Ian Fleming, drawn by Mort Drucker, from the collection of the late John Griswold.
The spring and summer of 1963 was a decisive period for Ian Fleming's involvement -- and in the end non-involvement -- in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Fleming and producer Norman Felton had met just months earlier, Oct. 29-31, 1962. The two had co-created Napoleon Solo. Felton turned over that material to writer-producer Sam Rolfe to do the heavy lifting. Rolfe revamped the previous ideas into a series proposal. It was titled Ian Fleming's Solo. Rolfe was not happy about that. It was mostly (actually, almost entirely) his work.
On May 8, 1963, the Ashley-Steiner agency sent a letter to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which includes details about Fleming's financial demands for being a participant in U.N.C.L.E.
"He definitely wants to be involved in the series itself if there is a sale and is asking for a mutual commitment for story lines on the basis of two out of each 13 programs at a fee of $2500.00 per story outline," according to the letter.
Fleming also wanted a fee of $25,000 to be a consultant for the series per television season. In that role, the author wants two trips per "production year" to travel to Los Angeles for at least two weeks each trip and for as long as four weeks each trip. The author wants to fly to LA first class and also wants a per diem on the trips of $50 a day.
However, Fleming was under pressure from Bond film producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to exit U.N.C.L.E. Fleming would sell off his U.N.C.L.E. rights for 1 British pound.
In early July 1963, Felton sent Fleming a letter: "May I thank you for meeting with me when I was in England recently. It was deeply appreciated in view of all of the pressures on you at that time. I am hoping, incidentally, that your move to the country has worked out satisfactorily.
"Your new book, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', is delightful. I am hoping that things will calm down for you in the months to come so that in due time you will be able to develop another novel to give further pleasure to your many readers throughout the world."
Fleming sent a reply to Felton on July 16, 1963: "Very many thanks for your letter and it was very pleasant to see you over here although briefly and so frustratingly for you."
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