable. And he did it in two minutes." Barry composed the scores for eleven Bond films and had an uncredited contribution to Dr. No with his arrangement of the Bond Theme. A Bond film staple are the theme songs heard during their title sequences sung by well-known popular singers. Shirley Bassey performed three Bond theme songs, with her 1964 song " Goldfinger " inducted into

11745-481: The childhood fear of abduction and punishment, making him an unforgettable villain in the landscape of children's cinema and literature. In the film, the Child Catcher was played by ballet dancer Sir Robert Helpmann . Whilst filming one of the scenes where the Child Catcher drives his horse and carriage out of the village, the carriage tipped over as it turned a corner with Helpmann on board. Dick Van Dyke recalls Helpmann, with great presence of mind, swinging out of

11890-539: The children from the temper of director Ken Hughes , even telling him at one point to stop swearing in front of them. In the theatrical version in London's West End , he has been played by Richard O'Brien , Wayne Sleep (another ballet dancer), and Stephen Gately amongst others. On Broadway , he was played by Kevin Cahoon . In the Australian theatrical version, he was played by Tyler Coppin , who also wrote and performsed

12035-461: The company had purchased the rights to Never Say Never Again from Taliafilm. As of 2015 , Eon holds the full adaptation rights to all of Fleming's Bond novels . " cocky, swaggering, confident, dark, dangerous, suggestive, sexy, unstoppable." The " James Bond Theme " was written by Monty Norman and was first orchestrated by the John Barry Orchestra for 1962's Dr. No , although

12180-407: The construction of the book is chaotic, and entire incidents and situations are inserted, and then forgotten, in a haphazard manner." Lycett notes that Fleming "went into a personal and creative decline" after marital problems and the attacks on his work. Goldfinger had been written before the publication of Dr. No ; the next book Fleming produced after the criticism was For Your Eyes Only ,

12325-491: The country and its oil industry. The Kuwaiti government disapproved of the typescript, State of Excitement: Impressions of Kuwait , and it was never published. According to Fleming: "The Oil Company expressed approval of the book but felt it their duty to submit the typescript to members of the Kuwait Government for their approval. The Sheikhs concerned found unpalatable certain mild comments and criticisms and particularly

12470-472: The director and producer were unaware of the Holocaust implications of the Child Catcher and his scenes, which makes me wonder what they hoped to convey with these choices". Aimee Ferrier said that the character "bears many anti-Semitic stereotypes, most notably, his large prosthetic nose, which appears like a caricature. Antisemitic depictions of Jewish people have often included men wearing tophats, something that

12615-469: The engagement to Monique after his mother threatened to cut off his trust fund allowance. Fleming bowed to family pressure again in October 1933, and went into banking with a position at the financiers Cull & Co. In 1935 he moved to Rowe and Pitman on Bishopsgate as a stockbroker. Fleming was unsuccessful in both roles. The same year, Fleming met Muriel Wright whilst skiing in Kitzbühel, and began

12760-525: The exploits of James Bond , an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6 . Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Reserve . Fleming took the name for his character from that of the American ornithologist James Bond , an expert on Caribbean birds and author of the definitive field guide Birds of the West Indies . Fleming, himself

12905-481: The fictional character of James Bond as the central figure for his works. Bond is an intelligence officer in the Secret Intelligence Service , commonly known as MI6. Bond is known by his code number, 007, and was a Royal Naval Reserve Commander . Fleming based his fictional creation on a number of individuals he came across during his time in the Naval Intelligence Division and 30 Assault Unit during

13050-504: The field with the unit, but selected targets and directed operations from the rear. On its formation the unit was 30 strong, but it grew to five times that size. The unit was filled with men from other commando units, and trained in unarmed combat, safe-cracking and lock-picking at the SOE facilities. In late 1942 Captain (later Rear-Admiral ) Edmund Rushbrooke replaced Godfrey as head of the Naval Intelligence Division, and Fleming's influence in

