The Director's Chair - Lewis Gilbert

Lewis Gilbert became the third director to helm a James Bond film in 1967, when he directed You Only Live Twice - the fifth James Bond adventure.

Gilbert began his filmmaking career by making wartime documentaries during World War II. This theme continued into his feature film output as well, as he directed many succesful war films in the 1950s, such as Reach For The Sky(a personal favourite), Carve Her Name With Pride and Sink The Bismark!.

One of Gilbert's most famous films was the 1966 film starring Michael Caine, Alfie, which received five Academy Award nominations. The following year, Gilbert entered the world of Bond. The film was the most over-the-top, large-scale, fantastical Bond film to date. It featured predatory spacecraft, a villain's lair inside a hollow volcano and the first appearance of the so-far faceless Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The volcano set required an enormous construction to be built on the lot at Pinewood studios, which cost as much as the first Bond film, Dr. No.

It would be another ten years until Gilbert returned to Bond, and he did so in The Spy Who Loved Me. The film was the first made after the disappointing The Man With The Golden Gun and the breakup of the Broccoli-Saltzman producing partnership. Therefore, the stakes were high, and the film needed to deliver. Once again, Gilbert brought an over-the-top, large-scale epic to the screen. As before, the showpiece set required an enormous construction, and this time it was decided to build it on a stage, but no stage existed that was big enough - so one was built. The huge 007 Stage was built around the set - which was the interior of a supertanker. And like the spacecraft of You Only Live Twice, this vehicle swallowed others - in this case, nuclear submarines. In many ways, Spy is a reworking of the plot from Gilbert's first Bond film.

Gilbert was back again for Moonraker in 1979. This film went beyond all the others in terms of size and fantasy. It involved spacecraft once again, and involved a lot of humour, often slapstick, silly humour. However, the film performed well at the box office, despite often being held in low regard by Bond fans. It exemplifies the over-the-top style of Lewis Gilbert's Bond films.

Lewis Gilbert's legacy in the Bond films is that his three are perhaps the three biggest Bond films, and although they are not my personal favourites they are enjoyable spectacles. Lewis Gilbert himself said that his claim to fame was that he filmed in the three largest sets ever constructed for the Bond series.

Quantum of Solace - In Review

Having now seen Quantum of Solace several times, I have formed many opinions about the film. Firstly, my response to the film is positive overall. There are many strong points to the film, and there were only a few elements which I felt negatively about.

Firstly, Bond himself. Daniel Craig is proving to be a fantastic choice to play Bond. He is just as good in this film as he was in Casino Royale. However, Bond is more of an action character in this film, so Craig has fewer dramatic scenes, but there are enough to provide a level of emotional gravity in the character, which helps the audience in going along his journey of anger and vengeance.

I also enjoyed Camille, the main female part very much. For years actresses have been saying “My character is not the typical Bond girl.” Olga Kurylenko can say that honestly as her character is quite unique – the only leading lady which doesn’t share a romantic relationship with Bond. Her character, like Bond is on a mission of personal revenge, and a brief kiss at the end of their mission is the closest that they get to each other.

The villain, Dominic Greene comes across as a much smaller scale villain than most, and is obviously just a part of a larger story involving the Quantum organization. Mr White, who first appeared in Casino Royale continues to appear in this film, and will probably do so again in Bond 23.

The film has fewer glamorous scenes than most Bond films – the Tosca opera scene in basically the only one. However, I did not miss this side of the film as this film didn’t really need these scenes. If they were included it would have only been to satisfy the list of things that a Bond film usually has, such as Bond introducing himself as “Bond. James Bond”, which is also omitted from this film. Quantum of Solace, like Casino Royale doesn’t begin with the traditional gunbarrel logo, instead this is moved to the back. I personally would prefer it to be back at the beginning, but it isn’t really that important.

Finally, the music – when I first heard the score, almost a month before seeing the film I was a little underwhelmed. Although, now having seen the film a few times I really appreciate David Arnold’s score and consider it one of his best. I am even one of the minority who like the main title song. I also thought that the main titles were quite good and also broke a few traditions. The animated text was a novel feature, and although it grated a little at first it eventually grew on me.

Overall, I am very happy with the new Bond film, and I am now looking forward to Bond 23. I may have a long time to wait, because rumours are that Bond 23 will only come out in 2011.

Overall Bond ranking for Quantum of Solace – 9th

Anticipating Quantum of Solace

With the world premiere of Quantum of Solace taking place last night, anticipation for the new James Bond film is at fever pitch. Fans in the UK will have their curiosity satisfied shortly as the new film is released there tomorrow. As for South Africa, we will be waiting an extra three weeks for the new Bond.

