11 replies to this topic

[doublenoughtspy]

For many years, Bond fans have searched high and low for the 50s South African radio adaptation of Moonraker starring Bob Holness as Bond.

I'll try to synthesize what we know.

1) While reports on the internet peg the transmission year as occurring variously at: 1955, 1956 (the most frequently reported), and 1957 - according to this thread, it was actually 1958. Holness told CBn member Silhouette Man that it was done by the Durban Repertory Theatre - and that from what he remembered, it was broadcast live and not recorded.

2) Was it broadcast anywhere else? According to Lane & Simpson's Bond Files, it was later broadcast by the BBC - but from the digging that fans have done (see above thread) - it does not seem as if that statement is correct.

(As a side note - the Avengers radio dramas from South Africa were broadcast in Australia, New Zealand, and later even in the US. However, the US versions were just taped off air fan made copies, rather than true broadcast quality ones. While the Avengers stuff is from the early 70s - the fan site does give some good background on South African radio practices - and the sad state of affairs that what little exists is because of fans saving off air versions, rather than the studios - who would wipe or destroy their tapes.)

Might Australia and New Zealand be an avenue worth pursuing for this? I don't know enough about South African radio from the 50s to know if there was any kind of content sharing/rebroadcasting but it is probably worth looking into.

If Holness is correct and the Repertory Theatre did not record it, then the only way a copy would have been preserved is if an off air copy was made. BBC/Australia/New Zealand would be a dead end.

Again according to the Avengers site - there are South African radio shows with much longer production runs than the Avengers with fewer surviving episodes - so we are really looking for a needle in a haystack.

3) Sponsor. Radio dramas and serials back then rarely even made it to the drawing board without a sponsor whose advertising would be broadcast with the show. Silhouette Man - if you are still in contact with Holness - does he remember if they got a sponsor for each adaptation, or was there a usual sponsor for the time slot or ? We might be able to find something in their files or someone who worked for the sponsor that might give us more leads.

The search continues. Funny how 2 Bond grails, this, and Per Fine Ounce, originate in South Africa.

And for laugh out loud errors, this story has plenty. One site I came across said that Holness performed as Bond in a South African adpatation of You Only Live Twice in 1959. That would be a neat trick - considering that the book wasn't published until 1964.

[Royal Dalton]

Apparently, when Bob Holness heard Sean Connery had landed the Bond role, he remarked: "That 's got my job!"

[TheSaint]

Another irony is that Bond has never been to South Africa.

Hopefully something will turn up, whether through a sponser or a reply in Australia/New Zealand.

[Byron]

In the past I have tried a few times to contact the South African radio station via email, but so far there has been no reply. I was planning on writing up a piece on this at some point, but as yet I do not have enough information to go on.

I'm sure its been done before, but to any expert that is interested, here is a link to the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) radio archives and library services:

http://www.abc.net.a...ves/av/rada.htm

They seem to hold a large range of radio recordings going back as far as 1932.

Let us know if you get an answer.

[triviachamp]

1958? Interesting.

I do know that some people think that Bond was on radio before Barry Nelson, presumably refering to this Moonraker broadcast. As we can see this claim is totally false.

Do we know the actual date of broadcast?

Did South African radio tape their broadcasts?

[spynovelfan]

Obvious massive error aside (!), there's loads of names and other info to follow up here, for anyone who wants to: http://pumamouse.com...scriptions.html

I suspect it would be very difficult to find now, as you might need to locate someone who recorded it at home.

[marktmurphy]

Six and a half hours long?! That can't be right, can it?

[doublenoughtspy]

Thanks SNF.

But the fact that it claims that it was YOLT in 1959 (yikes, another year discrepancy) makes me doubt almost everything in that description.

I agree, MTM, that 6 1/2 hours seems extreme.

Interesting that they say there was a problem from the Ian Flemming (love the 2nd M - a signpost of quality) publishers.

Could it be the first one wasn't licensed either?

Weird that the only female actress mentioned was Moneypenny. Did they simply substitute Moneypenny for Gala Brand?

Curiouser and curiouser.

Weird too that the person who supposedly wrote the adaptation, Tom Meehan, also wrote and played The Saint on South African radio! Note too Silouette Man - that it did have a sponsor, just as I speculated.

[triviachamp]

I may be a bit paranoid but do we even know if this Moonraker broadcast even happened?

[TheSaint]

Weird too that the person who supposedly wrote the adaptation, Tom Meehan, also wrote and played The Saint on South African radio! Note too Silouette Man - that it did have a sponsor, just as I speculated.

There was a British Saint radio show, a US Saint radio, now we hear about a South African one. Talk about The Saint Around The World!

[spynovelfan]

But the fact that it claims that it was YOLT in 1959 (yikes, another year discrepancy) makes me doubt almost everything in that description.

Yes. But if one were looking, the names of the supposed major players, the theatre company and so on, would still be worth pursuing, I think. Someone might remember why they've gotten it wrong or lead to another clue.

Might be a wild goose chase, however.

[marktmurphy]

When I was researching for my letter to Bob Holness I came across an interview on the Internet with him at an English university and it stated that the Moonraker radio adaptation was an hour and a half long. I now can't find that Interview but I have a hard copy of it somewhere.

Much more likely- I think the website linked to earlier isn't up on all of its facts.