James Bond in film Broccoli at Warwick Films expressed interest in adapting the Bond novels, but his colleague Irving Allen was unenthusiastic. In June 1961 Fleming sold a six-month option on the film rights to his published and future James Bond novels and short stories to Harry Saltzman, with the exception of "Casino Royale", which he had previously sold. Towards the end of Saltzman's option period, screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz introduced him to Broccoli, and Saltzman and Broccoli formed Eon Productions with the intention of making the first Bond film. A number of Hollywood studios did not want to fund the films, finding them "too
David Niven action film "The Guns of Navarone" (1961). This seemed to lead to him being cast in war and/or action movies: "The Captive City" (1962); "The Best of Enemies" (1962); "Guns of Darkness" (1962); "55 Days at Peking" (1963) with Charlton Heston. Niven returned to comedy with "The Pink Panther" (1963), another huge success at the box office. Less so was the comedy "Bedtime Story" (1964) with Marlon Brando. In 1964, Boyer and he appeared in the Four Star series "The Rogues". Niven played Alexander 'Alec' Fleming, one of a family of retired con-artists who now fleece villains in the interests