Like Silk the Water Slid Over Their Bodies Glancing Up
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(‘Bill’) Tanner (yet another Amis Benson in 1982 if he thought the pseudonym) is also under curate at novel may yet be developed into a film Ransom. Offered for research on the he answered, bluntly and with finality, Like silk the water latter title are the “Composite notes “The filmmakers have for some reason and outlines, typescript photocopy of shown no interest in it.” By 1982, of slid over their bodies Illustration by Robb Forward, and corrected and annotated course, even Fleming’s Bond novels typescript fragments of each chapter.” weren’t really being adapted to the Fans of the James Bond film screen – only his titles, a character series have often expressed their name and the occasional sequence desire to see COLONEL SUN to be were being appropriated. In any event, developed as a film property and, the Greek island settings required for indeed, EON Productions did secure COLONEL SUN had only been the rights to the novel for a potential recently (and beautifully) film project. Sadly though, EON has photographed by the filmmakers for thus far not chosen to exercise that the 12th oo7 screen opus For Your option. In September of 1976 Amis Eyes Only (1981). And the idea of a wrote to his novelist wife, Elizabeth British-Soviet intelligence alliance – an Jane Howard “that I’d been to idea so politically charged and Pinewood Studios to be talked to debated in 1968 – had also been about the new James Bond film, recently co-opted by the filmmakers which they want me to write an article for The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977. on. Don’t know that I will, but it was When the 20th James Bond film Die fun to go, meet Roger Moore, etc.” Another Day was released in work on what he described as his Bond efforts, neither really – really – (On July 1, 1977 Amis did, in fact, November of 2002 and Pierce more “serious work,” an unfortunate made any attempt to write a Fleming- contribute a book review of Brosnan as oo7 encountered the comment that must have assuredly style pastiche. The truth is Glidrose Christopher Wood’s film-novelisation sinister Colonel Moon in the film’s made a Fleming-purist such as Amis wouldn’t have allowed them to had of The Spy Who Loved Me for the arts opening reel, I couldn’t help but wince. they tried. The James Bond magazine the New Statesman. Wood wonder how many folks in the Amis did, in fact, take the new continuation novels of 1981 through had co-written the screenplay (with audience were even aware of EON’s Bond author to public task in his 2002 were, perhaps unconsciously, veteran scribe Richard Maibaum) for little in-house joke. Chances are we’ll review of Gardner’s second Bond influenced more by the film series the 10th oo7 film and had been asked never see COLONEL SUN on the big offering FOR SPECIAL SERVICES. In than by Fleming himself. Of course by the filmmakers to write a movie tie- screen – and that’s a shame as it’s a an article that appeared in the Times by now the cinematic James Bond in as all the elements of Fleming’s terrible waste of a great Bond villain. Literary Supplement (September 12, had become such an iconic totem original novel were (by his own Sadly Robert Markham’s 1982), Amis wrote “Quite likely it ill that most of the readers of the new request) to be totally discarded by the contribution to the James Bond becomes a man placed as I am to say novels were fans of the films and, in filmmakers. Amis was somewhat – continuation series proved to be a that, whereas its predecessor was bad truth, many in this audience may uncharacteristically – charitable to one-shot offering. I can’t say with any enough by any reasonable standard, have never have read the original Wood in his essay noting “Mr. Wood certainty that it was a decision made the present offering is an unrelieved Fleming’s at all, let alone the has bravely tackled his formidable by Kingsley Amis or the board of disaster…” Uncharitable words, decidedly ‘old-school’ and dimly main task, that of turning a typical late trustees at Glidrose, but the result was perhaps, from a man who might have remembered COLONEL SUN. Bond film, which is basically the same. The literary James Bond understood better than anyone the In his critical essay of some facetious, into a novel after Fleming, would, in fact, not be back – at least daunting and thankless task of filling thirty years earlier detailing THE which must be basically serious. To not for sometime. Just as the Ian Fleming’s literary shoes. Amis was MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, this end he has, by my count, left out cinematic James Bond closed the unsparing in his criticism of Gardner, Kingsley Amis noted that the critics – nine silly gadgets and sixteen silly 1960s with the-odd-man-out On Her remaining faithful to the original with their dogged allegations of cracks which were in the script.” Majesty’s Secret Service, COLONEL Fleming-concept of how the writing of sadism and wanton violence of the On the 16th of September Amis SUN proved to be that decade’s last Bond novels should be undertaken. original oo7 novels – moved Fleming wrote Howard again and offered ‘old-school’ Fleming-styled Bond “Perhaps I can claim the privilege of at to take “such charges seriously.” In “Meant to tell you that while I was a literary undertaking. least a momentary venting of response to such accusations, Amis Pinewood I mentioned COL. SUN to Then in 1981 Glidrose indignation at the disrepute into contended that the “violent and the PR chap, saying quite innocently announced the return of the literary which this publication brings the bloody action, the infliction of pain that I’d heard long ago that Salzman James Bond in LICENCE RENEWED. name and works of Ian Fleming,” in general…was very much scaled (sic) had more or less specifically John Gardner, a well respected and Amis scoffed. down in what (Fleming) wrote after rejected the idea of filming it. PR chap established author of espionage The truth be told, Amis wasn’t 1958.” Amis was saddened that said well, you know Salzman (sic) has thrillers, accepted the offer to update alone in his assessment of Gardner as Fleming had seemingly capitulated left the organization now and, er, let’s oo7 as a counterspy of the 1980s. Bond novelist. On April 9, 1983 The to his critics since the “sex and say I’ve heard people mentioning COL. Gardner brought his own style to the New York Times reviewed Mr. snobbery and the memorable meals SUN. So there may be something in new Bond series. Unlike Amis, Gardner’s third oo7 literary offering and the high-level gambling… store for us there.” Though Amis Gardner was no authority on Fleming ICEBREAKER, and it’s reasonable to however unedifying, were part of the continued to remain hopeful and, in fact, admitted to having “not describe that essay as not what U.S. unique Fleming world”. In throughout the 1970s that EON really liking the Bond books very publishing house G.P Putnam would COLONEL SUN, Kingsley Amis Productions might yet consider much.” But the financial success that have hoped for. “When Kingsley tried, as best as he was able without COLONEL SUN as a viable film writing the new Bond novels afforded Amis, surely a competent novelist, benefit of Fleming’s own unique and property, when asked by Raymond Gardner, gave him the opportunity to wrote a rather boring Bond book, personal gifts, to carry on that was surprised.’ wrote Anatole Broyard tradition. If Amis failed – and I’m of in his article ‘James Bond Revised’. the opinion that he most certainly Glancing up she saw “I could only suppose that he was did not – it was probably due to the the two men over qualified for the job… But if Mr. fact that the critics were less versed Amis was overqualified, Mr. Gardner in those traditions than Amis was close in Illustration by Robb seems to me to be at the other end of himself. “Nobody can write at his the spectrum.” In retrospect, that best,” Amis concluded with assessment too is unfair. Gardner profundity in his essay on THE MAN carried the Bond continuation series WITH THE GOLDEN GUN “with from 1981 through 1996 producing part of his attention on puritanical no fewer than fourteen novels and readers over his shoulder.” Of all the two film novelizations before Glidrose oo7 continuation novels, only passed the torch onto Raymond Kingsley Amis’s COLONEL SUN Benson who penned six novels, three captures the spirit of the original short stories and three film literary James Bond – of Ian Fleming’s novelizations of his own between James Bond. Kingsley Amis seemed 1997 and 2002. Though both to intuitively understand how “a man authors brought their own particular who is only a silhouette” can still cast charms and writing styles to their a long shadow. oo39.