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From: [email protected] (Panos Sambrakos)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.james-bond,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: alt.fan.james-bond FAQ
Followup-To: alt.fan.james-bond
Approved: [email protected]
Summary: This posting answers Frequently Asked Questions in the
alt.fan.james-bond newsgroup. It covers James Bond movie history
and publications of the James Bond novels.
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Archive-name: james-bond/FAQ
Posting-Frequency: 15 Days
Version: 4.0
URL: http://www.ianfleming.org/afjbfaq.htm

***************************************************************************

ALT.FAN.JAMES-BOND FAQ v 4.0

[Created September 18th, 1996, Updated January 25th, 1998]

by Panos Sambrakos, Bryan Krofchok, David C. Morefield,
Deane Barker and Michael Reed

***************************************************************************

Welcome to the new and improved alt.fan.james-bond Frequently Asked
Questions. This is an original work partly based on version 1.0 by David
Marsh first created in November 1994. As new members come online every day
-- some old Bond fans, some new ones -- there's a need to answer questions
beginners have, and cover the history of this group and what it is all
about.

As of version 2.2 the FAQ has been promoted to the status of an
"official" Internet FAQ. It has now been approved by the moderators of the
"news.answers" newsgroup, it is crossposted to the news.answers and
alt.answers newsgroups and it is being archived at many places around the
net.

- ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/james-bond/FAQ
- ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/alt.fan.james-bond/alt.fan.james-bond_FAQ

You can also get it by email by sending a message to:
[email protected] writing in the body:
"send usenet/news.answers/james-bond/FAQ"

Since version 2.7 there's a fabulous German Web version of the FAQ
translated by Gregor Mima at his excellent 007 site. See it at
http://plweb.htu.tuwien.ac.at/007/

Version 3.0 is now availiable in Swedish too! Thanks to Vedad Milisic,
you can now see it at http://www.privat.katedral.se/~nv96vemi/faq.htm

More importantly the FAQ has it's own place on the Web. A part of
"MR. KISS KISS BANG BANG! The Web Magazine of The Ian Fleming Foundation"
Visit us at: http://www.ianfleming.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Updates in version 4.0: Questions 10, 28, 29, and minor corrections and
updates here and there)

This document has been divided into several sections, which are
listed below. NOTE: Please use a monospaced typeface so that lists appear
properly.

1] What is alt.fan.james-bond?
2] What's with all the initials?
3] Just who is this James Bond guy anyway?
4] So what are the movies?
5] Some of these actors look awfully old. When were they born?
6] Of the five actors, who made the best Bond?
7] Hey! I heard a new James Bond film is being made! Any news?
8] Pardon me if this has been asked before, but...
9] Who's Kevin McClory and why does NSNA look like "Thunderball"?
10] Will there be a new Bond film series and who has rights to what?
11] Why did George Lazenby star in only one Bond film?
12] Why Timothy Dalton only made two?
13] Who else was offered the Bond role?
14] So what are these novels everyone keeps talking about?
15] That's a lot of books! What order should I read them in?
16] Double-oh this, double-oh that ... just how many '00' agents are there?
17] Does Ian Fleming have a cameo appearance in the film FRWL?
18] Who was the woman who really wrote "The Spy Who Loved Me"?
19] Which is correct, SPECTRE or S.P.E.C.T.R.E.?
20] Is there a James Bond fan club?
21] Is there a James Bond Web site?
22] Is there a James Bond IRC channel?
23] I'm dying for a 007 Desktop theme and screensaver! Is there one?
24] Why was Casino Royale a really bad comedy with Woody Allen?
25] Who really wrote the famous James Bond theme?
26] Have the Bond Films ever won an Oscar?
27] Has anyone else noticed that some actors have played more than one
part in the Bond films?
28] This FAQ Doesn't Have the Answer to Every Bond Question Ever Asked!
How Can You Call Yourselves Experts?
29] There's too much editorializing and joking around in this FAQ.
Why don't you just stick to business?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

1] WHAT IS ALT.FAN.JAMES-BOND?

Alt.fan.james-bond (its full name includes "On Her Majesty's Secret
Service ... and secret linen too" for reasons that are now, thankfully,
lost to history), was originally created in 1992. It is a newsgroup devoted
to all things Bondian. Anything even remotely having to do with Bond is
considered a valid topic of discussion. You name it: movies, books, spoofs,
etc. Bond novelists Ian Fleming, Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, and Raymond
Benson are also fair game, as are any of the people connected with the Bond
films. In general, any topic that would cause your family members or
friends to roll their eyes toward the heavens and exclaim, "Oh, no... not
BOND again!" is welcome here. (All other topics should be referred to the
alt.sex.bondage newsgroup.)

PLEASE NOTE: alt.fan.james-bond is *not* a moderated newsgroup. Never
has been, and hopefully never will be. Thus, lots of stupid flame wars
start when people pay us a short visit just to annoy everyone. *Whenever*
someone starts saying things like "James Bond sucks," "What the hell are
you all talking about in here?," etc., please do NOT respond. It only makes
the guy stay longer. Just ignore him totally or -- if you must -- answer
via private email. (Note: Posts advancing the theory that James Bond sucks
usually bear a creative subject line like...well... "James Bond Sucks."
This will be your tip-off.) Also, please avoid responding to folks asking
"How many Bond films are there?," etc. Just point them to the FAQ (that's
what it's here for!) or one of the many Bond Web pages. And try to avoid
the same old "My TOP-TEN list" posts. Try to say something original, or at
least *review* the films or books. Don't just list them.

2] WHAT'S WITH ALL THE INITIALS?

There are several acronyms that are used to save space (and typing!).
Some are common to all newsgroups, like LOL (Laughing Out Loud),
ROFLOL (Rolling On Floor Laughing Out Loud) BRLCFH (Broke Ribs Laughing --
Call For Help), but others are more "Bond specific." They represent the
titles of the various Bond movies and are listed, along with the movies
in Section 4.

There are some others you might come across. Some real ones:

-EON: Eon Productions Ltd., "Everything or Nothing". The company formed
by Broccoli and Saltzman in 1961 to produce the Bond films.

