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Post by redhorizon on Nov 1, 2018 23:30:51 GMT
Ian Fleming was on the top of his game for all of his full-length James Bond novels, except his last. It was released after his death and you get the impression it isn't quite as polished as the rest. The other authors since have had varying degrees of success, but none of them can compare. And as for Raymond Benson, I won't have anything to do with his work. As for the films, they long ago became a complete joke and have nothing to do with the novels.
![](https://i.imgur.com/HdCUQWP.jpg)
The first novel, CASINO ROYALE, came out in 1953. There were no gadgets and although Bond had already earned his double-zero prefix, he killed no one in that first story. People died, but he didn't kill anyone. He played high-stakes cards and suffered one of the most horrific torture sessions in espionage history.
In the many of the Fleming novels, there were no gadgets. Bond relied on tradecraft and his wits. For example, a hair across a cupboard door, a matchstick stuck into a drawer, talcum power around the locks on his suitcase was how he maintained security in the field. He had very few interactions with M's secretary, however he viewed M as a father figure.
The 00 Section, manned by himself and two others, had it's own secretary, Lola Posenby, followed later by Mary Goodnight. However, Bond's number one treasure was his aged Scottish maid and cook, May. She was a stern, iron-willed woman, who didn't approve of all his gallivanting about the place and fooling about with married women. And he didn't always get the women at the end of the story...
Also, this is pretty close to what James Bond's personal car looked liked in the early novels...
![](https://i.imgur.com/b1HYHoV.jpg)
It was an old car in 1953, but it came equipped with a supercharger. During a car chase, he's lay the windscreen down flat, putting on driving gauntlets and goggles and hang on for dear life. By the end of the chase, his face was often encrusted with dead insects.
Very suave...
I like most of the Bond movies. There were some I hated, like Never Say Never Again. Skyfall is my favourite. I haven't seen Spectre yet. I'm put off by its low rating. So you don't like any of the more recent 007 films? For a guy who hasn't read any of the books, I find the films entertaining. But the way he is portrayed in the movies as almost invincible and after all these years cheating death time and again, it's sometimes hard for me to swallow. That's an awesome looking car. Though it doesn't look bulletproof and I wonder what a supercharger does. ![:))](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cheesy.png) The sketch, is that Bond or Fleming?
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 2, 2018 0:39:14 GMT
redhorizon - I have all the serious films up to date and I enjoy them all on a certain level. They are quite good adventure films that contain elements of espionage. They're just lousy James Bond stories. I've generally always enjoyed NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, even though they got Felix Leiter wrong. He's a tall, clean-shaven, white Texan with light hair - and artificial limbs after the shark incident. From time to time in the books, he receives injuries that stay with him - both physical and psychological. He has a long scar down one cheek, plastic surgery to the back of one hand and damage to one of his shoulders where he was attacked by a barracuda. He has never fully recovered from the death of his wife on their wedding day and he has a child with a Japanese women he's not aware of. Of course, I'm sticking to the strict lore of Ian Fleming here. A supercharger gives a speed boost to a vehicle. The sketch is of the original vision for James Bond. On screen, I think the most accurate appearance and portrayal in the films was made by Timothy Dalton. Pierce Bronson would be a close second, followed by Sean Connery. Forget the rest. Ian Fleming... ![](http://theredlist.com/media/database/muses/icon/iconic_men/1960/ian-fleming/002-ian-fleming-theredlist.jpg)
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Post by redhorizon on Nov 3, 2018 5:36:49 GMT
ant-macI've never seen the Timothy Dalton versions. Pierce Brosnan (you spelled Bronson ![:))](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cheesy.png) ) was more alike to the Bonds of the past than Daniel Craig. Daniel Craig appears as a radical shift from his predecessors. I think Sean Connery in From Russia with Love was the best looking Bond if I were to cast my vote. With the number of women he bedded with, it's only natural he has fathered children. The repeated phrase in the movies, "shaken, not stirred", does it appear in the books?
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 3, 2018 6:09:45 GMT
ant-mac I've never seen the Timothy Dalton versions. Pierce Brosnan (you spelled Bronson ![:))](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cheesy.png) ) was more alike to the Bonds of the past than Daniel Craig. Daniel Craig appears as a radical shift from his predecessors. I think Sean Connery in From Russia with Love was the best looking Bond if I were to cast my vote. With the number of women he bedded with, it's only natural he has fathered children. The repeated phrase in the movies, "shaken, not stirred", does it appear in the books? I'm simply went with which one of the film versions feels closest to the original novel version to me.
He didn't really bed that many women. He had his fair share over the course of the years, but no more than most normal man could probably manage during the same period of time. In fact, he entered into relationships with a few of them, but they simply didn't work out.
