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For Your Eyes Only (short story collection)

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File:ForYourEyesOnlyNew.jpg
2003 Penguin Books paperback edition

For Your Eyes Only is a collection of James Bond short stories by Ian Fleming, first published in 1960. The title story of the collection lent its name to the twelfth James Bond film, which was released in 1981 and was the fifth film to star Roger Moore as the suave and sophisticated British Secret Service agent. The film, produced by Albert R. Broccoli and directed by John Glen, was an EON Productions / United Artists film and adapted both "For Your Eyes Only" and "Risico" from this collection, as well as part of the novel Live and Let Die. Other stories from this collection also provided source material for later Bond films.

The title of the collection is derived from a piece of jargon often used in government circles with regards to classified information. An "Eyes Only" notification indicates either a) the information contained is for the knowledge of authorised readers only, b) information contained is not to be discussed with anyone, or c) all of the above.

The short story collection

File:ForYourEyesOnlyBook.jpg
1962 Pan Books paperback edition.

For Your Eyes Only, marked a change of pace for Ian Fleming, who previously had written only full-length novels featuring his character, James Bond. In the late 1950s CBS made an offer to Fleming to write 32 episodes over a two year period for a telvision show based on the James Bond character. This deal came about after the success of the 1954 television episode adaptation of Casino Royale on the CBS television series Climax!. Fleming agreed to the deal and began to write three outlines for the series; however, CBS later dropped the idea. In 1959 Fleming gathered his outlines and novelised them for a collection he originally titled "The Rough With The Smooth". The title was changed for publication to For Your Eyes Only and was additionally published with the subtitle of "Five Secret Occasions in the Life of James Bond". In America the subtitle was changed to "Five Secret Exploits of James Bond". In later editions, the subtitle was dropped.

The book contains five short stories:

1 "From a View to a Kill"
2 "For Your Eyes Only"
3 "Quantum of Solace"
4 "Risico"
5 "The Hildebrand Rarity"

Out of the five short stories included in the book, two were added in addition to the outlines Fleming had previously written for the proposed television series. The first, "The Hildebrand Rarity" was first published in Playboy in March 1960. It provided the character of Milton Krest for the 1989 Bond film Licence to Kill. The second story, "Quantum of Solace" was an experimental piece Fleming had previously written for the May 1959 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. The short story actually has no secret agent elements; that, combined with a title that was likely to confuse audiences, means that it is one of two Ian Fleming stories that has never to date been referenced in any way by the Bond film series; the other being "007 in New York".

The remaining three stories were, as previously stated, written as television scripts. The story "For Your Eyes Only" was originally written as the third episode in the James Bond TV series, first titled: "Man's Work", later "Rough Justice" and "Death Leaves an Echo" before finally settling on "For Your Eyes Only." Along with "Risico" (originally spelled "Risiko"), "For Your Eyes Only" was adapted closely for the 1981 film version of the same name.

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Plot summaries

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"From A View to a Kill"

"From a View to a Kill" sees Bond investigating the murder of a dispatch-rider from SHAPE (central command of NATO in Europe located in Versailles) to his base, Station F, in Saint-Germain, France. Since Bond was already in Paris, M sends Bond to assist in the investigation in any way he can. To unravel the mystery Bond disguises himself as a dispatch-rider and follows the same journey as the previous rider to Station F. As expected, the assassin attempts to kill Bond, however, Bond is ready and ends up killing the assassin.

The title is taken from a version of the words to a traditional hunting song, "D'ye ken John Peel?": "From a find to a check, from a check to a view,/ From a view to a kill in the morning". The title, "From A View to a Kill" was later used for the 1985 Bond film, A View to a Kill starring Roger Moore. Originally, the film was to be titled the same as the short story, but was changed just prior to release. The title, plus the fact part of the film takes place in France, is where any similarity between the short story and the film end.

