Ian Fleming: The Real James Bond
Ian Fleming: The real James Bond.
"Never say 'no' to adventures. Always say 'yes,' otherwise you'll lead a very dull life."
"It’s just that I’d rather die of drink than of thirst."
The real James Bond is Ian Fleming. Why?
From the outset, James Bond is the longest surviving franchise in the history of cinema.
The character that not only became iconic, but went on to become one of the longest and most successful franchises in the history of cinema.
The name is Bond. James Bond.
My personal relationship with commander James Bond began when I was five, when I actually watched 'The Living Daylights' at Sri Mappillai Vinayagar theatre in 1988.
Even though, I'm not a British, I aspire to direct Bond as my behavioral traits are enormously manipulated by the chutzpah of Bond.
According to Cambridge dictionary "Chutzpah", means "Unusual and shocking behavior, involving taking risks but not feeling guilty". And, " Behavior that is extremely confident and often rude, with no respect for the opinions or the abilities of anyone else."
Doesn't the meaning of the term "Chutzpah", encapsulate the characteristics of Bond?
However, the meaning is not quintessentially James Bond but Ian Fleming.
The creator of the fictional MI6 (British Secret Service) agent or the character James Bond is Ian Fleming who was born 114 years ago today on 28th May, 1908 in London.
Although, Ian Fleming was a studious student in school, he was very undisciplined. He quite frequently entered into disagreements with his teachers. In college, he didn't focus his attention on studies but athletics. This is where he published his first short story. Ian was invariably popular among women. He was irresistible. Women chased him. And, he chased them. Alchol and Women were his staple.
Ian frequently disappeared from his studies - a truant. Throughout his life, he did only what he wanted to do, he was never in the control of anyone, and difficult to be controlled - a wayward. After college, he briefly worked for Reuteurs, that's where he learnt to compose quickly. He augmented or perfected his writing skills. He was bored. Then, he became a stockbroker. It was also short lived.
During his assignment with Reuters, he was sent to Russia. His assignment in disguise was to assess the military strength and the morale of Russia as the second World War was imminent. It was in 1939, his true calling came. His name was suggested for the position of assitant to the Naval Intelligence Chief of Royal Navy. Thus, Ian became part of the world of espionage during the second World War. Perhaps, this was the inception of his influential character James Bond.
Upon a trip to the United States during the war along with chief Admiral Godfrey, they stopped at Portugal - a neutral country, a night was spent at a Casino. "What if those men had been German Secret Service Agents, and suppose we had cleaned them out of their money; now that would have been exciting. ", said Ian to Godfrey, precisely the pivotal plot of his book Casino Royale, which he wrote earlier. Decades later Daniel Craig was introduced as James Bond in Casino Royale.
Ian Fleming was instrumental in the formation of The Office of the Strategic Services (OSS), predecessor to CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). He was asked to provide his inputs for the creation of the OSS. This is among his several contributions to the allied nation of United States of America. He conceptualized and led an operation of paramount importance in misleading the Nazi Germans that they would occupy Greece instead of the actual location allies had originally planned of. Another operation of him helped in seizure of German's superior encoding machine Enigma.
Towards the end of the second World War, Ian had to travel to Jamaica on a diplomatic mission, marvelled by its beauty, he became determined that he would buy a house in Jamaica, name it as "Golden Eye" (there are several unverified theories on the reason for the name), and write. After the second World War ended, allies defeating Axis, he returned to Golden Eye for two months every year and wrote his fiction based on his actual experiences from his wide ranging curiosities.
James Bond is an introspection or a reflection of Ian Fleming himself. Now, why the name "James Bond"? The reason was purely incidental. He happened to read a book "Field Guide of Birds of The West Indies", by an American ornithologist James Bond. He was intrigued by the author's name for reasons unclear or only known to him, consequently he named his commander, British Secret Service Agent of MI6 as James Bond. The rest is history.
My love for Bond:
My personal relationship with commander #JamesBond began when I was five, when I actually watched 'The Living Daylights' at Sri Mappillai Vinayagar theatre in 1988.
Arguably, Daniel Craig is closest to the imagination of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond - provocative, relentless, physical, emotional and patriotic, which are the traits originally associated with Bond.
Sean Connery is my father's favorite Bond. His father took him to Madurai Parameswari theatre (Karimedu) to watch all of Sean Connery's films through 60s and 70s. And, my father took us to watch all of Bond's films in Madurai Mappillai Vinayagar and Manicka Vinayagar theatres between 80s and 90s. Therefore, James Bond is in our blood. We grew up watching Ian Fleming's British secret agent James Bond.
