Oh Oh 7 – a near miss

This week I almost but not quite managed to accidentally on purpose bump into James Bond.

I was working at Pinewood movie studios – and Daniel Craig was too. The latest Bond film – Spectre – has been in production there. A couple of my (female) colleagues came into the office all agog because they’d seen the super spy himself riding around on a golf cart.

I immediately found many reasons to leave the office and walk to my car, the cafeteria etc. etc. – but alas, was a total failure at Bond spotting. In fact, I’ve been at Pinewood during the production of several Bond films, going back to Timothy Dalton, and have never bumped into the superspy himself.

But that did get me thinking about Bond and how the character is so powerful that he has survived several incarnations. Often, when an actor leaves a role, the role dies. But not Bond. Giving rise to the eternal debate – who was the best Bond?

 

The first on screen Bond was … no, not Sean Connery. It was Barry Nelson, who starred in a one hour American TV production of Casino Royale.

It was made in 1954.

I’ve never seen it. It was part of a drama series called Climax! On CBS. Peter Lorre played le Chiffre.

 

 

 

 

Sean Connery was next in 1962 with Dr No and that unforgettable scene with Ursula Andress walking out of the water. That set the standard for the bond girls.

Dr No was the first of the Bond series of films made by Eon Productions – under the guidance of Albert (Cubby) Broccoli.

I loved this Bond. He was tough and dangerous and just a little bit cruel. He was certainly not politically correct, but that was the whole point. The Fleming books are not politically correct and he painted Bond as a tough and dangerous man.

For a lot of people, Connery remains their favourite Bond. It’s hard to disagree.

 

 

In the middle of the Connery Bond series, came the second adaptation of Casino Royale – the one book for which Eon did not hold the film rights.

The second Casino Royal was a farce – a comedy with an ensemble cast featuring David Niven as Bond. Orson Welles was le Chiffre. The plot called for several other actors to masquerade as Bond – these included Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress.

I saw this film once – years ago, but really can’t remember it. I do remember that I wasn’t thrilled by it. I wanted the ‘real’ James Bond. I wanted Connery.

However, I probably need to keep an eye open for it again. It might be better than I thought at the time.

 

The public debate over who was to replace Connery when he left the role was fierce. I can only imagine what it was like for the producers.

 

The replacement was Australian actor George Lazenby.

I think it’s fair to say very few (if any) Bond fans ever listed Lazenby as the best Bond. It’s a shame really because On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was a good storyline – the one where Bond marries. Dianna Rigg was a fabulous Bond Girl.

But the film… well, let’s just say I have only seen it once.

Connery then returned for one more film (Diamonds Are Forever), before Roger Moore took the reins.

 

 

I know I’m not going to be popular when I say I didn’t like the Roger Moore films.

To me, Moore was never dangerous or hard. The fight scenes always looked fake and staged to me.

The Bond films have always been sprinkled with puns – Connery did them well. Moore didn’t. Again – some of the scripts were very good… but some were less so.

And I’m sorry, but Jaws? I know Fleming wrote the character, but in the movies, I felt he was just a bad joke.

Then Pierce Brosnan was offered the role – but had to decline due to TV commitments as Remington Steele. Timothy Dalton stepped into the 007 shoes.

 

I was very hopeful.

Dalton looked dark and dangerous. I had liked his Heathcliff in one of the many Wuthering Heights adaptations.

I appear to have been in the minority.

The Dalton Bond was attacked for being too dark and dangerous and violent. Possibly because of the contrast to Roger Moore’s softer portrayal. Two films and he was gone to be replaced by Pierce Brosnan.

 

Brosnan got it right.

His films reinvigorated the franchise. Judi Dench took over as M and we were off and running. I loved this era. The films were were the right mix of action with a bit of self-deprecating humour. Brosnan did the puns well. And if some of the scripts were – shall we say – not the very top of the line, it didn’t really matter. There were gadgets. There were Bond Girls with a bit of depth, who added more than just sex to the script.

Imagine my disappointment when Pierce Brosnan left the role.

Enter Daniel Craig.

His Casino Royale is my favourite Bond film ever. He was dark and dangerous and knew how to throw down a pun. The emotional roller coaster of his affair with Vesper was terrific… and the scene where he holds her in the shower almost had me in tears.

The action scenes were breath-taking. It seems strange to me that Timothy Dalton was called too violent – when this Bond is equally so. Maybe times have changed.

By this point the Fleming books are all done – so the stories they are making now are new to me. And I am so looking forward to Spectre.

Of course, Craig’s successor is now being discussed… with Christian Bale, Damien Lewis (Homeland), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), Henry Cavill (Superman) and Richard Armitage. Even the lovely Benedict Cumberbatch has been mooted.

These are some of my favourite actors – but to be honest, I don’t want to see them as Bond. I want the new Bond to be someone I don’t know, so I meet him for the first time as Bond. I don’t want to see a character from another film or show in those opening titles. I want someone new and handsome and interesting and dangerous.

Fingers crossed – and hopefully next time, I will manage to accidentally on purpose bump into him at work.