Thunderball is the eighth novel by Ian Fleming based on the fictional British Secret Service agent Commander James Bond. Fleming wrote it intending to film it; it is officially credited as 'based on a screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Ian Fleming', a controversial shared credit that was the result of a courtroom decision. The novel was first published on March 27, 1961, and is technically the first novelisation of a James Bond screenplay, though when written and published, the eponymous film had yet to be produced. It subsequently was serialised as a daily newspaper comic strip in 1961. Image File history File linksMetadata IanFleming_Thunderball. ... Ian Lancaster Fleming (May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, journalist and Second World War Navy Commander. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... The spy fiction genre (sometimes called political thriller) first arose just before the First World War, at about the same time, the first organized intelligence agencies were being formed. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Jonathan Cape has been since 1987 an imprint of Random House. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN-13 represented as EAN-13 bar code (in this case ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0) The International Standard Book Number, ISBN, is a unique[1] commercial book identifier barcode. ... This article is about the James Bond book and short story. ... 2003 Penguin Books paperback edition The Spy Who Loved Me is a James Bond novel by Ian Fleming first published in 1962. ... Ian Lancaster Fleming (May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, journalist and Second World War Navy Commander. ... Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by novelist Ian Fleming, and the protagonist of the James Bond series of novels and films. ... Credits for A Christmas Story. ... A treatment or more properly film treatment is a short piece of prose intended to be turned into a screenplay for a motion picture. ... Kevin ODonovan McClory (b. ... Jack Whittingham (1910 - July 4, 1972) was a British playwright, film critic, and screenwriter. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A novelization (or novelisation in British English) is a fictional book that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work. ...

To date, Thunderball has twice been adapted cinematically. The first adaptation, Thunderball, was released in 1965 as the fourth official film in the EON Productions series, with Sean Connery as James Bond. The second adaptation, Never Say Never Again was released in 1983 as a remake produced by Kevin McClory and starring Connery as Bond. It features the first appearance of the crime syndicate SPECTRE and introduces SPECTRE's leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld, although Bond does not meet him. For other topics with this name, see Thunderball. ... EON Productions is a film production company known for producing the James Bond film series. ... Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930) is an Academy Award-winning Scottish actor and producer who is perhaps best known as the first actor to portray James Bond in cinema, starring in seven Bond films. ... Never Say Never Again is a James Bond film, itself a remake of the 1965 film Thunderball. ... Spectre, taken from the Battle for Wesnoth computer game. ... Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character from the James Bond universe. ...

Like most of its predecessors, Thunderball was received positively by critics. The Times said: "The Mixture — of good living, sex and violent action — is as before, but this highly polished performance, with an ingenious plot, well documented, and plenty of excitement."^[1] The Financial Times said it was Fleming's best since Diamonds Are Forever, while the New York Times said, "The book is a mystery story, a thriller, a chiller, and a pleasure to read." ^[2] The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... The Financial Times (FT) is an international business newspaper printed on distinctive salmon pink broadsheet paper. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

Plot summary

Thunderball begins with a meeting between M and Bond, during which he tells agent 007 that his latest physical assessment is poor, because of excessive drinking and smoking (sixty cigarettes daily). M sends Bond on a two week vacation to the Shrublands health clinic in the country to reduce the bad habits and improve his health. At the clinic, Bond encounters Count Lippe, a member of the Red Lightning Tong criminal organisation from Macao. When Bond learns this, Lippe tries to kill him by tampering with a spinal traction machine, in the effort that Bond will not connect him to SPECTRE. Bond, however, is saved by nurse Patricia Fearing, and he later retaliates against Lippe by trapping him in a steam bath, resulting in second-degree burns and a week's stay in hospital. M is a fictional character in Ian Flemings James Bond series, as well as the films in the Bond franchise. ... Count Lippe is a villain who appears in both the film Thunderball and its remake, Never Say Never Again. ... Patricia Pat Fearing is the shapely, blonde, brown eyed nurse who looks over James Bond (Sean Connery) while hes at her healthy clinic in Thunderball (1965). ...

