In the late 1950s, Warwick Films partners Irving Allen and Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli were considering whether Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels could become a successful film series. Broccoli was fascinated by the books and believed their blend of espionage, glamour, danger, and spectacle could support a major franchise. Allen was far less enthusiastic. The partnership was already under strain because Broccoli had withdrawn to New York while dealing with severe family problems, including his second wife’s terminal illness, but the Bond disagreement became an important professional rupture. In 1957, Broccoli arranged a London meeting between Allen and Fleming. According to the account, Allen dismissed Fleming’s work so contemptuously that he told the author the novels were not even “good enough for television.” Fleming and Broccoli subsequently pursued the project without Allen, eventually leading to the formation of Eon Productions and the production of Dr. No in 1962. Allen’s rejection became one of Hollywood’s great counterfactuals: the producer who helped develop Warwick Films passed on a property that became one of cinema’s most valuable franchises, while Broccoli built his career around it.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1950s
The 1957 Insult That Helped Send James Bond to Another Producer
Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli / 1950s
In the late 1950s, Warwick Films partners Irving Allen and Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli were considering whether Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels could become a successful film series. Broccoli was fascinated by the books and believed their blend of espionage, glamour, danger, and spectacle could support a major franchise. Allen was far less enthusiastic. The partnership was already under strain because Broccoli had withdrawn to New York while dealing with severe family problems, including his second wife’s terminal illness, but the Bond disagreement became an important professional rupture. In 1957, Broccoli arranged a London meeting between Allen and Fleming. According to the account, Allen dismissed Fleming’s work so contemptuously that he told the author the novels were not even “good enough for television.” Fleming and Broccoli subsequently pursued the project without Allen, eventually leading to the formation of Eon Productions and the production of Dr. No in 1962. Allen’s rejection became one of Hollywood’s great counterfactuals: the producer who helped develop Warwick Films passed on a property that became one of cinema’s most valuable franchises, while Broccoli built his career around it.
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