Question:
Hi peeps,
What are the actual bond novels that were written by Ian Flemming and made into movies and which are the ones that are simply scripts based on his characters and made into movies?
At what point did they run out of novels, or are they ALL based
on a novel, or none at all?
Just wondered :dork:
It's years since I've read them, but as I recall the following novels are at least vaguely recognisable from the film versions:
<Ul><LI><I>Diamonds Are Forever
<LI>Dr No
<LI>From Russia with Love
<LI>Goldfinger
<LI>Live and Let Die
<LI>OHMSS
<LI>Thunderball
<LI>You Only Live Twice</UL></I>
I honestly can't remember how close <I>The Man with the Golden Gun</I> is, but <I>The Spy Who Loved Me</I> and <I>Moonraker</I> have virtually no resemblance to the source novel (<I>The Spy Who Loved Me</I> - possibly the weirdest novel in the Bond canon: it's narrated by a woman and Bond barely features - is totally different, while <I>Moonraker</I> merely shares a villain with the name Hugo Drax, but his ambitions in the novel are merely nuking London: outer space doesn't get a look in).
They'd run out of novel titles by 1981 (unless you count Kingsley Amis' <I>Colonel Sun</I>, which has yet to be used), so <I>For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill</I> and <I>The Living Daylights</I> were taken from short stories - though the films bore little resemblance. There are still a few more short story titles to go, but they're not especially box-office friendly (<I>Riscico</I>, for instance), so subsequent films have drawn on different sources - <I>GoldenEye</I> was the name of Fleming's house in Jamaica, <I>The World is Not Enough</I> is the Bond family motto (as identified in <I>OHMSS</I>) and so on.
So effectivley, every film up to and including Moonraker has
an Ian Flemming novel (not a BS novelisation) ?
(not really bothered how different the novel is to the movie,
just the title of the novel)
Thanks for the effort though Michael :)
Originally posted by papalaz
So effectivley, every film up to and including Moonraker has
an Ian Flemming novel (not a BS novelisation) ?
Basically, yes - though <I>Thunderball</I> is an unusual case in that it started life as a film script, and the novel is effectively a novelisation (though written before the film was actually made!)
Oh, and I left out <I>Casino Royale</I>, the only Bond novel not to be filmed by Cubby Broccoli's team - the rights had been sold to others before he got in on the act, and it's had two adaptations: a TV one in the 1950s, and a pretty disastrous comedy spoof in 1967 (which is weirdly fascinating, but not necessarily for Ian Fleming scholars!)
Originally posted by papalaz
(not really bothered how different the novel is to the movie,
just the title of the novel)
And neither were the producers.
I would love to see Amis' Colonel Sun filmed as it was written, but that's never going to happen (James Bond worrying about a possible heart condition? Pshaaaw!)
BTW, Fleming ended up writing the Bond books with the movies - and more specifically the character as played by Connery - in mind. I doubt even he could forsee the product placement-fest that was to come though.
---
'Not quite hard enough, not quite dirty enough' - Sean Connery on subsequent 007s.
Originally posted by John Hodson
Fleming ended up writing the Bond books with the movies - and more specifically the character as played by Connery - in mind. I doubt even he could forsee the product placement-fest that was to come though.
Yeah, well, I'm not arsed after Roger Moore anyway, big nostagia
thing I think really.
I dont think I've even seen one after "A View t' Kill"
might of seen Living daylight 'cant remember
Originally posted by papalaz
might have seen Living daylight 'cant remember
You'd remember. It's brilliant. :)
The Living Daylights marks the last film with a title taken from a James Bond story.
Some are very short anyhow.
Casino Royale is the first and possibly best of them IMO. If you're going to read 'em then the order is important, as Thunderball, OHMSS, You Only Live Twice and The Man With The Golden Gun certainly run together.
In general the main difference is how much pummelling Bond takes. The books routinely have him get the sh- kicked out of him!! :lol:
I don't know about the 'writing with Connery in mind' idea. He died before they released Goldfinger, didn't he, and I'd thought most of the novels were written before Dr. No even came out. :confused:
I love the Fleming novels. I agree that Bond does take a real battering and only just survives pretty often......
I remember reading loads of them when I was a teenager.
Originally posted by TheoGB
I don't know about the 'writing with Connery in mind' idea. He died before they released Goldfinger, didn't he, and I'd thought most of the novels were written before Dr. No even came out. :confused:
The "obituary" of Bond in the novel <I>You Only Live Twice</I> (one of the last Bond books) gave him previously unmentioned Scottish ancestry - which was Fleming's way of acknowledging his admiration of Sean Connery's performance. He lived long enough to see the first two films, and wrote at least two novels after seeing <I>Dr No</I>.
Fleming's own first choice for the role had been Cary Grant, but by the 1960s that was a little unrealistic (his other suggestion, the singer Hoagy Carmichael, was even more so!). Personally, I think Timothy Dalton comes closest to the Bond of the books.
