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BRIEF #2 – THE FILMS While Ian Fleming's creation began as a pulp fiction hero, there can be no denying that it has been the big screen that has made James Bond among the most recognizable characters in history. The films rank among the most profitable and longest running for any series, and have made far more adventures for fans than any other in the last half-century. 1 – The latest James Bond film Casino Royale was released November 17, 2006, the twenty first EON release. New Bond with a new story line as it shows the early days of James Bond and how he became a "00" agent. It bears repeating, you should NEVER expect to see Sean Connery, Roger Moore, or any previous leading man make a return appearance as a villain, family member or assistant to 007. Check 007 News http://www.mi6.co.uk for further updates. EON Productions, Ltd., is the maker of James Bond films, dating back to the first silver screen effort in 1962. EON is supposedly an acronym of Everything Or Nothing. Producers Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman formed the company in 1961. Saltzman sold out his shares in 1975, and passed on in 1994. Broccoli died in 1996 and Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, daughter and stepson to Cubby, now run EON. While Broccoli was American and Saltzman Canadian EON is considered a European company since it is a subsidiary of Danjaq, S.A., and EON is a British-based outfit. Danjaq is a contraction of DANa Broccoli and JAcQueline Saltzman, wives of the founding producers. As you will read in a bit, EON has not made every Bond film. But they have created the trademarks closely associated with Bond and have complete control over future Bond films. Among the trademarks are the distinctive James Bond theme song, to be documented in Brief #2, Section #11 A "The James Bond Theme Debate", and the gun-barrel image opening every film. Please note it is not a camera shutter or gun-sight, but a gun-barrel. Maurice Binder, who designed the majority of the title sequences in the movies, also created the opening sequence, initially using a real gun-barrel opened to allow a camera to peer through, with a gun from a Piccadilly shop. The sequence has been filmed a few times. The first one was in the first film, Dr. No. However, it is not Sean Connery who turns and fires. Working in a hurry, Binder used Connery's stunt double Bob Simmons. After that, the actor portraying Bond did his own firing. Here is the list of gun barrel sequences. Dr. No – the original, with stuntman Bob Simmons doubling for Connery
For final proof to naysayers, watch the opening of GoldenEye's credits as the theme song begins. The bullet is shown exiting the gun barrel. While it appears that the shot of the actor is the same, Die Another Day features a bullet from Bond's Walther going through the barrel. 3 – List of EON's James Bond films Here is the chronological list of EON's James Bond films. Note that the release year of Dr. No shown below is for England; the film debuted in the U.S.A. in 1963.
Posters in the newsgroup use the acronyms in the above list VERY FREQUENTLY. You should become familiar with them quickly. 4 – List of other James Bond films
Some of the films featuring James Bond were made apart from EON. For an answer why, go to Brief #1, Section #10 and select the appropriate film. Here are the films in order of release date.
5 – The actors who have played James Bond A few talented men have gotten to portray James Bond. We start with the EON five, and then the others as well. Note that Roger Moore is older than Sean Connery. A – Sean Connery, born August 25, 1930. Played Bond from 1962-1967, 1971, 1983. A Scot with minimal credits to his name in 1962, he was handpicked by Broccoli and Saltzman to star in the first Bond motion picture. There is less dialogue for Connery than in future turns, and his name was not marketed particularly heavily in the release of either of the first two films. But Connery proved to be the perfect person to assimilate Fleming's cold warrior on screen. He was tough yet suave, strong yet smooth, and able to appeal to both ticket buying genders. By the time of his fifth outing, Thunderball, the marketing
machine said he "IS James Bond". While true in the public's mind, Connery
tired of the constant pressure of the role and the potential to Connery has said in interviews that he is proudest of From Russia With Love. However, he made a severe and nasty break from the Broccoli clan and any thought of him returning to the EON series in any capacity is a pipe dream. Connery won an Academy Award for his supporting role in 1987's The Untouchables. He is still an A-list box office draw to date and is also staunch in his support of his native Scotland. While he did not look like Ian Fleming's written character on the surface, he was impressive enough to earn the ultimate praise. Fleming himself had his character assume some of Connery's roots in Thunderball. He told IMBD.com in 2002 that there is no chance of him returning to EON's series, particularly not as a villain. "Absolutely no way - I could never be an enemy of James Bond." B – George Lazenby, born September 5, 1939. Played Bond in 1969. The only Bond star to make a solitary film appearance, George Lazenby won the role after a worldwide search. He was actually an Australian wrestler, car salesman and model who excelled in physical presence and impressed the producers. But he was not prepared for the glimmer of fame and fortune that came with the part. He was cast in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, one of Fleming's most
detailed and harrowing novels. It required more characterization than the
typical Bond fare and Lazenby faced an uphill battle to achieve it.
