007 & the English

H

hemlock0013

New member
Considering all the Brit-bashing going on (which I tend to support) I thought I’d weigh in with a thought: The wimpiest, most ineffectual, and most unbelievable actor to play James Bond (IMHO :)), Roger Moore, is the only true Englishman to play the part. Connery’s Scottish, Lazenby’s Aussie, Dalton’s Welsh, and Brosnan’s Irish.

While I’m at it, a British TV spy character who was very pro-liberty, antigovernment, No. 6 in “The Prisoner,” was actually created and played by an American, Patrick MacGoohan. (Though even I thought he was English for a long time.)

Just something to think about...

---hemlock0013
 
Roger Moore = yack.

If I remember correctly, James Bonds' father was Scottish and his mother was Swiss.

LawDog
 
Patrick McGoohan may claim to be American now, but as far as I know, he is a born and bred Irishman...his best series from the '60's was "Danger Man" (shown here in Canada as "Secret Agent").

[This message has been edited by Mike Davies (edited June 23, 2000).]
 
Lawdog, you are correct re: Bond's parentage.

Mike, I read in a bio that MacGoohan was born of Irish immigrants who had just moved to America. That was some time ago, so I might be wrong.

I regret I've never seen "Dangerman" or "Secret Agent" but would love to. A British company is supposed to be re-releasing some episodes on VHS tape, so I look forward to checking them out.

BTW, MacGoohan was offered the part of 007 before Connery was.

---hemlock0013
 
Connery was great, as always. Lazenby was too much of a Connery-clone. Moore just repeated The Saint with a different name.

IMHO, Timothy Dalton was way underrated, as soon as Brosnan was free they dumped a superior actor because Pierce had a higher pretty-boy quotient. "The Living Daylights" is one of the best Bond movies (beter than any of Brosnan's). The fight hanging off of the C-130 cargo net is worth the price of the video, all by itself. "Licence To Kill" was also well above average, with possibly the best theme song (Gladys Knight -- go, girl!).

The only merit to Brosnan is that he finally upgraded from that .32 PPK to an effective weapon, the P99. I understand Q passed away in shock. I never understood why they could allow this guy to wreck a $100,000 + car on every mission, but couldn't spare him the bucks for a new sidearm. Anyway, I think Dame Judi Dench (the new "M") could play Bond better.

Trivia question: Who is the only artist seen on screen performing the theme song? Hint: She would have made a heck of a Bond Girl herself.

[This message has been edited by David Scott (edited June 23, 2000).]
 
Sheena Easton! "For Your Eyes Only"

I agree that Dalton was great and underrated by most (save diehard Bond fans, who tend to love him). He was by far the closest to Fleming's character.

I'm not as anti-Brosnan as others. I think he's really matured into the role, and did a particularly great job in "The World is Not Enough." Sure he's "pretty", but I don't hold that against him.

And I'm glad he finally got a 9mm, too. He's carried them in post-Fleming novels for years, incuding a Hi-Power, HK p7 (my fave) and VP70Z, and an ASP.

---hemlock0013
 
Sean Connery and Brosnan are both, extremely anti-gun. Typical Mega-Millionaire Marxists.
To Hades with them!

Don't know about the other "bondages." J.B.
 
Knew Connery was anti-gun; didn't know about Brosnan. Is he nuttily anti or just a standard Hollywood anti? Dalton's a big supporter of the Labour Party and the Democrats, so I would guess he might be an anti, too. Moore certainly seems lile he'd be anti-gun-- he said he felt uncomfortable handling them. Don't know about Lazenby.

Jeesh, I know too much about James Bond! It's like I'm a Trekker or something! :D

---hemlock0013
 
I'm sure that you're correct if you read it in a bio, but I seem to recall that he was actually raised and/or educated in Ireland..?
Not that it makes any difference..he wasn't English, which is the point you were making..<GG>
He was superb in "Danger Man"...a little flaky in "The Prisoner". Nobody in Britain could follow "The Prisoner"; they (we) couldn't figure out what it was all about. I visited the Welsh seaside town where it was filmed..I can't remember the name right now.
Mike/BC
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hemlock0013:

Mike, I read in a bio that MacGoohan was born of Irish immigrants who had just moved to America. That was some time ago, so I might be wrong.

BTW, MacGoohan was offered the part of 007 before Connery was.

---hemlock0013[/B][/quote]
 
I think Dalton did a good job as James Bond, but the movies, I don't think were very good.
Kind of wished they would have kept him for the new ones, as he is a tougher type than Brosnan. But my favorite Bond movies are the new ones: better action, less hoke, better looking women, better guns, etc.

