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Fleming wanted Hitchcock for the first Bond movie

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  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Considering he gave us Psycho in 1960, I'd say Hitch was more than ready to give us a cold blooded Bond.
  • mdo007mdo007 Katy, Texas
    edited January 2013 Posts: 259
    Also I looked around and I didn't know this, Richard Maibaum used to work with Hitchcock:

    http://ourmanfrombondstreet.blogspot.com/2010/04/richard-maibaum-man-who-created-screen.html

    Also Ben Hecht who worked wth Hitchcock for Notorious and Spellbound did adapt Casino Royale (it was a lost script):

    http://hmssweblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/ben-hechts-casino-royale/

    So Hitchcock had plenty of writers/screenwriters to adapt James Bond into a Hitchcock film, so he probably could've had: Richard Maibaum, Ernest Lehman, Ben Hecht, and John Michael Hayes on his team if he wanted to adapt Fleming's iconic character into films.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    We have been talking about Hitch directing other men as Bond, but what if...

    alh-41.jpg

    :D
  • AliAli
    Posts: 319
    Rossi wrote:
    What do you think of this article?

    http://shortknighthitchblog.blogspot.com.br/2011/04/alfred-hitchcocks-casino-royale-or.html

    I'm not sure where he gets " Sexy, debonair, caddish Cary Grant was a good choice but certainly not the two-fisted, brutish, almost thug-like character of Fleming's imagination. "

    I've only read two of the books so far, but Bond really doesn't strike me as remotely thug-like in either of them, especially CR.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited January 2013 Posts: 28,694
    From the violent, cold killer part of Bond, I can somewhat understand the thug angle. Though, it really isn't the most eloquent term to describe him.
  • 00Ed00Ed
    Posts: 140
    The way I've always understood it, the early Bond films were deliberately crafted to emulate Hitchcock, North by Northwest in particular. I regard From Russia With Love not only as one of my 2 or 3 favorite Bond films, but also as the second-best Hitchcock pastiche I've ever seen (after Sidney Lumet's Charade). I'd love to have seen what the master would have done with the property. As others have mentioned, a faithful adaptation of Fleming's Moonraker would have been a classic.

    But, as has also been mentioned before, if Hitch had done a Bond film, it likely would have been one-and-done for 007 on the big screen. There would have been no 50-year James Bond franchise. Thus, it's ultimately for the best that it didn't happen.

    To continue the speculation, however, if Hitch had done a Bond film, I wonder how he would have handled his cameo. Any possibility that he might have enlarged his on-screen involvement by playing M? More likely he would have just shown up in the background during the MR card game, I guess.

  • NapoleonPluralNapoleonPlural
    Posts: 512
    Fleming wanted Hitch cos Hitch was a big name surely, rather than artistic merit. Fleming wanted a hit.

    Hitch tried to do a spy movie with Topaz - an awful film. His was more about psychological trauma, I think he said Bond films were like a salad, there's a lot in it but it's kind of flimsy. I think Hitch is always the star of his films, not the lead character or even the actor, so Bond would somehow be taking a back seat to him.
  • mdo007mdo007 Katy, Texas
    edited February 2013 Posts: 259
    00Ed wrote:
    The way I've always understood it, the early Bond films were deliberately crafted to emulate Hitchcock, North by Northwest in particular. I regard From Russia With Love not only as one of my 2 or 3 favorite Bond films, but also as the second-best Hitchcock pastiche I've ever seen (after Sidney Lumet's Charade). I'd love to have seen what the master would have done with the property. As others have mentioned, a faithful adaptation of Fleming's Moonraker would have been a classic.

    But, as has also been mentioned before, if Hitch had done a Bond film, it likely would have been one-and-done for 007 on the big screen. There would have been no 50-year James Bond franchise. Thus, it's ultimately for the best that it didn't happen.

    To continue the speculation, however, if Hitch had done a Bond film, I wonder how he would have handled his cameo. Any possibility that he might have enlarged his on-screen involvement by playing M? More likely he would have just shown up in the background during the MR card game, I guess.

    Well that or Cubby and Saltzman could still make Bond films regardless if Hitchcock had made a Bond film. Hey Climax adaptation of Casino Royale didn't really stop Cubby and Saltzman from making other Bond films. But it would be interesting to have seen Hitch's take on Bond.

    Oh and as I said, I think Hitchcock would've gotten Leo G. Carroll to play M, and it's possible Hitchcock would've made a cameo as one of the Casino guest if he had made CR into a film.
    NapoleonPlural wrote:
    Fleming wanted Hitch cos Hitch was a big name surely, rather than artistic merit. Fleming wanted a hit.

    Hitch tried to do a spy movie with Topaz - an awful film. His was more about psychological trauma, I think he said Bond films were like a salad, there's a lot in it but it's kind of flimsy. I think Hitch is always the star of his films, not the lead character or even the actor, so Bond would somehow be taking a back seat to him.

    I think Fleming must've seened North by Northwest and thought "OMG, I want my Bond film to be just like that".
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited February 2013 Posts: 28,694
    I think Fleming was a little too eloquent to say 'OMG' like a 13 year old of the 21st century.
  • mdo007mdo007 Katy, Texas
    Posts: 259
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    I think Fleming was a little too eloquent to say 'OMG' like a 13 year old of the 21st century.