So what are my expectations and hopes for Quantum of Solace? As far as the plot goes, I have tried to avoid spoilers and at this point know very little apart from the fact that Bond is going after the organisation that was behind Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.

I have also heard that the film is the shortest Bond film ever, clocking in at just 106 minutes. And having seen the amount of action in the trailer I am a little concerned that there will be too much action and not enough plot. Still, from what I have gathered about the director, he should make it interesting character and story-wise.

I have also had a listen to David Arnold’s score, and while not sounding very Bondian in the traditional sense, as there are only a few subtle interpolations of the James Bond Theme, it refers to the themes from the Casino Royale score which I enjoyed very much.

I am greatly looking forward to seeing where Daniel Craig takes the Bond character in his second film. His first performance was fantastic and showed great potential to possibly be the best Bond ever. If he can consistently perform as well as he did in Casino Royale, then this might just happen! Roll on 21 November!

007 Profile #3 - Roger Moore

The third actor to portray James Bond in the official film series was Roger Moore, who made his debut is 1973’s Live And Let Die. Currently, he has appeared in the highest number of official films – 7.

Moore attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1945, where one of his classmates was future Miss Moneypenny, Lois Maxwell. Moore was contracted to MGM in the 1950s, but it was not until he began to appear in television that he achieved success. His defining role was as Simon Templar in The Saint from 1961-1969. He also starred in The Persuaders with Tony Curtis. He appeared as James Bond on television in 1964, in a James Bond spoof sketch. Moore always looked young, even though he was older than Sean Connery - in his TV appearance, he looks almost boyish.

Moore’s turn as Bond came in 1973 after Sean Connery finally left the role of Bond. Moore’s performance was more light-hearted than Connery’s, and it was decided to have Roger Moore’s Bond avoid doing the famous things that Connery did. For example, in all his 7 Bond films, Moore is never seen ordering a vodka martini, shaken not stirred. Live And Let Die successfully launched Moore, and he returned in The Man With The Golden Gun.

After a brief hiatus, due in part to the departure of Harry Saltzman from the production team, Moore returned in The Spy Who Loved Me – widely regarded as Moore’s best Bond film. Moore also regards it as his best. Moonraker followed, taking Bond into space and beyond the limits of plausibility. For Your Eyes Only was a more serious, harder edged film which Moore handled surprisingly well. Octopussy continued the more serious trend, although it did have some very light-hearted moments.

In between his Bond films, Moore regularly appeared in other films, including several for former Bond director and editor, Peter Hunt. He also appeared in the memorable mercenary adventure, The Wild Geese, along with Richard Burton and Richard Harris.

At the age of 57, Moore made his final appearance as Bond in A View To A Kill. Many felt that Moore was too old by this stage. Indeed, Moore pointed out that the women he was portrayed as sleeping with were sometimes young enough to be his daughter! After retiring as Bond, the focus of Moore’s career has been as an ambassador for UNICEF, and in 2003 he was knighted for his humanitarian efforts.

Roger Moore’s portrayal of Bond has long divided opinions from fans. Some enjoy his tongue-in-cheek portrayal, while other find it too light. Moore was the first Bond that I saw (despite growing up in the Brosnan era), and for a long time he was my favourite. Now, I tend to enjoy the more serious Bond films, but I will always enjoy Moore’s Bonds for their sheer entertainment value.

The Director's Chair - Guy Hamilton

The second director of the James Bond film series was Guy Hamilton, who took over from Terence Young to direct the third Bond film, Goldfinger. Hamilton later returned to direct three more Bond films.

Guy Hamilton is one of my personal favourite Bond directors, not only for his 007 films, but also for his non-Bond work. Goldfinger is considered by many to be the definitive Bond film. It marks the first time in which gadgetry plays a major role in a Bond film, which the introduction of Bond’s gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5. The film was also more light-hearted in tone than the previous two films.

At the end of Goldfinger, Hamilton said that he felt drained of ideas and elected not to return as director of the next film. However, for the 7th Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever, Hamilton returned. He felt that he had had a sufficient break from Bond to come back refreshed. Diamonds Are Forever saw the return of Connery after a one-film hiatus, as well as a return to the tone of Goldfinger after the more serious On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. In fact, at one point, the villain was going to be Goldfinger’s twin brother which illustrates how the producer’s wanted to do another Goldfinger style film. The next film, Live And Let Die, saw the introduction of Roger Moore as James Bond. Hamilton returned to helm Moore’s debut, and increased the humour to another level in order to suit Moore’s lighter portrayal of Bond. The film was potentially controversial, featuring entirely black villains, as well as numerous racial caricatures, although on the whole these are handled well by Hamilton and the film is extremely enjoyable. Hamilton’s last Bond film was The Man With The Golden Gun, which was made in a similar tone to the previous film, although the production as a whole seems a little uninspired, although the villain is a true classic.

