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 in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936) at Warners, an Imperial adventure film starring his one-time housemate Errol Flynn. Niven was fourth billed in "Beloved Enemy" (1936) for Goldwyn, supporting Merle Oberon with whom he became romantically involved. Universal used him in "We Have Our Moments" (1937) then he had another good support part in David O. Selznick's "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937). Fox gave him the lead in a B picture, "Dinner at the Ritz" (1938) and he had a support part in "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" (1938) directed by Ernst Lubitsch at Paramount. Niven was one of the