Revealed: The Secret Telegram That Shows Ian Fleming Wanted Alfred Hitchcock To Direct The First James Bond Film

Imagine a James Bond film directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Cary Grant portraying James Bond.

Graham Smith at the British newspaper the Daily Mail reports on a telegram Ian Fleming sent his friend and fellow thriller writer Eric Ambler about the first James Bond film.

James Bond creator wanted Alfred Hitchock to direct the first 007 movie, it has emerged.

A telegram sent in 1959 has revealed one of the biggest "what ifs" in British cinema history and will James Bond fans shaken and stirred. Fleming sent the communique in which he asked Hitchcock to take the helm of the first Bond film through a mutual friend.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144638/Revealed-The-secret-telegram-shows-Ian-Fleming-wanted-Alfred-Hitchcock-direct-Bond-film.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Note: Although not mentioned in the story, both Fleming and film producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli thought Hitchcock favorite Cary Grant would make a fine James Bond. Grant, who was Broccoli's best man at his wedding, agreed to portray Bond in one film only. As the producers hoped to produce a series of Bond films, they opted to hire Sean Connery to portray Bond and Terence Young to serve as the director. And the rest is cinema history.

The above photo shows the James Bond film team: From left to right is producer Cubby Broccoli, actor Sean Connery, writer Ian Fleming and producer Harry Saltzman.

Celebrating 50 Years Of James Bond Films

Fifty years ago today the first James Bond film, Dr No, was released and millions of viewers were introduced to the suave and rugged British secret agent with the license to kill.

There are a good number of newspaper, magazine and Internet stories celebrating the history of the film series based on the Ian Fleming thrillers.

The British newspaper the Daily Mail offers an interesting excerpt from the late Bond film producer Cubby Broccoli's autobiography. Broccoli tells of a memo author Ian Fleming that spelled out how James Bond should be portrayed.

We had the script rewritten to bring it more in line with Fleming's original story. Which was just as well, because Ian attended several of our meetings well before the picture started. It was good having him around. His whole persona, the way he held his cigarette, his laid-back style, that certain arrogance, was pure James Bond. 

After one of our meetings, Ian sent me a fascinating memorandum, which must be the definitive thesis on the way James Bond should be played. 

For instance: 'Atmosphere: To my mind, the greatest danger in this series is too much Englishness. 

There should, I think, be no monocles, moustaches, bowler hats or bobbies or other "Limey" gimmicks. There should be no blatant English slang, a minimum of public-school ties and accents, and subsidiary characters should, generally speaking, speak with a Scots or Irish accent.   

James Bond: Bond is a blunt instrument wielded by a government department. He is quiet, hard, ruthless, sardonic, fatalistic. In his relationships with women he shows the same qualities as he does in his job. He likes gambling, golf and fast motor cars.   

So, incidentally, did Ian - and guns, espionage and beautiful women, particularly in the uniform of the WRNS. He'd have given anything, I imagine, to have been James Bond.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2085194/JAMES-BOND-MOVIES-Why-said-Dr-No-monkey-revelations.html