After a hiatus of 6 plus years, James Bond franchise was revived, and Golden Eye was released world wide for Christmas of 1995, including our theatres Madurai Mappillai Vinayagar and Manicka Vinayagar. It was one of the memorable moments of my life. I watched it along with my father and brother, on the first day the noon show (Friday, December 25, 1995, 2 PM). I even vividly remember the seat nos (C15 - C17) And, repeated it several times throughout the weekend, the subsequent weeks as well. Pierce Brosnan was introduced as James Bond by director Martin Campbell. He was the same director, who introduced Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale (2006). The point is, the whole theatre went insane on seeing this opening sequence, when Bond jumps from a Russian dam. Indeed, Golden Eye, quenched the thirst of Bond fans after its devastation in the late 80s.
It was the period of photochemical films, not the digital exhibition systems like Qube. The film print had to physically travel from the studio in London to Mumbai, then Bombay (India), where multiple prints had to be made according to the theatres list, and had to be physically delivered at each theatre exhibiting Golden Eye. Imagine, the quantum of meticulous planning and execution. Because they had to meet the worldwide deadline release date of 25th December, 1995
Devotion to soundtrack:
I'm neither an atheist nor a theist, but a regular thinker, like most humans. I never chanted nor recited, texts of religion or literature, but the theme of #JamesBond, since childhood, originally composed by legendary musician #MontyNorman. Even though, I'm not a British, I aspire to direct the character 'James Bond', conceptualized by Ian Fleming, even if not in this incarnation, but in the subsequent ones as I'm greatly fascinated by the inherent trait of Bond, chutzpah, which is sort of innate for me as well.
http://www.montynorman.com/james_bond_story
No one can emotionally own the iconic fictional character James Bond as much as I do. Even it's creator Ian Fleming cannot.
"The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success."
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action."
Why I can't wait for "#NoTimeToDie"?
Because it is the 25th film of the longest existing franchise of 60 years in the history of cinema. Bond is in my blood. And, how?
Why I can't wait for "No Time To Die"?
Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig: The transition of James Bond became a necessity. It had to be done as Bond was drifting away from what Ian Fleming had originally conceived of the British assassin commander James Bond. He was quintessentially brutal, relentless, physical and emotional. While Pierce was exceptional, his outings as Bond became too sophisticated and flamboyant, Daniel precisely matched the traits of Bond thought of by Fleming himself. Thus, not only the character was reinvented, but made more authentic. Moreover, Bond is in my blood. And, how? Answered here:
Two British icons James Bond and Triumph Motorcycles have partnered for 25th Bond film "No Time To Die."
#JamesBond #OO7 #Bond25 #IanFleming #BT
"The function of a man is to live, not exist."
Thank you for your service #DanielCraig (2006 - 2021).
And, commander #JAMESBOND WILL RETURN.
BBC News - Drugs, arms, and terror: A high-profile defector on Kim's North Korea
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58838834
Considering the fact that Madurai is still a tier II city, imagine what it would have been in the 1960s. It was kind of a trading hub for the villages in its vicinity. But for some unknown reason, perhaps it is legacy that the people of Madurai were versatile. Even though, Madras was/is the capital of Tamil Nadu, Madurai remained the political and cinema capital of Tamilnadu, until the so-called liberalization democratized everything. What became a success at Madurai, was more likely to become a success story across Tamilnadu. Now that i have set the context. Let me jump to Dr. No.
When Dr. No was released at Madurai Parameswai theatre (located at Karimedu) in the middle or the late 1960s, our grandfather Bhava Thevar took my father. Reportedly, Parameswai theatre released all of the Bond films till 1980s and some hindi films apart from regional releases. That's is how my father was introduced to Sean Connery as Ian Fleming's James Bond. In the late 1980s, our father rented the video cassatte (VHS) of Dr No, and we sibling brothers and sisters watched at home. Then, the journey of James Bond began with the first release of the new James Bond films and the second release of the old Bond films in Madurai Mappillai Vinayagar and Manicka Vinayagar theatres. That's how we were introduced to James Bond.