Upon returning to London, Bond is a new man, following a new diet and smoking less. The new man Bond is ready for action when the SIS receives a communiqué from SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion) telling them of having hijacked a Villiers Vindicator (V bomber) and so possess its two nuclear bombs, and will destroy a major city lest a £100,000,000 ransom is paid them. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Communiqué is the second album by British rock band Dire Straits, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music). ... Spectre, taken from the Battle for Wesnoth computer game. ... The term V bomber was used for the Royal Air Force aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the UKs strategic nuclear strike force. ...

2003 Penguin Books paperback edition

SPECTRE is headed by mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld who is intolerant of failure. Count Lippe was despatched Shrublands to oversee Giuseppe Petacchi, of the Italian Air Force, at the Boscombe Down Airfield a bomber squadron base. Though Lippe was semi-successful, Blofeld considered him unreliable, because of his childish clash with James Bond; consequent to Lippe's hospitalisation, Blofeld has him killed. This image is a book cover. ... This image is a book cover. ... It has been suggested that Penguin Modern Poets, Penguin Great Ideas be merged into this article or section. ... Spectre, taken from the Battle for Wesnoth computer game. ... Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character from the James Bond universe. ... MoD Boscombe Down is an aircraft testing site located south of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. ...

Acting as a NATO observer of Royal Air Force procedure, pilot Petacchi is in SPECTRE's pay to hijack the bomber in mid-flight (by killing its crew) and flying it to the Bahamas. Once there, Emilio Largo (aka SPECTRE Number One), and the crew of the cruiser yacht Disco Volante, kill Petacchi as per Plan Omega. NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... Emilio Largo is a fictional character from the James Bond novel Thunderball. ...

The Americans and the British, launch Operation Thunderball to foil SPECTRE and recover the two atomic bombs. On a hunch, M assigns agent 007, James Bond, to the Bahamas to investigate. There, he rendezvous with Felix Leiter, who is again with CIA, because of the Thunderball crisis (previously, Leiter was a private detective after having lost an arm and a leg in helping Bond in the Live and Let Die case). While in Nassau, Bond also meets Dominetta "Domino" Vitali, Largo's mistress and the dead Petacchi's sister. She is living aboard the Disco Volante, and believes Largo is on a treasure hunt. For reasons she does not understand Largo makes her stay ashore while he and his partners hunt hidden treasure. After learning that Largo killed Petacchi, Bond informs Domino and recruits her to spy on Largo. Domino reboards the Disco Volante with a Geiger counter to ascertain if the yacht is where the two nuclear bombs are hidden, however, she is discovered and made prisoner; Largo tortures her with fire and ice. Felix Leiter is a fictional character created by Ian Fleming in the James Bond series of novels and films. ... The Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... A private investigator, or PI, is a person who undertakes investigations. ... Live and Let Die is the second novel in Ian Flemings James Bond series. ... For other uses of Nassau, see Nassau (disambiguation). ... Madame de Pompadour the mistress of King Louis XV of France. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Bond and Leiter alert the Thunderball war room of their suspicions of Largo and join the crew of the Manta American nuclear submarine as the ransom deadline nears. The Manta chases Disco Volante to capture it and recover the bombs enroute to the first target. An undersea battle ensues between the crews, while Largo fights Bond; before Largo can kill Bond, however, Domino impales him at the neck with a spear. The bombs are recovered and Bond spends the remainder of the story with Domino in hospital. USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ...

Characters

• James Bond - A Royal Navy Commander seconded to the SIS as agent 007, is the protagonist assigned to investigate terrorism, in course of which, he allies himself with Felix Leiter of CIA and seduces the playgirl Domino Vitali for averting a nuclear disaster.

• M - Agent 007's boss in the Secret Intelligence Service. After sending Bond to a health clinic, he assigns him to Operation Thunderball. He is helped by his secretary Miss Moneypenny and his Chief of Staff Bill Tanner.

• Ernst Stavro Blofeld - Head of the terrorist organisation SPECTRE, being its Number Two for security, supervising all projects, and tolerating no failure. A master criminal, he tasks Emilio Largo with stealing two nuclear bombs, and announces SPECTRE's existence to the world while holding it to ransom for £100,000,000.

• Emilio Largo - Blofeld's subordinate in SPECTRE, being its Number One, for security reasons. He is the organisation's second-in-command, standing to inherit its leadership if Blofeld were captured or killed. He supervises "Plan Omega": the hijacking of a loaded nuclear bomber jet aeroplane in mid-flight.