-DANJAQ: Danjaq, S.A., "Dana - Jacqueline" (Broccoli's and Saltzman's
wives' names). Swiss company made up of Eon Productions and
United Artists.

And some fictional ones:

-SPECTRE: The Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism,
Revenge, and Extortion. Criminal organization Bond comes against
in the later novels and most of the early movies. Lead by Ernst
Stavro Blofeld.

-SMERSH: Conjunction of two Russian words: "Smyert Shpionam" ("Death to
Spies"). Soviet Secret Service's murder organization that Bond
comes against in most of the early novels.

3] JUST WHO IS THIS JAMES BOND GUY ANYWAY?

James Bond, 007, is a fictional British secret agent created by Ian
Fleming in the 1950s. His first appearance was in the novel "Casino Royale"
(1953), but he did not gain the large following he now enjoys until the
late 1950s. As a possessor of the coveted 'Double O' prefix, James Bond is
one of an elite number of British Secret Service members with a 'licence to
kill'.

James Bond has appeared in books and movies for over four decades,
earning a legion of fans in the process. Ian Fleming wrote 14 books about
Bond, and only stopped when he died on 12 August 1964. Well known British
author Kingsley Amis was then offered a chance to continue the series, but
he bowed out after producing only one book (under the pseudonym Robert
Markham). It was not until 1981 that the Bond series was revived once
again, with British author John Gardner publishing a new novel almost every
year until the Spring of 1996 (he retired upon reaching his 14th book).
American Raymond Benson, author of the famed "James Bond Bedside
Companion," has now assumed the mantle of Ian Fleming with his first James
Bond book released in 1997.

James Bond first appeared on the big screen in 1962 in "Dr. No,"
starring Sean Connery as 007. Over the following years, James Bond has
appeared in 18 "official" films starring five different actors. (Two
"unofficial" films currently hover just outside the canon, starring more
"James Bonds" than we care to count.)

4] SO WHAT ARE THE MOVIES?

TITLE YEAR STAR TIME ACRONYM
----- ---- ---- ---- ---------
Casino Royale (A) 1954 Barry Nelson 60 (none)
Doctor No 1962 Sean Connery 111 Dr. No/DN
From Russia With Love 1963 Sean Connery 118 FRWL
Goldfinger 1964 Sean Connery 111 GF
Thunderball 1965 Sean Connery 129 TB
You Only Live Twice 1967 Sean Connery 116 YOLT
Casino Royale (B) 1967 David Niven 130 CR
On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969 George Lazenby 140 OHMSS
Diamonds Are Forever 1971 Sean Connery 119 DAF
Live And Let Die 1973 Roger Moore 121 LALD
The Man with the Golden Gun 1974 Roger Moore 125 TMWTGG
The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 Roger Moore 125 TSWLM
Moonraker 1979 Roger Moore 126 MR
For Your Eyes Only 1981 Roger Moore 127 FYEO
Octopussy 1983 Roger Moore 130 OC
Never Say Never Again (B) 1983 Sean Connery 137 NSNA
A View to a Kill 1985 Roger Moore 131 AVTAK
The Living Daylights 1987 Timothy Dalton 130 TLD
Licence to Kill 1989 Timothy Dalton 135 LTK
GoldenEye 1995 Pierce Brosnan 130 GE
Tomorrow Never Dies 1997 Pierce Brosnan 119 TND

(A) James Bond first appeared on the small screen. A television production
of "Casino Royale" appeared as part of the CBS Climax! Mystery Theatre
anthology series on the 21st of October, 1954.

(B) Non-canonical entries. The film version of "Casino Royale" was a James
Bond spoof, while "Never Say Never Again" was a remake
of "Thunderball."

5] SOME OF THESE ACTORS LOOK AWFULLY OLD. WHEN WERE THEY BORN?

You're right. They "are" old! (The fact that Roger Moore is older
than Sean Connery is an essential piece of trivia that can be used to win
bets.)

ACTOR BIRTHDATE
-------------- ------------------
Roger Moore October 14, 1927
Sean Connery August 25, 1930
George Lazenby September 5, 1939
Timothy Dalton March 21, 1946
Pierce Brosnan May 16, 1953

6] OF THE FIVE ACTORS, WHO MADE THE BEST BOND?

What are you trying to do ... start a holy war? Whenever a question
along these lines is posted to alt.fan.james-bond, the thread usually goes
something like this:

A1: Sean Connery! The first and "still" the best!
A2: Roger Moore! He took Bond to new heights of fun!
A3: George Lazenby! He was never given a chance!
A4: MAKE A BAZILLION DOLLARS AN HOUR HARVESTING EAR FUNGUS!
A5: Timothy Dalton! He was the closest to the books!
A6: Pierce Brosnan! He was always meant to play Bond!
A1: Roger Moore sucks! Sean rules!
etc., etc., ad nauseam...

Everyone has a favorite Bond, and it all depends what you like. As
the old saying goes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion -- just as
long as they agree that Sean Connery was the best James Bond. ;-)

7] HEY! I HEARD A NEW BOND FILM IS BEING MADE! ANY NEWS?

"Tomorrow Never Dies" is the title of the 18th EON productions James
Bond film. It began filming April 1st at locations in Europe, Southeast
Asia, Mexico and Florida. Pierce Brosnan stars in it and the script by
Bruce Feirstein has been revised a number of times. Roger Spottiswoode
directed. The Bond girl is Michelle Yeoh and the villain is Jonathan Pryce.

It opened in Britain on 12 December 1997 and seven days later in the
United States breaking all previous Bond box-office records.

For more information visit the "007 News" TND page at
http://www.ianfleming.org/007news/tnd/ or visit the TND official site at
http://www.tomorrowneverdies.com

8] PARDON ME IF THIS HAS BEEN ASKED BEFORE, BUT...