According to Henry Chancellor's James Bond: The Man and His World, "From A View to a Kill" was initially intended to be the backstory for Hugo Drax, the villain of Moonraker. The similar story would have taken place during World War II and featured Drax as the motorcycle assassin who crashes his bike and is taken to an American field hospital. Later the hospital is bombed leaving Drax with amnesia and a disfigured face. [1]

"For Your Eyes Only"

"For Your Eyes Only" begins with the murder of a Jamaican couple that had refused to sell their land to Herr von Hammerstein. When they refused they were killed by Major Gonzales, a Cuban hitman hired by von Hammerstein. This couple, the Havelocks, would turn out to be close friends of M, who served as the groom's best man during their wedding in 1925. M subsequently gives Bond a voluntary assignment, "off-book" from sanctioned Secret Service duties, to sneak into the United States via Canada, track down Herr von Hammerstein, and prevent further harm to the Havelocks's only daughter by any means necessary. When Bond arrives on the scene, however, he finds the Havelocks' daughter, Judy, has arrived there first and intends to carry out her own mission of revenge. With only a bow and arrow, Judy kills von Hammerstein from 100 yards by shooting him in the neck at the exact moment he dives into a lake. A shootout later occurs with the rest of von Hammerstein's men, all of whom, including Major Gonzales, are killed by Bond.

"Quantum of Solace"

"Quantum of Solace" is not a spy story, and Bond appears only in the background. Told in the style of W. Somerset Maugham (and Joseph Conrad), the tale has Bond attending a boring dinner party with a group of rich, snobbish people he cannot stand. He listens as the Governor of Nassau tells him a harrowing tale about a relationship between a former employee of the Governor's, Phillip Masters, and an air hostess named Rhoda Llewellyn. After meeting aboard a flight to London they eventually marry, however, after a time Rhoda becomes unhappy and begins a long open affair with a golf pro. After a vacation to London during which Rhoda's affair ended, Masters returns and decides to end their marriage, although they would continue to appear as a happy couple in public for the sake of his job. While the story may not be full of adventure as previous Fleming tales, the point of the story was to show that Bond's adventures pales in reality to real-life drama. As the story closes, Bond reflects on the story the Governor told and comes to the conclusion that his current mission is dull and unexciting in comparison. The story is also an eye-opener for Bond who, before hearing the tale, had passed judgment on Rhoda who was one of the guests at the party.

"Risico"

In "Risico" James Bond is sent by M to investigate a drug smuggling operation based out of Italy that is pumping narcotics into England. M instructs Bond to get in touch with a CIA informant, Kristatos, who in turn tells Bond that a man named Enrico Colombo is behind the racket. When Bond sets out to find more information on Colombo, he is captured by him and brought aboard Colombo's ship, the Colombina. While in captivity Colombo informs Bond that Kristatos is actually the one in charge of the drug smuggling operation and that he is being backed by the Russians. On the next day, the Colombina arrives at Santa Maria, where men are loading another shipment. Bond, Colombo, and the crew of the Colombina attack the warehouse and discover Kristatos inside. While trying to escape, Kristatos is shot by Bond.

"The Hildebrand Rarity"

In "The Hildebrand Rarity", Bond is on holiday in the Seychelles Islands with his friend, Fidele Barbey. Through Barbey, Bond meets an uncouth American millionaire named Milton Krest who has offered the two the job of aiding him in the search for a rare fish named "The Hildebrand Rarity." After agreeing to help, the three as well as Mrs. Elizabeth Krest set off aboard the Wavekrest in search of the fish. During the journey Bond learns that Milton verbally and physically abuses everyone around him, specifically his wife whom he punishes with the use of a sting ray tail he dubs "The Corrector." After finding the Hildrebrand Rarity, the party returns to the Wavekrest and sets sail for port. Along the way Krest gets drunk and insults Bond and Barbey and also schedules an appointment for his wife with the "The Corrector".

During the same night Bond hears Mr. Krest choking, after which Bond discovers Krest has been murdered and the rare fish was stuffed into his mouth. So as not to be entangled in an investigation for the murder of Krest, Bond throws him overboard and cleans up scene of the crime. The following day after the Wavekrest has reached port no one knows what had happened to Mr. Krest and all presume he fell overboard. Bond investigates both Barbey and Mrs. Krest and finally comes to the conclusion that Mrs. Krest had murdered him in an act of revenge for the way in which Milton had treated her, although she never admits to commiting the crime and Bond never asks.