• Felix Leiter - Veteran CIA agent maimed by a shark in the Live and Let Die adventure. Thereafter, he working for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency until recalled to CIA for "Operation Thunderball".

• Domino Vitali - Playgirl Dominetta "Domino" Vitali is the traditional Bond girl of the story. After study in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she returned an actress to Italy, then met millionaire Emilio Largo and subsequently became his mistress. She is pilot Petacchi's sister.

• Giuseppe Petacchi - An Italian Air Force pilot working as a NATO observer on an RAF test flight. He was recruited by SPECTRE agent Signor Fonda and paid to hijack the new Villiers Vindicator nuclear bomber. Upon killing the crew and flying the bomber to the Bahamas, Emilio Largo kills him. Petacchi is Domino Vitali's brother.

• Count Lippe - A member of the Red Lightning Tong of Macao, SPECTRE recruited him as an expert conspirator. He is assigned to the Shrublands clinic from where he is to supervise Giuseppe Petacchi at the nearby RAF base. While there, he encounters James Bond and tries to kill him. After surviving, Bond retaliates by trapping Lippe in a steam bath to suffer second-degree burns, because of which, Blofeld has him killed.

• Patricia Fearing - A nurse at the Shrublands clinic, and a minor Bond Girl love interest, who rescues Bond from Count Lippe.

Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by novelist Ian Fleming, and the protagonist of the James Bond series of novels and films. ... M is a fictional character in Ian Flemings James Bond series, as well as the films in the Bond franchise. ... Miss Moneypenny is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. ... The following is a list of allies found throughout the James Bond film and novel series. ... Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character from the James Bond universe. ... Emilio Largo is a fictional character from the James Bond novel Thunderball. ... Felix Leiter is a fictional character created by Ian Fleming in the James Bond series of novels and films. ... The Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... Live and Let Die is the second novel in Ian Flemings James Bond series. ... Pinkerton guards escort strikebreakers in Buchtel, Ohio, 1884 The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. ... Dominetta Vitali known simply as Domino, is a fictional character and Bond girl in the James Bond novel, Thunderball. ... A Bond Girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest or sex object of James Bond in a film, novel or video game. ... RADAs theatre in London The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in Bloomsbury, London, is generally regarded as the most prestigious drama school in the world. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... Count Lippe is a villain who appears in both the film Thunderball and its remake, Never Say Never Again. ... Patricia Pat Fearing is the shapely, blonde, brown eyed nurse who looks over James Bond (Sean Connery) while hes at her healthy clinic in Thunderball (1965). ...

Controversy

Thunderball was originally conceived as the first entry in a film series for Xanadu Productions (Ian Fleming, Ernest Cuneo, Ivar Bryce, and Kevin McClory). The first draft was a short story by Cuneo, then sent to Bryce. It was specifically written for Kevin McClory to film underwater with Todd-AO cameras developed by his previous employer, film producer Mike Todd. The story underwent several rewritings, although elements from Cuneo's short story remained in Fleming's novel; they then knew each other for three years. Kevin ODonovan McClory (b. ... Todd-AO was a widescreen film format developed in the mid 1950s. ... Michael Todd (real name Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen) (June 22, 1907 or 19091 - March 22, 1958) was an American film producer who is best known for his production of Around the World in Eighty Days 1956, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...

Initially, the villains were the Russians, but after the first draft the villains became the terrorist organisation SPECTRE. Some sources, including Raymond Benson's The James Bond Bedside Companion,^[3] argue that Cuneo and Bryce believed SPECTRE was McClory's idea. Other sources, e.g. the article "Inside Thunderball"^[4] by Fleming biographer John Cork (and author of the DVD documentaries about Fleming and the films), claims Fleming created SPECTRE. Supporting this, Cork produced a Fleming memorandum in which Fleming calls for the change to SPECTRE: Raymond Benson (born September 6, 1955) is an American author best known for being the last official author of the adult James Bond novels. ... The James Bond Bedside Companion book cover The James Bond Bedside Companion is a non-fiction book written by the official James Bond author, Raymond Benson, first published in 1984. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ...

