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Licensed to make a killing with James Bond

Broadcast Date: Dec. 9, 1965

Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli didn't create James Bond, but this duo supplied the star, the money and the creative direction to give birth the immensely popular 007 film franchise. In this 1965 broadcast, Telescope focuses on the Canadian-born Saltzman and his partner Broccoli, and learns about their vision and contribution to James Bond's success on the silver screen.

Licensed to make a killing with James Bond

• Harry Saltzman was born in Sherbrooke, Que. on Oct. 27, 1915. He worked in a circus and served in the Second World War before settling into the film business. He bought the film rights to James Bond from creator Ian Fleming for $50,000 and eventually entered a partnership with Broccoli after the latter tried unsuccessfully to buy the rights from Saltzman.

• Saltzman and Broccoli co-produced nine Bond films together. Those titles, spanning from Dr. No in 1962 to 1974's The Man With the Golden Gun grossed $973.5 million worldwide.

• The partnership split up in 1975 when Saltzman sold his shares of the Bond films to United Artists. Depressed over his own failing health, financial troubles and his wife's recent diagnosis with terminal cancer, Saltzman mostly retired from the movie business, producing only two more films in his career. He died in France on Sept. 28, 1994.

• Broccoli continued to produce Bond movies after Saltzman's departure, staying on board for another seven films. He also worked as a consulting producer on the 1995 Bond adventure GoldenEye before this death the following year.

• Albert Broccoli received far more recognition for the Bond films than his Canadian counterpart. Broccoli has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was also named Commander of the British Empire.

Licensed to make a killing with James Bond

Medium: Television

Program: Telescope

Broadcast Date: Dec. 9, 1965

Guest(s): Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman

Interviewer: Fletcher Markle

Duration: 21:01

This clip was edited for copyright reasons.

Goldfinger (Eon Productions), Octopussy (MGM, Eon Productions, United Artists).

Last updated:
June 29, 2009