Comic strip adaptations

File:007GoldfingerComic.jpg
2004 Titan Books reprint featuring Goldfinger, Risico, From A View To A Kill, For Your Eyes Only, and Thunderball.
Main article: James Bond comic strips

Four of the five short stories in For Your Eyes Only were adapted into comic strips which were published in the British newspaper, the Daily Express and subsequently syndicated around the world:

The first three stories were adapted by Henry Gammidge and illustrated by John McLusky and are largely considered a depature from what readers of the comic strips were used to, focusing more on character details and the plot of the story. More so than any other adaptation, "Risico", "From a View to a Kill", and "For Your Eyes Only" are considered to be the most faithful adaptations of Ian Fleming's original work. All three stories were reprinted in 2004 by Titan Books and are included in the Goldfinger collection.

The fourth adaptation, "The Hildebrand Rarity", did not appear until six years after the comic strip versions of the other stories. It was adapted by Jim Lawrence and illustrated by Yaroslav Horak. This adaptation was reprinted by Titan Books in the early 1990s and again in 2004 as part of the Octopussy collection.

The remaining story in the collection, "Quantum of Solace", is one of only three Ian Fleming James Bond stories that has never been adapted as a comic strip. The other two are "The Property of a Lady" and "007 in New York."

The film

Template:Infobox Film Bond For Your Eyes Only is noted for its pre-title sequence which sees what is believed to be the final comeuppance of the supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond's enemy in five previous films. The sequence of the film was initially scripted to aid the introduction and establishment of a new actor to portray James Bond since Roger Moore, who had starred in four previous films as Bond, was reluctant to return. The sequence begins with Bond laying flowers at the grave of his wife, Tracy Bond, but ends with Blofeld attempting to get even with Bond for foiling his plans and for the downfall of his criminal organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E.. The industrial chimney in the opening scene was part of the North Thames gasworks in London.

For this film, Blofeld is deliberately not named due to copyright issues with Kevin McClory, who owns the film rights to Thunderball which supposedly includes the character Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E., and a number of other material associated with the development of Thunderball. The demise of Blofeld was added to show that the James Bond series did not need Blofeld and was also done after a number of attempts by Kevin McClory to produce a rival Bond film based on his ownership of the screen rights to Thunderball. This includes a failed attempt in the late 1970s of an original Bond film that resulted in a lawsuit brought about by EON Productions and United Artists. Nevertheless McClory was able to film a remake of Thunderball entitled Never Say Never Again which was released opposite Octopussy in 1983.

Two other controversial incidents also occurred with the release of For Your Eyes Only. The first involving the film's teaser poster artwork, which showcased a model in thong-like shorts holding a crossbow with Bond framed between her long legs. This was deemed in some U.S. states as indecent exposure. A later version of the teaser was released with a superimposed pair of shorts painted over the original artwork. The other controversial incident wasn't revealed until some time after the release, in which it was discovered that one girl, Caroline Cossey (aka Tula), that was used in a pool scene turned out to be a transsexual. Urban legends about the incident greatly exaggerated Cossey's role, from a non-speaking "girl at pool" to someone who had "heavy love scenes" with Moore [2].

For Your Eyes Only marked a creative change of direction for the Bond film series. John Glen was promoted from his duties as a film editor to director, a position he would occupy throughout the 1980s. A result of this being a harder-edged directorial style, with less emphasis on gadgetry and large action sequences in huge arenas (as was favoured by Lewis Gilbert). More emphasis on tension, plot, and character was also added in addition to a return to Bond's more serious roots.

An example of this is a scene in which Bond kicks a car with a villain inside over a cliff, essentially murdering him in cold blood. This was, and still is to this day controversial amongst fans to whether Ian Fleming's James Bond would do such an act. Roger Moore was also strongly opposed to the aforementioned scene in which Bond kills the villain Locque, claiming his Bond wouldn't do such a thing. This, however, contradicts the fact that his Bond kills at least two, possibly three people in cold blood in the earlier film, The Spy Who Loved Me (namely, a thug Bond lets fall off a roof, the villain Karl Stromberg who Bond executes after he's been disarmed, and possibly a woman who Bond may or may not intentionally use as a human shield). Nonetheless, this scene was the strongest display of Bond exercising his licence to kill since the killing of Dr. Dent by Sean Connery's Bond in Dr. No.

Throughout the entire James Bond series of films, this is the only film where M is absent. Bernard Lee had died while preparing for the film, and instead of recasting, the role was left vacant out of respect. Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary claims that he is on leave, and his chair is filled by his 'Chief of Staff', Bill Tanner, with M's lines being shared between Tanner and Sir Fredrick Gray (Minister of Defence). The role was recast for Octopussy.