Fleming is said to have been attracted to the word "spectre", having used it the fourth novel, Diamonds Are Forever, for "Spectreville", a town near Las Vegas; and for the "spektor", the cryptograph decoder in From Russia with Love. His further revisions of the Thunderball novel deleted SPECTRE and inserted the Mafia as the villain(s), which, per Cork, remained in all future revisions. Fleming also introduced the antagonist "Henrico Largo" and the Bond girl heroine "Dominique (Domino) Smith," as a Scotland Yard agent. Fleming also conceived most of the novel's and the film's plot incidents: the theft of a nuclear bomb and the submarine finale wherein Bond, Leiter, and U.S. Navy frogmen fight Largo's frogmen. Diamonds Are Forever is the fourth novel in Ian Flemings James Bond series. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... A 2002 Penguin Books paperback edition From Russia with Love, published in 1957, is the fifth James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming. ... New Scotland Yard, London New Scotland Yard, it blowwsssss often referred to simply as Scotland Yard or The Yard, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for policing Greater London (although not the City of London itself). ...

In 1959, Jack Whittingham was hired to rewrite the story into a feasible screenplay; his additions included the characters Jack Petachi ("Giuseppe Pettacchi" in the novel), and Sophia, whose role was largely Domino's in the novel. The remainder of the screenplay was a two-year collaboration among McClory, Whittingham, and Fleming. In that time, Xanadu was dissolved, and Ernest Cuneo supposedly sold his Thunderball draft rights to Ivar Bryce for one dollar. Jack Whittingham (1910 - July 4, 1972) was a British playwright, film critic, and screenwriter. ...

Kevin McClory was to produce the final screenplay; however, his unsuccessful recent film, The Boy and the Bridge, complicated securing proper financing for the Bond film. In The Life of Ian Fleming, John Pearson argues that McClory visited Fleming's Jamaica house Goldeneye, where Fleming explained his intention of delivering the screenplay to MCA, and recommending McClory as film producer.^[5] Additionally, Fleming told McClory that if MCA rejected the film because of his (McClory's) involvement, then he (McClory) should either sell himself to MCA or back out of the deal or file suit in court. Months later, Fleming sold to Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli the film rights to the current series of published books, as well as future James Bond novels, excepting Casino Royale, the rights to which already had been sold. The Life of Ian Fleming is a biography of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond and author of the childrens book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. ... Goldeneye was the estate that James Bond creator, Ian Fleming stayed at every year whilst he was on his leave from the Sunday Times. ... The Music Corporation of America was a United States based corporation in the music business. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Casino Royale by Ian Fleming was the first James Bond novel. ...

When the Fleming-McClory deal collapsed, Fleming wrote the novel Thunderball, composed of the original short story and the screenplay. It included the Shrublands clinic sequence; (Fleming, himself, went to Enton Hall, Surrey, in April 1956, for hydrotherapy, unlike in Bond's stay, Fleming's was unsuccessful in improving his bad heart's health). Initially, the novel only credited Ian Fleming as author, though dedicated to his "Muse" friend Ernest Cuneo. In 1961, before publication, McClory received an advanced copy of the book and consequently filed suit, along with Whittingham, against Fleming for plagiarism and false attribution. McClory also sued Ivar Bryce for injuring him as a false partner in Xanadu Productions. The courts ruled that the lawsuit would not interfere with the publication of the novel, because books had already been shipped to book shops, but the lawsuit prevented Thunderball from being the first James Bond series film, though screenwriter Richard Maibaum (later the adaptor–co-writer of thirteen of the first sixteen films), did complete a screenplay adaptation of the published novel. Not to be confused with Surry. ... Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, is probably the oldest form of medical treatment. ... Screenwriters, scenarists or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Richard Maibaum (May 26, 1909 - January 4, 1991) was an American film producer, playwright and screenwriter best known for his adaptations of Ian Flemings James Bond novels. ...

At Ivar Bryce's behest, Fleming settled McClory's lawsuit out of court in December of 1961, because Bryce felt the lawsuit stress seriously affected Fleming's health; (by then, Fleming already had suffered a heart attack, later dying of a second in 1964). During the lawsuit, Whittingham assigned his script rights to McClory; the settlement decreed that the copyright page of future Thunderball editions credit them so: "based on a screen treatment by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Ian Fleming" — in that order, though Ian Fleming's author by line remained. McClory also was granted a cinematic adaptation right of the book and rights to all aspects of the Thunderball story, plot, and characters: SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Blofeld's white Persian cat, and nine additional plot treatments and outlines.^[6] In an October 1997 interview with The Daily Telegraph, McClory stated the decree comprised rights to any James Bond film plot including an atomic bomb hijacking.^[7] Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), more commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... The Persian cat is one of the oldest breeds of cat. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ...