Hey look, if you even *think* it's an old question, then it probably
is. With new folks constantly wandering through, a number of questions are
bound to keep popping up again and again. Just remember that some of us
have been here for a long time, and these topics lose their appeal the
hundredth time around. Most folks in the group will tolerate an old
question with a mere sigh, but a few of us are close to snapping, so to
avoid being painted head to toe with gold paint, or force-fed a compressed
air pellet and inflated, to death, please check here first for the answer
to your question.

For instance:

Q: What's the name of Blofeld's cat?
A: We don't know, okay? The cat's name is never mentioned in the films
(and Blofeld doesn't even HAVE a cat in the books), so any other answer
is just a guess. The cat might look cool on film, but let's face it,
any name at all would've been a distraction. ("This control room is now
impregnable, Mr. Bond. Isn't that right, Fluffy?")

Q: Hey! In DAF, Bond's car goes in the alley on the right set of wheels and
comes out on the left set! Is this a blooper?
A: Yes and no. The filmmakers attempted to correct this error with a brief
segment showing a close-up of Bond and Tiffany as the car tilts from one
side to the other. However, this should still be impossible considering
the width of the alley.

Q: Is it true that "The" Bond girl in FYEO used to be a man?
A: No. One of the bikini-clad women hanging out at Gonzales' pool is a
British actress named "Tula," who later grabbed headlines by revealing
she had started life as a man. Although the world press played up the
Bond angle ("Even 007 can't tell the difference!"), Tula's role in the
film was actually very minor. The actual "Bond girl" of the film is
Carole Bouquet, today a respected actress in her native France, where
historically it is easier to tell the gals from the guys.

Q: Is that a gun-barrel, a gun-sight, or an eye?
A: It's a gun-barrel!
Maurice Binder, the designer of almost all the Bond films' titles, has
said in numerous interviews that it is a gun-barrel. He says that he
designed that sequence in a hurry because he had a meeting with the
producers in twenty minutes, back when they were making Dr.No. He
apparently went into a lot of trouble while shooting it. They tried
photographing it by punching a hole in a piece of cardboard but when one
end was in focus the other wasn't! So they used a real gun-barrel.
Binder borrowed a gun from a shop at Piccadilly and opened the barrel so
the camera could look into it.

He originally filmed it with Bob Simmons, Sean Connery's double. Over
the years there have been another 6 times the gun-barrel opening was
filmed. In 1965 for Thunderball, with Sean Connery this time, as the
sequence was filmed for the scope format. In 1969 with George Lazenby
for OHMSS. In 1973 with Roger Moore for LALD. In 1977 again with Moore
for TSWLM since they had to do it again for scope. In 1987 with Dalton
for TLD. And most recently with Pierce Brosnan in 1995 for GoldenEye,
the first time the gun-barrel was a computer generated image designed by
Daniel Kleinman since Binder is not with us anymore. Watch closely and
you'll see the bullet actually leave the gun-barrell during the credits
sequence in GoldenEye.

Q: I heard they wanted Jimmy Stewart to play Bond in "Dr. No." What were
they, nuts?
A: It is true that a "James Stewart" once appeared on Ian Fleming's "short
list" of actors he felt suitable for the role of Bond. However, this was
NOT the American actor we know from "It's A Wonderful Life," but a young
Britisher who later went on to fame in films like "King Solomon's Gold"
under his new name, Stewart Granger.

Q: Was that Blofeld in the opening sequence of FYEO?
A: We're meant to think so, but in 1981 EON was legally barred from
mentioning Blofeld by name (a court had ruled that "Blofeld" and
"SPECTRE" were owned by rival producer Kevin McClory). How this
"Blofeld" returned to the bald and crippled state of OHMSS (1969) after
a healthier, hairier turn in DAF (1971) is anybody's guess.

Q: ...and what's with that crack about a "stainless steel delicatessen?"
A: Oy, what a headache THIS one is! Maybe "Blofeld's" making an in-joke
about the way all the Bond-villains' hide-outs seem to be decorated in
stainless steel. Or maybe he thinks Roger Moore would be at home among
other "hams." Whatever the case, the deli joke is a half-baked piece of
bologna that most Bond gourmands find indigestible.

Q: Is it true that Blofeld's cat used to be a man?
A: No, this is only a rumor. However, Largo's sharks were actually
disguised otters.

9] WHO'S KEVIN McCLORY AND WHY DOES "NSNA" LOOK LIKE "THUNDERBALL"?

Kevin McClory is a film producer who first made plans with Ian
Fleming to produce the first ever James Bond feature film back in 1958. He
wrote a script along with Fleming and screenwriter Jack Whitingham
originally called "Longitude 78 West" in 1959. When the project fell
through Fleming used the story as the basis for his 1961 Bond novel
"Thunderball", without however mentioning either McClory or Whitingham.
McClory, having read an advance copy, unsuccessfully attempted then to
block Jonathan Cape's publication of "Thunderball" in March of 1961 -- less
than a week before the book's debut in the UK. This resulted in the famous
1963 trial (which caused much damage to Ian's already poor health) and the
outcome was that all future publications of the novel would state that "It
is based on a screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whitingham, and Ian
Fleming", in *that* order. Furthermore McClory acquired all movie rights to
the story and its various treatments referred to as "The film scripts".

He has ever since, with one way or another, been trying to make Bond
films based on those rights. He first made it with his 1965 collaboration
with EON productions for which he co-produced "Thunderball". In exchange he
abandoned all claims for another 10 years after the initial release of the
film. When in January 1976 the rights came back to him he started making
plans for another Bond film. This time he wrote an original script along
with Len Deighton and Sean Connery himself, called "Warhead 8". When legal
battle started again by EON he was finally forced to only produce a direct
remake of "Thunderball". The result was 1983's release of "Never Say Never
Again".

Also, McClory is supposedly the owner of SPECTRE and Blofeld, thus
EON has never used it since the early 70's. (The villain in TSWLM was
originally SPECTRE). Blofeld made a cameo appearance in 1981 in the
precredit sequence of FYEO although he was never really identified as being
Blofeld. Desposing of him early in the film was the way Broccoli was saying
Bond could go on without SPECTRE.

McClory has been continuing his efforts to make more out of his
rights, even to the present day. Back in the Dalton days he was said to
have approached Brosnan to play Bond in his own independent film! You can
always expect further developments in the years to come...

