Richard Maibaum - the Man who created the screen Bond

“The success of the Bond films stems directly from the success of the novels. However, they do present problems for a screenwriter. I told Ian he wrote too well; he had an untransferable literary quality... all those descriptive passages, beautifully chosen words that reveal the characters, great hunks of interesting details. It all has to be cut. I’m limited to setting down only what can be said and done by the actors and photographed by the cameras. Take Goldfinger - there were only four lines used from the original book.
“As a young man, I worked as an assistant writer for Alfred Hitchcock on Foreign Correspondent. He told me: “Audiences shouldn’t have time to think about logic. If I have 13 bumps, I know I have a good picture.” By bumps, he meant shocks, high points, thrill... The old lady in Goldfinger who suddenly appears with a machine gun - she’s a bump! From the beginning of Dr. No, the producers and I have not been satisfied with 13 bumps. We always aim for 39! To make every foot of film pay off in terms of excitement, comedy or drama. Nothing must drag. As Hitch said: “Dear boy, don’t be dull.”