Upon being awarded the cinematic rights, McClory failed in finding financing for filming Thunderball. Later, in 1964, he reluctantly proposed to Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli a collaborative adaptation of Thunderball as the fourth, official James Bond series film. In 1965, Thunderball was released with Sean Connery as agent 007. Like most of these films, it was promoted as "Ian Fleming's Thunderball". The screenplay credit was Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins, but noted as "Based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham", also credited as "Based on the original story by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Ian Fleming". Whittingham's sole, original screenplay credit usually is omitted from posters and promotional materials. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Richard Maibaum (May 26, 1909 - January 4, 1991) was an American film producer, playwright and screenwriter best known for his adaptations of Ian Flemings James Bond novels. ... John Hopkins (sometimes credited as John R. Hopkins; born January 27, 1931 in London, England, UK; died July 23, 1998 in Woodland Hills, California, United States) was a British film and television writer. ...

In the agreement between EON and himself, McClory agreed that he would not make another Thunderball adaptation for twelve years. In those twelve years, McClory's ownership of the Thunderball film rights did not prevent further Bond films — You Only Live Twice (1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), and Diamonds Are Forever (1971), from featuring SPECTRE, Blofeld, and Blofeld's cat. Ian Flemings You Only Live Twice is the fifth film in the EON Productions James Bond series, the fifth to star Sean Connery as British Secret Service agent Commander James Bond 007, and the sixth film to feature James Bond. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Artwork from Time Out magazine's June 1983 issue depicting Connery's Never Say Never Again versus Moore's Octopussy

In 1976, at the twelve-year agreement's expiration, McClory and Connery wrote an original James Bond adventure, putatively titled either Warhead 8 or Warhead or James Bond of the Secret Service, with Connery as potential director and star. This film was scrapped when United Artists sued McClory, who was unable to finance a defence. In James Bond in the Cinema, John Brosnan argues that McClory and Connery learned specific plot details of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) that, supposedly, resembled Thunderball and Warhead.^[8] Indeed, early scripts of The Spy Who Loved Me featured Blofeld and SPECTRE as the villains; Karl Stromberg and his organisation replaced them. Download high resolution version (792x800, 199 KB)Artwork from the cover of Time Out magazine from June 1983. ... Download high resolution version (792x800, 199 KB)Artwork from the cover of Time Out magazine from June 1983. ... Time-out can mean: sport time-out, a break in play that may be called by a side to formulate strategy or respond to an players injury. ... The current United Artists logo (a variant was used during the 1980s). ... John Raymond Brosnan (1947 – April 11, 2005) was an Australian writer of both fiction and non-fiction works based around the fantasy and science fiction genres. ... 2003 Penguin Books paperback edition The Spy Who Loved Me is a James Bond novel by Ian Fleming first published in 1962. ... Karl Stromberg is a fictional character in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. ...

In the 1980s, McClory finally asserted his rights to the James Bond character, helped by Jack Schwartzman and Warner Bros. financing to win a High Court decision against United Artists. Consequently, in 1983, Schwartzman and McClory produced Never Say Never Again, a remake of Thunderball, written by Lorenzo Semple Jr., featuring Sean Connery's very publicised reprise of the James Bond role after a twelve-year hiatus. That same year, EON Productions released Octopussy, with Roger Moore as James Bond, secret agent 007. The press quickly dubbed the situation the "Battle of the Bonds", especially during the short time when both films were almost simultaneously slated in cinemas; ultimately, they were released months apart, both were successful. Jack Schwartzman (July 22, 1932, New York City, New York - June 15, 1994, Los Angeles, California) was a producer and husband of actress Talia Shire. ... Warner Bros. ... The current United Artists logo (a variant was used during the 1980s). ... Never Say Never Again is a James Bond film, itself a remake of the 1965 film Thunderball. ... Lorenzo Semple Jr. ... Octopussy is a 1983 spy film. ... For other persons named Roger Moore, see Roger Moore (disambiguation). ...