13195-416: The first book written after Dr. No was released, Fleming gave Bond a sense of humour that was not present in the previous stories. Fleming's second non-fiction book was published in November 1963: Thrilling Cities , a reprint of a series of Sunday Times articles based on Fleming's impressions of world cities in trips taken during 1959 and 1960. Approached in 1964 by producer Norman Felton to write

13340-531: The first one in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened; I wanted him to be a blunt instrument ... when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, [James Bond] is the dullest name I ever heard. On another occasion, Fleming said: "I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, 'James Bond' was much better than something more interesting, like 'Peregrine Carruthers'. Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be

13485-528: The heavy criticism of Dr. No , an article in Life listed From Russia, with Love as one of US President John F. Kennedy 's 10 favourite books. Kennedy and Fleming had previously met in Washington. This accolade and the associated publicity led to a surge in sales that made Fleming the biggest-selling crime writer in the US. Fleming considered From Russia, with Love to be his best novel; he said "the great thing

13630-735: The heir to Lord Rothermere, owner of the Daily Mail . In May 1939 Fleming was recruited by Rear Admiral John Godfrey , Director of Naval Intelligence of the Royal Navy , to become his personal assistant . He joined the organisation full-time in August 1939, with the codename "17F", and worked out of Room 39 at the Admiralty , now known as the Ripley Building. Fleming's biographer, Andrew Lycett , notes that Fleming had "no obvious qualifications" for

13775-404: The increased use of technology led to an accusation that Bond was over-reliant on equipment, particularly in the later films. "If it hadn't been for Q Branch, you'd have been dead long ago!" Davey noted that "Bond's gizmos follow the zeitgeist more closely than any other ... nuance in the films" as they moved from the potential representations of the future in the early films, through to

13920-436: The journal Twentieth Century , attacked Fleming's work as containing "a strongly marked streak of voyeurism and sado-masochism" and wrote that the books showed "the total lack of any ethical frame of reference". The article compared Fleming unfavourably with John Buchan and Raymond Chandler on both moral and literary criteria. A month later, Dr. No was published, and Fleming received harsh criticism from reviewers who, in

14065-469: The last two books— The Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy and The Living Daylights —published posthumously. All the books were published in the UK through Jonathan Cape. After Fleming's death, a continuation novel, Colonel Sun , was written by Kingsley Amis (as Robert Markham ) and published in 1968. Amis had already written a literary study of Fleming's Bond novels in his 1965 work The James Bond Dossier . Although novelisations of two of

14210-505: The longest continually running film series and have grossed over US$ 7.04 billion in total at the box office, making James Bond the fifth-highest-grossing film series to date, which started in 1962 with Dr. No , starring Sean Connery as Bond. As of 2021 , there have been twenty-five films in the Eon Productions series . The most recent Bond film, No Time to Die (2021), stars Daniel Craig in his fifth portrayal of Bond; he

14355-450: The manuscript for Casino Royale , Fleming showed it to his friend (and later editor) William Plomer to read. Plomer liked it and submitted it to the publishers, Jonathan Cape , who did not like it as much. Cape finally published it in 1953 on the recommendation of Fleming's older brother Peter , an established travel writer. Between 1953 and 1966, two years after his death, twelve novels and two short-story collections were published, with

14500-729: The material had appeared in The Sunday Times and was based on Fleming's interviews with John Collard, a member of the International Diamond Security Organisation who had previously worked in MI5 . The book received mixed reviews in the UK and US. For the first five books ( Casino Royale , Live and Let Die , Moonraker , Diamonds Are Forever and From Russia, with Love ) Fleming received broadly positive reviews. That began to change in March 1958 when Bernard Bergonzi , in

14645-399: The most memorable and frightening villains in children's literature and film. His background, while not extensively detailed in the original film or the musical, is framed by his role as a tool of tyranny. He operates with a cunning and deceitful nature, using tricks and disguises to lure children out of hiding. For instance, he famously uses the guise of a candy seller, enticing children with

