| It's been argued that
Ian Fleming started to adjust the biography and humor of his James Bond
character after EON film productions began, starring Sean Connery as
007. A December 11, 1962, letter to
Playboy magazine suggests, however, that key aspects of Bond's
appearance continued to reflect the image of Ian Fleming
— notwithstanding the big screen debut of his
fictional creation in Dr. No, a number of weeks earlier.
Not surprisingly, that letter continued to list among
significant features a "Scar down right cheek from cheekbone," despite
none having been provided by way of authenticating this in the film
presentation. Then, idiosyncratically identical to Fleming, the James Bond described that December had
"blue-grey" eyes, and did not wear long-sleeve shirts with his suits.
"Wears a Rolex
Oyster Perpetual watch"
The phrase above concludes a description running
less than 90 words. "Rolex" is only one of two brand names
noted.
Yet something is missing here. Glaringly so, in fact.
Ian Fleming was a keen observer of details and his surroundings. And
this was particularly true as it related to collecting bits of fact for
use in his James Bond thrillers. His writing in On Her Majesty's Secret
Service was clearly influence by the EON film production of Dr. No, as
witnessed by the reference to then-unknown actress Ursula Andress as a
star (he no doubt wanted to believe she would become so through the 007
affiliation). Bigger picture: By the time of the
aforementioned Playboy magazine letter, Mr. Fleming had
been on the set of Dr. No as early as when filming had started on
location in Jamaica in the first months of 1962. Well
before the letter was written to Playboy, he had attended
the Dr. No premier. It's nothing short of incredible to
believe that he would have missed the Rolex Submariner so frequent and
evident on the wrist of Sean Connery.
If the James Bond watch was a "Submariner" model,
then, why not identify it as such here?
My research leads me to believe that there were a few
last details of James Bond that Ian Fleming continued to hold exclusive
to himself through that letter in December of 1962. In an interview with
Richard Schenkman for Bondage magazine, Number Ten, early
007 film director Terence Young described sending Sean Connery to his
shirt maker and taking him to his tailor. "I knew what I wanted" for the
character. He put a lot of himself into the James Bond character.
There were obviously feelings of territorial interests
at play, as suggested by Young, himself, in this Bondage
interview. He already knew both Ian Fleming and Albert R. "Cubby"
Broccoli when he came on board to direct Dr. No.
... when we met just after I'd been signed to do
the picture at some big press show put on by United Artists, he
said, "So, they've decided on you to f*** up my work."
I said, "Well, let me put it this way, Ian, I
don't think anything you've written is immortal as yet, whereas the
last picture I made won the Grand Prix at Venice. Now let's start
level."
He said, "my, you're a prickly guy, aren't you?"
and I said, "Yes I am, now let's go have dinner quietly," which we
did....
I don't care what anybody says, he obviously had
some wish fulfillment in James Bond; it was something he wished he
could have done himself. I'm convinced there was an awful lot of
Bond in his own makeup. There is nobody who was James Bond in his
life. I knew him well enough to ask him; there's no reason why he
should have hidden anything. There was no actual person who was
James Bond....
Bond was how Fleming saw himself; the sardonic,
cruel mouth, the hard, tight skinned face.
Actress Ursula Andress could appear in On Her
Majesty's Secret Service, the novel Ian Fleming was writing in
Jamaica when Dr. No was concurrently filming there. I
believe Fionn Morgan's recollection that her stepfather thought Mr.
Connery a fine choice as Bond at that early meeting between the two
which she witnessed.
But I think there was a subtle, yet deliberate
hold on the last, finest parts of James Bond. The lack of full-length shirt sleeves.
The eyes. These Fleming kept as Fleming. That doesn't have to mean a
rift or defiance. To me it rather suggests the sort of good natured
rivalry implied in Terence Young's anecdotal memories of their
relationship. Perhaps extending more broadly to relationships with
producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli as well. Something we'd
see in a family, regarding an object for which all commonly felt a high
degree of affection and commitment to care. But also a desire to
exercise a personal and separate connection.
Perhaps there was some quantum of solace for
the author in having sold the film rights to his creation, but not the
ultimate right to designate the model watch James Bond would wear.
If so — we're talking about a good
thing: Ian Fleming continued to care about James Bond. |
