Ian Fleming signature mystery (+ Errol Flynn & Cunard liners!)

alantong

A mystery from 1955

Someone is selling on ebay a copy of Casino Royale with a signed note from Ian Fleming on letterhead from the Cunard Liner the Mauretania:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Casino-Royale-Signed-Ian-Fleming-First-Edition-Jonathan-Cape-1954-/391360056785?hash=item5b1ee08dd1:g:axcAAOSwFnFWCUGG

It reminded me that a while back I was lucky enough to get quite cheaply a Cunard line program of events signed by Ian Fleming. This is dated Oct 21st 1955. Along with this came a signed note on Cunard paper from Errol Flynn and a postcard of the Cunard liner, The Mauritania.

Initially I put 2 + 2 together and came up with 5. Both Errol Flynn and Fleming had nearby houses on the North Shore of Jamaica and knew each others. The Mauritania stopped at Jamaica so its easy to imagine the 2 of them on the same trip.

The month (october) however did not seem right - Fleming spent Jan / Feb / Mar in Jamaica each year when he wrote his books. I then looked at the program properly and unlike the other 2 items its from the RMS Queen Elizabeth. From the text it mentions Cherbourg and US landing cards so the program is probably from the Southampton / Cherbourg to New York service.

Does anyone know if Fleming went to New York in Oct 1955, perhaps he just went on the Southampton to Cherbourg leg of the trip? I have checked Pearsons biography but it does not mention this time period. I think someone did a timeline of his travels / events in his life but perhaps I am imagining that?

alantong

Matthew Parker (author of the excellent book Goldeneye) has kindly helped me out on this:

"The last part of the book Fleming wrote in 1955 - Diamonds are Forever - is set on the Queen Elizabeth.
Fleming did indeed make two trips to the United States in 1955 - at the end of the July to stay with the Bryce's at Vermont - and at the beginning of October to meet his US publisher and to sort out problems with NANA, his news agency. While there he travelled to Montreal with Ernie Cuneo to discuss selling a controlling interest in their agency to a Canadian syndicate. I don't have information that he traveled by boat - he usually flew - but I guess he must have done!"

Silhouette Man

Thanks for sharing that information - an interesting follow-up, alantong. -{

The Domino Effect

That's a lovely item you have there, alantong. I'm sure you must be thrilled to own it. I'm also delighted that you were able to get some more details on that trip: it makes the item even more special in my opinion. As for the item currently on eBay, I find it fascinating that Fleming would invite Christian Dior for drinks. Fleming is often made out to have been a intolerant, homophobic hot-blooded heterosexual yet he was quite close with Noel Coward and here he is inviting Christian Dior for drinks! Granted Coward was primarily Ann's friend and as she was apparently on board the Mauretania, it is possible that Fleming invited Dior for Ann's sake or that he wished to meet him for journalistic purposes, but regardless, it does shed him in a new light.

alantong

As an aside to the above, there are some nice photos & info here on Fleming / DAF and the Queen Elizabeth.
http://flemingsbond.com/rms-queen-elizabeth/

Also interesting is the later history of the Queen Elizabeth. After being sold, burn out and sunk in real life it pops up in the film version of The Man With The Golden Gun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Elizabeth#Final_years

alantong

stag wrote:

As an aside I once saw a James Bond book for sale in an antiques centre which was signed by Ian Fleming. A quick look revealed that the signature was done in felt tip pen!

Thats great - right up there with the signed copy of Octopussy someone was selling on ebay a while back.

Dutchfinger

On a side note: "october 21st 1955" Back to the Future anyone ?? haha

(Great and intresting thread by the way alantong!)