The James Bond Bedside Companion (79 page)

Swedish actor Max von Sydow portrays Ernst Stavro Blofeld in a couple of cameo appearances. This bit of casting is more successful than the choices made for the three Eon films in which Blofeld appears. Yet somehow, von Sydow is a bit too mannered and charming for Blofeld. One strange trait was held over from the Eon series—Blofeld is still petting that white cat.

The extremely lovely Kim Basinger portrays Domino. Although she doesn't seem Italian, she fits Fleming's description of the character from the original
THUNDERBALL
story—blond, beautiful, classy, and athletic. Basinger brings a vulnerability to the role which is immediately appealing, and the actress turns in a performance which is quite satisfactory. Bernie Casey, an American black actor, portrays Felix Leiter. Casey told
Starlog
magazine that it was Connery's idea to use a black Leiter simply because the character is never remembered—perhaps this change would make the American CIA agent more noticeable. The change in race alters nothing in the context of the story, but unfortunately, the part is underwritten. The Leiter role is still relatively thankless, and the character only serves as Bond's yes-man in the latter part of the film. Casey, however, at least has a screen presence which is interesting and engaging.

Edward Fox portrays the young M in stereotypical
stuffy British
upper-class
tradition. Fox's M is a bit too
hard on Bond, and their scenes together bear no resemblance to the Bond/M relationship set up by Fleming. This is one disappointing aspect of the film. Alec McCowan, on the other hand, is fine as Algernon the Armourer, and brings a good degree of humor to the role. Miss Moneypenny is portrayed by the attractive Pamela Salem, but her role is very minor. There isn't enough rapport between Moneypenny and 007 to adequately depict the years of mutual flirtation that has passed between the two characters.

The filmmakers have also included an Obligatory Sacrificial Lamb named Nicole—a French agent who briefly aids Bond. Nicole meets her doom at the hands of Fatima Blush. Also worth mentioning is Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling government official in Nassau named Small-Fawcett who tries desperately to get in the swing of the undercover business. Naturally, he fails miserably, much to Bond's and the audience's amusement. Luckily, the comic antics of the character stop short of slapstick.

The look of the film is impressive. Director of photography Douglas Slocombe brings the same polish to the production that he gave to
Raiders
of
the Lost Ark.
Production designers Philip Harrison and Stephen Grimes (also from the
Raiders
team) have used a Ken Adam–like decor for most of the interiors, except for the final scene in Largo's hidden cave. The cave is supposed to be part of an ancient temple, and here the scenery is reminiscent of scenery in
Raiders.
Film editor Robert Lawrence keeps the picture moving at breakneck speed, and the fight scenes are especially well cut Stunt coordinators Glenn Randall and Vic Armstrong have done a splendid job on the picture's many action sequences. The fight between Bond and Fatima's super-strong henchman at Shrublands recalls the good old Oddjob days, while the chase involving the new Q Branch motorcycle recalls the Aston Martin chase in
Goldfinger.
The motorcycle is equipped with jet propulsion, which allows the bike to speed-jump over gaps in the road and even over other vehicles. Other gadgets, always obligatory in a Bond film, include a wristwatch containing a laser beam apparatus, and a fountain pen which fires explosive cartridges.

The most disappointing feature of the film is the score by Michel Legrand. The title song with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and performed by Lani Hall is quite unmemorable, and the rest of the score seems to be a mixture of calypso rhythms with lush orchestral passages. Needless to say, it doesn't
work.

Never Say Never Again
actually recalls the flavor and style of the very early Eon Bond films, especially
Goldfinger
. Many of the same formulized ingredients have gone into the film; what distinguishes it is the de-emphasis on external humor and the concentration on character development. Even though the picture is not an official Bond, it certainly ranks with the best of the authorized series, and it is something which Ian Fleming probably would have liked.

1983, then, marked an important year in the history of Bondmania. Besides being the 30th anniversary of the publication of CASINO ROYALE, the year brought Bond fans double Double-0 Sevens. The film industry may have considered
Octopussy
and
Never Say Never Again
as competitors, but to most admirers of the Bond cult they are simply two new versions of the institution created by Ian Fleming over thirty years ago. James Bond will no doubt live on and become as timeless as Sherlock Holmes. Even now, Broccoli and company are in pre-production for the fourteenth film of their series,
A View to a Kill
. With the added prospect of new titles and stories being generated by John Gardner, it is highly likely that 007 will be with us for a while longer. Perhaps the phenomenon is rooted in a line delivered by Connery in
Never Say Never Again
. Asked if he is as good a loser as he is a winner, Connery, as Bond, replies with a twinkle in his eye, "I wouldn't know—I've never lost."

Agent 007 and his Nassau pick-up (Valerie Leon) are relieved that they decided to go to her room instead of his. A bomb had been planted beneath the bed in Bond's hotel suite. James Bond has always had an explosive effect on his bedside companions, but that would have been a bit much. From
Never Say Never Again
. (Wide World Photo.)

