To coincide with the movie release of
Thunderball in 1965, Pan
issued a special edition of the
novel by Ian
Fleming. The 14th printing of Thunderball in paperback
by Pan featured a pull-out promotional item for Players
Cigarettes.
It was the first, and to date still the
only time, a letter to James Bond was published. The
heroine of
the adventure, Domino, pens a personal note to Bond after
the events of the novel. In the novel, after having won some money,
Bond buys Largo’s “niece”,
Domino, dinner. During the course of the meal Domino tells
Bond about her first and true love – the sailor on
Player’s Navy Cut cigarettes – and the story
she had composed around him. This is again mentioned in
the letter, to promote the brand. The page reference is
a link to the passage where Domino regales her story.
This edition only appeared briefly and, over the years,
many of the letters were removed, lost or discarded. Only
a few remain in complete and pristine condition, and are
much sought after by collectors.
Right: Cover art of the 1965 Pan paperback |