Director
Peter Hunt ignored him at one point, though it was an unwitting mistake.
During filming of some emotional scenes, Hunt wanted his star to relate to
the isolation He also had trouble with female lead Diana Rigg. The most famous example of tension between them, however, is actually a myth. Before a kissing scene, Rigg was heard telling Lazenby at lunch that she was having "garlic with [her] pate." She meant it to be humorous but it was easily taken out-of-context given Lazenby's tenuous relationship with Hunt and EON. While in later years he did complain about Rigg's ego, the Bond actor never validated this story. What did him in, in the end, was as much box-office failure as his own immaturity. The fans were being exposed to a new leading actor who had burned bridges with Broccoli and Saltzman before the film was in release. It would have been a hard sell following Connery in the best of circumstances. With EON trying its best to hide his face in the nominal promotion they did for the film, not to mention the script's deviation from the usual Bond formula, Lazenby was ill fated. Critics and fans at the time were quick to place the blame squarely on the actor and EON was quick to publicly agree with that assessment. They seemed to disregard the film for years afterward. His own career was spotty at best after his big break. Lazenby appeared in The Kentucky Fried Movie and spoofed the Bond image in, among other things, the TV movie Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the CD-ROM game, "Spy Hunt". In time, many Bond fans would come to regard On Her Majesty's Secret Service as a high point in the series. C – Roger Moore, born October 14, 1927. Played Bond from 1973-1985. Already an established personality via television's The Saint and The Persuaders, Roger Moore stepped into the role at a time when the series was facing a crisis. Connery had left for a second time, after a successful commercial entry. EON knew that they had to avoid the difficult sequence of events when Lazenby was hired. So for the first time they did not look at unknown actors and hired Moore, who had been approached for the role earlier in his career. Evidence suggests that he was an initial consideration for the first Bond film. It is endlessly speculative to suggest what would have happened had he landed the role. Be that as it may, he instead saw Sean Connery become a household figure and wanted no part of replacing him in 1969. But after 1971 he was willing to give it a go.
Moore came into his own with his third entry, The Spy Who Loved Me. He would start squawking about retirement as early as 1979. He meant it firmly in 1983 but still cam back for a final swan song in 1985. By then no one could hide from three obvious conclusions. First, that Moore had aged so much as to be unbelievable in the role. Two, that his lighthearted approach had made Bond accessible to a large audience but had made him closer to a comic book hero than a serious role. And three, that despite both of the previous points, Moore cast a large shadow that EON would have a tough time trying to fill. D – Timothy Dalton, born March 21, 1946. Played Bond on screen in 1987-1989, and stayed with the role publicly until 1994. Timothy Dalton earned the role of Bond only after Pierce Brosnan was prevented from taking the reins from Moore due to a contract conflict with the NBC television show Remington Steele. It was Dalton's second time approaching the role. He wanted no part of it in 1971, saying in a 1987 interview on Good Morning America (and elsewhere) that he turned it down because he was "too young" for it and because of the imposing legacy of Connery. His first outing was The Living Daylights . The script, originally written with Moore's character in mind and tweaked slightly for what would have been Brosnan's approach, was adjusted noticeably for Dalton. The film was a bit more serious in tone and viewers could not help but compare Dalton's physicality and attempt to restructure the character in comparison to Moore, 19 years his senior. The next film, License to Kill, was written for Dalton's strengths as an actor. He had indeed read the Fleming novels, and wanted to use them as a
backdrop
for his interpretation of Bond. The film enjoyed huge popularity across
the
world - except in the USA. The MGM/UA advertising campaign, easily the