In the 1990s, Sony and McClory planned another, second Thunderball remake, titled Warhead 2000 A.D., with either Liam Neeson or Timothy Dalton as James Bond, (the latter reprising the role a third time). In 1997, Sony announced a rival James Bond series, which forced MGM and Danjaq, LLC (the EON Productions owners) to sue Sony and McClory, barring them from doing so. This third Thunderball production was abandoned in 1999 with Sony's out-of-court settlement with MGM, ceding all rights to making James Bond films. Nevertheless, McClory continued claiming ownership of the Thunderball film rights; MGM and EON asserted McClory's rights as expired. In the settlement, MGM relinquished their partial rights to Spider-Man, allowing Sony's releasing the film in 2002. In 1997, MGM got the Never Say Never Again distribution rights after buying Orion Pictures. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... William John Liam Neeson OBE (born June 7, 1952) is an Oscar-nominated Irish actor. ... Timothy Peter Dalton (born March 21, 1946[1]) is a Welsh born English actor of stage and screen, best known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989) and in his roles in Shakespearean related films and plays. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... Danjaq, LLC (formerly Danjaq S.A.) is the holding company responsible for the copyright and trademarks to the characters, elements, and other related material to James Bond on screen. ... Spider-Man is a 2002 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In 1998, during the lawsuit onslaught, between Sony and MGM, Sony counter-sued MGM, claiming Kevin McClory was the co-author of the cinematic James Bond, and as such Danjaq and MGM owed him authorship fees from all the previous films' income. This lawsuit, which McClory calls "The Greatest Act of Piracy in the History of the Motion Picture Industry", was dismissed in 2000 on the grounds that he (McClory) had waited too long to file claim. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision^[9]. Judge M. Margaret McKeown: "So, like our hero James Bond, exhausted after a long adventure, we reach the end of our story."^[10] Laches is an equitable defense, or doctrine, in an action at law. ...

Moreover, in 2005, MGM was acquired by a Sony/Comcast-led consortium allowing Sony Pictures Entertainment to become responsible for the distribution of the James Bond film series, beginning with Casino Royale (2006). McClory died on November 20, 2006 at age 80. It remains unknown what will become of the Thunderball material of which he claimed ownership. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Comcast Corporation, (NASDAQ: CMCSA) based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the largest cable company in the United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Casino Royale, released in 2006, is the 21st film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Daniel Craig as MI6 agent James Bond. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Adaptations

Main articles: Thunderball (film) and James Bond comic strips

2004 Titan Books reprint featuring Goldfinger, "Risico," "From a View to a Kill," "For Your Eyes Only," and the abbreviated Thunderball.

In 1965, the Thunderball film was released. Most of it is adapted from the novel, changed mostly to incorporate the pre-title teaser and unique gadgets. Story continuity is another major difference between the cinematic and the literary versions of Thunderball; SPECTRE was first featured in Thunderball but in the film series, it appeared earlier in Dr. No and From Russia with Love. For other topics with this name, see Thunderball. ... Starting in 1958 and continuing to 1983, James Bond, the fictional character created by author Ian Fleming appeared in 52 comic strips that were syndicated in British newspapers, 7 of which were initially published abroad. ... 2005 Titan Books Daily Express comic strip cover. ... 2005 Titan Books Daily Express comic strip cover. ... Titan Books is a UK publisher of graphic novels. ... For other uses, see Goldfinger (disambiguation). ... This article is about the James Bond book and short story. ... This article is about the James Bond book and short story. ... This article is about the James Bond book and short story. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... For other topics with this name, see Thunderball. ... Dr. No is a 1962 spy film. ... For the video game, see From Russia with Love (video game). ...

Like all of Fleming's previous Bond novels, a comic strip adaptation was published daily in the British Daily Express newspaper and syndicated worldwide, beginning on December 11, 1961, however, the Daily Express suddenly cancelled the strip (per Lord Beaverbrook) on February 10, 1962, when Beaverbrook and Fleming disputed the rights to the short story "The Living Daylights". Fleming had sold them to the rival newspaper Sunday Times, upsetting Beaverbrook to ending their relationship. Writer Henry Gammidge and illustrator John McLusky were given only a few days' notice and were forced to conclude the story in only two daily strips. This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... For other uses, see Daily Express (disambiguation). ... December 11 is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... William Maxwell Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, PC (May 25, 1879 – June 9, 1964) was a Canadian – British business tycoon and politician. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Octopussy and The Living Daylights (sometimes published as Octopussy) is the fourteenth and final James Bond book written by Ian Fleming. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... John McLusky, born the son of creole lesbians, lived a life of prostitution and debauchery. ...

