On Monday 5th August 1963, Ian Fleming was the guest on Roy Plomley’s Desert Island Disks, a long-running show on BBC radio that was first broadcast on 29 January 1942 and still runs today.
The premise of the programme is simple; each week a famous guest (“castaway”) chooses eight pieces of music, as well as a book and a luxury item that they would choose to have with them if stranded on a dessert island. The BBC website lists Fleming’s choices, which are listed below, although the actual show that he appeared on is not available to listen to online.
1. Cecilia – “Whispering” Jack Smith
2. Dinah – The Revellers
3. La Vie en Rose – Édith Piaf
4. If I Didn’t Care – The Ink Spots
5. This Ole House – Rosemary Clooney
6. Theme from A Summer Place – Billy Vaughn
7. The Harry Lime Theme (from The Third Man) – Anton Karas
8. The Darktown Strutters Ball – Joe “Fingers” Carr
Book – War and Peace in German by Leo Tolstoy
Luxury item – Typewriter and paper