14790-471: The motifs that ran through the series. Dr. No provided no spy-related gadgets, but a Geiger counter was used; industrial designer Andy Davey observed that the first ever onscreen spy-gadget was the attaché case shown in From Russia with Love , which he described as "a classic 007 product". The gadgets assumed a higher profile in the 1964 film Goldfinger . The film's success encouraged further espionage equipment from Q Branch to be supplied to Bond, although

14935-612: The occupation of Denmark. He ended his service on 16 August 1952, when he was removed from the active list of the RNVR with the rank of lieutenant-commander. Upon Fleming's demobilisation in May 1945, he became the foreign manager in the Kemsley newspaper group , which at the time owned The Sunday Times . In this role he oversaw the paper's worldwide network of correspondents. His contract allowed him to take three months' holiday every winter, which he took in Jamaica. Fleming worked full-time for

15080-456: The official film series. Ian Lancaster Fleming was born on 28 May 1908, at 27  Green Street in the wealthy London district of Mayfair . His mother was Evelyn "Eve" Fleming , née Rose, and his father was Valentine Fleming , the Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 to 1917. As an infant he briefly lived with his family at Braziers Park in Oxfordshire. Fleming was

15225-536: The organisation declined, although he retained control over 30AU. Fleming was unpopular with the unit's members, who disliked his referring to them as his "Red Indians". Before the 1944 Normandy landings , most of 30AU's operations were in the Mediterranean, although it is possible that it secretly participated in the Dieppe Raid in a failed pinch raid for an Enigma machine and related materials. Fleming observed

15370-462: The paper until December 1959, but continued to write articles and attend the Tuesday weekly meetings until at least 1961. After Anne Charteris's first husband died in the war, she expected to marry Fleming, but he decided to remain a bachelor. On 28 June 1945, she married the second Viscount Rothermere . Nevertheless, Charteris continued her affair with Fleming, travelling to Jamaica to see him under

15515-440: The passages referring to the adventurous past of the country which now wishes to be 'civilised' in every respect and forget its romantic origins." Fleming followed the disappointment of For Your Eyes Only with Thunderball , the novelisation of a film script on which he had worked with others. The work had started in 1958 when Fleming's friend Ivar Bryce introduced him to a young Irish writer and director, Kevin McClory , and

15660-410: The pretext of visiting his friend and neighbour Noël Coward . In 1948 she gave birth to Fleming's daughter, Mary, who was stillborn . Rothermere divorced Charteris in 1951 because of her relationship with Fleming, and the couple married on 24 March 1952 in Jamaica, a few months before their son Caspar was born in August. Both Fleming and Ann had affairs during their marriage, she with Hugh Gaitskell ,

15805-478: The principal villain in The Man with the Golden Gun , was named after a fellow Eton schoolboy with whom Fleming fought; Goldfinger , from the eponymous novel, was named after British architect Ernő Goldfinger , whose work Fleming abhorred; Sir Hugo Drax , the antagonist of Moonraker , was named after Fleming's acquaintance Admiral Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax ; Drax's assistant, Krebs, bears

15950-428: The promise of sweets—a stark contrast to his otherwise dark persona. This juxtaposition of inviting promises with sinister intentions enhances his role as a terrifying figure in a children's story. The inclusion of the Child Catcher added a layer of memorable terror to the film and later stage shows, effectively embodying the fears and anxieties children often have towards malevolent adults. The character taps deeply into

16095-523: The raid from HMS Fernie , 700 yards offshore. Because of its successes in Sicily and Italy, 30AU became greatly trusted by naval intelligence. In March 1944 Fleming oversaw the distribution of intelligence to Royal Navy units in preparation for Operation Overlord . He was replaced as head of 30AU on 6 June 1944, but maintained some involvement. He visited 30AU in the field during and after Overlord, especially following an attack on Cherbourg for which he

16240-591: The role of Bond. The result of a court case in the High Court in London in 1963 allowed Kevin McClory to produce a remake of Thunderball titled Never Say Never Again in 1983. The film, produced by Jack Schwartzman 's Taliafilm production company and starring Sean Connery as Bond, was not part of the Eon series of Bond films. In 1997, the Sony Corporation acquired all or some of McClory's rights in an undisclosed deal, which were then subsequently acquired by MGM , whilst on 4 December 1997, MGM announced that

