Posted on 10/04/2009 5:12:04 PM PDT by Perdogg
Fusing together entries on Fleming’s famous 00-agent and detailed information on cases of espionage, real-life spies, MI5, SIS, CIA, KGB, and others, Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming’s James Bond asks the question: What proportion of Fleming’s output is authentic, and what comes directly from the his imagination?
(Excerpt) Read more at commanderbond.net ...
I’ll be heading over to Amazon for this. Thanks for the post.
I just bought the “Battle for Bond” - look that one up.
Will come back later to read comments.
I did find an interesting site one time about Ian Flemming and his thoughts about his James Bond character.
He did not consider him a ‘good’ person. Too many vices.
That gun in the picture looks exotic but isn’t it a Walther Air Pistol?
If James Bond were a real agent he would have his clearance taken away for drinking waaay too much. At the beginning of Thunderball, Bond said he was up to 60 cigarettes a day.
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Interesting
The first Bond films were made on a shoestring
In “Dr. No” the Sunbeam Alpine that 007 drove was an inexpensive local rental
James Bond films made tremendous profits
I never knew that, but a little research says that it is:
“The famous pose of Sean Connery holding a gun across his chest had to be redone at the last minute. The Walther PPK was left at the studio, but the photographer had an old air pistol in his car. The gun in the picture is the air pistol.”
One website identifies it as a Walther LP53 air pistol.
“The battle for the soul of Thunderball”
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3099637.ece
“If James Bond were a real agent he would have his clearance taken away for drinking waaay too much.”
You think so? I remember reading in one of Victor Marchetti’s books that alcoholism was seen as a common “occupational hazard” in the CIA and heavy drinking was pretty much the rule rather than the exception for field agents. Maybe the Brits took it more seriously?
Wish I had the url to the site I spoke of. It was quite long. Since Ian Flemming didn't ‘admire’ the Bond character you could ‘think’ he might have based it on an actual person.
Otherwise, he was indulging his fantasies, lol.
But you never saw him drunk in a movie, as I recall.
Three packs a day, chain smoker!
I always thought “Dr. No” was the best of all the Bond films. It was also by far the closest to the book in fact some of the dialogue was taken word for word from the book.
The next few didn’t stray too far from the books but the last twenty or so have had no connection at all to them. They also have all been awful. More cartoons than real stories.
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Fleming did not want Sean Connery to play 007
After the film was made he admitted Connery was James Bond
A amusing note is that personally Ian Fleming preferred American cars - like his T-Birds and his Studillac
Ian Fleming, “Thrilling Cities”
Does that have a Studebaker front and a Cadillac back, or vice versa, lol?
What you wrote was probably in the article I read. Connery was the best Jame Bond.
I wonder what was in that letter?
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Fleming had a custom 50s hotrod
A Studebaker Coupe - with a mucho bigger Caddy engine installed
I’d say it was painted black - he liked fast sporty black cars
I imagine we both read some of the same sites
In the “Goldfinger” book - 007 drove an Aston-Martin DB3 (not a BB5) - the girl drove a Truimph TR3 (not a Mustang)
Things were alot different back then.These days are so politically correct.Well for some people anyway.
Not the fanciest of cars, lol. Surprising choice.
Yes everything is PC today. One of the most obvious in Bond movies is “red headed” Felix Leiter is now a Black man. Also “M” the steely eyed old Navy Captain is now a woman. Actually I guess that is pretty realistic now.
One of the worst things some of the movies did was try to make the Soviet Union and Western spy agencies as equals, one being just as bad as the other, sort of Spy vs. Spy with the KGB head as a genial nice guy.
Absolute PC nonsense!
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The original Studie Starlight Coupe was a revolutionary body design
The later “Hawk” models had fins
Studebaker Starlight coupes still set modified top speed records at Bonneville and the Starlight is a favorite of customizers
Felix Leiter was “sandy haired” Texan.
