5 replies to this topic

[quantumofsolace]

radiotimes 15 April 2013

New James Bond manuscript reveals Ian Fleming's original name for 007

To mark the 60th anniversary of Casino Royale's publication, a newly-released 1952 draft unveils Bond's alternative name as James Secretan

"The name's Secretan... James Secretan." It just doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it? But James Secretan is the alias author Ian Fleming originally intended his famous creation James Bond to use when under cover for secret missions.

In an extract from an unseen 1952 draft of the first 007 novel, Casino Royale – due to be released to coincide with the book's 60th anniversary this weekend – Fleming's alternative moniker is revealed to fans for the first time.

In a passage from the manuscript, a CIA agent introduces himself to the MI6 spy by announcing, "My name's Felix Leiter. Glad to meet you," to which Bond replies, "Mine's Secretan. James Secretan." "Secretan" was then crossed out by Fleming in blue ink to be replaced with the name "Bond".

Fleming's niece, Kate Grimond, shared her views on why her uncle changed his mind about the alias. "Ian must have realised it would cause confusion if he had Bond known as Bond to his friends and the security services in London, but as Secretan for his cover name to strangers or people he didn't want to know he was a spy."

Grimond also suggested the name "Secretan" may have been inspired by 19th century Swiss philosopher Charles Secrétan. "I've no proof but I do know Ian was interested in philosophy. He also often chose names from people he knew or had heard of – sometimes an amalgam of more than one person," she told The Sunday Times.

The soon-to-be-released draft also uncovers the original name for M's secretary as "Miss Pettavel" or "Petty" for short, but Grimond explains, "Ian again had second thoughts and changed it to Miss Moneypenny". Miss Pettavel is thought to hark back to Kathleen Pettigrew – personal assistant to MI6 director-general Stewart Menzies – on whom the character was based.

Some commentators have pointed out that a secret agent using his real name on missions would probably not remain secret for very long, but few fans would want to sacrifice the catchphrase "The name's Bond. James Bond," that has been uttered by every 007 actor, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig.

 

http://www.radiotime...al-name-for-007

[Major Tallon]

I haven't seen the page referred to in this article (if it's been published, I don't know where), but I'm dubious that Fleming intended James Secretan to be the name of his hero.  Most critically, the quotation on which this supposed find is premised was in Bond's conversation with Leiter in chapter 7 of Casino Royale, but Bond's name is first used in chapter 1 and in several places in the succeeding chapters before chapter 7.  Indeed, the Bond name is used 17 times in chapter 7 alone, prior to the hero's self-identification to Leiter.  There is no indication that the "Secretan" name was used in any of them.  As to other sources, the facsimile first page typescript contained at the exhibition I just visited at the University of Illinois shows the hero's name at the very start of the book as James Bond (although Fleming made a typographical error with "Bond" so that the final "d" is an overstrike).  Similarly, the retyped manuscript from the Lilly Library (on loan to the University of Illinois and part of their exhibition) also shows the hero's name as James Bond.

 

On the other hand, the above story correctly notes that the original name of M's secretary was Pettavel.  It was listed as Pettavel in the Lilly manuscript, and I've previously heard speculation that this was a tribute to Kathleen Pettigrew.  It makes me wonder if Miss Moneypenny's first name, never used by Fleming, would have been Kathleen.  (And Fleming could slip up with names on occasion.  In the Moonraker manuscript, Fleming called M's secretary Miss Pennyfeather.)

 

Anyway, the endorsement of the "Secretan" story gains considerable cachet from its endorsement by Kate Grimond, and from the indication that the name was used twice in the introduction to Leiter, but I seriously doubt that an isolated reference so deep into the story shows that the hero's name was intended to be something other than James Bond. 

[glidrose]

Perhaps you misunderstand. Secretan was never going to be Bond's name. It was to have been his cover name. Fleming ultimately decided on "John Bryce".

[Major Tallon]

Ah, I can buy that.  I was taken in by the headline, indicating that "Secretan" was Fleming's original name for 007.

[Guy Haines]

Well, as Bond said to Mathis in the latter's dying moments in the film Quantum Of Solace; "Was that your cover name? Not a very good one, was it?" Short of Bond announcing himself to all and sundry as "Secretagent, James Secretagent", I can't think of a cover name, if that is what it was supposed to be, that would have hinted at his real line of work more.   "Secretan"? "Secretan."? Either way you pronouce it, I'm far from keen. I'm glad Fleming stuck with John Bryce.

[Vauxhall]

A nice bit of trivia to add to the Bond knowledge bank.