Beyond Bond, Hamilton directed many films which are amongst my favourites. Before he started directing his own films, he worked as an assistant director on such classics as The Third Man and The African Queen. His early films as director include An Inspector Calls and the classic prisoner of war drama, The Colditz Story. After directing Goldfinger, Hamilton was hired to direct another Harry Saltzman spy film, Funeral In Berlin, the sequel to the great The Ipcress File, starring Michael Caine as the working class cockney spy, Harry Palmer. Michael Caine described the experience as playing Harry Palmer while being directed by James Bond. He directed for Saltzman once again in 1969 with the World War II epic, Battle of Britain. He continued to show an aptitude for action-adventure films into the 1970s with Force 10 From Navarone, a film which I feel is vastly underrated. His last film was Try This One For Size, released in 1989.

Guy Hamilton’s body of work is very impressive, and includes some of my all-time favourites. His Bond movies were exciting and fast-paced, if a little over the top and silly at times. He will remain one of the most highly respected Bond directors.

Ian Fleming's Quantum of Solace

James Bond said: “I’ve always thought that if I ever married I would marry an air hostess.”

These are the opening words of Ian Fleming’s short story, Quantum of Solace. The story was originally published in 1960 as part of the short story anthology, For Your Eyes Only. The story is surely Fleming’s most unusual and unique, as it is not an espionage story, nor does Bond play much of a role in it. The tale is set at a dull dinner party hosted by the Governor of Bermuda. After dinner, the Governor tells Bond the story of a young man he knew, who fell in love with and married an air hostess. After she has an affair the relationship dissolves into one of bitterness and hate.

The title, Quantum of Solace, refers to a theory which the Governor calls the “Law of the Quantum of Solace”. This is that human relationships last only as long as a level of basic humanity exists between them. As Bond points out in the text, the phrase means “the amount of comfort”. Fleming’s departure in style with this story was apparently to emulate the famous writer, W. Somerset Maugham.

The 22nd James Bond film is also entitled Quantum of Solace, although only the title is being used for the film. The film is a direct sequel to the 2006 film of Casino Royale and is being released in the UK on 31 October 2008. To tie in with the film's release, Penguin have published the complete short stories of Ian Fleming under the title Quantum of Solace, which is available in both hardback and paperback.

Kingsley's Colonel

After Ian Fleming's death, the first continuation novel to be published was Colonel Sun by Kingsley Amis (writing as Robert Markham). In my own opinion, this is the best of the continuation novels that i have so far. I found it a very good read - especially the second half of the novel which I found difficult to put down (which made doing my university work a little tricky!).

Amis created very good characters. I especially liked Colonel Sun-Liang Tan who was an excellent villain as well as some of Bond's allies such as Nikos Litsas. As well as memorable characters, the novel also makes good use of location and Amis succesfully recreates Ian Fleming's style, but at the same time pushing it a little into his own areas.

It was a very promising start for the continuation series, and it is a pity that Amis didn't write any more Bonds. However, it would be a number of years until another Bond novel was published. If you are wanting to get into the continuation novels, I recommend Colonel Sun as a good starting point.

The Director's Chair - Terence Young

The first director to helm a James Bond film was Terence Young in Dr. No. Young is widely acknowledged as the man who gave James Bond his style. Dr. No’s editor, Peter Hunt claimed that Young could even have played 007 himself! In total he directed three James Bond films, including the first two: Dr. No and From Russia With Love. After a one-film break, he returned to direct Thunderball.

Terence Young’s life was almost as interesting as that of Bond himself. He was born in Shanghai and went to Cambridge before taking part in Operation Market-Garden as a tank commander during World War II. He later co-directed a film about this very battle. His first solo directing credit was in 1948. Young first worked with Cubby Broccoli in 1953 with The Red Beret – a film produced by Broccoli and Irving Allen. This partnership continued for several films, and when Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were planning the first Bond film, Young was hired to direct. Young had a scare while filming the second 007 film, From Russia With Love as the helicopter in which he was flying plunged into the sea while filming. Young, however was back in the director’s chair in a matter of minutes, proving that he was almost as indestructible as Bond himself.