Between the film and the eponymous short story, a couple changes were made. Both Mr. and Mrs. Havelock were Jaimaican in the short story, whereas in the film they were Greek. Subsequently, the location of their assassination, Jamaica, was replaced by Greece in the film. Havelock's daughter, "Judy," was also renamed "Melina" in the film to give her a more ethnic sounding name.

Today For Your Eyes Only is often cited as one of the strongest films of the series and is usually considered a contender alongside The Spy Who Loved Me as Moore's best Bond film. Overall, For Your Eyes Only accumulated a box office gross of $195,300,000, which at the time was the second highest grossing Bond film after its previous entry Moonraker.

Plot summary

Template:Spoiler The film focuses on the recovery of the vital Automatic Targeting and Attack Communicator (ATAC), which is lost in the Ionian Sea after the British spy ship St. Georges is sunk by an old mine hauled up in its fishing nets. The ATAC system is used by the Ministry of Defence to communicate and co-ordinate the Royal Navy's fleet of polaris submarines. If ATAC was retrieved underwater by another superpower, the polaris submarines' ballistic missiles (equipped with nuclear weapons) could be used against major western cities.

Sir Timothy Havelock, a marine archaeologist hired by the British Secret Service, and his wife are murdered by a Cuban hitman, Hector Gonzales, while he is searching for the wreck of the St Georges. Bond is sent after Gonzales to find out who hired him, but is beaten to it by Havelock's daughter, Melina Havelock, who kills him before Bond can find out.

After identifying a hitman in Gonzales' estate (Locque) who appeared to be paying him, Bond is led to a well connected Greek businessman and intelligence informant, Aristotle Kristatos, who tells Bond that the man he saw is employed by Milos Columbo, a Greek smuggler. However, when Bond confronts Columbo, it emerges that Locque is actually in the employ of Kristatos who himself is in the employ of the KGB. Kristatos is attempting to recover the ATAC for the KGB, and had set up Columbo as the villain as he knew too much about Kristatos' KGB leanings. Columbo proves this connection to Bond by allowing Bond to take part in a raid on one of Kristatos' factories where they find Locque. After attempting to escape, Locque becomes trapped in his car on the edge of a cliff. Bond tosses Locque his trademark dove pin, which he leaves on his victims, and then gives the car a kick over the edge.

In the climax Bond, Columbo's team, and Melina break into a mountaintop monestary being used by Kristatos to meet Gogol where he will turn over the ATAC. In order to gain access to the mountaintop one would normally use an open basket that is winched up into a building hanging over the edge of the mountain, but this is being guarded. Instead Bond climbs up the sheer face of the mountain, and after reaching the top helps his team up in the open basket. Bond eventually retrieves the ATAC system and then subsequently throws it over a cliff rather than keep it or hand it over to the KGB chief General Gogol, with the quip "That's détente, comrade. You don't have it, I don't have it."

Cast & characters

Crew

Soundtrack

File:007FYEOsoundtrack.jpg
Original For Your Eyes Only soundtrack cover
Main article: James Bond music

The theme song, also titled "For Your Eyes Only", was written by Bill Conti (music) and Michael Leeson (lyrics), and performed by Sheena Easton. The song was later nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe in 1982. Easton also made Bond film history as the first (and, to date, only) artist to perform the theme song on-screen during the opening title sequence. Madonna would later one-up Easton by not only singing the theme song, but also appearing in a cameo role during the film Die Another Day in 2002, though she remained uncredited. The popularity of "For Your Eyes Only" and Easton's film appearance, is credited with establishing Easton as a star in North America; she had already been popular in her native UK for at least a year prior to the film's release.

Originally, the band Blondie was approached to write and perform the theme song for the film. They produced a song also called "For Your Eyes Only" that they turned into the producers, however, this version was never used and Easton and Conti were subsequently asked to record an entirely new theme. Blondie eventually released their song on the 1982 album The Hunter.

The soundtrack was composed by Bill Conti and likewise with other Roger Moore Bond films includes a more disco-oriented theme. When the soundtrack was later released on compact disc six tracks were added that showed Conti's versatile approach to the film that aided it in its return to a tougher, more realistic James Bond.