------------------
"Vote with a Bullet."
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hemlock0013:
Roger Moore, is the only true Englishman to play the part.

---hemlock0013[/quote]

Errrrm, and David Niven in Casino Royale was Zambian I suppose.

A more archetypal Englishman you would be hard pressed to find, honorable, decent, patriotic and suave. Not words that spring to mind for our own modern day Bond wannabees - Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis.

Oh, and The Prisoner was filmed in Portmeirion, North Wales.

Mike H



[This message has been edited by Mike H (edited June 24, 2000).]
 
I would be hard pressed to count "Casino Royale" as a real Bond film.

BTW, the first actor to play 007 was an American, Barry Nelson, in a TV version of the above.

As for Mike H's other comments, I will be a gentleman and not respond.

ta ta, cheerio, and all that...
hemlock0013
 
I read an article on Ian Fleming once.
He said that Roger Moore actually bore the most resemblance to the real guy he had based the character on.
 
IMHO, George Lazenby was the best Bond. Or perhaps "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was simply the best movie. I say this from the viewpoint of being most faithful to the original novels. And for its time, the scene with the snowblower on the front of the train was pretty gruesome...

------------------
"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein
"Power corrupts. Absolute power - is kinda cool!"
Fred Reed
 
Amazing! This is the first discussion of Bond flicks where folks publicly admit to liking Lazenby and Dalton. I thought Dalton was close to being perfect for the Bond character. I also liked the plot of OHMSS.

Favorite Bond girl; Tanya Roberts (Michelle Yeoh is a close second)
Favorite Bond car; Aston Martin DB-5
Favorite Bond; Dalton
Favorite Bond gadget; watch with laser beam
 
Well. I guess I'd better jump in on this. As far as I am concerned, Timothy Dalton was the best of the Bonds. He seemed to fit the moody character that Fleming sometimes portrayed Bond. Connery was fair as Bond, but Moore and Brosnan? Naaaaaaggghhhh!
I've been buying the JB videos to add to my video collection, and in watching Dr. NO the other night, saw some strange stuff. Bond is issued his PPK. Half the time, the gun looked more like the PP. Even my wife noticed this. When he was shooting at the "dragon" that PPK transmogrified into a 1911? When the bad guy tried to shoot Bond, while he was supposedly in bed sleeping, the then tells the guy," That's a Smith & Wesson, you've had your 6." Looked like a 1911 to me, and the S&W 39 held 9 if I remember right. Oh those property managers. I can't remember her name, but that gorgeous blond in From Russia With Love gets my vote for the best looking girl in the Bond movies, although there are several others in some of the other movies that are tied for a very close second.
I will admit, the action in the latest movies is a lot better.
Paul B.
 
Well, I've already made my current opinion of anti-gunner Connery clear in another post, but, IMNSHO:

Connery is Bond ... James Bond.

I know Fleming thought him to be too "unsophisticated" to play 007, but from my point of view -- and I was only 13 when "From Russia with Love" was released -- Conmnery was the ultimate in sophistication and savoir-faire.

I had read and re-read the books: he was Bond, even down to the "dark comma of hair". Too, the clothes fitted the original, being written round about the same times -- the thin dark "knitted" ties, the suits etc. Fleming was, in many ways, an "old-fashioned" writer, and Connery better portrayed that conservatism and all things British than did the later actors.

In other words, he was the Bond of his time.

While I accept that perhaps Dalton and Brosnan are good, they are "different".

Paul B:

Tatiana Romanova was played by Daniela Bianchi (but her voice was dubbed for the film). Yes, I was hopelessly in "lust" with her too.

Incidentally, before his PPK, Bond used a Beretta. It was only changed to a PPK because the Beretta jammed at an inopportune moment and Bond was shot by a BG. The PPK in 7.65mm was chosen because "the American CIA swear by them".

B ... just B ;)
 
Bruce -
And don't forget, Q told him the Walther would "shoot through a brick wall"...

------------------
"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein
"Power corrupts. Absolute power - is kinda cool!"
Fred Reed
 
RHC-Fleming was dead before Moore ever played Bond, so I assume you're refering to the opinion of the article's writer.

(Ivanhoe- In Bond-only forums, Lazenby and and especially Dalton tend to be really loved by hard-core 007 fans, present company included.

Paul B.- And in "Goldfinger" I could swear Bond uses a p-38 at one point.

mk86- The Walther had "a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window." Gee, I want whatever 7.65 mm ammo Q loaded into that thing!

---hemlock0013
 
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