His Walter Mitty Moment
"I have always hated that damn James Bond. I'd like to kill him."
- Sean Connery
Ian Fleming thought danger was a chance to be cool. He fancied the finer things in life. He loved women. In real life, he was a journalist and naval intelligence officer. So he had his Walter Mitty moment. He saw himself in James Bond, the best thing that came out of Spy fiction.
The James Bond series became bestsellers, with more publications after Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli bought the rights to the books. "Dr. No" (1962) was the first in the long line of films adapted from Fleming's works. Sean Connery played Bond, code name 007. The iconic role made Connery famous, but a rift between the actor and Saltzman and Broccoli occurred. Connery, who turned 84 on August 25, proved he was more than a star of spy films, winning an Academy Award in 1988 for "The Untouchables". But he would be most remembered for Bond. James Bond.
His Dangerous Missions
It wasn't hard to figure out the appeal behind the series. Fleming created the perfect gentlemen who could be better when there was threat. He had taste, often riding on an Aston Martin. He also liked mixed drinks, but vodka martini was his favorite. As for his choice of firearms, it changed as the years went by.
"Casino Royale" was the first James Bond novel, published on April 13, 1953. There would be more, highlighting the Cold War. It was a deadly game, but Fleming's imagination made it exciting. Readers sensed that his World War II experience wasn't enough.
So here are three of his finest:
"From Russia, with Love" (1957). SMERSH, the Soviet counterintelligence agency, wanted to get rid of Agent 007. He was the reason for their failures, and Colonel Rosa Klebb, head of Operations and Executions, knew who would do the job and where to do it. They sent Tatiana Romanova, a striking brunette, to Istanbul. Bond bit the bait, but the young woman was unable to resist his charms. Rosa Klebb had other plans. She turned out to be Bond's deadliest foe.
"Goldfinger" (1959). Bond had a meeting with Auric Goldfinger, whom he suspected of helping SMERSH by financing their Western markets. He was a jeweller and smuggler. He was also obsessed with gold. No one tried crossing with Goldfinger, as his manservant, Oddjob, was ruthless. (Jill Masterson, Goldfinger's assistant, helped Bond. Oddjob eliminated her by painting her body with gold paint.) But Bond was no greenhorn.
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1963). Bond had a chance encounter with Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, also known as Tracy Draco. She was mad about him. He thought of leaving his job and settling down with her. Alas, he had a mission in Switzerland. He was in the company of British and Irish women. They were brainwashed. SPECTRE, a global terrorist organization, was behind this diabolical project. Agent 007 thwarted the group in "Thunderball", but he neither faced nor caught its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He finally did. Bond was able to escape, but Blofeld had the last laugh.
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