It’s been argued that Ian Fleming started to adjust the biography and humor of his James Bond character after EON film productions began, starring Sean Connery as 007.
A December 11, 1962, letter to Playboy magazine suggests, however, that key aspects of Bond’s appearance continued to reflect the image of Ian Fleming — notwithstanding the big screen debut of his fictional creation in Dr. No, a number of weeks earlier.
Not surprisingly, that letter continued to list among significant features a “Scar down right cheek from cheekbone,” despite none having been provided by way of authenticating this in the film presentation.
Then, idiosyncratically identical to Fleming, the James Bond described that December had “blue-grey” eyes, and did not wear long-sleeve shirts with his suits.
“Wears a Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch”
The phrase above concludes a description running less than 90 words. “Rolex” is only one of two brand names noted.
Yet something is missing here. Glaringly so, in fact. Ian Fleming was a keen observer of details and his surroundings. And this was particularly true as it related to collecting bits of fact for use in his James Bond thrillers. His writing in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was clearly influence by the EON film production of Dr. No, as witnessed by the reference to then-unknown actress Ursula Andress as a star (he no doubt wanted to believe she would become so through the 007 affiliation).
Bigger picture: By the time of the aforementioned Playboy magazine letter, Mr. Fleming had been on the set of Dr. No as early as when filming had started on location in Jamaica in the first months of 1962. Well before the letter was written to Playboy, he had attended the Dr. No premier. It’s nothing short of incredible to believe that he would have missed the Rolex Submariner so frequent and evident on the wrist of Sean Connery.
If the James Bond watch was a “Submariner” model, then, why not identify it as such here?
My research leads me to believe that there were a few last details of James Bond that Ian Fleming continued to hold exclusive to himself through that letter in December of 1962. In an interview with Richard Schenkman for Bondage magazine, Number Ten, early 007 film director Terence Young described sending Sean Connery to his shirt maker and taking him to his tailor. “I knew what I wanted” for the character. He put a lot of himself into the James Bond character.
There were obviously feelings of territorial interests at play, as suggested by Young, himself, in this Bondage interview. He already knew both Ian Fleming and Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli when he came on board to direct Dr. No.
… when we met just after I’d been signed to do the picture at some big press show put on by United Artists, he said, ‘So, they’ve decided on you to f*** up my work.’
I said, ‘Well, let me put it this way, Ian, I don’t think anything you’ve written is immortal as yet, whereas the last picture I made won the Grand Prix at Venice. Now let’s start level.’
He said, ‘my, you’re a prickly guy, aren’t you?’ and I said, ‘Yes I am, now let’s go have dinner quietly,’ which we did….
I don’t care what anybody says, he obviously had some wish fulfillment in James Bond; it was something he wished he could have done himself. I’m convinced there was an awful lot of Bond in his own makeup. There is nobody who was James Bond in his life. I knew him well enough to ask him; there’s no reason why he should have hidden anything. There was no actual person who was James Bond….
Bond was how Fleming saw himself; the sardonic, cruel mouth, the hard, tight skinned face.
Actress Ursula Andress could appear in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the novel Ian Fleming was writing in Jamaica when Dr. No was concurrently filming there. I believe Fionn Morgan’s recollection that her stepfather thought Mr. Connery a fine choice as Bond at that early meeting between the two which she witnessed.
But I think there was a subtle, yet deliberate hold on the last, finest parts of James Bond. The lack of full-length shirt sleeves. The eyes. These Fleming kept as Fleming. That doesn’t have to mean a rift or defiance. To me it rather suggests the sort of good natured rivalry implied in Terence Young’s anecdotal memories of their relationship. Perhaps extending more broadly to relationships with producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli as well. Something we’d see in a family, regarding an object for which all commonly felt a high degree of affection and commitment to care. But also a desire to exercise a personal and separate connection.
Perhaps there was some quantum of solace for the author in having sold the film rights to his creation, but not the ultimate right to designate the model watch James Bond would wear.
If so, we’re talking about a good thing: Ian Fleming continued to care about James Bond.
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