    I know but I was lazy to write "Oh my goodness" or "oh my god" when I was writing that statement.

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    mdo007 wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    I think Fleming was a little too eloquent to say 'OMG' like a 13 year old of the 21st century.

    I know but I was lazy to write "Oh my goodness" or "oh my god" when I was writing that statement.
    Yeah, it would take you an exhausting three seconds maximum to do it. You were right not to overdue it, you might pull a muscle.
  • mdo007mdo007 Katy, Texas
    Posts: 259
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    mdo007 wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    I think Fleming was a little too eloquent to say 'OMG' like a 13 year old of the 21st century.

    I know but I was lazy to write "Oh my goodness" or "oh my god" when I was writing that statement.
    Yeah, it would take you an exhausting three seconds maximum to do it. You were right not to overdue it, you might pull a muscle.

    Well as I said, I was lazy so there.

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited February 2013 Posts: 28,694
    mdo007 wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    mdo007 wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    I think Fleming was a little too eloquent to say 'OMG' like a 13 year old of the 21st century.

    I know but I was lazy to write "Oh my goodness" or "oh my god" when I was writing that statement.
    Yeah, it would take you an exhausting three seconds maximum to do it. You were right not to overdue it, you might pull a muscle.

    Well as I said, I was lazy so there.

    I'm only picking at you, mate.

    Back to Hitch. ;)

    How funny would it have been to have a early or late 60s Bond film by Hitch where the Bond girl is in the shower and you see a shadow come closer to the shower through the curtain, and it's just Bond playing around! It could even be the film's villain, a nice wink to Psycho.

    Hitch's cameo could be as a man messing around with one of Q's gadgets and having it explode on him or something. :))
  • jka12002jka12002 Banned
    Posts: 188
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    We have been talking about Hitch directing other men as Bond, but what if...

    alh-41.jpg

    :D

    "Good eeeeevening......I am James Bonnnnnnnduh."
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited April 2014 Posts: 19,339
    I'm just watching 'Notorious' starring Cary Grant that i recorded a week ago and this scene to me shows how good he would have been as Bond,which he would have been,if he agreed to more than just a 1 film deal :



    It has the feel of Bond with Fiona speeding in TB and the karate chop of Bond on Xenia in GE.

    Problem is,the damn thing cuts off before the karate chop so you may need to have a look on YOUTUBE yourselves,but personally,i think he would have been a fantastic Bond,better i feel than Connery.

    (If someone can find the whole scene to show what i mean i would appreciate it !! )
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    edited April 2014 Posts: 2,341
    @Barryt007
    Interesting comment and Cary Grant is one of my all time favorite actors, however Cary Grant was 58 at the time of the DN release in 1962.

    He was only 42 when "Notorious" came out but he may have looked good in his prime and he aged very well by North By Northwest (he was 55) but I have to admit. Bond came along too late for Cary Grant.

    As for Hitchcock, I doubt EON would have wanted to pay what the "Master" would have been asking.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    If EON were still intending to do 1 Bond film a year i think they may have got 3 or 4 from Grant.
    His acting experience would have held him in good stead and he definately aged well.
  • Villiers53Villiers53
    Posts: 802
    Having just finished Lycett's biography of Fleming, I can only conclude that it was a miracle that Bond ever made it to the screen.
    To say that he was indiscreet with his licensing deals is probably the understatement of the century.
    In fact he had to wrestle the TV rights back from a female acquaintance in order to be able to comply with the EON contract. If she'd refused,the whole deal could well have fallen through and brilliant author that he was, he was somewhat naive when it came to the film world.
    Ideas on directors and possible Bond actors were not Fleming's forte and if it had been left to him, I think the screen Bond would have been a disaster.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Hitchcock was super, but Young did very well. Happy that TY started our beloved franchise, cannot think that anyone, including Alfred. would have done better.
  • Villiers53Villiers53
    edited April 2014 Posts: 802
    Thunderfinger wrote:
    Hitchcock was super, but Young did very well. Happy that TY started our beloved franchise, cannot think that anyone, including Alfred. would have done better.
    Absolutely, Terence Young had the Midas touch. FRWL was his masterpiece.
  • johntitor1johntitor1
    Posts: 12
    I read recently in The Battle for Bond by Robert Sellers that one of the things that dissuaded Fleming and Bryce when they were considering Hitch was that not only would Hitch take all the credit and make Bond his own but Hitch would take most of the profits as well. At the time, McClory was warned that Hitch came with "a very high price tag." In the last deal Hich made with Paramount, "Hitchcock and James Stewart divided 75% of the profits between them leaving just 25% for the studio, who financed the picture 100%." This was before the relationship with McClory went awry.

    Sellers was actually interviewed on a recent podcast for James Bond Radio. There's some fascinating stuff that he talks about:

    Go here to the podcast page on apple if you want to listen that way:

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/james-bond-radio/id816222534?mt=2

    or you can check out the interview here as well:

    http://jamesbondradio.com/the-battle-for-bond-robert-sellers-interview-podcast-012/


    It's a very informative interview if anyone is interested the whole Thunderball saga.
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