16385-468: The role. As part of his appointment, Fleming was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in July 1939, initially as lieutenant , but was promoted to lieutenant commander a few months later. Fleming proved invaluable as Godfrey's personal assistant and excelled in administration. Godfrey was known as an abrasive character who made enemies within government circles. He frequently used Fleming as

16530-450: The same golf handicap, his taste for scrambled eggs, his love of gambling, and use of the same brand of toiletries. After the publication of Casino Royale , Fleming used his annual holiday at his house in Jamaica to write another Bond story. Twelve Bond novels and two short-story collections were published between 1953 and 1966, the last two ( The Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy and The Living Daylights ) posthumously. Much of

16675-461: The same name as Hitler's last Chief of Staff ; and one of the homosexual villains from Diamonds Are Forever , "Boofy" Kidd, was named after one of Fleming's close friends—and a relative of his wife— Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran , known as Boofy to his friends. Fleming's first work of non-fiction, The Diamond Smugglers , was published in 1957 and was partly based on background research for his fourth Bond novel, Diamonds Are Forever . Much of

16820-458: The same name: Licence to Kill and GoldenEye . Gardner moved the Bond series into the 1980s, although he retained the ages of the characters as they were when Fleming had left them. In 1996, Gardner retired from writing James Bond books due to ill health. In 1996, the American author Raymond Benson became the author of the Bond novels. Benson had previously been the author of The James Bond Bedside Companion , first published in 1984. By

16965-525: The territory. Fleming's plan involved maintaining communication with Gibraltar and launching sabotage operations against the Nazis. In 1941 he liaised with Donovan over American involvement in a measure intended to ensure the Germans did not dominate the seaways. In 1942 Fleming formed a unit of commandos , known as No. 30 Commando or 30 Assault Unit (30AU), composed of specialist intelligence troops. 30AU's job

17110-413: The three, together with Fleming and Bryce's friend Ernest Cuneo , worked on a script. In October McClory introduced experienced screenwriter Jack Whittingham to the newly formed team, and by December 1959 McClory and Whittingham sent Fleming a script. Fleming had been having second thoughts on McClory's involvement and, in January 1960, explained his intention of delivering the screenplay to MCA , with

17255-488: The time he moved on to other, non-Bond related projects in 2002, Benson had written six Bond novels, three novelisations and three short stories. After a gap of six years, Sebastian Faulks was commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications to write a new Bond novel, which was released on 28 May 2008, the 100th anniversary of Fleming's birth. The book—titled Devil May Care —was published in the UK by Penguin Books and by Doubleday in

17400-468: The time to write up the bedtime story that Fleming used to tell to his son Caspar each evening. Fleming attacked the project with gusto and wrote to his publisher, Michael Howard of Jonathan Cape, joking that "There is not a moment, even on the edge of the tomb, when I am not slaving for you"; the result was Fleming's only children's novel, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang , which was published in October 1964, two months after his death. In June 1961 Fleming sold

17545-445: The titular character , a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming , who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have written authorised Bond novels or novelisations: Kingsley Amis , Christopher Wood , John Gardner , Raymond Benson , Sebastian Faulks , Jeffery Deaver , William Boyd , and Anthony Horowitz . The latest novel

17690-459: The unit's primary role: "T-Force = Target Force, to guard and secure documents, persons, equipment, with combat and Intelligence personnel, after capture of large towns, ports etc. in liberated and enemy territory." Fleming sat on the committee that selected the targets for the T-Force unit, and listed them in the "Black Books" that were issued to the unit's officers. The infantry component of T-Force

17835-515: The use of British naval bases in the Caribbean by the American navy. Fleming was demobilised in May 1945, but remained in the RNVR for several years, receiving a promotion to substantive lieutenant-commander (Special Branch) on 26 July 1947. In October 1947, he was awarded the King Christian X's Liberty Medal for his contribution in assisting Danish officers escaping from Denmark to Britain during