weakest for a Bond film, was a result of the studioS Nonetheless, plans proceeded for Bond 17 with Timothy Dalton still signed on for that film and at least one more. But a series of events cropped up that estranged EON from its studio, the most notable being the selling of television rights of the EON series. When at last these issues were resolved and work resumed on Bond 17 (eventually known as GoldenEye), Dalton surprised many by announcing he would NOT return as Bond. The public, he said, had associated him with the role for eight years, and that was long enough for him. He was eager to move on to new challenges. He left the 007 family in the spring of 1994. Cubby Broccoli and his daughter Barbara stated many times that they were disappointed to lose Dalton. The official account endorsed by Dalton, EON, and MGM/UA, is that Dalton left the series of his own accord. Dalton remains a friend of the Broccoli family and spoke kindly of Cubby when he died. There is credible evidence to suggest that by 1994 the powers that be inside MGM/UA made it clear that they would not support a new Bond film starring Dalton but as of yet the smoking gun has yet to uncovered for ballistic testing. E – Pierce Brosnan, born May 16, 1953. Played Bond from 1995-2002 and stayed with the role publicly until 2005. In the end, it was a great thing that Pierce Brosnan had to wait to secure the role of the world's most famous secret agent. By the time he was introduced, Brosnan looked the part and was truly hungry to succeed. By replacing Dalton instead of Moore, he was able to avoid either following Moore's lighthearted lead or be compared in reaction to it. Dalton pleased hardcore Fleming fans with his darker, more realistic portrayal of Bond. But the fans of Moore's approach were never as smitten with him. Brosnan has proven to surprise both camps. He has played Bond straight but with verve. And Brosnan has that X factor. He has embodied the same charisma that Connery had once brought into the role. He has made Bond "cool" to the masses once again. He has been able to handle the publicity and the expectations with panache. Best of all, he has won over the majority of critics and fans alike. Brosnan has indicated he is interested in doing a fifth, and final, turn as James Bond, following the 2002 release of Die Another Day. That would not come to pass however and he was replaced by actor Daniel Craig in what some say was a contract dispute and others say was EON wanting to show the early days of 007 and that could not be done with Pierce Brosnan due to his age. F - Daniel Craig, born March 2, 1968. Named as the new James Bond in 2005 with his first film being Casino Royale. In a move by EON to start fresh with the story of the early days of James Bond a younger actor was given the keys to the Aston Martin. Daniel Craig's film career began in 1992 with the film The Power of One. Craig later gained a larger audience in 1996 in the UK with a co-starring role in the critically acclaimed BBC2 drama serial Our Friends in the North. He then went to star in John Maybury's gritty Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon in 1998. In 2001 he was Angelina Jolie's rival and sometime love interest in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. In 2002 Craig raised his profile in the United States in Sam Mendes' film Road to Perdition, with Tom Hanks co starring. Other leading film roles have included Sylvia (2003) with Gwyneth Paltrow and consecutive films for Roger Michell, The Mother (2003) with Anne Reid, and Enduring Love (2004) with Rhys Ifans. Craig played a Jewish, South African-born Mossad agent in Steven Spielberg's controversial film Munich in 2005. G – Barry Nelson, born April 16, 1920. Played Bond in 1954. American born Nelson was the first actor to portray James Bond. In was not, however, a theatrical release. Instead in was on episodic television. See Brief #2, Section #10, A "Casino Royale – the television episode" H – David Niven, born March 1, 1910. Played Bond in 1967. A film star from features like The Guns Of Navarone, Bonjour Tristesse and The Pink Panther, David Niven was cast in the Bond spoof Casino Royale. For details about it, go to Brief #2, Section #10, B "Casino Royale – the movie". The Scot actor, who usually answered to English when abroad, died in 1983 of ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease). 6 – The actors who could have played James Bond Besides the men listed above many others have tried out for the role of 007. Here are some of the notable ones. A – John Gavin – The American Gavin actually signed a contract with EON to be the new James Bond in 1970, after the George Lazenby implosion. However it was no secret that EON coveted Sean Connery. When they lured him back with a promise to produce and star in two films and a hefty one million-plus salary that was mostly used to co-find the Scottish Education Trust, Gavin politely stepped aside. The actor, who can be seen in Psycho and Spartacus, went on to be a U.S. Ambassador to Mexico during the Reagan administration. B – James Brolin – It is well documented that Brolin, best known now as Barbra Streisand's other half, screen tested opposite Maud Adams before Moore agreed to return to Octopussy. What is lesser know is Brolin's claim that he was actually, like Gavin,
