June 1963: Ian Fleming signs away his U.N.C.L.E. rights

Ian Fleming

On JUNE 26, 1963, Ian Fleming, under pressure from Bond film producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, finally signed away all of his rights related to the television show that would become The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The one-paragraph letter reads in part:

Mr Norman Felton
M-G-M Studios,
Culver City, California

Dear Norman:

This will serve as my assignment to you of all my rights and interest in any material written or contributed by me in connection an original television series featuring a character named Napoleon Solo. I assign to you all rights of every kind of the use of this character and material.

(snip)

The material and character is original and I am free to grant to you the rights assigned in this letter. I hereby acknowledge receipt of the sum of One Pound…in consideration of this assignment.

Very truly yours,

IAN FLEMING

Norman Felton, who was producing the show, knew by the end of May that Fleming was exiting the project. The letter was a mere formality. Still, from this point forward, Felton and writer-producer Sam Rolfe would shoulder the creative burden of turning the concept into a television show.

Rolfe would turn in his first draft of the script on Sept. 16, according to Craig Henderson’s For Your Eyes Only Web site. Filming of the pilot, directed by Don Medford, would begin in November.

MARCH 1 POST: MARCH 1963: IAN FLEMING CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

MAY 2 POST: MAY 1963: IAN FLEMING CRIES U.N.C.L.E.