The Lost Adventures of James Bond

by Mark Edlitz

The James Bond universe is greater than you might think. Even if you have seen all the movies and devoured Ian Fleming's books, there is much more to discover about 007. There is a fascinating galaxy of Bond adventures that have been "lost" or unmade, out-of-print, or forgotten by even the most dedicated Bond fan.Through his probing interviews with their creators in THE LOST ADVENTURES OF JAMES BOND, Mark Edlitz uncovers different scenarios for Timothy Dalton's abandoned third and fourth Bond movies, questions Toby Stephens about playing 007 on the radio, delves into the unproduced Casino Royale play, and exposes the secret history of James Bond Jr, the animated series about 007's nephew. Edlitz also solves a long-standing Bond mystery, investigates the cheeky commercial which inserts Daniel Craig into a Roger Moore-style escapade, and reveals the story behind Sean Connery's lost Bond performance.These and other projects are revealed in this vastly entertaining and enlightening book. Using never-before-seen photographs, Edlitz uncovers a wealth of unexplored lore. THE LOST ADVENTURES OF JAMES BOND is a must for any Bond fan.

Genres: Film, Media Tie In

431 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2020

About the author

Mark Edlitz's is the author of HOW TO BE A SUPERHERO, a book about superheroes and the actors who play them.

His writings have appeared in The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex, Moviefone, Sirius/XM Radio's Slice of SciFi and Empire magazine online.

Mark wrote and directed the award-winning independent film The Eden Myth.

He also directed and produced Jedi Junkies, a film about extreme Star Wars fans.

Mark's second book THE MANY LIVES OF JAMES BOND will launch in October.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of write ups on unmade James Bond projects. These all seem worth watching. Very interesting. Required for the James Bond fanatic!

[Dimitrije Vojnov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Edlitz je napisao jednu hardcore geekovsku knjigu u kojoj je apsolvirao sve do sada poznate neostvarene inkarnacije Bonda, i to ne samo na filmu već i na televiziji, u stripu, romanima, pozorištu itd. Knjiga je obimna, zanimljiva i geekovski neselektivna. Mnogi sagovornici naprosto nisu raspoloženi za razgovor i nemaju šta da kažu i grumenje informacija koje dobijamo od njih uključeno je u jednu lavinu nezainteresovanosti, naglašene zaboravnosti i opštih mesta. Takvih sagovornika je previše i u tom pogledu Edlitzu je definitivno bio potreban urednik.

Isto tako, iako je Edlitz autor knjige u kojoj su sabrane i sve ostvarene inkarnacije Bonda u raznim formama, i ovde imamo relativno dosta priče o nekim koje jesu ostvarene i tek delimično koketiraju sa neostvarenošću, pa se onda malo i ti elementi preklapaju - govori autor kome je mnogo šta izvedeno ali samo jedna ideja npr. nije, a on govori o onome što jeste.

Ova knjiga svakako jeste donela veliki trud i veliko bogatstvo, u to nema sumnje, ali u odnosu na obim, bitno je naglasiti da nije baš svaka stranica podjednako vredna pažnje.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cool look into some unmade Bond projects, especially the lost Dalton sequels.

[Sean Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read for any die hard fan of 007

I throughly enjoy reading this reference book on the subject of James Bond in films, radio dramas, books and comics.
It it rich with lots of new things about the James Bond projects and some sadly not making it to the screen film.
But it is a great read of a book and if you are a true fan of 007, then read this book.
Best wishes

[Pietro Rossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good interesting book. Miffed that we missed out on a Carey Bates scripted film as I liked his Superman stories.

The two lost Dalton films were intriguing. His third sounded disjointed. We have a world weary 007 and that was coupled with fun scenes at a rodeo. It sounds like it was tonally all over the place. The fourth sounds like a good thriller and a shame that we missed out on it.

The reason why only three stars is because it had too much on comic books and the James Bond junior cartoons. OK, most people wouldn't be aware of these series, but it felt like these elements dragged on.

But a good book looking at an alternate Bond universe with four Dalton films and many others. It is value for money.