And major developments filled the headlines in late 1997.
For that we go to...

10] WILL THERE BE A NEW BOND FILM SERIES AND WHO OWNS RIGHTS TO WHAT?

This is the hot topic sure to be staying in the forefront of the
minds of the fans. During the last three months of 1997 serious
revelations to the James Bond film world arose. First an announcement came
from Sony that they had formed a deal with Kevin McClory to produce "a
series" of James Bond films. That was followed quickly with a response
from MGM, who filed a lawsuit disputing the rights of the alliance to
produce any films at all, with charges of copyright dilution and improper
usage of trade secrets among others. The charge of trade secrets came
because the spearhead of the contract with McClory was Sony's John Calley,
who worked for United Artist/MGM and helped develop various deals regarding
the James Bond films years before. See you in court.

Then soon after that United Artists/MGM also made a surprise
announcement of their own. Articles stated they had bought some form of
the rights to "Never Say Never Again." (Some sources say distribution
rights, others are more, or less, suggestive.) The implications of this
lead to many possibilities. The film, made as a rival Bond film and not by
EON (see #9), could be packaged with the EON films, or kept off the market
for good. The current litigation between MGM and Sony also adds to the
drama since "Never Say Never Again" is the example by which McClory's
property could be viewed. We may need 007 to get through this adventure.

11] WHY DID GEORGE LAZENBY STAR IN ONLY ONE BOND FILM?

The short answer is: because Lazenby met with a cold reception from
audiences and critics who felt he didn't measure up to Sean Connery's 007.
The longer answer includes behind-the-scenes bickering between Lazenby and
several key figures at EON.

Stepping into the Bond role at a mere 29 years of age, Lazenby
possessed the physical presence and athletic agility of a good Bond, but
not the level of acting experience the role demanded, nor the emotional
maturity to deal with sudden stardom. Shortly after being cast in OHMSS,
he told LIFE magazine, "I'm really looking forward to being Bond, for the
bread and the birds."

Lazenby soon found that being Bond was also about hard work -- and
often tremendous pressure -- on the set. When he decided that director
Peter Hunt wasn't sympathetic to his needs, he complained publicly.
Friction grew between the two men, and eventually spilled over into other
relationships on the film, egged on by an eager press. International
headlines featured tales of a "running feud" between Lazenby and Diana
Rigg, stories both stars deny to this day. Eventually Lazenby managed to
tick off the producers as well, like when he insisted on sporting long hair
and a beard to OHMSS's American premiere.

But ultimately, it all came down to the box office. OHMSS was
released in 1969 to public indifference and negative reviews. Although many
things factored into this, including the absence (for the first time ever)
of Connery, and a bold deviation from the expected Bond formula, most folks
were content to blame the whole thing on Lazenby, and the producers by now
were in no mood to defend him. For 1971's DAF, Connery was cajoled into
the role once more, and in 1973 the producers broke with the tradition of
casting unknowns, electing instead to hire international television star
Roger Moore.

Lazenby would go on to spoof the Bond image in various projects over
the years, appearing as a thinly disguised "007" in, among other things,
the TV movie "Return of the Man from UNCLE" and the recent CD-ROM game,
"Spy Hunt" In time, many Bond fans would come to regard OHMSS as a high
point in the series.

12] WHY DID TIMOTHY DALTON ONLY MAKE TWO?

Timothy Dalton was first approached for the Bond role back in 1971
after Sean Connery said he'd "never" do it again. Dalton was making a
name for himself in those days with his work in such films as
"The Lion in Winter." In a 1987 interview on the "Good Morning America"
show, (and elsewhere), Dalton said he turned down the role in '71 because
he was "too young" for it, and because of the imposing legacy of his
predecessor. ("You don't follow Sean Connery!" he reasoned). Roger Moore
accepted the role, and by some accounts, EON flirted with Dalton several
more times, whenever Moore threatened to leave the series. In 1986 Roger
Moore retired from the part for good and Dalton finally said "yes" to Bond,
after EON's first choice --Pierce Brosnan -- was forced to leave the
running.

Dalton's first Bond film, "The Living Daylights," was written with
Brosnan in mind and a number of changes had to be made at the last moment.
His next, "Licence To Kill" was written to showcase his particular
strengths as an actor, but ultimately the film was a box-office
disappointment in the US. Many opinions have been offered to explain this,
but much of the blame can be pinned on the lackluster advertising campaign
mounted by MGM/UA, easily the weakest ever for a Bond film. The studio was
at the time embroiled in huge legal and financial troubles that would more
than once put them at odds with EON, and most of its efforts were aimed at
merely staying afloat. Still, in a summer where Bond would have to battle
Batman and Indiana Jones for box office bucks, this inattentiveness proved
devastating.

Nonetheless, LTK enjoyed huge popularity abroad and plans proceeded
for "Bond 17," with Timothy Dalton still signed on for that film and at
least one more. Then MGM/UA struck again, selling the television rights to
the Bond series to broadcaster Ted Turner, and incurring the anger of the
Broccoli camp. Legal battles began that would continue in various forms to
create an unprecedented five year draught during which no 007 pictures
would be made.

When at last these issues were resolved and work resumed on Bond 17
(eventually known as "Goldeneye"), Dalton surprised many by announcing he
would NOT return as Bond. The public, he said, had associated him with the
role for eight years, and that was long enough for him. He was eager to
move on to new challenges. He left the 007 family in the spring of 1994
(although off-screen he remains a close friend of the Broccoli family). EON
initiated a "hunt" for the new Bond and in June they announced (to almost
no one's surprise) that Pierce Brosnan would at last be handed the "licence
to kill".

Rumors that Dalton was forced out of the role, either by Broccoli or
MGM/UA, are just that: rumors. Cubby Broccoli and his daughter (now series
producer) Barbara Broccoli have stated many times that they were
disappointed to lose Dalton. The official account endorsed by Dalton, EON,
and MGM/UA, is that Dalton left the series of his own accord. Anything else
is idle speculation.