Originally posted by Michael Brooke
Personally, I think Timothy Dalton comes closest to the Bond of the books. On everything except the looks. Bond was not meant to be a good looking man. He was attractive to women but not because of classic good looks - Fleming made a point of continuously stating this.
Although I've always had tremendous admiration for Tim Dalton, I think the closest I've seen was Connery in Never, say Never Again; probably the closest in age certainly, and he even drove a Bentley which gave me immense pleasure for some strange reason. And I particularly liked Q. John Cleese is, well a lot like John Cleese isn't he?
Pity the film as a whole was a bit of a let down. And as for Bond today, I think I'm a bit too old...
---
So many films, so little time...
Originally posted by Michael Brooke
Personally, I think Timothy Dalton comes closest to the Bond of the books.
Nobody could wear a safari suit with the same degree of casuality as Moore :p
Well, cheers folks anyway, I think with me I just watched the Moore ones at the right age, although I liked Goldfinger the
most (not going out on a limb there then :) )
The reason for the question was I just wondered if they'd
go on forever, I think I maybe should watch some post Moore
ones...
I've just read Fleming's Moonraker, and IMO Die Another Day has taken a lot from it.
For the Moonraker project read the Icarus project, for Hugo Drax read Gustav Graves, and in both Bond's first tussle with the villain is in the gentleman's club 'Blades'. Add to this the fact that in an earlier draft of the script Rosamund Pike's character Miranda Frost was in fact Gala Brand from the 1955 novel (an undercover agent, the antagonist's P.A.).
Well, more has been taken from it than in the official film version!
I've just started reading the books, finished Casion Royale and half way through Live And Let Die. Fantastic stuff, very well written. Like James Ellroy or Ian Rankin, Fleming is much more interested in the characters and the settings than the plots. You can see his fascination with casinos, fine food and drink, fast cars, trains and the chapters of Live & Let Die set in 1950s Harlem are incredibly evocative. I've read that Fleming was a snob but that doesn't come across at all. Bond is portrayed as an outsider who enjoys high living as a perk of the job and is ambivalent about his job. He's nothing like Timothy Dalton portrayed him though, god knows where people get that idea. Dalton was very much of his time, the late 80s. The Bond in the books is a 50s man, much more like Connery in the early films. Anyway, if you like fast moving, atmospheric thrillers, you really owe it to yourself to try these.
What are the actual bond novels that were written by Ian Flemming and made into movies and which are the ones that are simply scripts based on his characters and made into movies?
At what point did they run out of novels, or are they ALL based
on a novel, or none at all?
Just wondered :dork:
Answers:
It's years since I've read them, but as I recall the following novels are at least vaguely recognisable from the film versions:
<Ul><LI><I>Diamonds Are Forever
<LI>Dr No
<LI>From Russia with Love
<LI>Goldfinger
<LI>Live and Let Die
<LI>OHMSS
<LI>Thunderball
<LI>You Only Live Twice</UL></I>
I honestly can't remember how close <I>The Man with the Golden Gun</I> is, but <I>The Spy Who Loved Me</I> and <I>Moonraker</I> have virtually no resemblance to the source novel (<I>The Spy Who Loved Me</I> - possibly the weirdest novel in the Bond canon: it's narrated by a woman and Bond barely features - is totally different, while <I>Moonraker</I> merely shares a villain with the name Hugo Drax, but his ambitions in the novel are merely nuking London: outer space doesn't get a look in).
They'd run out of novel titles by 1981 (unless you count Kingsley Amis' <I>Colonel Sun</I>, which has yet to be used), so <I>For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill</I> and <I>The Living Daylights</I> were taken from short stories - though the films bore little resemblance. There are still a few more short story titles to go, but they're not especially box-office friendly (<I>Riscico</I>, for instance), so subsequent films have drawn on different sources - <I>GoldenEye</I> was the name of Fleming's house in Jamaica, <I>The World is Not Enough</I> is the Bond family motto (as identified in <I>OHMSS</I>) and so on.
Answers:
So effectivley, every film up to and including Moonraker has
an Ian Flemming novel (not a BS novelisation) ?
(not really bothered how different the novel is to the movie,
just the title of the novel)
Thanks for the effort though Michael :)
Answers:
Originally posted by papalaz
So effectivley, every film up to and including Moonraker has
an Ian Flemming novel (not a BS novelisation) ?
Basically, yes - though <I>Thunderball</I> is an unusual case in that it started life as a film script, and the novel is effectively a novelisation (though written before the film was actually made!)
Oh, and I left out <I>Casino Royale</I>, the only Bond novel not to be filmed by Cubby Broccoli's team - the rights had been sold to others before he got in on the act, and it's had two adaptations: a TV one in the 1950s, and a pretty disastrous comedy spoof in 1967 (which is weirdly fascinating, but not necessarily for Ian Fleming scholars!)
