PC: Spy Craze w/o Bond?

Supposing United Artists didn't make the decision in 1961 to make James Bond as famous in North America as he (supposedly already) was in Britain? By this time, there was already a huge hit in North by Northwest, and successful TV shows like Danger Man and The Avengers, (and Manchurian Candidate was likely already going to be a huge success); and OTL, the Spy Craze supposedly started by Bond would go on to include TV shows like Mission Impossible and Get Smart, and a slew of other films like Charade.

My question: What if Dr No didn't get marketed so hard in the States, and was a more moderate success -- without immediate follow up sequels in 1963 and 64?
 
Dr. No, and From Russia weren't big hits. Goldfinger was, causing a re-release of the first two as a double bill, just the way I saw them. Without Goldfinger, spy movies would just be spy movies.
 
Dr. No, and From Russia weren't big hits. Goldfinger was, causing a re-release of the first two as a double bill, just the way I saw them.

Well they were the 6th and 5th highest grossing films of their year, respectively -- though yeah, Goldfinger was the runaway hit.

Without Goldfinger, spy movies would just be spy movies.

So just gruesome* killing in the shadows, no wacky gadgets?

*well, for the 1960's...
 
John Fredrick Parker said:
So just gruesome killing in the shadows, no wacky gadgets?
Not even. More "Funeral in Berlin" or "Ice Station Zebra" or "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold". (There's also one with a guy who's so badly burned as to be unrecognizable, & covered in metal the whole film--but I'm damned if I can think of the name...:eek:)

So, conceivable Quiller films (more realistic than Bond) or le Carré-based films, instead...:cool::cool:
 
The Bond Books were popular in the US and got a boost in sell after JFK told a Reporter that he like Fleming's Book Goldfinger.

So it going to take a serious pod to kill the bond movies.

A director that the bond producer Albert R Broccoli considered was Phil Karlson. He turn Broccoli down but would latter do two of the Dean Martin Matt Helm films. What if instead, Karlson says yes and Directed Dr No?
He does not take the material seriously and makes the film more a comedy. It crashes and burns.

One possible change would then be when Hollywood goes to film the Matt Helm novels, they don't try to force them into the James Bond mold. So we could get some good adaptions of the Matt Helm books.
 
One possible change would then be when Hollywood goes to film the Matt Helm novels, they don't try to force them into the James Bond mold. So we could get some good adaptions of the Matt Helm books.

Considering the first books were in 1960, how soon could a faithful adaptation be made?
 
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John Fredrick Parker said:
Considering the first books were in 1960, how soon could a faithful adaptation be made?
Since it's possible it could've been optioned before it even went to the presses, it could be '61. You'd need a studio, or a director, to think it'd be a good project... If not, it could be more like '64-5, tho if the sales were good, it could be as early as '62.

Looking at Berlin Memorandum (filmed as "The Quiller Memorandum"), please, please cast almost anybody instead of George Segal as Quiller.:eek::eek::confused::confused::confused: (I don't suppose McGoohan would do it?:cool:)
 
Let's see.

We have Marvel's Nick Fury, the early seasons of Man From U.N.C.L.E., possibly Maxwell Smart.
 
Let's see.

We have Marvel's Nick Fury, the early seasons of Man From U.N.C.L.E., possibly Maxwell Smart.

No on Man From Uncle. It started when the Producer had a lunch with Ian Fleming about him doing a TV series. Fleming threw out some idea at the Lunch and then left. The producer Norman Felton took the names of the Characters, Solo and April Dancer and Created the Series.

If the James Bond movies are not a big hit, then we don't get Man from Uncle.
 
I need to correct some things:

"In an article in 'Life Magazine' on 17 March 1961, US President John F. Kennedy listed From Russia, with Love ten favorite books"
So Nixon would do it.

It was also the last movie he saw.

Without Kennedy dropping the Bond reference, the US would likely never be a successful market for Bond.

Dr. No is never filmed in '62 because it is 'too British' and 'too blatantly sexual.'
 
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zookeeper

Banned
If they only did docotor no. sean connery would never of became famous and the film. doctor no. would be a obscure film that 60s nostaligist would dig.
 
So the two POD we came up with to Kill Bond.
Nixon win in 1960. No Kennedy interview in Time Magazine to boast the popularity of the Bond Books in the USA.

Dr No fails. Directed by a Director like Phil Karlson, the material is not taken serious. It becomes the only Bond film made. Sean Connery is a minor actor who did some films in the late 1950's and 1960's.
 
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