James Bond History
The “Reel” British Invasion:
An Examination of the Legacy of the James Bond Films
By
Joe Roman
LST 712
Spring 2010
On the eighth day of May, in the year 1963, the sanctity of American cinema was infiltrated by a British secret agent. The infiltration was unexpected and its effects were immediate. Even today, almost fifty years later, the impact of this secret agent’s presence on America’s silver screen is still being felt and continues to influence American popular culture.
So, who is this secret agent and how is it that his films have come to dominate American cinema? His name is Bond, James Bond, and in order to understand his history, it is important to understand that of his creator, Ian Fleming, as well.
Ian Fleming created James Bond while on vacation in Jamaica in January of 1952. He stayed on an estate owned by the Bond family. On a nightstand in the room in which he slept was a field guide to birds of the Caribbean written by the proprieters’ son, an ornithologist named James Bond. In an interview with Reader’s Digest, Fleming is credited as explaining his character’s name: "I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, 'James Bond ' was much better than something more interesting, like 'Peregrine Carruthers. ' Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be a neutral figure — an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department." (Lycett, 1995).
An examination of Ian Fleming’s life prior to Bond’s creation sheds further light on the character’s creation. Fleming served as the personal assistant to Rear Admiral John Godfrey, director of Naval Intelligence of the Royal Navy during World War II. He was first commissioned as a lieutenant, then as a lieutenant commander and finally a commander. His expertise led to him being given control of 30 Assault Unit and later T-Force, two British special commando units. His experiences within these units provided the background for his spy
An Examination of the Legacy of the James Bond Films
By
Joe Roman
LST 712
Spring 2010
On the eighth day of May, in the year 1963, the sanctity of American cinema was infiltrated by a British secret agent. The infiltration was unexpected and its effects were immediate. Even today, almost fifty years later, the impact of this secret agent’s presence on America’s silver screen is still being felt and continues to influence American popular culture.
So, who is this secret agent and how is it that his films have come to dominate American cinema? His name is Bond, James Bond, and in order to understand his history, it is important to understand that of his creator, Ian Fleming, as well.
Ian Fleming created James Bond while on vacation in Jamaica in January of 1952. He stayed on an estate owned by the Bond family. On a nightstand in the room in which he slept was a field guide to birds of the Caribbean written by the proprieters’ son, an ornithologist named James Bond. In an interview with Reader’s Digest, Fleming is credited as explaining his character’s name: "I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, 'James Bond ' was much better than something more interesting, like 'Peregrine Carruthers. ' Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be a neutral figure — an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department." (Lycett, 1995).
An examination of Ian Fleming’s life prior to Bond’s creation sheds further light on the character’s creation. Fleming served as the personal assistant to Rear Admiral John Godfrey, director of Naval Intelligence of the Royal Navy during World War II. He was first commissioned as a lieutenant, then as a lieutenant commander and finally a commander. His expertise led to him being given control of 30 Assault Unit and later T-Force, two British special commando units. His experiences within these units provided the background for his spy
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