13] WHO ELSE WAS CONSIDERED FOR THE BOND ROLE?

Sometimes it seems like every good-looking actor who has (or can
fake!) a British accent has been mentioned as "the next James Bond." But
it can be difficult telling who were the real contenders, thanks to (a)
unfounded rumors from gossip columns and usenet posts, (b) false claims by
actors looking to jump-start their careers and (c) EON's eternal insistence
that whoever currently has the role was "the only choice right from the
beginning!" (Yeah, right!)

The following is a partial list of wannabes and also-rans who have
some connection to 007 that can be documented by more reliable sources.

MICHAEL BILLINGTON: best known for his role on the cult favorite TV show
"UFO," he screen-tested to play Bond in LALD. Cubby Broccoli was
impressed enough to later cast him as Sergei Barsov, lover of Agent XXX
and victim of Bond's lethal ski-pole in TSWLM. (Billington's "UFO" co-
star Ed Bishop appeared in YOLT as a NASA technician and in DAF as "Klaus
Hergesheimer, checking radiation shields.")

JAMES BROLIN: yes, you read that right: the American star of "Hotel" and
current spokesman for a chain of transmission repair shops actually got
as far as a screen test opposite Maud Adams when Roger Moore threatened
to bail out of "Octopussy." If that thought doesn't tie a knot in your
stomach, you're made of sterner stuff than we are!

JOHN GAVIN: on paper, at least, he actually WAS James Bond. In 1970 he was
signed to play 007 starting with DAF, but stepped aside when Connery was
wooed into a comeback. Gavin impressed audiences with his work in
"Psycho" and "Spartacus," but his greatest role came much later, as U.S.
Ambassador to Mexico during the Reagan Administration. (On the other
hand, he let Franz Sanchez come to power, so how great was he, really?)

JULIAN GLOVER: yep, the evil Kristatos of FYEO said in a 1981 interview
with Starlog Magazine that he was one of many to try out for Bond in
LALD. But he admitted, "we all knew Roger would get it." Don't feel too
bad for him -- unlike most failed Bonds, Glover got his revenge, dragging
Roger Moore across a corral reef in FYEO and shooting Sean Connery in the
gut in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Beats crying in your beer
any day.

DAVID HASSELHOFF: Just kidding! But it got your attention, didn't it?

PATRICK MCGOOHAN: here's a guy who just couldn't get away from the spy biz
-- after turning down the Bond role in "Dr. No" for "moral reasons," he
ended up starring as not one but TWO of TV's greatest superspies --
"Danger Man" (a.k.a. "Secret Agent Man") and "The Prisoner."

SAM NEILL: having made his mark as "Reilly, Ace of Spies," Neill screen
tested in 1986, and in the wake of collapsed negotiations with Pierce
Brosnan, a TLD casting director told PEOPLE magazine that Neill stood "a
very good chance indeed" of becoming Bond. But less than two weeks later
Timothy Dalton got the nod.

JOHN RICHARDSON, HANS DE VRIES, ROBERT CAMPBELL, ANTHONY ROGERS -- four of
the five finalists for the Bond role, as featured in the October 11, 1968
issue of LIFE magazine (titled "Who Would YOU Pick To Be the Next James
Bond?"). The job went to finalist number five, George Lazenby (inspiring
the obvious response, "I demand a recount!"). These four fellows most
likely took up residence in the Milli Vanilli Home for Victims of Career
Disasters.

14] SO, WHAT ARE THESE NOVELS THAT EVERYONE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT?

There have been several fictional works featuring James Bond. Ian
Fleming wrote them in the 50s and 60s, Kingsley Amis tried his hand at it
in 1968, and John Gardner continued the series in the 80s and 90s. And
starting 1997, renowned Bond fan and computer game designer Raymond Benson
is trying his hand as he assumes the mantle of the "Man With The Golden
Typewriter."

Title Author fn. Year
---------------------------------- -------------- --- ----
Casino Royale Ian Fleming 1953
Live And Let Die Ian Fleming 1954
Moonraker Ian Fleming 1955
Diamonds Are Forever Ian Fleming 1956
From Russia, With Love Ian Fleming 1957
Doctor No Ian Fleming 1958
Goldfinger Ian Fleming 1959
For Your Eyes Only Ian Fleming 1960
Thunderball Ian Fleming (A) 1961
The Spy Who Loved Me Ian Fleming 1962
On Her Majesty's Secret Service Ian Fleming 1963
You Only Live Twice Ian Fleming 1964
007 In New York (short story) Ian Fleming (B) 1964
The Man With The Golden Gun Ian Fleming 1965
Octopussy And The Living Daylights Ian Fleming (C) 1966
Colonel Sun Kingsley Amis (D) 1968
The Spy Who Loved Me Chris Wood (E) 1977
Moonraker Chris Wood (E) 1979
Licence Renewed John Gardner 1981
For Special Services John Gardner 1982
Icebreaker John Gardner 1983
Role Of Honour John Gardner 1984
Nobody Lives For Ever John Gardner 1986
No Deals, Mr. Bond John Gardner 1987
Scorpius John Gardner 1988
Win, Lose Or Die John Gardner 1989
Brokenclaw John Gardner 1990
Licence To Kill John Gardner (E) 1990
The Man From Barbarossa John Gardner 1991
Death Is Forever John Gardner 1992
Never Send Flowers John Gardner 1993
SeaFire John Gardner 1994
GoldenEye John Gardner (E) 1995
Cold (Cold Fall in the U.S.) John Gardner 1996
Blast From The Past (short story) Raymond Benson (F) 1997
Zero Minus Ten Raymond Benson 1997
Tomorrow Never Dies Raymond Benson (E) 1997
The Facts Of Death Raymond Benson 1998

(A) Based on a treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Wittingham, and Ian
Fleming
(B) This one only appears in American Editions of Fleming's
"Thrilling Cities"
(C) Some versions of the book are simply titled "Octopussy," and often
contain a third short story, titled "The Property Of A Lady."
(D) Under the pseudonym of Robert Markham
(E) A novelization of the film
(F) Published in the January 1997 issue of "Playboy" magazine

15] THAT'S A LOT OF BOOKS! WHAT ORDER SHOULD I READ THEM IN?