Synopsis
Arriving in Jamaica to investigate the suspected murder of a fellow agent and his secretary, James Bond eludes several attempts on his life. With the help of CIA agent Felix Leiter and local fisherman Quarrel, Bond follows the sinister trail of Dr. No to his island Crab Key. Shortly after landing on the beach with Quarrel, Bond encounters alluring shell collector Honey Ryder. The three uninvited visitors are hunted down by Dr. No’s private army, who kill Quarrel and take Bond and Honey to Dr. No’s magnificent lair. Their megalomaniac host, Dr. No tells Bond that by utilising the nuclear laboratory on site, he plans to destroy the US Space program as his first move towards world domination. Bond outwits Dr. No who falls victim to his own scheme and dies. Rescuing Honey Ryder, Bond commandeers a motorboat and together they escape from Crab Key, seconds before it explodes, leaving the final devastation of Dr. No’s laboratory behind.
Cast
Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Bernard Lee, Jack Lord, Anthony Dawson, Lois Maxwell, John Kitzmiller, Zena Marshall, Eunice Gayson, Peter Burton, Yvonne Shima, Michel Mok, Marguerite LeWars
Producers
Harry Saltzman
Albert R. Broccoli
Director
Terence Young
Release Date
6 October 1962 (UK)
8 May 1963 (USA)
World Premiere
5 October 1962, London Pavilion Cinema, London
Locations
Jamaica; Pinewood Studios, Bucks, UK
Music
“James Bond Theme” – written by Monty Norman, played and arranged by the John Barry Orchestra
Vehicles
Bond arrives in Jamaica in a Pan Am Boeing 707; Bond’s Sunbeam Alpine, Strangways’ Ford Anglia 105E, hitman’s 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible; Dent’s Vauxhall PA Cresta sedan, Leiter’s 1961 Chevrolet Impala sedan; 3 Blind Mice’s LaSalle hearse
Gadgets/Weapons/Technology
Bond’s Walther PPK 7.65mm
Bond’s Berretta
Tarantula
Dent’s Smith & Wesson
Nuclear reactor
Dragon Tank’s flame-throwers
Cigarette laced with cyanide
Geiger counter activator
Trivia
Vodka Martini is Bond’s first cinematic drink in Dr. No
We get a rare glimpse of the interior of Bond’s London townhouse. The only other films that show Bond’s living space are Live And Let Die and Spectre
The only Bond film not to have a pre-title sequence
Norman Wanstall created the muffled sound for the silenced gun that Bond uses which is not like the real sound of a silenced gun. His cinematic sound has been copied so often many people believe this is what a silenced gun really sounds like
Production Designer Ken Adam incorporated many moving parts on his sets. In the decontamination scene Bond and Honey are transported through showers on a ‘moving walkway’ now known as travelators
source: 007.com
This organization was not declassified until 1992. When nations couldn't even imagine of observation from the space, they had satellites seeing, photographing and listening to people of interests. As a part of my endeavor to direct James Bond, I try to keep myself abreast of the world of espionage. Thus, I happened to listen to this podcast, while I was doing something mediocre in the physical reality you and I exist, but I was processing this information in the mental reality of my own, where the place for the ordinary is forbidden. #BT
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While what I do for livelihood doesn't have anything to do with my interests, serendipitous encounters have always imparted me knowledge related to my interests. Therefore, I have always and will believe in chance.
The cosmos works in a weird way. It does help me in acquiring knowledge of my interests. It does not help me in manifesting my interests. What am I going to do, if all I have is knowledge but not getting an opportunity to exhibit?
My erstwhile friend, "The Economist", is invariably a serendipity. Earlier, this week, I wrote a column about the legendary "Ian Fleming", a second world war veteran and the author of British's coveted spy, James Bond in my blog. A day later, my friend offers me details on the most important books ever written on espionage.
Authored by Balaji Thangapandian aka #BT - a spacefarer, who is also curious about film-making, connectivity technologies and military history.
mindofbt.blogspot.com
tbalajiocha@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/balaji.thangapandian
https://www.facebook.com/FilmTheorist/
This article is about:
Ian Fleming, James Bond, Golden Eye, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Madurai Mappillai Vinayagar Theatre, Manicka Vinayagar Theatre, The Living Daylights, Casino Royale, 007, MI6, CIA, Second World War
Images Credit: economist.com
https://www.economist.com/1843/2015/11/18/the-man-who-made-bond?utm_campaign=editorial-social&utm_medium=social-organic&utm_source=linkedin
"Before a man's forty, girls cost nothing. After that you have to pay money, or tell a story. Of the two, it's the story that hurts most. Anyway I'm not forty yet."
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