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MI6 looks back at the life and works of James Bond
producer Harry Saltzman...
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Biography - Harry Saltzman
18th February 2005
Harry Saltzman, the creative genius who
had the foresight to buy the rights to Ian Fleming's novels,
was born in St John, New Brunswick, Canada on 27th October,
1915.
In his teens, his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for
the stage led him to be a talent manager in Long Island's
Vaudeville strip.
Harry's mother died young, and he himself ran away from
home aged 15, and by 17 he had used the small fortune made
in the theatre to start a circus in Canada.
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Above: A young Albert R. Broccoli and
Harry Saltzman |
The war led Harry Saltzman to Paris, and it was there he stayed
after the war, slowly accumulating a reputation in show business,
although in the early days he would camp out in the bathroom of
stars' hotel rooms. Here he also married his wife, Jacqueline, who
had fled from Romania during the war. Harry promised her the world,
but looked like he wouldn't be able to make good on his promise.
Above: Albert R. Broccoli and Harry
Saltzman. |
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But Harry worked his way up, producing
his first film, The Iron Petticoat, which allowed him to
found Woodfall Productions with director Tony Richardson
and playwright John Osborne. Together, they made the first
'Kitchen Sink' dramas including Look Back in Anger, The
Entertainer and the classic Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.
But when the group broke up, Harry acquired for $1000 and
option on Ian Fleming's James Bond novels.
For years he sat on them, until he was approached by Cubby
Broccoli, another Fleming fan and another producer with
a growing reputation.
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Saltzman refused to sell the rights, and so the two entered partnership,
founding EON productions and Danjaq (named after their wives, Dana
and Jacqueline). They managed to persuade United Artists to budget
$1m for Doctor No and the rest, as they say, is history.
| For the next eight films, Harry and Cubby
worked together with unprecedented success. Within the partnership,
Saltzman was the ideas man, the hyperactive producer. He
had a short attention-span and fiery temper (he was well-known
for complaining in restaurants) but above all he was an
enthusiast and an innovator. The partnership, of two very
different men, went from strength to strength. Harry's dream
of wealth, power and reputation had come true.
Harry remained involved in many ventures outside of Bond,
including the epic Battle of Britain. But his business dealings
were less successful, and Harry found himself forced to
sell up his stake for a massive $20m.
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Above: Harry Saltzman with Roger Moore
during production of "Live And Let Die". |
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Not long after, Jacqueline died from cancer,
and Harry Saltzman's life was on the rocks. The turning
point was probably when, on Topol's bidding, Cubby invited
Harry to the premiere of For Your Eyes Only. Following the
strained relationship on The Man With The Golden Gun, the
two Bond founders got on superbly.
Harry lived on in relative peace, with the exception of
his vivid dress sense and loud socks. He died on September
29th 1994, leaving a legacy the would make millions of people
happy. The archetypal showman, Harry Saltzman will not be
forgotten.
According to Michael G Wilson, "This man was a giant,
a giant in this industry". His legacy is even bigger. |
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