17980-443: The war. Fleming envisaged that Bond would resemble the composer, singer and actor Hoagy Carmichael ; others, such as author and historian Ben Macintyre , identify aspects of Fleming's own looks in his description of Bond. General references in the novels describe Bond as having "dark, rather cruel good looks". Fleming also modelled aspects of Bond on Conrad O'Brien-ffrench , a spy whom Fleming had met while skiing in Kitzbühel in

18125-513: The words of Ben Macintyre, "rounded on Fleming, almost as a pack". The most strongly worded of the critiques came from Paul Johnson of the New Statesman , who, in his review "Sex, Snobbery and Sadism", called the novel "without doubt, the nastiest book I have ever read". Johnson went on to say that "by the time I was a third of the way through, I had to suppress a strong impulse to throw the thing away". Johnson recognised that in Bond there "was

18270-468: Was also adapted and released as a graphic novel on 2 October 2008 by Puffin Books. In October 2013 Ian Fleming Publications announced that Stephen Cole would continue the series, with the first edition scheduled to be released in Autumn 2014. The Moneypenny Diaries are a trilogy of novels chronicling the life of Miss Moneypenny , M 's personal secretary. The novels are written by Samantha Weinberg under

18415-487: Was appointed to the role of 007 for Live and Let Die (1973). He played Bond a further six times over twelve years, before being replaced by Timothy Dalton for two films. After a six-year hiatus, during which a legal wrangle threatened Eon's productions of the Bond films, Irish actor Pierce Brosnan was cast as Bond in GoldenEye (1995); he remained in the role for a total of four films through 2002. In 2006, Daniel Craig

18560-503: Was called the Trout Memo and compared the deception of an enemy in wartime to fly fishing . The memo contained several schemes to be considered for use against the Axis powers to lure U-boats and German surface ships towards minefields. Number 28 on the list was an idea to plant misleading papers on a corpse that would be found by the enemy; the suggestion is similar to Operation Mincemeat ,

18705-691: Was commemorated on the Glenelg War Memorial. Fleming's elder brother Peter became a travel writer and married actress Celia Johnson . Peter served with the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, was later commissioned under Colin Gubbins to help establish the Auxiliary Units , and became involved in behind-the-lines operations in Norway and Greece during the war. Fleming had two younger brothers, Richard and Michael, who also served in

18850-498: Was concerned that the unit had been incorrectly used as a regular commando force rather than an intelligence-gathering unit. This wasted the men's specialist skills, risked their safety on operations that did not justify the use of such skilled operatives, and threatened the vital gathering of intelligence. Afterwards, the management of these units was revised. He also followed the unit into Germany after it located, in Tambach Castle,

18995-515: Was dramatised for Radio 4; it featured a full cast again starring Stephens as Bond. In May 2014 Stephens again played Bond, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service , with Alfred Molina as Blofeld, and Joanna Lumley (who appeared in the 1969 film adaptation) as Irma Bunt. In 1957, the Daily Express approached Ian Fleming to adapt his stories into comic strips, offering him £1,500 per novel and

19140-409: Was finished writing no later than 16 February 1952, averaging more than 2,000 words per day. He claimed afterwards that he wrote the novel to distract himself from his forthcoming wedding to the pregnant Charteris, and called the work his "dreadful oafish opus". His manuscript was typed in London by Joan Howe (mother of travel writer Rory MacLean ), Fleming's red-haired secretary at The Times on whom

19285-586: Was given a position as a sub-editor and journalist for the company. In April 1933 Fleming spent time in Moscow , where he covered the Stalinist show trial of six engineers from the British company Metropolitan-Vickers . While there he applied for an interview with Soviet premier Joseph Stalin , and was amazed to receive a personally signed note apologising for not being able to attend. Upon returning from Moscow he ended

19430-414: Was given the role for Casino Royale (2006), which rebooted the series. Craig appeared for a total of five films. The series has grossed well over $ 7 billion to date, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film series . In 1967, Casino Royale was adapted into a parody Bond film starring David Niven as Sir James Bond and Ursula Andress as Vesper Lynd. Niven had been Fleming's preference for