signed to a contract. He told Bond enthusiast Richard Ashton in 1998 that
he
was hired by Cubby Broccoli and had searched from a home in London at the
time. He also commented about his American accent by suggesting that
Broccoli did not intend to hide it and hoped audiences would see Brolin's
physical presence and ignore the issue. Eventually Moore returned and
Brolin
was left aside. (Submitted by Richard Ashton
D – Sam Neill – Screen tested in 1986 after negotiations collapsed with Pierce Brosnan, Neill was a strong contender, even getting a public mention of contention by The Living Daylights casting director. The role would end up going to Timothy Dalton. Neill is now best identified for his star turn in Jurassic Park. E – Lewis Collins – Having screen tested in the early eighties, Collins was a favorite of the British press. He starred in the television series, The Professionals. F – David Warbeck - According to interviews the late actor gave for David Warbeck: The Man and His Movies, he was under contract to EON throughout the late seventies and early eighties, prepared to assume the role of 007 should Roger Moore have packed his bags. G – Michael Billington – Billington screen tested for the starring role in Live and Let Die. While he was passed over then he did portray Sergei Barsov, the Russian agent and lover of "Triple X", Major Anya Amasova, who was killed by Bond's ski pole before 007 made his parachute leap in the teaser of The Spy Who Loved Me. He is best known for his role on the cult favorite TV show UFO. H – Patrick McGoohan – McGoohan's credits include two television spies – The Prisoner and Danger Man (a.k.a. Secret Agent ). He could have made a mark in the genre earlier but he did not want the lead role in Dr. No due to "moral reasons." Whether or not he would have actually been given the role if desired is in question. He was actually offered the role at least twice, according to some sources, including interviews with the actor himself. One reason given was his choice of not appearing in a work he would not let his daughters watch. (Submitted by Malus) I – Stewart Granger – Never a real shot with EON, it is noted here because Granger was one of a few preferences by Ian Fleming himself. Granger's real name was James Stewart, not to be confused with the American actor famous for It's A Wonderful Life and The Philadelphia Story. When Fleming listed "James Stewart" on his list, he meant Granger, who starred in King Solomon's Mines and director Terence Young's Woman Hater. 7 – The actors who have played Felix Leiter
Many of the films have featured CIA Agent Felix Leiter, Bond's American counterpart. While the character remained the same the role was always being recast. It was not supposed to be that way. A – Jack Lord in Dr. No – The handsome actor, later to star in Hawaii Five-O, created the role of Leiter in the first Bond movie. He was supposed to return in Goldfinger. But Lord did not want a similar deal. He asked for a huge salary in line with Connery's and a percentage of the profits. EON turned down his counteroffer. B – Cec Linder in Goldfinger – The aged actor was supposed to play Mr. Simmons, the bamboozled car player. But EON asked actor Austin Willis and Linder to switch roles. Linder got more screen time but was as far from both Lord's portrayal and Fleming's vision as possible. This ensured that whoever played Leiter would never again try to make demands for salary and rights. C – Rik Van Nutter in Thunderball – By now, EON played "spot-the-Felix" with fans. Van Nutter looked liked Fleming's description even if the screenplay did not do his character justice. According to the Thunderball laserdisc commentary, Rik Van Nutter agreed to a contract for the recurring role of Leiter, and even moved to London after Thunderball was completed. Alas, there was no part for him in You Only Live Twice, or On Her Majesty's Secret Service. By the time Connery returned in 1971, Van Nutter had moved on. (Submitted by Tom Zielinski) D – Norman Burton in Diamonds Are Forever - Burton played Leiter as a curmudgeon, making the agent seem less than excited to work with his old friend once more. E – David Hedison in Live and Let Die and License to Kill – The only actor to play Felix twice, though not consecutively, Hedison