Young passed away in 1994 at the age of 79 after suffering a heart attack. His contribution to the series is immense – without the sense of style and direction given to the early films by Terence Young the series might not have had the lasting impact that it has. Robert Cotton remarked that “Terence Young was James Bond”. How lucky then, that the first 007 films were directed by a man so well suited to the character.

A Licence To Read James Bond

My literary related posts have so far primarily been concerned with the novel of John Gardner. In case anybody had the impression that this was because I preferred Gardner to Fleming, let me just say that this is not the case. The Gardner focus is because I just happen to be working my way through some of Gardner's books at the moment.

If you wish to read some articles about Ian Fleming, allow me to direct you to the 'Licence to Read' series of articles of www.ajb007.co.uk . These articles, written between myself and fellow literary Bond fan Jason Disley, will attempt to cover all of the James Bond novels written to date in the order they were published. The latest article concerns Ian Fleming's final novel The Man With The Golden Gun.
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/articles/a-licence-to-read-tmwtgg/

The next book to be examined will be Ian Fleming's second short story collection, Octopussy and The Living Daylights. After this the series will begin with continuation novels starting with Colonel Sun, so keep an eye on ajb007 to catch these article when they appear!

John Gardner's Role of Honour

The latest Bond novel that I have read is John Gardner’s fourth book, Role of Honour. I will start out by saying that the novel was a typically entertaining read. But, I will add that it is not the most memorable of Gardner’s books that I have read so far. It is now a couple of months since I finished it, and already my memories of the novel are quite vague.

It starts with Bond resigning from SIS in order to allow him to get closer to the enemy by infiltrating their camp. The enemy in the novel turns out to be SPECTRE once again. I found the first half of the novel quite slow moving – the opening chapter is an exception, which features an exciting heist. Bond then spends a great deal of the first half of the novel learning to be a computer games programmer!

The second half of the novel features some exciting action. Apparently Bond and one of the villains were supposed to have a computer gaming match against each other but this was changed because the film Never Say Never Again had already used this idea. The finale takes place on an airship, and the climax of the novel is quite good.

Ultimately this novel goes down as simply a bit of fun, but nothing too significant in the literary 007’s history. The focus on technology and computers make this 1980s novel seem very dated, but for me that is half the fun of reading older novels. Definitely not the worst of Gardner’s books and worth a glance, Role of Honour should entertain you if you enjoy Gardner’s Bond, but don’t expect it to blow your socks off!

007 Profile #2 - George Lazenby

George Lazenby is probably most famous as being the guy who only made one appearance as James Bond. Comments are often made to the effect that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service would be the best Bond film if only Sean Connery was in it. Personally however, I prefer the assessment of Martin Sterling and Gary Morecambe in Martinis, Girls and Guns who say that “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service works because of – not in spite of – George Lazenby’s James Bond.” Sean Connery’s invincible aura would not have been right for the story of OHMSS. Lazenby’s more human, vulnerable character works very well in the context of the film, and as a result OHMSS is one of my favourite Bond films because it is so convincing as a story.

George Lazenby’s own story begins in Queanbeyan, Australia. Lazenby worked as a car salesman, skiing instructor and as a bass guitarist, as well as serving in Australian special forces. His work in the mid-to-late sixties was as a model in London. He appeared in television ads for Fry chocolate, one his few screen roles prior to Bond! His first encounter with producer Cubby Broccoli was in a barber shop, where Lazenby had asked the barber to cut his hair like Sean Connery's. He eventually was chosen as Bond after showing his fighting skills in a screen test in which he broke the nose of the stuntman he was pretending to fight!

After appearing as Bond and declining to continue, Lazenby never achieved the success he could have. He appeared in Kentucky Fried Movie, and a few other small movies, including several Emmanuelle films.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has over the years become a favourite amongst many Bond fans, and the film owes much to George Lazenby’s tough, physical, yet realistic portrayal of Ian Fleming’s master spy.

“This never happened to the other fella . . . “

A Short History of Moonraker

Moonraker is a title which has special personal significance for me. Roughly eleven years ago, Moonraker was my first ever Bondian experience. The light hearted humour, the action, the music and all the other elements got me instantly hooked. However, little did I know when I watched that video that I was merely scraping the tip of an iceberg. In fact just the story of Moonraker itself is larger and more interesting than I could have imagined.

The Moonraker legacy begins in April 1955 as it is published – the third book by Ian Fleming. After seeing the film version, it was at least six or seven years before I discovered that the literary version was a completely different story to the film.

One of the few similarities between the film and the book is the name of the villain: Hugo Drax. Sir Hugo Drax of the novel is a red head, ex-German who cheats at cards. His scheme is to destroy London with a nuclear missile, supposedly built for Britain's benefit. Needless to say, James Bond foils this dastardly plot, but unlike in the film of Moonraker – he doesn't get the girl. Also, the girl in the novel is a policewoman named Gala Brand. This character was not featured at all in the film.