[John Peel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you think you know pretty much everything about James Bond, along comes this book, filled with unfilmed scripts, unfinished comics and theme park rides or plays that almost were... The writer manages to interview a number of people about projects - either unmade or simply forgotten by main sources - that you've probably never heard of. (Disclosure - I'm one of the people interviewed; I sound like a grumpy old man!) Huge fun, and informative in so many ways. Definitely huge fun for the fans, and even for casual Bond readers who wonder how projects get made... or not.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives is a great behind-the-scenes look at all of the many versions of James Bond that have been forgotten or never happened in the first place. It includes Bond comic books, television episodes, radio dramas, scripts that were rejected/rewritten, and other intriguing details about the James Bond most of us will never know.
You've got to be a die-hard Bond fan to care about most of this, but if you are, this material is golden.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Treasure Trove of James Bond knowledge

What a fun, fascinating, read. This is the perfect addition to any Bond fan's book collection. I enjoy reading and learning about different aspects of James Bond in addition to the Timothy Dalton scripts. You learn about radio shows, the James Bond Jr. cartoon, a play, comics, and lots of fascinating background information. A lot of work and love went into this book. It's very well researched. I need to go back and read his first one.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edlitz has compiled what could be the essential text on the potential Dalton projects that never were -- one, absolutely ridiculous and the other, a would-be classic. The interviews filling the rest of the book are entertaining for the most dyed-in-the-wool fans alone, I'd imagine. (And it's worth noting that this book is terribly edited. Lines are repeated; grammar is abused; Bond himself is once referred to as simply 0, not even 007.)

[Steve Langton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endlessly fascinating book, written and researched by Mark Edlitz.
Within its pages, you'll find comprehensive info on what would have been the 3rd and 4th films of
Tmothy Dalton's Bond tenure(For my money, he was the best Bond), plus in-depth thoughts and interviews concerning the Bond Jr animated series, books, comics and much more.

An extremely well written book, with plenty of reveals that even the most schooled Bond fan may not know about.

[Larry Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read for any James Bond fan. I thought I had read almost everything about the Bond books and movies. But then I find this book all about unfinished Bond projects. I learned a lot that I did not know from the book. The interviews with the authors of the unused Bond scripts was my favorite part. Lots of back ground information was included.

[Eric Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for any Bond fan. Delves into the almosts and what could've been's of the franchise, including failed TV series and movie drafts that never saw the light of day. Of what is perhaps the biggest of them all, what could've been Timothy Dalton's 3rd round as 007.

[Kenny Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this book but it was it was a big book and at times alot to read. I would recommend it though.

[Michael Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting sections - Dalton’s movies that never were - but an interminably dull obsession with James Bond Jr!

[Druss · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative of what might have been. Intriguing to think how the various versions might have ended up.

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lost Adventures of James Bond is a journalistic investigation of the James Bond stories that are no longer on obvious display in the media, ranging from screenplays that were never filmed to comic books and television series that have been lost in the mists of time.

I suppose a few old eccentrics still read the books but James Bond is essentially a movie phenomenon now and Elditz begins by investigating screenplays that were never made. He has a particular interest in Timothy Dalton’s third and fourth Bond films, that is films that would have starred Timothy Dalton if they ever did them. This section has in-depth plot summaries and interviews with the writers whose scenarios were never produced. Screenplay writers have been extremely well paid since the days of F. Scott Fitzgerald but their efforts are often cast aside or so utterly changed as to be unrecognisable. Raymond Chandler wrote a good essay about it. Take the money and run is a better philosophy in Hollywood than some desperate pining for artistic satisfaction. The screenplay summaries are not great reading being the usual Bond mix of exotic locations, car chases, combat, beautiful women and so on. Fun on screen but not to read. The interviews with writers were often interesting. Most of them have had other successes so the failure to get their Bond onto celluloid doesn’t rankle too much. That’s showbiz, kids.

There was a James Bond Jr animated television series now lost that seems to have been truly awful and some novelizations of its less terrible episodes but even the author admits they weren’t great. Interesting trivia but not something to seek out.

Section 4 of the book focuses on lost Bond in print which is more my cup of tea. In particular ‘The Secret History of Bond Comics’ for ‘there are more original James Bond stories told in comics format than in any other medium.’ That’s according to Alan J. Porter, author of James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007.

There are many different versions of Bond comics as they vary according to the writer, artist, venue in which they appeared and country of origin. The oldest appeared in the British newspaper The Daily Express back in 1958 before the first film. They adapted Fleming’s books at first and so kept that darker feel that went with the original stories. Later, they featured new stories by writer Jim Lawrence who tried to develop a more rounded character for Bond and also introduced some of the gadgets that later made it into films. The Daily Express published a total of fifty-two original and adapted Bond stories, many of which are still available in collections from Titan books for a reasonable price. For an unreasonable price, you can buy Porter’s favourite Bond comics which are ‘Permission to Die’ by writer/artist Mike Grell and ‘Serpent’s Tooth’ by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy who cut their teeth on the spy genre doing Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu at Marvel comics.

