A recent article in The Hollywood Reporter details newly uncovered correspondence about James Bond’s likeness between Ian Fleming and an illustrator in the 1950s, although I’m skeptical of the suggestion that the accompanying image in the article represents some newly discovered depiction of Bond, since the illustration itself has been known for years. The more interesting revelation is Fleming’s correspondence about Bond’s physical appearance, particularly the details that go beyond the familiar description from the novels as “six feet tall, 168 pounds, with black hair, blue eyes and a thin scar down his right cheek.”
What really caught my attention, though, is Fleming’s specific instruction to “avoid giving Bond an American-shaped head and a duck’s haircut.” I’ll admit that I had never heard of the 1950s “duck” or “ducktail” hairstyle, although seeing examples of it makes Fleming’s objection perfectly understandable because it’s not exactly the look I would choose for 007 either.
But what in the world does Fleming mean by an “American-shaped head”? Is Fleming referring to some perceived physical stereotype of Americans (maybe having larger than normal heads?), or was this simply his shorthand for a particular facial structure he associated with American illustrations of the period? A quick search reveals no anatomical distinction between American and British head shapes, so unless Fleming had a very specific artistic image in mind, perhaps he was jokingly alluding to the proverbial “big head” associated with perceived American arrogance.
