Did Fleming talk with Terence Young?

Bleuville

Did Ian Fleming and Director Terence Young have discussions about Bond and ideas for the early films?
Does anyone know?


Bleuville.

Dirty Punker

Fleming kept a close eye on the production, visiting them often and trying to learn what was kept and what was not from his novels.
An example would be asking Richard Maibaum if "the rats were in" in From Russia With Love.
I don't have any knowledge whether or not he talked to the director or not, someone more knowledgeable will probably reach out soon.

Silhouette Man

I go into Fleming's influence on the early Bond films and beyond in my article here:

http://thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/albert-r-cubby-broccoli-and-blueprint.html

MrGore

In Jon Gilbert's Fleming bibliography he mentions that Fleming, Young and Joanna Harwood spent 10 days holed up in the Dorchester Hotel working on the script for Dr No.

So, I think it's safe to say he had quite a bit of input to that one.

Also in the Laserdisc commentary Young says that Fleming was in Istanbul for a week during filming of FRWL.

I think there's quite a bit of evidence that Fleming had significant input into the script phases of production for the first three movies. After all, every one of them is very faithful to the books.

Thunderball was already set to go into production before Dr No was made. And Fleming had a large input into that.

Fleming's period of input also coincided with the real height of 60s Bondmania.

Hard to underestimate his role in getting this franchise on the road.

Barbel

I can't cite the source offhand, but there is a story that Fleming was watching the gypsy girl fight in FRWL being filmed, and complained to Young that it had been watered down and tamed from his novel (the girls end up naked, breasts get bitten, etc). Young apparently said "And how do you expect me to get that past the censor?"
(They did have some trouble with the censor even with the tamer version used.)

MrGore

There's also a bit on the commentary where Young describes having lunch with Fleming in London after FRWL was made.

Fleming told Young "I wasn't sure I liked you very much when we first met, But, I suppose I should be grateful to you, because you've helped make me a very rich man." Or words to that effect.

Dirty Punker

Barbel wrote:

I can't cite the source offhand, but there is a story that Fleming was watching the gypsy girl fight in FRWL being filmed, and complained to Young that it had been watered down and tamed from his novel (the girls end up naked, breasts get bitten, etc). Young apparently said "And how do you expect me to get that past the censor?"
(They did have some trouble with the censor even with the tamer version used.)

They complained that there was a nip-slip and Peter Hunt told them that he went through the footage frame-by-frame.
Do you want to do that? Because I have...or something along those lines.
The banned FRWL commentary was very interesting indeed.

Number24

Dirty Punker wrote:

Barbel wrote:

I can't cite the source offhand, but there is a story that Fleming was watching the gypsy girl fight in FRWL being filmed, and complained to Young that it had been watered down and tamed from his novel (the girls end up naked, breasts get bitten, etc). Young apparently said "And how do you expect me to get that past the censor?"
(They did have some trouble with the censor even with the tamer version used.)

They complained that there was a nip-slip and Peter Hunt told them that he went through the footage frame-by-frame.
Do you want to do that? Because I have...or something along those lines.
The banned FRWL commentary was very interesting indeed.

There is a banned FRWL commentary track?

Dirty Punker

Number24 wrote:

Dirty Punker wrote:

Barbel wrote:

I can't cite the source offhand, but there is a story that Fleming was watching the gypsy girl fight in FRWL being filmed, and complained to Young that it had been watered down and tamed from his novel (the girls end up naked, breasts get bitten, etc). Young apparently said "And how do you expect me to get that past the censor?"
(They did have some trouble with the censor even with the tamer version used.)

They complained that there was a nip-slip and Peter Hunt told them that he went through the footage frame-by-frame.
Do you want to do that? Because I have...or something along those lines.
The banned FRWL commentary was very interesting indeed.

There is a banned FRWL commentary track?

The laser-disc one before it got pulled off the shelves in (I believe) 91 or 93. Somewhere in that timeframe because Peter (I believe) died after shortly thereafter he gave his interview for the commentary.
Look it up, it's uploaded to its full on the internet somewhere.

Silhouette Man

Peter Hunt actually died in August 2002 if that helps.

Barbel

Number24 wrote:

There is a banned FRWL commentary track?

There's one for DN, too.

Barbel

Dirty Punker wrote:

They complained that there was a nip-slip and Peter Hunt told them that he went through the footage frame-by-frame.
Do you want to do that? Because I have...or something along those lines.

Hunt: "At one point John Trevalyan [the censor] told me he could see the girls' pubic hair in the catfight. I said to him "I've been watching it frame-by-frame on a Moviola and I can't!" I ended up taking a few frames out here and there. It didn't make any difference really."

lueth2048

Barbel wrote:

Number24 wrote:

There is a banned FRWL commentary track?

There's one for DN, too.

And Goldfinger, as well.

ggl007

MrGore wrote:

In Jon Gilbert's Fleming bibliography he mentions that Fleming, Young and Joanna Harwood spent 10 days holed up in the Dorchester Hotel working on the script for Dr No.

So, I think it's safe to say he had quite a bit of input to that one.

Harwood didn't meet Fleming until the after premiere party. She is interviewed here:

Dutchfinger

I'm sure they had lots of talks! When Fleming died in 1964 it was Terence Young that had a little speech on him in some television show, showcasing that he was devastated Fleming had passed away and how he wasn't fond of Fleming at first but grew to like him immensely. (Something along those lines) This footage is included in the "Everything or Nothing: The Untold story: documentary. (2012)