Fleming decided after Connery had won the role to give Bond a Scottish background which he wrote into On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (one of the last novels). Fleming passed away shortly after in 1964.
Oh that began when they scripted From Russia with Love. The book has the Russians as the bad guys the movie shifts the bad guys over to the fictional Spectre.
I read all the books back in the 60’s or maybe early 70’s in paperback. I would have sworn Leiter was described as red headed but as soon as I read your post, it hit me that you were right.
Also had forgotten the part about his being a Texan but you are right about that too. Also recall him (Leiter) saying he was an ex-Marine and Bond being impressed.
You nailed that for sure.
Actually the Russians were the bad guys up through the beginning of “Man with The Golden Gun”. In “You Only Live Twice” Bond was sent to Japan for mission against the Russians. SMERSH agents and Eastern Bloc defectors were made up most of SPECTRES army in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and the Russians were helping in two other Bond Novels where I don’t want to give it away.
In fact , the original teleplay for “Thunderball” involved Russians stealing nukes, but then it was changed to the Mafia and when “Fleming’s book” came out it was Spectre.
Studebaker body with Cadillac mechanicals
And yes it was a real car 
Thanks, neat graphic. devolve posted about the Studebaker with the Cadillac engine above in post #20.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2354871/posts?page=20#20
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Aha!
Mucho customized ‘53 Starlight Coupe
Straighten out the top of the fender lines -
Bingo! ‘55-’57 T-Bird side views
The low sloping hoodline and downplayed grill/engine air intake was truly ahead of it’s time
If the headlights were angled, Frenched, covered like a ‘53 ‘Vette you might be looking at a Ferrari GTB coupe
If that Studie had been made in a convertible model it would have been a winner too
That is why, of course, he is such an interesting character.
If you read the books, the picture of Bond is of a womaniser, a drinker, a dedicated but utterly ruthless individual. He’s a complete SOB not to put to fine a point on it.
This section takes an in-depth look at the literary James Bond’s drinks of choice. Here is the total number of drinks consumed by Commander Bond in Ian Fleming’s novels and short stories:
Drink Type Number
Bourbon whiskey 37
Sake 35
Champagne 30
Scotch and soda 21
Vodka martini 19
Straight scotch 17
Gin martini 16
Undetermined 14
Beer 12
Brandy and soda/ginger ale 12
Red wine/Chianti 11
Bourbon and branch water 10
Brandy or Cognac 8
Vodka and tonic 8
Bourbon and soda 7
Gin and tonic 7
White wine 7
Americano 6
Raki 5
Undetermined martini 5
Old Fashioned 4
Enzian 3
Stinger 3
Canadian whiskey 2
Korn Schnapps 2
Ouzo 2
Straight vodka 2
Undetermined whiskey 2
Black Velvet 1
Calvados 1
Irish Coffee 1
Marsala 1
Negroni 1
Pink gin 1
Rum 1
Slivovic 1
Steinhäger 1
Vesper martini 1
Total: 317
Felix Leiter and Bond take the Studillac up to Saratoga Springs to the races and the sulfur baths in one novel .. I think it was the Harlem/Caribbean drug smuggling thingie ... cant remember the name of the book just now
They drive up to Saratoga Springs in Leiter's Studalack
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Here in the films they make you believe all he quaffs are variations on the martini. Bourbon whiskey doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. I’m surprised Sake appears as his #2 preference. Drinking a hot alcoholic beverage seems... bleh (of course, I don’t drink, so...).
After seeing that roster of adult beverages he consumed, I’m surprised his liver didn’t hoist the white flag. The real JB would’ve been done in by cirrhosis, if not a bullet, before he made 50.
What was funny was seeing the SPECTRE thug from FRWL suddenly become the warm and cuddly General Gogol before long. =8-0
You have to remember that You Only Live Twice is the novel after OHMSS, Bond is still an emotional wreck, then he is sent to Japan.
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