Everyone seems to have a different idea on this as well. The books
follow a chronological sequence, and later books occasionally refer to
other earlier books, but you can read most of them in any order you like.
However, it is highly recommended that you at least read "From Russia, With
Love" before "Dr. No" (and be grateful that you do not have to wait for a
year between novels!). Also, please be aware that "Thunderball," "OHMSS,"
"YOLT," and "TMWTGG" form a loose 'quadrilogy' that should be read in
order.

16] DOUBLE-OH THIS, DOUBLE-OH THAT ... JUST HOW MANY '00' AGENTS ARE THERE?

The OO Section of the British Secret Service is undoubtedly one of
the most exclusive "clubs" in the world, consisting of a handful of agents
who have earned the coveted "licence to kill" in the line of duty.

According to Ian Fleming, James Bond was originally the senior member
of only three agents in the Section. At the time of the "Moonraker"
mission, 008 (known only as 'Bill') had just escaped from East Berlin,
while 0011 had vanished in Singapore just two months before. Although 008
surfaced again in "Goldfinger" (listed as Bond's replacement, should he
have failed), 0011 was never heard from again. 009 was briefly mentioned in
"Thunderball." In the "Bond of Bond Street" chapter of Fleming's OHMSS, the
introduction of Mary Goodnight provides us with the information that Bond
was even odds to "get" her first --with an ex-Royal Marine Commando who was
006, making Fleming's total of 00 agents --including 007-- five.

Also, according to Kingsley Amis' "Colonel Sun", the head of station G
in Athens, had served as "005" before "an eye defect had begun to impair
his ability with firearms".
(Submitted by Donal Rogers <[email protected]>)

In the James Bond films, a number of 00 agents have been depicted over
the years:

002 - Bill Fairbanks, assassinated in Beirut by Francisco Scaramanga
in 1969 (The Man With The Golden Gun); replaced by another
agent who is quickly captured during a training mission on
the island of Gibraltar (The Living Daylights)

003 - Found dead in the Siberian ice by 007 (A View To A Kill)

004 - Assassinated by a Russian agent during a training mission on
the island of Gibraltar (The Living Daylights)

006 - Alexander Trevelyan, killed at the hands of Soviet Colonel
Ourumov during a mission with 007 to blow-up a Soviet nerve
gas factory ... or was he? (GoldenEye)

008 - Bond's replacement, should he be unable to complete his mission
(Goldfinger and The Living Daylights)

009 - Assassinated in West Berlin by a circus knife-thrower after
stealing a Faberge egg (Octopussy)

17] DOES IAN FLEMING HAVE A CAMEO APPEARANCE IN THE FILM FRWL?

This one remains an open question, and no new facts have surfaced
since Bryan Krofchok submitted the following for issue #3c of the Ian
Fleming Foundation's "Shaken, Not Stirred" newsletter in March 1995
(reprinted by permission of the author):

"The curious notion of Fleming's cameo is mentioned in Roger Ryan and
Martin Sterling's book of Bond trivia, 'Keeping The British End Up', under
the heading 'Brief Encounter'. The scene in question pops up when the
Orient Express must stop for a truck that has stalled across the tracks
(originally, part of Grant's escape route). Watch for an oddly placed
gentleman wearing a white top and dark pants, who seems to be holding some
sort of walking stick.

His mode of dress is suspiciously identical to that of Ian Fleming's in the
well know photos of his visit to the set of the film during shooting of the
Orient Express. I say that the man is oddly placed, because he seems to
have no part in the plot, and cannot simply be brushed off as someone
merely out for a casual stroll due to the apparent desolation of the
surrounding area. I also find it quite odd that although the train is
passing fairly close to him, the man has his back to it and is looking the
other way."

18] WHO WAS THE WOMAN WHO REALLY WROTE "THE SPY WHO LOVED ME"?

No one. Like he did in a couple of other instances, Ian Fleming
promoted "The Spy Who Loved Me" in a witty fashion. As the book is the most
left-field of the Bond novels, with the first two-thirds detailing the
tormented life of Vivienne Michel and Bond only appearing at the end to
save her, Fleming had written it as a first person accounting by Vivienne.
Fleming told the press that he had "found the manuscript" sitting on his
desk at the Goldeneye retreat he owned in Jamaica.

It was a cute ploy even though the reaction to the book was not
highly favorable and distressed Fleming himself. He was not especially
proud of "The Spy Who Loved Me" but he wrote every word himself. The only
Bond novel not entirely credited and stemming from Fleming is
"Thunderball," which began as a series of film scripts by Fleming, Kevin
McClory and Jack Whittingham.

19] WHICH IS CORRECT, SPECTRE OR S.P.E.C.T.R.E.?

Hm... the SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism,
Revenge, and Extortion. This one is a bit of a thorn in the sides of more
than a few Bond fans. Since the 'P' in S.P.E.C.T.R.E. doesn't actually
represent a word, the intervening periods don't seem to make a heck of a
lot of sense. Unfortunately, we seem to be stuck with the little buggers,
since they can be found in the original British Cape edition of Fleming's
"Thunderball" (though they were dropped in Fleming's later books), and
continue to crop up in various books about the Bond series.

Next time on "Bondian Inconsistency Theatre": the great 'M' vs. 'M.'
debate, 007 vs. OO7, Anne vs. Ann Fleming, and why anyone should even be
the least bit interested. Stay tuned...

20] IS THERE A JAMES BOND FAN CLUB?

There are several. Before joining any of them, however, you might
want to ask around the newsgroup for opinions, since some clubs have better
reputations than others.