Although I was a fan of the film, when I eventually read the book the lack of similarity did not disappoint me – on the contrary I found the novel most enjoyable and it remains one of my favourite Fleming novels. On thing quite unusual is that the entire novel in set in England – strictly speaking not Bond's territory of operation. However, he is given special permission to work on British soil, which gives Ian Fleming a chance to show us some of his favourite places in England.

24 years after the publication of the novel, James Bond had become a genuine household name, and with the success of Star Wars in 1977, the Bond producers saw the opportunity to cash in on the sci-fi trend, and a title such as Moonraker seemed to fit the bill. In the film, the Moonraker is no longer a nuclear missile, but a space shuttle. The film opens with a spectacular pre-credits sequence. A Moonraker shuttle is hijacked while being carried on the back of a Boeing 747, and then we cut to James Bond on a aeroplane. He has a fight with the pilot, whom he throws out of the aeroplane, but Bond then is pushed out himself – without a parachute. Of course, Bond doesn't fall to his death – and in one of the series most thrilling action scenes Bond steals the parachute of the pilot in free fall. This was the scene which really hooked me on Bond.

Another thing which got me hooked was the character of Jaws – a character not from the novel. At over seven feet tall, with razor sharp steel teeth, Jaws is surely one of the most menacing villains in cinema history. He is also portrayed in a humorous light – another thing which initially attracted me to Bond.

The film also featured two new female characters: a CIA agent-cum-astronaut named Holly Goodhead and a French helicopter pilot named Corinne Dufour. Also, the villainous Drax is portrayed as a more elegant, silently menacing villain -quite different from the character in the book. Despite the film's faults – which are much more obvious to me today – it remains a personal favourite, even if just for sentimental reasons.

The novel was also not the last literary incarnation of Moonraker – another version was penned in 1979 by Christopher Wood, the screenwriter of the film. This one has the same story as the film, but is told with a very accurate evocation of Ian Fleming's style. Also, the character of Drax is the one from the original novel, as is the Bond character. The silly, implausable elements of the film are played down and the result is a cracking read which should be essential reading for all Ian Fleming fans. In fact, Ian Fleming Publications really should get Christopher Wood to write some more James Bond novels. He is surely the best author in terms of recreating the style of Ian Fleming.

I hope you have enjoyed this journey into the history of Moonraker – but I have still only scratched the surface. However, let me just say that Moonraker remains a favourite in the film version as well as the two literary incarnations. This is just another example of the fantastic story telling ability, as well as the abilities of the film makers who keep the James Bond legacy going strong.

The Art of Bond - Richard Chopping

On April 17, 2008 Richard Chopping died at the age of 91. Chopping was an innovative artist who contributed stunning watercolour paintings to the covers of 10 James Bond novels.

Chopping became established in the 1940s as an author and illustrator of children's books, as well as books about natural history, in particular butterflies, birds and flowers. Chopping even worked on an aborted attempt at a 22 volume work on flora of the British Isles, in which Chopping was to have rendered every single flower.

The story goes that Ian Fleming's wife, Ann saw some of Chopping's distinctive trompe l'oeil watercolours at an exhibition, and recommended Chopping for the cover of her husband's next book, From Russia With Love. The famous jacket, my personal favourite for a Bond novel, features a the combination of a rose and sawn-barrel Smith & Wesson which belonged to gun expert Geoffrey Boothroyd. Boothroyd appeared in Fleming next novel, Dr. No and was the genesis of the 'Q' character in the film series.

Chopping returned with the distinctive jacket design for Goldfinger, another personal favourite. From here onward, Chopping illustrated the covers of all the Ian Fleming first editions. In total, 9 of Ian Fleming's first editions featured the artwork of Richard Chopping. Some of the most distinctive include For Your Eyes Only, which has the striking image of an eye peering through a hole, presumably in a door. Another unique cover is The Man With The Golden Gun, which features artwork which extends from the back all the way to the front cover of the novel, as does the title lettering. The cover for Octopussy and The Living Daylights, published posthumously was the final Fleming novel, and the last to feature a Chopping cover. This particular cover is crawling with Chopping's trademark visual - flies.

He also returned to the fold, as the literary 007 returned in 1981's Licence Renewed by John Gardner. The following four John Gardner novels also featured covers in the Chopping style, although painted by other artists.

