Fleming: The Man Who would be Bondpremieres on Jan 29th on BBC-America. The first Bond book, Casino Royale was inspired by Ian Fleming's career at the Naval Intelligence. In Portugal during WWII Fleming and the Director of Naval Intelligence, Admiral Godfrey,visited the famed Estoril Casino. Portugal was neutral in the war, so many spies from the warring Allies and Axis powers were milling about. In fact, secret police, captains of industry, bankers, prominent Jews, writers and artists, escaped POWs and black marketeers filled the city's cafes, hotels, casino and bars. Ian Fleming  was a young employee at the British Consulate. He would often stop at the Estoril Casino, as Estoril became the  destination for European aristocracy escaping from the war.

 The Casino was a nest of espionage, as spies and deposed royals played at the famed Casino’s tables. It was here that Fleming wrote the first part of Casino Royale, centered on the legendary figure of James Bond.Fleming wrote that he was "cleaned out" by the "chief German agent" at the Chemin de Fer table. 

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) is the Bond film, based on the novel of the same name, starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg. Shooting in Portugal began in April 1968, and ended in May. Many scenes were filmed at the Estoril Palácio and on  the beach at Guincho, Lisbon, and Arrábida Natural Park, south of Lisbon.