When the first James Bond novel was published in the 1950s, there was no bigger threat in the world to the allies than communism. Naturally, because it was a series about a world-class British secret agent, it fit perfectly both into Ian Fleming's books and the film series that followed. But while Bond was subverting Soviet plans for world domination on the silver screen, there was a communist putting words into his mouth. BBC News reports that screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, who wrote the script for the 1966 Casino Royale and was part of the production for Dr. No, was suspected by MI5 to be a Marxist agent. According to the file on Mankowitz, his activities were monitored for more than a decade after an intercepted letter from known communist David Holbrook mentioned both him and his wife. A member of the Socialist Society at the University of Cambridge, a police...
- 8/26/2010
- cinemablend.com
Man behind early Bond films was seen 'security risk' and BBC warned against giving him staff job
Wolf Mankowitz, one of the men behind the early James Bond films, was suspected of being a communist agent, according to MI5 files released today.
Mankowitz, who died in 1998 aged 73, introduced the Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to one another. He was also involved in writing the script for Dr No and wrote the screenplay for the 1966 spoof Casino Royale.
He was one of the most successful British screenwriters of the 1950s with A Kid for Two Farthings and Expresso Bongo, a music industry satire starring Cliff Richard. The security service file released at the National Archives today shows that for more than a decade after the second world war, Mankowitz was in MI5's sights as a possible communist agent.
The file includes covert surveillance photographs of Mankowitz showing him...
Wolf Mankowitz, one of the men behind the early James Bond films, was suspected of being a communist agent, according to MI5 files released today.
Mankowitz, who died in 1998 aged 73, introduced the Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to one another. He was also involved in writing the script for Dr No and wrote the screenplay for the 1966 spoof Casino Royale.
He was one of the most successful British screenwriters of the 1950s with A Kid for Two Farthings and Expresso Bongo, a music industry satire starring Cliff Richard. The security service file released at the National Archives today shows that for more than a decade after the second world war, Mankowitz was in MI5's sights as a possible communist agent.
The file includes covert surveillance photographs of Mankowitz showing him...
- 8/25/2010
- by Alan Travis
- The Guardian - Film News
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