Cover to The Search for Bond
The blog had an exchange of emails with author Robert Sellers about his upcoming book, The Search for Bond: How the 007 Role Was Won and Lost.
The blog on Thursday described the book and how it details actors who had been considered for the role of James Bond in the series of films made by Eon Productions. What follows are additional details in question-and-answer form:
THE SPY COMMAND: Is the new book related to articles you did for 007 Magazine in the 2010s?
SELLERS: Yes, the book is based on that series of articles published in 007 magazine back in 2012. What happened was, this was originally going to be a book that was intended to be a follow-up to The Battle for Bond. (TSC: That book covered the legal fights related to Thunderball.)
I carried out a lot of research and interviewed many people who auditioned for Bond including Sam Neill, Julian Glover, Michael Billington, Oliver Tobias, Ian Ogilvy, Michael Jayston, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, John James, Adrian Paul, and others.
Sadly, I never did find a publisher interested in bringing out the book. I decided, rather than the work never seeing daylight, to have it published by 007 Magazine, part one in magazine form, the remaining two parts online.
TSC: How did The Search for Bond become a book?
SELLERS: After publication of my book on Broccoli and Saltzman (TSC: When Harry Met Cubby), I managed to persuade that publisher, The History Press, to release the book. They liked the idea. I dusted off the manuscript and decided to carry out new research (including the truth behind how close American muscleman Steve Reeves came to playing Bond in Dr. No) and to conduct new interviews.
Some of the new interviews included actors like Neil Dickson, Mark Greenstreet, Tony Bonner, Eric Braeden, Gary Stretch and Robin Hawdon, who all tested for the 007 role, and Maria Gavin, the daughter of John Gavin, who, of course, signed on to play Bond for Diamonds Are Forever.
(TSC: Gavin was initially signed for Diamonds but David Picker, an executive at United Artists was keen for Sean Connery to return as Bond. Picker got his way. Connery was paid $1.25 million and a hefty percentage while Gavin was paid what he was owed.)
The Search for Bond is scheduled for publication in October. The price is £20.00 and is available for order now.
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