The James Bond 007 Fan Club
PO Box 007
Addlestone Weybridge Surrey
KT15 1DY ENGLAND

The Bondmanian Society (in the U.S.: The Bondmanian Society )
15 Crathie Place ( 1807 Augusta Ct., Apt. 10)
Wrexham, Clwyd, Wales ( Lexington, KY 40505 )

The Ian Fleming Foundation (http://www.ianfleming.org)
PO Box 6897
Santa Barbara, CA 93160

Club James Bond 007 (in the U.S.: Club James Bond 007 )
BP 6090 ( BOX 205 )
96468 Lyon Cedex 06 ( 263 Central Avenue Jersey City)
FRANCE ( NJ 07307 USA )

http://perso.club-internet.fr/lperriot/JBuk.htm

21] IS THERE A JAMES BOND WEB SITE?

There are a LOT of Bond web sites these days, with a new one
seemingly cropping up every other week. Here's a list of "recommended"
sites:

- "MR. KISS KISS BANG BANG!"
The Web Magazine of The Ian Fleming Foundation
(http://www.ianfleming.org)

From the people that bring you this FAQ. On the cutting edge of HTML
and graphic design, with rare multimedia and original content.

- OO7 News (http://www.ianfleming.org/007news/)

Now a part of MKKBB, 007 NEWS brings you all the latest in the world
of James Bond.

- The Official James Bond 007 home page
(http://www.mgmua.com/bond/home.html)

MGM/UA's big production on the web.

- Tomorrow Never Dies (http://www.tomorrowneverdies.com)

The official TND site by MGM/UA. With lots of great photographs and
QuickTime trailers. Exciting!

- James Bond Agent 007, OHMSS (http://www.mcs.net/~klast/www/bond.html)

The "Yahoo!" of the Bond sites. Everything is in here!

- The Bond Index (http://www.gsu.edu/~mccbmk/Bond)

The definitive work on the printed Bond (and we're not just saying
that because its maintainer also happens to contribute to this FAQ!).
Runs the gamut of books directly and indirectly related to Bond, and
also features a new "Bond chronology."

- The James Bond Movie Page
(http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dcs3pjb/jb/jbhome.html)

The first Bond website. A great place for beginners, covering all of
the films in detail. With some rare photos, and film reviews.

- Her Majesty's Secret Servant (http://www.hmss.com)

Insightful articles by some of the best alt.fan.james-bond
contributors. A lovely webzine.

- Nuv's OO7 Shrine (http://www.nuvs.com/jbond/)

Download megabytes of trailers, rare videos and sound clips.
Professionally designed.

- Bond's World
(http://plweb.htu.tuwien.ac.at/007/)

Fascinating design and lots of great photos. (In German)

- Commanders Club (http://www.commanders.com/)

A unique and beautiful Bond site!

- 007 Forever. (http://www.Mindspring.com/~icebreaker/intro.html)

Information on many aspects of the Bond world. Updated regularly.

- Universal Exports (http://www.UniversalExports.net)

Huge site with many surprises.

- MGM/UA GoldenEye Site (http://www.mgmua.com/bond/dossier_cover.html)

The official GoldenEye site, with lots of graphics and multimedia.
Very well designed (for 1995 standards).

- James Bond Movie Posters (http://www.musicman.com/mp/jb/jb.html)

Has online photos of almost *all* the various Bond film posters.

- WHAT ABOUT MISS MONEYPENNY? (http://www.comedyontap.com/bond.html)

A very big, very funny and well researched website.

22] IS THERE A JAMES BOND IRC CHANNEL?

IRC channels are created "on-air". They are dynamic and can be
created by anyone and will stay on as long someone is in them. In the past,
some Bond fans used to have IRC discussions on channel #goldeneye in the
days when the film was still in production. We can recommend a time and
place for all of usto meet, however:

Join the #goldeneye channel, Saturdays and Sundays
from 19:00 to 20:00 CET (Central European Time, Paris),
which is 13:00 to 14:00 EST (Eastern Standard Time, New York).

It would be a good idea if you could all connect to an "undernet" IRC
server.

Undernet IRC FAQ - ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/alt.irc.undernet
For IRC help/Undernet information, check out http://www.undernet.org

Also look out for the #Bond-007 channel on server IRC.Dal.Net

23] I'M DYING FOR A 007 DESKTOP THEME AND SCREENSAVER! IS THERE ONE?

Yes! There's an answer to your prayers. The guys who lately
produced the "ULTIMATE JAMES BOND, An Interactive Dossier" CD-ROM from
MGM/UA have recently made available a wonderful 007 Desktop theme for
Windows 95, a screensaver, and a number of cool wallpapers. You can
download those and any future editions from MGM's Bond site.

http://www.mgmua.com/bond/dossier

24] WHY WAS "CASINO ROYALE" A REALLY BAD COMEDY WITH WOODY ALLEN?

The rights to Fleming's first novel were sold in the mid-fifties.
Sold twice, actually. The television rights were sold for $1,000 (which
resulted in the 1954 television adaptation), and the film rights for $600.
The buyer died sometime after, and his widow passed the rights on to
Charlie Feldman. Feldman approached Sean Connery and Cubby Broccoli in
1964 about making in the film. However, Connery wanted at least
$1 million, and there was a disagreement over who would receive production
credit. When no agreement could be reached, the movie was released as a
spoof in 1967.

Who owns the rights now? Good question. United Artists purchased
certain rights from Feldman which may conflict with the rights held by
Columbia -- the company that made the 1967 version. To produce the film,
one of the two companies would likely have to sell its rights, or the two
companies would have to cooperate and share the profits. This issue makes
it unlikely the film will ever see the light of day.

For more information, see "James Bond in the Classroom" in Bondage,
Issue 17.

25] WHO REALLY WROTE THE FAMOUS JAMES BOND THEME?

It was written by either Monty Norman or John Barry... or by both
-- no one is completely certain.

A theme was originally written by Monty Norman. However, the
producers were dissatisfied with the piece (some say they hated it), and
John Barry was hired to "arrange" it. The resulting work reportedly bore
little resemblance to the original. This theme was featured in Dr. No and
has appeared in every official Bond film since. Barry wrote it without ever
seeing the film and based it on his previous work "Bees Knees." But due
to contractual obligations, Monty Norman would always receive credit.
(Monty Norman's original theme can be heard on the Dr. No soundtrack --
it's track number 17.)

