Ian Fleming's death change the franchise?

edited June 2012 in Literary 007 Posts: 228
Im not sure if this has been brought up before, if it has I apologize.

My question -

If Ian Fleming had lived past the summer of 1964 and died oh lets say somewhere along the lines of the late 70's or Early 80's. Would the bond franchise have turned out differently?
Here are some other questions within my question -
1. How much input did Fleming actually have with DR.NO,FRWL and GF, and were these films at all changed with Fleming being around the set?

2. Fleming's wife very well took a liking to Sean Connery at first sight, she helped with him being chosen I recall reading years ago, this makes me wonder if Fleming would have survived to Connery's resignation perhaps lazenby would have never been approached, a different bond maybe after Connery perhaps never leading to Moore?

3. Fleming wasn't too keen on Dr.No or FRWL I recall, I remember him saying something such as ,"Fans of the books wont like the movies" or something along those lines . So do you think Fleming was upset inside himself with EON for not totally staying true to the books , and as time went on do you guys think a dispute would have taken place between Ian and EON ? or Fleming was happy about the films being so successful that he didn't care how closely the films were to his books ?

And as I originally said, if Fleming had lived alot longer , would the movies have turned out differently? and perhaps a few more books might have been written ?


Comments

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,978
    Of course it would have been different. If he lived on and continued to write novels, then the films would either be in a different order, or entirely different, as I'm sure they would have continued on with what he wrote, and they wouldn't have had to turn to original stories and scripts.
  • Fleming privately called DN a "disaster". He was a brilliant writer, but didn't understand the movie business or he never would have made such a comment.
  • DB5DB5
    Posts: 408
    I think the first four films stayed remarkably true to the novels, as did the sixth. I think Fleming would have had a problem with the way the films went in the 70's, specifically with Roger Moore.
  • Posts: 12,837
    Fleming's girlfriend liked Connery, I don't think he was married. He didn't like him at first but after DN he liked him enough to make Bond half Scottish in the books.

    They might be different, they might not have been. We'll never know.
  • Posts: 1,708
    Would he like the Moore era ?
    -Prolly not

    Would he like the £££ it generated ?
    -Hell yeah ;)
  • Posts: 228
    Fleming privately called DN a "disaster". He was a brilliant writer, but didn't understand the movie business or he never would have made such a comment.

    Really? I never knew that. I must touch up with my bond knowledge, thanks for sharing that.
    DB5 wrote:
    I think the first four films stayed remarkably true to the novels, as did the sixth. I think Fleming would have had a problem with the way the films went in the 70's, specifically with Roger Moore.

    Haha yeah , definitely. I cannot argue with you there .
  • Posts: 5,634
    I think it's safe to assume that Fleming would of been spinning like a top if he were able to see some of Moore's antics, I think the very idea of Bond going into space would of been greatly frowned upon by it's creator for sure. I haven't read all the novel but they should of kept their feet on the ground with regard to the original book release - James Bond agent 007 should not be participating in out of world escapades etc
  • Posts: 7,653
    I think it's safe to assume that Fleming would of been spinning like a top if he were able to see some of Moore's antics, I think the very idea of Bond going into space would of been greatly frowned upon by it's creator for sure. I haven't read all the novel but they should of kept their feet on the ground with regard to the original book release - James Bond agent 007 should not be participating in out of world escapades etc

    Once more personal insights that are made up as they please any particular poster so he can get his points across.

    I do think we could have had some more Bond-novels had Fleming not died so soon. ANd what might TMWTGG have been with a Fleming finish.
    Perhaps he would have done a Charteris, in which other writers did do the work and he would polish and change the books to his liking.

    He was in it for the money so I doubt he would have had much critism only to point out that the book and movie-version are different beasties from the 1st movie onwards. He would have been too much of a realist to make big waves about it laughing all the way to the bank.

    He was in favour of Roger Moore so I doubt that he would have minded his portrayal. And the Moonraker affair would have been different in 1955 when compared to 1979 (25 years later!) so I feel he would have enjoyed his creation in space. We would perhaps not have had the brilliant novelisations by C Wood who came closest to Flemings work. (Wood did novelise his own screenplays!)



  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Posts: 4,521
    From the documentry's i always understand there whant Roger Moore first and Fleming don't have a problem with him. That the movies at things like the humor and the novels in the first place not be liked til the movies.

    Fleming mabey quite with smoking if he haven't died in 1964 and GF mabey liked les.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,187
    Moved to Literary 007. Come on, people, this obviously isn't general discussion.
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