Chopping's relationship with Ian Fleming was hardly a smooth one, and Chopping alledgedly disliked both Fleming and the books. He was also unhappy that he didn't receive royalties from the enormous success of the books, and claimed that he was “swindled all along the line”.

Richard Chopping also wrote two novels of his own. These were The Fly (1965) and The Ring (1967). The Fly was described by the publishers as “a perfectly disgusting concoction . . . sufficiently sordid to appeal to voyeurs”. This, combined with the appeal of Chopping's distinctive cover art resulted in a success. However, Chopping's second novel “sank with very little trace”.

The legacy of Richard Chopping's art remains as some of the most distinctive and best loved Book jackets of 20th century British fiction.

The return of Fleming's Bond - Devil May Care

Published on the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth, Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks returns the literary Bond to 1967, exactly where Fleming's original series left off. I won't rehash the plot here, rather I'll just give some opinions now that I have finished the novel.

Sebastian Faulks has tried very hard to emulate the style of Ian Fleming, including Fleming's habits when it comes to the writing process itself. The result is an entertaining read with all the requisite elements, but it lacks a certain something. Ultimately it is just an entertaining pastiche, which doesn't really live up to the reputation of the author or the hype surrounding the book itself. Something which I dislike in all Bond books, whether official or fan fiction is excessive referencing of other Bond adventures. Unfortunately Devil May Care is packed full of references which I feel only cheapen the book. I guess it is to emphasise that the book exists within the continuity of the original series, but the level of referencing is unnecessary.

On the positive side, the book does fit quite comfortably within the Fleming canon, and it authentic in that sense. Faulks brings out a loaded supporting cast of Fleming characters such as Leiter, Mathis and May. The story it itself is quite good, with interesting use of locations unexplored in the original novels. The plot itself is not particularly inspired, and also quite implausible in some parts - but serviceable nonetheless. There are some good scenes, such as the tennis match. This particular scene is clearly a homage to the classic scenes in Moonraker and Goldfinger
, in which the villain attempts to cheat but is ultimately beaten by Bond. I enjoyed the chapter, but story wise it was a little unnecessary. The villain, Julius Gorner is pretty good, with a typical physical deformity. His henchman is also an imperfect human specimen, but with great physical prowess. The 'Bond Girl', Scarlett, is an interesting character although she and Bond have a somewhat distant relationship until the very end of the novel.

It may sound as if I have more criticism than compliments for the novel, but I must say that I found the novel an entertaining and engaging read despite its faults. I would even say that I enjoyed it more than some of the lesser Fleming novels, and it ranks as one of the best of the continuation novels in my opinion. Sebastian Faulks has stated that the novel was just a one-off and that he wouldn't be writing another. However, I hope that somebody does take up the challenge of continuing the Bond literary series!

100 Years of Ian Fleming

On the 28th of May 1908, Ian Lancaster Fleming was born, and now 100 years on there are surely few who have never heard of Mr Fleming, or his creation - James Bond.

During World War II, Fleming served as assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence, which gave him great insight into the world of secret operation and espionage. Before the war, and after, Fleming worked as a journalist, which helped develop his writing style and eye for detail.

In 1953, Fleming published Casino Royale and the James Bond legend was born. A total of 14 James Bond books by Fleming were published, two of them posthumously. Fleming died following a heart attack on August 12 1964 - but his legacy has not yet died out. Indeed it could be argued that it is stronger than ever - the latest Bond film became the highest grossing in the history of the series, and it was based on Fleming's first Bond novel. Also, a new Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks, called Devil May Care has just been published to commemorate the centenary.

It will surely be many years before the legacy of Ian Fleming dies out, so here's to the next 100 years of Ian Fleming!

007 Profile #1 - Sean Connery

The first actor to play James Bond in the EON Productions film series was, of course Sean Connery who is still arguably the most popular Bond actor. Indeed, he is my own personal favourite due to the way he captures the character of Bond so well - handsome, but deadly. Charming but with a cold, cruel streak.

Sean Connery was apparently picked out by Dana Broccoli, wife of producer Cubby after he appeared in 'Darby O'Gill and the Little People'. He appeared as Bond in the first film, Dr. No and went on to appear in the first five films. After missing the sixth film, Connery returned for his last hurrah as Bond in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.

My own personal favourite Sean Connery performance is From Russia With Love. The character is slightly more developed than he was in Dr. No, as well as Sean Connery clearly being more relaxed in the role, which serves to increase the charisma of the character. The film itself has one of the best plots and everything in the film seems to fit in place and work very well. Robert Shaw plays opposite Connery as arguably the series greatest henchman. The fight between the two of them in the railway compartment is one of the classic Bond fight scenes.