Track listing

  1. "For Your Eyes Only" — Sheena Easton
  2. "A Drive in the Country"
  3. "Take Me Home" — Eddie Blair
  4. "Melina's Revenge"
  5. "Gonzales Takes a Drive"
  6. "St. Cyril's Monastery"
  7. "Make It Last All Night" — Rage
  8. "Runaway"
  9. "Submarine"
  10. "For Your Eyes Only" — Derek Watkins
  11. "Cortina"
  12. "The P.M. Gets the Bird/For Your Eyes Only (reprise)" — Sheena Easton
  13. "Gunbarrel/Flowers for Teresa/Sinking the St. Georges"
  14. "Unfinished Business/Bond Meets Kristatos"
  15. "Ski....Shoot....Jump...."
  16. "Goodbye, Countess/No Head for Heights/Dining Alone"
  17. "Recovering the Atac"
  18. "Sub Vs. Sub"
  19. "Run Them Down/The Climb"

Locations

Film locations

Shooting locations

Many of the underwater scenes, especially involving closeups of Bond and Melina, were actually faked on a dry soundstage. A combination of lighting effects, slow-motion photography, wind, and bubbles added in post-production, gave the illusion of the actors being underwater. Apparently actress Carole Bouquet had a preexisting health condition that prevented her from actually attempting any underwater stuntwork.

Vehicles & gadgets

Main article: [[:List of James Bond vehicles and List of James Bond gadgets]]

After the ever-more outlandish plots of The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker - the latter film literally taking Bond out of this world - it was decided that the James Bond series needed to return to reality. For Your Eyes Only attempts to go back to the more basic style of Dr. No and From Russia with Love. One of the most popular sequences of the film is when Bond's venerable Lotus Esprit is destroyed after a henchman working for Gonzales attempts to break into the car, which in turn activated the car's self-destruct function that was built into its security system. The destruction of his car forces Bond and Melina to make an escape in a Citroën 2CV, which was considered symbolic of Bond turning away from the more extreme gadgets of the past. Bond later acquires another car, a red Lotus Esprit Turbo from Q Branch when he arrives in Cortina.

Trivia

  • Stuntman Paolo Rigon was killed during filming of the bobsled track portion of the ski chase. During the sequence Rigon's sleigh overturned with Rigon trapped beneath. He later died due to the injuries he sustained.
  • Cassandra Harris played the role of Countess Lisl. At the time of filming, Harris was married to future James Bond, Pierce Brosnan. It was due to Harris' role that Brosnan and Albert R. Broccoli first met, and by some accounts became a favorite of Broccoli's as a possible contender for Bond after Roger Moore. Although Brosnan was offered the role 5 years later, he was unable to take the role due to his contract with the television show Remington Steele.
  • The scene in which Melina and Bond are dragged through the water for the sharks to eat was a sequence in the novel Live and Let Die.
  • The "Burglar Protected" stickers on Bond's Lotus came from a car alarm company called Autosafe.
  • In the end credits of The Spy Who Loved Me it says "James Bond will return in For Your Eyes Only," however after the tremendous box office success of Star Wars in 1977 the producers decided they wanted to cash in on the subsequent science fiction craze and make Moonraker instead.

Comic book adaptation

For Your Eyes Only movie comic book adaptation by Marvel Comics
Main article: James Bond comic books

Prior to the film being released Marvel Comics was given permission to publish a two-issue comic book adaptation. The first issue was released in October 1981 and was soon followed by the second issue in November of the same year. It was also reprinted the same year in magazine and paperback book form.

Two major differences in the comic book include the addition of M, who was technically in the initial drafts of the screenplay until Bernard Lee's death in early 1981 and the villain's given name, which for unknown reasons was "Ari Kristatos" instead of the film version's "Aris Kristatos" (or "Aristotle Kristatos"). The comic also includes additional suggestive dialogue by Bibi Dahl (aimed at Bond) that was never used (or was perhaps edited from) the film.

Credits for both issues of the comic book adaptation include:

References

  • ^ Chancellor, Henry (2005). James Bond: The Man and His World. John Murray. ISBN 0719568153.
  • ^ "Caroline Cossey in For Your Eyes Only". Snopes.com For Your Eyes Only. Retrieved March 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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