Ian Fleming's favourite actor for James Bond

When Ian Fleming wrote about James Bond's looks it was very well drawn. James Bond's hight was little over six feet (183 cm) and his weight was around 167 pounds (76 kg). His body was in other words what you today would call slim. Also, Bond is described as dark, cruel and handsome and that woman find him irresistible.

So in 1961 when Producers Albert Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were searching for there actor to play Bond they almost had a blueprint of what the man should look like.

Both Cubby and Harry agreed to let Ian Fleming attend the meetings were James Bond and who he was was discussed and after one of these meetings Fleming send Cubby a fascinating memorandum on the matter.

James Bond is a blunt instrument wielded by a Government Department. He is quiet, hard, ruthless, sardonic, fatalistic. In his relationships with women he shows the same qualities as he does in his job, but he has a certain gentleness with them and if they get in trouble he is sometimes prepared to sacrifice his life to rescue them. But not always, and certainly not if it interferes with his job. He likes gambling, golf and motorcars. 

 In other words. Ian Flemings blueprint for James Bond was more or less a blueprint of himself.

Cary Grant was the first actor to be asked to play James Bond but he turned it down. There second choice was James Mason but he was no fan of the Bond books.

But Ian Fleming had his first choice for the role of James Bond and his name was strangely enough... Roger Moore.

Roger Moore was 34 years old at the time and had actually not received world wide celebrity playing Simon Templer in The Saint.
Cubby Broccoli did not want Roger Moore at that time. He thought Moore was to much of a gentlemen and not the kind of tough guy that they later found in Sean Connery.

But 12 years later in 1973 Ian Fleming would get his wishes come true when Roger Moore played his first role as agent 007. Sadly he never got to see it since he himself passed away in 1964.

The facts for this blog post can be found in THE JAMES BOND ARCHIVES that you need to order here if you have not already done so.

The books to read about all things Ken Adam

Sadly the Bond family lost its best Production Designer ever this week when 95 year old Sir Ken Adam past away.

I dont believe there are as many books about any Production Designer as it is about Ken Adam, The first Production Designer for the James Bond films.

Below are the books to own to study Ken Adams work.

BOND BY DESIGN was released in 2015 and carry many drawings and sketches by Ken Adam for all his now famous production designs from James Bond apartment in DR. NO to the villains supertanker in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. A sound stage so big that it was later called 007 STAGE at Pinewood Studios.

THE JAMES BOND ARCHIVES is a massive book that was released in 2012 and contains a lot of interviews with Ken Adam where he tells us the story of the James Bond sets that he worked on. A fantastic read for any James Bond fan. But note that reading this book in bed like I do will make your wife jealous for many nights to come. This book is huge.

MOONRAKER, STRANGELOVE AND OTHER CELLULOID DREAMS: THE VISIONARY ART OF KEN ADAM. Now that's a long title for a book. The book was published in 1999 and was in conjunction whit the exhibition in England whit the same title. This book contains pictures and drawings from all Ken Adams films.

He was a fantastic Production Designer and I am certain that Ken Adam is on of few reasons that James Bond became such a huge success all over the world.

Ken Adam
1921-2016

 

You can order BOND BY DESIGN by clicking the link below.