went sixteen years between his appearances. While his Leiter and Bond are contemporaries in his first shot, Hedison is given much more screen time in Licence To Kill as an older man than Bond, given Hedison's age difference with Dalton. While it is only supposition that it was intentional, note which films Hedison appeared in. In the book Live and Let Die Leiter was fed to a shark at the hands of a villain, but this did not happen on screen. When EON decided to film this as the basis of the plot of License to Kill it was Hedison who got to do the scene passed over originally. F – John Terry in The Living Daylights – After Hedison's role in 1973, Leiter went dormant in EON films until 1986, when Terry showed up. He did not have a large role, but longtime fans felt comfort in once again hearing from Bond's opposite number. G – Bernie Casey in Never Say Never Again – At least this time it was truly hard for viewers to "spot-the-Felix" with Casey cast as Leiter. The black actor and former pro football player portrayed the CIA man as a friend of Bond's and Casey and Connery expressed it well. Too extensive to list every example here, is it easy to spot actors playing different roles in different films. Maud Adams is the most notable (Octopussy and The Man with the Golden Gun), alongside Charles Gray (Thunderball and Diamonds Are Forever) and Joe Don Baker (The Living Daylights, GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies). Take a look at Matthew Newton's James Bond Actors page from the Bond Film Informant for a complete rundown. Also prevalent in Bond films if you watch carefully is the number of actors whose voices were dubbed by someone else, particularly in the early ones. This is not a complete list below, just a note about some notables. It is singularly odd that one of the most famous Bond movie lines of them all, Goldfinger's retort to wanting Bond to talk by muttering, "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!" was not the actor's own voice.
(The Auger and Ferzetti looped listings submitted by John Doherty) Eric Pohlman looped Ernst Stavro Blofeld's voice in From Russia With Love though the cat petting hands belonged to Anthony Dawson. While one source claims that Pohlman's widow confirmed he was also Blofeld's voice in Thunderball, the film's director, Terence Young, (from "Bondage") said it was Joseph Wiseman providing the voice. (Submitted by David A. McIntee) Wiseman played Dr. No and that version of Blofeld sounds nearly like him. Yet the source supporting Pohlman provides that his name is on the call sheets and that having him travel from nearby London was easier than Wiseman being flown in from the States. He also disputes Young as a reliable source. (Submitted by Mac) Perhaps the person who is wrong will suffer the same fate as No. 12, Pierre Borraud. John Hollis was the wheelchair bound Blofeld in For Your Eyes Only. Hollis played Lobot, aide to Lando Calrissian, in The Empire Strikes Back. And lastly, George Baker, the actor playing the real Sir Hilary Bray in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, is dubbed whenever Bond imitates him. This example is quite disconcerting and unnecessary and detracts from the viewing S |
suffocate
any other projects he wanted to be involved in. He left after 1967 and
declined to appear in the sixth release. After a lackluster box office
performance, EON prodded and finally got their star back for the seventh
outing, Diamonds Are Forever. Then Connery left once more, stating he
would "never again" portray the superspy that he had made a phenomenon.
But
he did come back for a reprise, in 1983's Never Say Never Again. For the
story on that film, see Brief #1, Section #10, E "Thunderball / Never Say
Never Again".
Bond would be feeling so he left him alone. Lazenby did not
take this as direction or method of acting, but rather a lack of respect
by
the director. He complained publicly and friction grew between the men,
which was duly noted by the press.
It is odd that so many things in his debut, 1973's Live and Let Die,
stood
in stark contrast to the previous entries in the series. It featured a new
composer for the first time in ten years and the first rock 'n' roll theme
song. Combined with focusing on Moore as an attractive leading man, EON
seemed to market Bond as a youthful icon. While kids from ten years before
had loved Connery, it cannot be said that the films were aimed at that
teenaged audience. Yet it was clear that demographic was of utmost
importance by the 1970's.
wrestling with huge
legal and financial troubles and helped doom the film in the midst of a
very
competitive box office season.