While enjoying great success as Bond, Connery was tired of the extreme amount of publicity he received, and he quit the series. His performance in You Only Live Twice is probably his weakest, undoubtedly as a result of his frustrations. He did return in Diamonds Are Forever, and was in fine form, despite having put on a few pounds.

He also acted in the unnoficial Bond film, Never Say Never Again. In my opinion it was a weak film, although this is not due to Connery's performance which is up to the standards of his YOLT and DAF performances.

Connery has appeared in many films over the course of the last six decades, including many of my personal favourite films, such as: The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

Quantum of Solace - Jinxed?

When filming the tanker chase for Licence To Kill on a dangerous stretch of road in Mexico, the crew reported various strange happenings which led to suggestions that the area was haunted or jinxed as a result of the number of people killed on that road.

Well, it might be a stretch to call the roads near Lake Garda in Italy jinxed, but there have been a couple of accidents in the last few days which have a hint of some sort of curse on the film! Firstly, an Aston Martin DBS being driven to the filming locations went off the road and plunged into the lake. Then an Alfa Romeo being driven by two stuntmen crashed while filming the chase, landing one of the stuntmen in intensive care. In another incident, a man was reported to have a heart attack and die while watching the filming!

There is a precedent for bad luck to strike in the making of Bond films so there is nothing new here. In fact, when we start talking about vehicles plunging into lakes - the same thing happened on FRWL, except it was a helicopter and it was carrying the director, Terence Young! The film that resulted was in my opinion the best Bond film ever, bad luck doesn't necessarily mean the film will be bad. So hopefully the current Bond unit will be able to rise above adversity and produce a classic film.

Bond and Blood in Vienna

It is with great pleasure that I announce that my latest James Bond fan-fiction is available to download on AJB007 (see link below). Set in Vienna, 'Wienerblut' which is literally translated as 'Viennese Blood' this short story sees Bond relaxing after a succesful but exhausting assignment. Bond's leave will shortly be disrupted as a bizarre set of circumstances unfolds.

This short story was inspired by a trip to Vienna in September 2007. Many elements from the story are closely based upon my own experiences in Vienna. The awful weather that I experienced, for instance is replicated in the story. The story also contains refers to a real life character that I met in Vienna: Mr Fischer, the proprietor of the Altwiener Schnapps Museum. One of his beverages lends its name to the title of the story. Mr Fischer is seen here with a bottle of 'Wienerblut'.

Also referred to in the story is the Riesenrad ferris wheel at Prater park. This ferris wheel has a Bond history all its own as it appeared in the 1987 film, The Living Daylights. It also famously appeared in the 1949 noir classic, The Third Man. As you can see in the photo, my coat gives an indication of the type of weather I experienced! Nonetheless, riding this famous ferris wheel was a great thrill, being a big fan of both films that it has appeared in.

Also included is a second short story, set in Paris called 'A Chance to Die'. The fan fiction can be downloaded at http://www.ajb007.co.uk/fanfiction/wienerblut.php . After you have read it, why not post your comments on the ajb007 forum or here on the blog.

Travels With 007 - Piz Gloria, Switzerland

On a pristine winter's morning we set out from Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland for a trip to the summit of the Schilthorn, and the revolving restaurant called Piz Gloria. The restaurant gets its name from the fictional based of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Ian Fleming's novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The reason that this alpine restaurant has inherited the name is that it doubled for Blofeld's lair in the 1969 film.

After a morning's skiing at Birg, which was also featured in the film, we made our way further up cable car way to Piz Gloria itself.

The building was partly constructed when it was found by the filmmakers, and they apparently contributed financially to its completion. The revolving section allows diners in the restaurant to view a full 360-degree panorama in about an hour. Apparently the size of the restaurant section was increased in the 1990s, but it still retains the style and looks of the original.

Upon entering the building, I noticed the de Bleauchamp family crest, a memento from the film. I had already eaten lunch, but I wanted to enjoy the 360-degree view from the restaurant, or alpine room as it called in the film. I sat with some friends and snacked on some french-fries (Ian Fleming was probably turning in his grave!). The menu was 007 themed, and contained such interesting items as James Bond Spaghetti Bolognaise (?!?).

After admiring the view from inside, we proceeded out onto what was the heli-pad in the film, now an observation deck. It may have been bright and sunny but it was pretty cold - hence the large jacket in the photo!

Then it was back inside and into the heart of the building where we found a small theatre which played a collection of clips from the film. It was quite incredible watching the film in the very place that it was filmed all those years ago. In the gift shop, the walls were adorned with portraits of Lazenby, Rigg and Savalas and there were Bond items everywhere. The owners of Piz Gloria certainly milk the James Bond connection for all it's worth!

