Description:

Fleming Ian 1908 - 1964 Ian Fleming and Playboy editor Ray Russell correspondence regarding "the most glamourous cities in the world", other James Bond locations, and the "Syndicate".

1pp TLS signed by British writer Ian Fleming as "Yours sincerely, Ian Fleming" and addressed to Playboy Executive Editor Ray Russell, both in blue ball point pen. "I" of "Ian" with slight smear. Letter dated October 20, 1959 appears on watermarked "Kemsley House, London, W.C. 1" letterhead. In near fine condition with overall even and light toning. With expected paper folds at center and two folds in stapled upper left corner. Page measures 8" x 10". Accompanied by October 23, 1959 typed letter on newsprint from Ray Russell, with faint impression of Playboy bunny stamp at the masthead. In good condition, with moderate to heavy browning, and loss to upper left corner and bottom edge. Page measuring 8.5" x 11".

In this October 20, 1959 letter, Ian Fleming asked Ray Russell if he or any of his Playboy staff can show him around Chicago during an upcoming visit. Fleming explains: "As luck would have it, I have to proceed round the world on November 2nd to do a series for my paper, the Sunday Times, on the most glamorous cities in the world ... The glamour of Chicago may not be very obvious to a resident of the town, but the seamier side of its history is irresistible for the English ... Apart from one or two introductions to cheerful police officials, crime writers, etc., I would very much like to meet someone who knows his Chicago well and sees the excitement and fun of it all".

In a response dated three days later, Ray Russell replied: "Although I am Chicago born and bred, I am not a professional Chicagoan and there are vast geographical and spiritual areas of the city of which I am ignorant. However, I do know some other people, so I anticipate no difficulty in rounding up the contacts you need". Considering Fleming's interest in the picturesque, Russell proposed showing him the gunshot ridden interior of Holy Name Cathedral.

Fleming served as the Foreign Manager of the Kemsley newspaper group, parent company of the Sunday Times, between 1945 and 1959. In this capacity, he supervised and facilitated all the newspaper's foreign correspondents. It was while working this day job that Fleming conceived of James Bond, and wrote the first installment of the series, Casino Royale, while on vacation in Jamaica. Fleming's fall 1959 tour of the world's most cosmopolitan urban centers doubtlessly informed his future spy stories. Chicago promised to satiate Fleming's intellectual curiosity about criminal organizations once run by "Capone, and friends", as Russell ironically put it.

Ian Fleming (1908-1964), a former journalist and intelligence agent, incorporated his personal experiences into the adventures of James Bond, the suave, cunning, and deadly protagonist of over eleven incredibly popular novels and short stories. In 2008, Fleming was voted among the best 50 British authors of all time, and his stories have been adapted into twenty-six film versions over the last sixty years.

Ray Russell (1924-1999) was a writer of the Gothic tradition and horror sub-genre. His most famous short story, "Sardonicus", was published in Playboy in 1961. Playboy Magazine, co-founded by Hugh Heffner (born 1926) in 1953, was a lifestyle magazine geared towards the modern American man. Besides offering erotic literature and nude photographs to its consumers, Playboy also featured short stories, cartoons, and interviews with some of the most notable literary and entertainment figures of its day.

From the estate of Ray Russell.

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