Battle of the James Bonds -1983

Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, Ian Fleming wrote James Bond stories and novels. He needed ideas so he hired Kevin McClory to help with Thunderball. It was supposed to be a script, then changed to novel. It turned out to be a good novel. When the Broccoli family went to make Bond movies as they had the rights from the Fleming family, McClory wanted credit and a hand in scriptwriting. The Broccoli’s didn’t want to work with him. Thus began a many decades long series of lawsuits and movie changes. These lawsuits included the rights to use  Spectre and Bloefeld. After 1971, you didn’t hear those names in Bond movies.

Around 1983, McClory won a lawsuit to keep Spectre and since the Brocolli’s still didn’t want to work with him, he made his own Bond movie.

Sean Connery was the first Bond in cinema. He created a certain look, a style and mannerisms. So much so that Fleming had to change the book version of Bond to fit Connery. After Goldfinger was a super success, Connery wanted a better deal for Bond movies. The Broccoli’s reportedly didn’t want to offer the deal Connery wanted. He stayed because of contracts and shooting locations. It reached a point that he couldn’t do it anymore. George Lazenby came in to replace Connery and while the movie made money, it wasn’t considered a success. The movie has seen a re-analysis and it holds up better for new audiences. The Broccoli’s offered Connery a million dollars (a lot for 1971 to come back) for one movie. It was a money maker. It also looked like Connery wasn’t into it. The producers had to get serious about a new Bond for the 1970s. They chose Roger Moore. Supposedly Connery had a real dislike for the Broccoli family and that production company. He didn’t hold anything against Moore. Moore never said a negative thing against Connery.

McClory set out to remake Thunderball with him as producer. He got Connery to join him to spite the Broccoli family. The Broccoli family got word and they weren’t going to let McClory have a hit Bond movie so they rushed Octopussy. In the summer and fall of 1983, Sean Connery Bond and Roger Moore Bond went against each other in the movies.

Who won? See the blog next week!