The original strip published in the Daily Express only reached Giuseppe Petacchi's hijacking of the bomber and two nuclear bombs for SPECTRE. The strip ended in the next panel (No. 1117), stating that afterwards SPECTRE communicated demands to the Western governments and that all intelligence agents, including James Bond, were sent to search for them. The concluding line reads: "Bond finds them and the world is safe". Six more panels for the Daily Express version were originally completed by artist John McLusky detailing the hijacking of the bomber aeroplane; however, they went unprinted. A further six panels also were created to expand and conclude the story. These are included in several syndicated versions of the comic strip.

In the short-lived Fleming-Beaverbrook dispute, Fleming satirized him, by writing a short story about a newspaper editor named Caffery Bone titled "The Shameful Dream". The story was unfinished and suppressed during Fleming's life.^[11] Beaverbrook and Fleming later resolved their dispute, and the James Bond comic strip reappeared in the Daily Express, in June of 1964, with On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but the Thunderball adaptation never was completed. In 2004, the abbreviated Thunderball comic strip was reprinted by Titan Books in the Goldfinger anthology comprising Goldfinger, "Risico," "From a View to a Kill," and "For Your Eyes Only." On Her Majestys Secret Service is the eleventh novel in Ian Flemings James Bond series. ... Titan Books is a UK publisher of graphic novels. ... For other uses, see Goldfinger (disambiguation). ... This article is about the James Bond book and short story. ... This article is about the James Bond book and short story. ... This article is about the James Bond book and short story. ...

Publication history

• March 27, 1961, Jonathan Cape, hardcover, first British edition.
  • Cover by Richard Chopping. 50,938 produced.
• April 1961, Viking Press, hardcover, first American edition.
• May 1962, Signet, paperback, first American edition.
• May 3, 1963, Pan Books, paperback, first British edition. 17 printings up to 1976.
• October 12, 1978, Triad/Panther, paperback, British, ISBN 0-586-04597-X
• June 1982, Berkley Books, paperback, American, ISBN 0-425-05344-X
• February 1989, Coronet Books, paperback, British, ISBN 0-340-42561-X. Introduction by Anthony Burgess.
• April 2002, Penguin Books, paperback, British, ISBN 0-14-100299-9
• April 2003, Penguin Books, paperback, American, ISBN 0-14-200324-7
• October 26, 2006, Penguin Books, paperback, British, ISBN 0-14-102828-9 . Introduction by David Wolstencroft.

is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jonathan Cape has been since 1987 an imprint of Random House. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Viking Press was founded on March 1, 1925, in New York City, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim. ... A signet is a seal used to authenticate a document, typically by leaving an impression in sealing wax. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 Pan Books edition of Ian Flemings James Bond novel Goldfinger is an example of the type of publication for which Pan Books became popular. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Berkley Books is a paperback imprint of Penguin Group (USA). ... Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hodder Headline. ... Anthony Burgess (February 25, 1917 – November 22, 1993) was a British novelist, critic and composer. ... It has been suggested that Penguin Modern Poets, Penguin Great Ideas be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Penguin Modern Poets, Penguin Great Ideas be merged into this article or section. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that Penguin Modern Poets, Penguin Great Ideas be merged into this article or section. ... David Wolstencroft is a British author and creator of the BAFTA award-winning TV spy drama Spooks. ...

References

is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Raymond Benson (born September 6, 1955) is an American author best known for being the last official author of the adult James Bond novels. ... The James Bond Bedside Companion book cover The James Bond Bedside Companion is a non-fiction book written by the official James Bond author, Raymond Benson, first published in 1984. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Pearson (born May 10, 1930) is a writer best associated with James Bond creator Ian Fleming. ... The Life of Ian Fleming is a biography of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond and author of the childrens book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... John Raymond Brosnan (1947 – April 11, 2005) was an Australian writer of both fiction and non-fiction works based around the fantasy and science fiction genres. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• "McClory, Sony and Bond: A History Lesson — Universal Exports
• Thunderball obsessional; a website devoted to all things, Thunderball