19575-430: Was his behaviour, with Bond's love of golf and gambling mirroring Fleming's own. Fleming used his experiences of his career in espionage and all other aspects of his life as inspiration when writing, including using names of school friends, acquaintances, relatives and lovers throughout his books. It was not until the penultimate novel, You Only Live Twice , that Fleming gave Bond a sense of family background. The book

19720-505: Was in part made up of the 5th Battalion , King's Regiment , which supported the Second Army . It was responsible for securing targets of interest for the British military, including nuclear laboratories, gas research centres and individual rocket scientists. The unit's most notable discoveries came during the advance on the German port of Kiel , in the research centre for German engines used in

19865-483: Was married to Anne Charteris . She had divorced her husband, the 2nd Viscount Rothermere , because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Charteris had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by six actors in

20010-477: Was played by David Suchet . Following its success, a second story was adapted and on 3 April 2010 BBC Radio 4 broadcast Goldfinger with Stephens again playing Bond. Sir Ian McKellen was Goldfinger and Stephens' Die Another Day co-star Rosamund Pike played Pussy Galore. The play was adapted from Fleming's novel by Archie Scottney and was directed by Martin Jarvis . In 2012, the novel From Russia, with Love

20155-449: Was released for the Atari 2600 , Atari 5200 , Atari 8-bit computers , Commodore 64 , and ColecoVision . Since then, there have been numerous video games either based on the films or using original storylines. In 1997, the first-person shooter video game GoldenEye 007 was developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 , based on GoldenEye . The game received highly positive reviews, won

20300-681: Was released for the Wii and a handheld version for the Nintendo DS in November 2010. A year later a new version was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 under the title GoldenEye 007: Reloaded . In October 2012 007 Legends was released, which featured one mission from each of the Bond actors of the Eon Productions' series. In November 2020, IO Interactive announced Project 007 , an original James Bond video game, working closely with licensors MGM and Eon Productions . From 1983 to 1987,

20445-521: Was renamed "Clarence Leiter". In 1964 Roger Moore appeared as "James Bond" in an extended comedy sketch opposite Millicent Martin in her ATV TV series Mainly Millicent , which also makes reference to "007". It was written by Dick Hills and Sid Green . Undiscovered for several years, it reappeared as an extra in the DVD and Blu-ray release of Live and Let Die . In 1973, a BBC documentary Omnibus : The British Hero featured Christopher Cazenove playing

20590-529: Was the artist Augustus John . Amaryllis was conceived during a long-term affair between John and Evelyn which had started in 1923, six years after the death of Valentine. In 1914 Fleming attended Durnford School , a preparatory school on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset . He did not enjoy his time at Durnford; he suffered unpalatable food, physical hardship and bullying. In 1921 Fleming enrolled at Eton College . Not

20735-463: Was the first to be written after the release of Dr. No in cinemas, and Sean Connery 's depiction of Bond affected Fleming's interpretation of the character, henceforth giving Bond both a dry sense of humour and Scottish antecedents that were not present in the previous stories. In a fictional obituary, purportedly published in The Times , Bond's parents were given as Andrew Bond, from the village of Glencoe , Scotland , and Monique Delacroix, from

20880-461: Was to be near the front line of an advance—sometimes in front of it—to seize enemy documents from previously targeted headquarters. The unit was based on a German group headed by Otto Skorzeny , who had undertaken similar activities in the Battle of Crete in May 1941. The German unit was thought by Fleming to be "one of the most outstanding innovations in German intelligence". Fleming did not fight in

21025-490: Was written by future Modesty Blaise creator Peter O'Donnell ) with Yaroslav Horak replacing McClusky as artist in 1966. After the Fleming and Amis material had been adapted, original stories were produced, continuing in the Daily Express and Sunday Express until May 1977. Several comic book adaptations of the James Bond films have been published through the years: at the time of Dr. No 's release in October 1962,

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