Predictably, however, some say that Norman had much more input into
the piece, and others say that Barry threw out Norman's work and wrote the
final theme entirely from scratch. In fact, no two sources quite agree on
who deserves credit. Attempts to find out the truth have met with little
success as neither party is terribly interested in discussing the issue,
and their stories would likely contradict each other anyway.

26] HAVE THE BOND FILMS EVER WON AN OSCAR?

Our man Bond has had a bit of luck with the Academy Awards...
but not much.

While the films have been wildly successful with audiences the
world over, critics have always been hesitant to warm up to them.
Consequently, the Bond films tend to get passed over in favor of more
"critically acceptable" selections. All told, Bond films have been
nominated nine times - five times in technical categories and four times in
musical categories. Only two nominations came up winners:

Film Year Category
---------------------------------------------------
Goldfinger 1964 Best Sound Effects
Thunderball 1965 Best Visual Effects

However, at the risk of sounding pessimistic, both wins were
tainted by the fact that there was only one other nominee. The other seven
nominations were:

Film Year Category Lost to
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diamonds Are Forever 1971 Best Sound Fiddler on the Roof
Live and Let Die 1973 Best Original Song "The Way We Were"
The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 Best Set Direction Star Wars
The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 Best Original Score Star Wars
The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 Best Original Song "You Light Up My Life"
Moonraker 1979 Best Visual Effect Star Trek
For Your Eyes Only 1981 Best Original Song "The Best That You
Can Do"

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association -presenters of the Golden
Globe Awards- has ignored the Bond films even more than the Oscars. Only
three nominations have been given: George Lazenby - believe it or not - was
nominated for a "Best Newcomer" Golden Globe in 1969, while "The Spy Who
Loved Me" got a "Best Score" nomination in 1977, and recently Sheryl Crow's
title song for "Tomorrow Never Dies" was nominated as "Best Song".

While the individual films may have been slighted, the father of
the series has had more luck. In 1982, Cubby Broccoli was awarded the
Coveted Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his filmmaking career.
Homage was paid to both the Bond films and to the many successful films
that Broccoli made prior to Dr. No. The Award was presented by the reigning
Bond at the time, Roger Moore. Likewise, in 1989, Timothy Dalton presented
Broccoli with a lifetime achievement award from the British Academy of Film
and Theatre Arts.

And finally, we may be stretching here, but Pierce Brosnan was
honored (?) in 1996 with a win as "Best Action Actor" in the Blockbuster
Entertainment Awards. (We know, we know -it's a just a movie rental store,
but an award's an award-)

27] HAS ANYONE ELSE NOTICED THAT SOME ACTORS HAVE PLAYED MORE THAN ONE PART
IN THE BOND FILMS?

Yes, Joe Don Baker was merely the latest in a long line of "repeat
offenders," having apparently decided "if you can't beat Bond, join him."
Years earlier, Charles Gray went in the opposite direction, trading in the
wooden leg and silk kimono he wore as a friend (Dikko Henderson in YOLT)
for high heels and pumps and dreams of world domination (as Blofeld in
DAF). In FRWL, Walter Gotell's SPECTRE career as "Morzeny" landed him in
hot water; however, things went swimmingly when he transferred to Russian
intelligence, this time as "General Gogol" (TSWLM, MR, FYEO, OP, AVTAK,
TLD). And of course Maud Adams bounced back remarkably well from a bullet
wound in the heart (sustained as Andrea in MWTGG) to become the wealthy
circus-owner Octopussy (and yes, despite the opinion of some critics, she
was indeed alive in this film). But the biggest promotion goes to Robert
Brown, a British admiral in TSWLM who rose to the post of "M" in
"Octopussy." Besides these major characters, a host of others have popped
up in minor roles, including Martine Beswick, Shane Rimmer and Ed Bishop.
To see where they fit into the scheme of things, and for a complete list of
"repeat offenders," check out Matthew Newton's James Bond Actors page at

http://www.mjnewton.demon.co.uk/bond/jbactors.htm

28] THIS FAQ DOESN'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO EVERY BOND QUESTION EVER ASKED!
HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELVES EXPERTS?

By definition, a FAQ covers FREQUENTLY asked questions. That means
we're taking the most common Bond questions first and filling in the rest
as fast as we can. Questions like "Who was Ian Fleming" will receive top
priority, whereas if you want to know "How many guns has James Bond
carried," you may have to wait for us to do a little research, and if you
want to know "Who is Pierce Brosnan's manicurist," you should probably shut
down the computer right now and get a date. Keep in mind that not every
question has a definitive answer, and we will restrict ourselves to
providing only answers that we can document with reliable sources. In
other words, there are some questions that will NEVER show up here. But if
we covered everything, there'd be no need for usenet, would there? Finally,
this FAQ is very much a work in progress, and if you feel there's a great
question we've overlooked, we welcome your input. Send us your submissions
and if we use them, we'll be sure to give you credit!

29] THERE'S TOO MUCH EDITORIALIZING AND JOKING AROUND IN THIS FAQ.
WHY DON'T YOU JUST STICK TO BUSINESS?

Sniff! We do and do for you kids and this is the thanks we get! As
far as we're concerned, the average FAQ is about as exciting to read
as the ingredients list on a bag of cheese doodles. We want ours to be
different. We will make sure that each answer contains the information you
need, but to keep it interesting for you as well as ourselves, we will also
inject a little humor here and there. Rest assured we take James Bond as
seriously as you do, but humor is a part of the Bond mystique and so it's a
part of this FAQ. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing
it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, that's about it. Please send a message pointing out errors to
Panos Sambrakos via e-mail (address below). These will be fixed in the next
version. All kinds of comments, suggestions and discussions on the contents
of this document are welcome in the newsgroup alt.fan.james-bond.

Panos Sambrakos - [email protected]
Bryan Krofchok - [email protected]
David Morefield - [email protected]
Deane Barker - [email protected]
Michael Reed - [email protected]

_________________________________________________
M R . K I S S K I S S B A N G B A N G !
The Web Magazine of The Ian Fleming Foundation
_________________________________________________
http://www.ianfleming.org