 In 1955, John Payne (I) (qv) negotiated and purchased the rights  for an option to "Moonraker", paying a $1000 a month option for nine  months. Payne was the first ever person in Hollywood interested in  making the James Bond novels into a film series. Apparently, he  eventually gave up the option when he learned he couldnt obtain the  rights to the entire 007 series. Moreover, there were allegedly  trans