In the surrounding area there are more locations to check out, such as the town of Murren further down the cableway. Also, the railway station at Lauterbrunnen was the setting Bond's arrival in Switzerland and his meeting with Irma Bunt.

If you are ever in Switzerland, particularly in the Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen area then Piz Gloria should definitely be visited. If you want to visit a Bond location, there is none more picturesque!

'No Deals' is a Good Deal from Gardner

After having read John Gardner's first Bond novel, which was a typical formula Bond story, I proceeded with 'No Deals, Mr Bond'. I had read that this was a less 'typical' Bond story, and according to a review on www.universalexports.net, this story would appeal to those who enjoy Ian Fleming's 'From Russia With Love'. As FRWL is my favourite Fleming novel I eagerly began NDMB while on a flight from Durban to Cape Town.

From the outset I found this to be a novel which didn't stick so much to the formula and delivered more surprises than most of Gardner's novels that I have read. This is one of those Bond stories where some of the people you think are the allies are actually villainous and vice-versa.

This novel is also one quite realistic by Bondian standards, and reads more like a serious spy thriller, than the more overblown, film-inspired novels that Gardner and others have written. The fact that the villains of this novel work for the organisation that used to be called 'SMERSH', gives this a nice link to the earlier work of Fleming.

Proabably the best, and most tense scene in the novel comes when the villain has Bond pursued by so-called 'Robinsons' (live targets used in training exercises) in the pitch black as a sort of training exercise for the 'Robinsons', and an exercise in survival for Bond. Armed with such gruesome weapons as a fighting mace, the 'Robinsons' prove to be no match for Bond. The only complaint that I have with this scene is that Bond's survival is due more to his gadgets than him outwitting the 'Robinsons'.

All in all, a good solid spy thriller which kept me eagerly reading to the very end. In fact, of the Gardner novels that I have read so far, this is my favourite. Just for clarification so far I have read, Licence Renewed, No Deals Mr Bond, Scorpius, The Man From Barbarossa, Goldeneye, COLD.

Just before reading NDMB, I read Gardner's novelisation of the 1995 film, 'Goldeneye', which I enjoyed merely because the film is one of my favourites. But Gardner doesn't bring anything new to the story - he merely adds a thin layer of backstory to the characters, and equips Bond with an ASP 9mm pistol with Glaser ammunition. Aside from that there was nothing unique to the story. For me, the best James Bond novelisations are the ones which use the screenplay as a basis for the story and then create something more literary than just a straight rehash of the film. Christopher Wood's novelisations of The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker are good examples.

007 has his 'Licence Renewed' by John Gardner

Until very recently my experience of John Gardner's Bond novels was restricted the latter half of his tenure has a continuation author. Having stumbled across some of his earlier novels in a charity shop, I have begun to explore his earlier work, starting at the beginning with 'Licence Renewed', published in 1981.

I won't go into the obvious changes that were made by Gardner when trnsporting Bond into the 80s without the man ageing, rather I would just like to say how that I enjoyed the novel very much. It worked well as a Bond thriller, with interesting characters such as Caber the Scottish henchman. The scene at Ascot racecourse I particularly enjoyed - it seemed quite Fleming-uesque. However, I never really liked the character of Lavender 'Dilly' Peacock - I guess it was because I felt that since this was the 80s Bond must be a fairly veteran character by now, and Dilly seemed a bit young for somebody of Bond's 'experience'. Perhaps, I should instead regard Bond as a 'timeless' character in future, but it did seem a bit like Roger Moore and Lynn Holly Johnson in 'For Your Eyes Only' (interestingly, released the same year as Licence Renewed was published - perhaps that sort of thing was in fashion that year?)

The plot of the novel is not particularly inspired or original, but the story still works well thanks to the quality of Gardner's writing, and it appears that he was a little more enthusiastic here than he was in his later Bond novels. I certainly enjoyed this more than the later Gardner novels that I have read previously. Although this novel was never made into a film by EON productions, they do appear to have lifted a couple of scenes from this novel and used them in later Bond movies.

I am currently half way through 'No Deals, Mr Bond', and I shall post my analysis when I am finished. So far - I have enjoyed the tale immensely, it seems a more down to earth spy thriller which appeals to me more than the over the top Bond adventures.

Golrush's 007 Blog - Reflections (of a Bond fan) in a Double Bourbon

As the title suggests, this blog will just be the random thoughts of a Bond fan. When I have random thoughts about Bond, I'll post them.

Hopefully they might make interesting reading.