After he killed Ernst Stavro Blofeld, he was seriously injured during his escape and the Japanese fishing girl who was aiding him in his mission hid him from the authorities when they came to look for him afterwards. He was suffering from memory loss and they lived and worked together as man and wife. She did her best to hide the truth from him, but one night while using the toilet, he spotted the word, "Russia" on a strip of newspaper they used as toilet paper.
The name meant something to him, so he eventually left to travel to Russia to see if they could help him work out who he was. The girl knew she was pregnant with his child, but chose to keep it a secret from him, so he wouldn't feel torn between two worlds. When you go one about the number of women he's bedded, that's more of a feature of the films than of the books. He's a red-blooded male, but he doesn't walk around with it cocked and ready.
"A dry martini," Bond said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."
"Oui, monsieur."
"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"
"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
"Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.
Bond laughed. "When I'm...er...concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."
- Ian Fleming, CASINO ROYALE, Chapter 7, ROUGE ET NOIR.
I think the phrase, "Shaken, not stirred" comes up a few times, but not that often that you'd notice. And the authors who followed Ian Fleming probably use it more due to its appearance in the films. The same with the phrase, "Bond, James bond."
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Post by teleadm on Nov 4, 2018 1:00:20 GMT
teleadm – You’re a large part of what makes the Classic Film board so great. Your posts are always welcome and interesting to read/look at. I enjoy seeing what you have to say on different subjects and also the pictures that you post always interest me. The board wouldn’t be the same without you. Thank you for those kind words, that I will try to live up too.
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Post by redhorizon on Nov 4, 2018 16:33:02 GMT
ant-macI forgot about "Bond, James Bond", it's one of the most well known movie phrases. He seems more human, flesh and blood person in the books than in the films. Thanks for the insight into 007's life, interesting background that you don't get from the films. ![](https://s26.postimg.cc/yiysx57rt/smile.gif)
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Post by ant-mac on Nov 4, 2018 16:43:54 GMT
ant-mac I forgot about "Bond, James Bond", it's one of the most well known movie phrases. He seems more human, flesh and blood person in the books than in the films. Thanks for the insight into 007's life, interesting background that you don't get from the films. ![](https://s26.postimg.cc/yiysx57rt/smile.gif) No worries, mate.
Some of the later Fleming novels - and practically all of the other authors - are influenced to some degree by the films. However, most of the Fleming novels are pure and unsullied.
Many of the films share only one thing in common with their written counterpart - the title. And that's not always the case either.
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Post by Nalkarj on Nov 5, 2018 1:32:42 GMT
Nora, I think we need to bring this thread back, because now apparently we want to criticize each other over Marilyn Monroe. I’d like to say to anyone in that thread who thinks I’m precious or offensive because I like Miss Monroe that I apologize if I were offensive and wish to move on.
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Post by deembastille on Nov 5, 2018 2:06:19 GMT
Nora, I think we need to bring this thread back, because now apparently we want to criticize each other over Marilyn Monroe. I’d like to say to anyone in that thread who thinks I’m precious or offensive because I like Miss Monroe that I apologize if I were offensive and wish to move on. You'd be happy to know the kids in the south Bronx are absolutely enamored with her. They think she is what beauty is/was/should be.
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Post by Nalkarj on Nov 5, 2018 2:08:49 GMT
Nora , I think we need to bring this thread back, because now apparently we want to criticize each other over Marilyn Monroe. I’d like to say to anyone in that thread who thinks I’m precious or offensive because I like Miss Monroe that I apologize if I were offensive and wish to move on. You'd be happy to know the kids in the south Bronx are absolutely enamored with her. They think she is what beauty is/was/should be. I couldn’t care less if people like her or not. I’m not madly enamored with her—that part of me would belong to Grace Kelly—but I like her a lot. It’s fine if people don’t. I can’t take unprompted and nasty rudeness, though.
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Post by Nora on Apr 12, 2020 19:16:32 GMT
I am overwhelmed with good feelings for RobotTheLiving today, because he has recommended a great show to me and I am binging it right now (Broadchurch). Just when I thought I had SEEN IT ALL, he came to my rescue. What an attentive reader and a friend! Thank you again. I also want to call out Nalkarj just because I have never seen him be rude to anyone and I like that, and also he may or may not be a fellow hypochondriac and I hope he is doing well these days and his face is not tingling anymore. And I want to thank divtal who recommended a 24/7 venice music and it has been playiong in my house for several days straight and its the perfect music to work to!! last but not least, I have only noticed this user a few months ago, but he seems a friendly chap and his posts have made me laugh quite a few times and that counts. Thanks ZolotoyRetriever
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Post by Jayman on Apr 17, 2020 9:21:35 GMT
How did I miss this thread? I was even tagged in it. This thread has a great lady for an original poster as well as so many other great people in it. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png)
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Post by Nora on Apr 17, 2020 12:18:16 GMT
How did I miss this thread? I was even tagged in it. This thread has a great lady for an original poster as well as so many other great people in it. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) its good to be reminded there are still good things a going on every once in a while, no? ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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