FLEMING, Ian.

£250,000 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

First draft screenplay for Thunderball. The earliest textual witness for the novel, bearing the Thunderball name and annotated by the author. The author's own copy of this abandoned film treatment contains his extensive revisions and the creation of the Thunderball title in his hand.This is one of only two known film scripts written or co-written by Fleming (the other being Moonraker) and the only recorded screenplay with Fleming's annotations.This script features manuscript supplementary text, commentary on the script, an instance of cinematic direction, and suggestions for revision, together with numerous typographical and spelling corrections. It is noted as a "First Draft Screenplay" and "intended only to be distributed to Messrs. Ivar Bryce, Ian Fleming and Jack Whittingham, as a guide to the completion of the Final Screenplay". It is dated on the title page, "December 21st 1959 to February 15th 1960".The half-title includes a note from Kevin McClory to Fleming stating that the script has been despatched "with haste from the Airport". McClory hopes that Fleming has been "warned... about the title (but it's only a working one!)" Evidently Fleming thought he could improve on the new title. McClory concludes that "already we have many changes to make in this - and hope you can meet me here next week to discuss them".This is an important manuscript in the history of the ninth 007 novel. Thunderball, the story which featured the first appearance of Ernst Stavro Blofeld and SP

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