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John Gardner,
author of 14 James Bond novels and 2 movie novelisation's,
talked to MI6 recently about his career
as the official 007 author.
In the fourth part of this series, we talk to John
Gardner about the differences between the UK and USA,
and the influences of the movie series... |
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In Conversation With John Gardner (4)
14th May 2004
Continuing...
What differences did you see in the way your novels were
handled in the US and UK markets?
Well they were much more brash in the US, but it's a bigger place.
I was used to being handled by managers and publishers, I had
been published in America since my very first book, so there were
no real surprises.
Were they received differently by critics
and fans from across the pond?
Although I don't read reviews, you always know when they
are being well received.
I think there was interest from all over the world, not
biased to the UK or US.
Looking back over the 80s and 90s, it's not difficult
to find overlaps between the movies and books...
Well there wasn't any intentionally [laughs], and there
was never going to be any.
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Above: British hard back covers of the John Gardner
series of 007 novels.
"[They have] the right to go
on making movies forever. I hope they don't, because they're
getting worse." |
How did you feel when Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli
stated that he would not make any of the your Bond books into
movies?
That didn't come as a surprise to me. I thought, why should the
late Cubby Broccoli take on a story line from a book? He had,
or the company had, the right to go on making them forever. I
hope they don't, because they're getting worse [laughs].
In one interview, several years ago, you stated you had not
seen any of the movies since you took over the role as Bond author.
Have you seen any of the films from your era as Bond author since?
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I actually haven't seen one of the new ones
through completely, but I've seen bits of them, and I've
been told even by staunch Bond fans that they are getting
a bit creaky.
Fans of both the literary and film Bond's have often
compiled lists of elements seemingly lifted from your novels
into the films. Are you aware of some of the "borrowings"
from your novels?
I'm aware of a couple, but I don't know whether they were
borrowed or it's just coincidence. You know, creative people
do, sort of, use the same things and there is nothing to
prove they were borrowing.
Left: Japanese artwork for "Role Of
Honour" |
I think the only one that we did get a bit twitchy about was
the airship [Role Of Honour]. I think we called them, and they
grinned [laughs], and then I had to cut out something from one
of the books because they had already advanced the same idea.
Cubby was always very nice to me though.
| Staying with the movie theme, was there
any difficulties in changing over to the novelisation format
for "Licence To Kill" and "GoldenEye"?
You've got to duck a lot. There are the normal problems.
In a movie you can be on an aircraft crashed in the middle
of the ocean, and the next minute you can be walking out
of a lift in a hotel!
You have to write the bridge, which is where the real work
is. I'd write the bridges and invent bits and pieces to
make it work on that level.
Did you feel by getting the storyline and dialogue
that you were creatively restrained doing the novelisation's,
or was the fun in creating the bits between the scenes?
It's all fun! If it ceases to be fun you might as well
get off! It's got to be fun.
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Above: Dutch cover art for "Cold Fall" |
Join us in Part 5 where we talk about how the literary era
is looked back upon...
Related Articles
In Conversation With John
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In
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Conversation With John Gardner (3)
In
Conversation With John Gardner (5)
In
Conversation With John Gardner (6)
MI6
John Gardner Literary 007 Section