Bond comics didn’t succeed in America until Ian Fleming Publications made a deal with Dynamite Comics in 2014 which led to writer Warren Ellis and artist Jason Masters doing gritty modern stories. Foreign oddities include Japanese Manga versions and a Chilean strip that appeared in Zig-Zag. Also recommended but probably unobtainable are ‘Shattered Helix’, ‘Silent Armageddon’ and ‘Light of My Death’ from Dark Horse comics.

For those interested in the many James Bond novels penned by an assortment of often distinguished writers there is a useful appendix at the back of the book which also lists every film, television and radio production.

James Bond has become like Sherlock Holmes, Batman or Superman now, a sort of archetype onto which each writer fits his own particular ideas while maintaining the basic characteristics of the original. The most popular Bonds are those in the films which change slightly with each actor. Also, the character changes with the times so the original is now seen as sexist, racist, misogynist and so on; and on; and on.

Overall, a well-researched, readable and mildly intriguing look into the many and varied aspects of media Bond. My free eBook review copy of The Lost Adventures of James Bond was perfectly accessible but I imagine this works best as a coffee table book, one to dip into during the commercial breaks next time a James Bond film is repeated on the telly, i.e. most Sunday afternoons.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading “The Lost Adventures of James Bond: Timothy Dalton’s Third and Fourth Bond Films, James Bond, Jr., & Other Unmade or Forgotten 007 Projects” by Mark Edlitz (published in 2020).

An interesting (unauthorized by the James Bond literary and film license holders) overview of several never made James Bond movies (including several different story treatments for the aforementioned never made third and fourth Timothy Dalton movies some Dalton only ended up making two James Bond movies before stepping down from the role to be replaced by Pierce Brosnan, as well as unmade stories for Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan), the produced but mostly forgotten (and largely maligned) 1991-1992 “James Bond Jr.” children’s animated series and its novelizations/tie-ins, several James Bond comic book series of the 1990s (including the never completed “James Bond: A Silent Armageddon” and the never released “Barracuda Run”), Brazilian Bond comics, an American James Bond theme park ride, a Heineken commercial shot with current James Bond actor Daniel Craig, and other projects.

Fans of the James Bond films as well as of the “literary Bond” (as depicted in Ian Flemings original James Bond novels and in the subsequent continuation novels and comic books) should find this book of interest. Edlitz (who had written another James Bond related book prior to this, “The Many Lives of James Bond: How the Creators of 007 Have Decoded the Superspy” (2019)) is very knowledgeable of the subject and includes numerous interviews with the writers, directors, and, in at least one instance, actor (a voice actor who plays James Bond in a series of BBC produced radio adaptations of the Ian Fleming novels), who worked on these unrealized or mostly forgotten Bond projects.

My one slight quibble is with the format chosen: a very large (height and width) trade paperback format that doesn’t really suit a mostly text book such as this. The width of the book is greater than my eyes could scan each line of text from left to right without having to turn my head, move the book, or keep looking away and back again, which slowed down my reading quite a bit. (This is a book that would actually “read better” as an eBook, I think.)

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a life long Bond fan I like to gather as much information/trivia about the franchise in all its forms. This book certainly covers some of the lesser known aspects such as scripts that were never made and the animation and graphic novels that were produced but I think you do have to be a true 007 fanatic to really appreciate the research and work that Edlitz has put in this book. For the casual fan this might be a touch overloaded with insights into the rather unexceptional James Bond Junior cartoon and foreign language comic books and interviews with the writers and artists which might not keep their interest, but as I say for the Bond aficionado, like myself, it's an excellent addition to ones Bond library.

[Mario Pollacchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interestingly tedious

A new book analysing the Bond phenomenon is always a good thing. What I found tedious was the in-depth analysis of such a woeful TV show such as James Bond, Jr.! Reading this on Kindle, I was not able to bypass that and forced to be bored reading about it.

[Allen Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, for me as a James Bond fan it was really interesting to how the idea of other James Bond films would have panned out, especially the planned Timothy Dalton 3rd Bond film that never happened,

[David Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about some of the stories in development. Goes a bit long on the comics but the insights and background is still great.

[Ian Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. A few factual errors and needed a better proofreader.