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 Toast of New Orleans" (1950), "Happy Go Lovely" (1951), "Happy Ever After" (1954) and "Carrington V.C." (1955) before scoring a big success as Phileas Fogg in Michael Todd's production of "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956). Niven appeared in nearly a hundred films, and many shows for television. He also began writing books, with considerable commercial success. In 1982 he appeared in Blake Edwards' final "Pink Panther" films "Trail of the Pink Panther" and "Curse of the Pink Panther", reprising his role as Sir Charles Lytton. James David Graham Niven was born in Belgrave Mansions, London, to William Edward