tugs@utcsrgv.UUCP (Stephen Hull) (10/13/83)
I thought I posted something about this six months ago. If so, sorry
to repeat myself.
Kevin McClory approached Ian Fleming one day many years ago with the
idea of writing a James Bond movie. They got together and half-completed
a screenplay. Things fell by the wayside, and when Fleming went off to
Jamaica for his annual writing vacation, he took the uncompleted screenplay
with him. This screenplay became the novel "Thunderball".
Some time later, Fleming made a deal with Harry Saltzman and Albert
Broccoli to have a series of James Bond films. Over the next few years,
Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger came out and Fleming died
of lung cancer (ever see a photo of him *without* a cigarette in his
hand? the evidence continues to mount...).
Saltzman and Broccoli next decided to make the film "Thunderball". Kevin
McClory heard about it and decided to sue them, since he was (indirectly) the
co-author of it.
(It should be noted that S&B had acquired exclusive rights to all the Bond
novels, with the exception of Casino Royale -- probably because it had been
made into a TV special back around 1954 starring Barry Nelson as James Bond
-- remember that, trivia fans. S&B's rights were to make films with the
Bond characters and the novels' *titles*: hence the almost nonexistent
relation between the movie and novel plots. Casino Royale was, of course,
made into a Bond movie with David Niven in the title role (more trivia),
and Ursula Andress, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen as Bond relatives and
JB impersonators. Burt Bacharach wrote the music...)
Where was I? Oh, yes...
McClory's suit was successful. He got some bucks and his name on the
film as "Executive Producer". He apparently wasn't satisfied, however,
for he continued to legally hassle S&B throughout the Sixties. I only
know of one result from this: in all Bond films after "Diamonds are Forever",
there's no mention of that wonderful bad guy, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
McClory claims that ESB is his creation, and stopped S&B from using the
character.
ANYWAY, throughout the Seventies, McClory was bugging Connery to make
another Bond film. He disliked what S&B had done to the character (as
did Connery), and enticed Connery with the idea of making a REAL Bond
movie. For a while there was talk of Connery helping on the script, and
also of getting Len Deighton to write it, though neither plan came
about. The plot was to be the one Bond product that McClory had rights
to, namely "Thunderball". When the film was finally done, it became
"Never Say Never Again", and the rest is history...
Note that the reason the music, Moneypenny and Q are different is
that the music's B&S's, and Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewellyn are
under contract. Bernard Lee is, of course dead, so both NSNA and
"Octopussy" have a new M. Note also that Blofeld's back (and Garson's
got him?).
Saltzman died a few years back, and Broccoli has retired. They said
that they're willing to let someone else continue the series, and rumour
has it that Broccoli's son is thinking of doing it. McClory and Connery
have said they are thinking of another film, and as far as I know no one
has acquired the rights to Kingsley Amis's Bond novel, "Colonel Sun",
or the two John Gardner novels, "Licence Renewed" and I-don't-know-what-
it's-called-or-hasn't-it-been-released-yet.
One more for trivia fans: what's the name of the Italian vegetable
that Albert Broccoli's father introduced to North America (no kidding,
he really did)?
steve hull
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