Answers:
Originally posted by papalaz
(not really bothered how different the novel is to the movie,
just the title of the novel)
And neither were the producers.
I would love to see Amis' Colonel Sun filmed as it was written, but that's never going to happen (James Bond worrying about a possible heart condition? Pshaaaw!)
BTW, Fleming ended up writing the Bond books with the movies - and more specifically the character as played by Connery - in mind. I doubt even he could forsee the product placement-fest that was to come though.
---
'Not quite hard enough, not quite dirty enough' - Sean Connery on subsequent 007s.
Answers:
Originally posted by John Hodson
Fleming ended up writing the Bond books with the movies - and more specifically the character as played by Connery - in mind. I doubt even he could forsee the product placement-fest that was to come though.
Yeah, well, I'm not arsed after Roger Moore anyway, big nostagia
thing I think really.
I dont think I've even seen one after "A View t' Kill"
might of seen Living daylight 'cant remember
Answers:
Originally posted by papalaz
might have seen Living daylight 'cant remember
You'd remember. It's brilliant. :)
The Living Daylights marks the last film with a title taken from a James Bond story.
Some are very short anyhow.
Casino Royale is the first and possibly best of them IMO. If you're going to read 'em then the order is important, as Thunderball, OHMSS, You Only Live Twice and The Man With The Golden Gun certainly run together.
In general the main difference is how much pummelling Bond takes. The books routinely have him get the sh- kicked out of him!! :lol:
I don't know about the 'writing with Connery in mind' idea. He died before they released Goldfinger, didn't he, and I'd thought most of the novels were written before Dr. No even came out. :confused:
Answers:
I love the Fleming novels. I agree that Bond does take a real battering and only just survives pretty often......
I remember reading loads of them when I was a teenager.
Answers:
Originally posted by TheoGB
I don't know about the 'writing with Connery in mind' idea. He died before they released Goldfinger, didn't he, and I'd thought most of the novels were written before Dr. No even came out. :confused:
The "obituary" of Bond in the novel <I>You Only Live Twice</I> (one of the last Bond books) gave him previously unmentioned Scottish ancestry - which was Fleming's way of acknowledging his admiration of Sean Connery's performance. He lived long enough to see the first two films, and wrote at least two novels after seeing <I>Dr No</I>.
Fleming's own first choice for the role had been Cary Grant, but by the 1960s that was a little unrealistic (his other suggestion, the singer Hoagy Carmichael, was even more so!). Personally, I think Timothy Dalton comes closest to the Bond of the books.
Answers:
Originally posted by Michael Brooke
Personally, I think Timothy Dalton comes closest to the Bond of the books. On everything except the looks. Bond was not meant to be a good looking man. He was attractive to women but not because of classic good looks - Fleming made a point of continuously stating this.
Answers:
Although I've always had tremendous admiration for Tim Dalton, I think the closest I've seen was Connery in Never, say Never Again; probably the closest in age certainly, and he even drove a Bentley which gave me immense pleasure for some strange reason. And I particularly liked Q. John Cleese is, well a lot like John Cleese isn't he?
Pity the film as a whole was a bit of a let down. And as for Bond today, I think I'm a bit too old...
---
So many films, so little time...
Answers:
Originally posted by Michael Brooke
Personally, I think Timothy Dalton comes closest to the Bond of the books.
Nobody could wear a safari suit with the same degree of casuality as Moore :p
Well, cheers folks anyway, I think with me I just watched the Moore ones at the right age, although I liked Goldfinger the
most (not going out on a limb there then :) )
The reason for the question was I just wondered if they'd
go on forever, I think I maybe should watch some post Moore
ones...
Answers:
I've just read Fleming's Moonraker, and IMO Die Another Day has taken a lot from it.
For the Moonraker project read the Icarus project, for Hugo Drax read Gustav Graves, and in both Bond's first tussle with the villain is in the gentleman's club 'Blades'. Add to this the fact that in an earlier draft of the script Rosamund Pike's character Miranda Frost was in fact Gala Brand from the 1955 novel (an undercover agent, the antagonist's P.A.).
Well, more has been taken from it than in the official film version!
Answers:
I've just started reading the books, finished Casion Royale and half way through Live And Let Die. Fantastic stuff, very well written. Like James Ellroy or Ian Rankin, Fleming is much more interested in the characters and the settings than the plots. You can see his fascination with casinos, fine food and drink, fast cars, trains and the chapters of Live & Let Die set in 1950s Harlem are incredibly evocative. I've read that Fleming was a snob but that doesn't come across at all. Bond is portrayed as an outsider who enjoys high living as a perk of the job and is ambivalent about his job. He's nothing like Timothy Dalton portrayed him though, god knows where people get that idea. Dalton was very much of his time, the late 80s. The Bond in the books is a 50s man, much more like Connery in the early films. Anyway, if you like fast moving, atmospheric thrillers, you really owe it to yourself to try these.
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