S
ince the first edition of this book was published in 1984, the James Bond phenomenon has reached a zenith, especially in the summer of 1987, when the cinematic 007 became twenty-five years old.

On February 22, 1984, Sean Connery received the Man of the Year Award from Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatrical Club. Since 1951, the Club has given a Woman of the Year award. Recipients include Mamie Eisenhower, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, Lauren Bacall, and others. The Man of the Year Award was instituted in 1967, probably because only men perform the Harvard Hasty Pudding theatricals. The men play all the roles—male and female. Among the several prizes Connery received were a Roger Moore dart board, a Wonder Woman-style wig, a kiss on the cheek from two of the more masculine "ladies," and of course, his Pudding Pot.

John Gardner continued his series of 1980s Bond novels with the publication of ROLE OF HONOR in the spring of 1984. It was published first in the U.S. by the Putnam Publishing Group, where it became an immediate best-seller. The English edition (ROLE OF HONOUR), published by Jonathan Cape/Hodder & Stoughton, followed shortly thereafter. The jacket for the British edition was designed and executed by Trevor Scobie, and it pictured a Redcoat toy doll with a pin through his chest The book failed to personally satisfy Gardner, because he had been ill when he wrote it. He needed a break—so he requested and received a year off before submitting novel number five. Nevertheless, many fans consider ROLE OF HONOR one of the author's best.

Across the Atlantic, the famous 007 soundstage at Pinewood Studios had burned down during the filming of
Legend,
so it had to be rebuilt before sets could be constructed for the filming of
A View to a Kill.
The new stage was renamed the "Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage" by studio head Cyril Howard in appreciation to the producer for the work he had brought to the studio and the British film industry over the past two decades. It is the largest soundstage in the world.

The fourteenth James Bond film by Eon Productions,
A View to
a
Kill
,
was released in May 1985 to packed theaters around the world. In fact, it holds the record for the largest opening weekend for any Bond film, supported in America by the four-day Memorial Day weekend. A benefit premiere was held in San Francisco, California, where much of the film was shot. Over $75,000 went to Mayor Diane Feinstein's favorite charity—the Mayor's Youth Fund. During the ceremony outside the Palace of Fine Arts, a man parachuted from a helicopter to hand over the check to the mayor.

Although it received mixed reactions from critics and audiences alike, the film managed to gross $65,636,000 worldwide. It was Roger Moore's swan song as James Bond, as the actor resigned himself to the fact that he was simply too old to play the part again with any credibility. As usual, Eon supported the film with a media and merchandise blitz, which included poster magazines and comic book adaptations.

In the spring of 1986, John Gardner's NOBODY LIVES FOREVER was published, first in the U.S. by Putnam, and a month later in the U.K. (as NOBODY LIVES FOR EVER) by Cape/Hodder & Stoughton. The English jacket cover was again designed by Trevor Scobie, and it featured a scorpion clutching a set of Bond's car keys. NOBODY LIVES FOREVER was a triumph for the author, as it stayed on the
New York Times
best-seller list for four weeks and most Bond fans claimed that it was definitely Gardner's best.

On June 28, 1986, James Bond's 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from
Goldfinger
sold for a quarter of a million dollars at a Sotheby's auction in New York. At a "Collector's Carousel Sale," which included many items from the film and rock 'n' roll worlds, the car was the climactic item in the catalogue. Goldfinger's Rolls-Royce Phantom III, built in 1937 by Parker & Co. Ltd. of London, was also sold, fetching $110,000. Blofeld's "batho-sub" from
Diamonds Are Forever
was in the
catalogue, but the owner withdrew the item from the auction after it failed to gain its estimated worth.

Throughout 1986, the film community, as well as the public, was eager to learn whom Eon would cast as the new James Bond. Word had it that the producers were looking for a young British actor who could recapture some of the grittiness of Sean Connery's early portrayals. Many names were bandied about in the press, including Pierce Brosnan of TV's
Remington Steele
, Sam Neill of BBC TV's
Reilly—Ace of Spies
, Bryan Brown of
Breaker Morant
and other Australian films, and John James of
Dynasty
. A premature announcement that Pierce Brosnan was the final choice turned into something of a scandal when NBC and MTM Productions refused to release the actor from his
Remington Steele
contract, despite the fact that the series had been canceled. It was speculated that once Brosnan was chosen to play Bond, NBC executives decided to give the series another shot. Thus, Brosnan's bid to play 007 fell through.

It was finally announced by the summer that Shakespearean veteran Timothy Dalton had been selected to fill Roger Moore's shoes.

Forty-one-year-old Timothy Dalton was born in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, the son of a successful advertising executive. From the time he saw
Macbeth
at the Old Vic when he was sixteen, Dalton knew he wanted to be an actor. He attended school in Manchester and Beliper, and after graduating, joined the community theatre, the Beilper Players. In 1964, he joined the National Youth Theatre, where he made his professional debut in a small role in Shakespeare's
Coriolanus
at the Queen's Theatre.

Two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts followed, and in 1966 he played his first professional lead in the National Youth Theatre's production of
Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs
. After that, he worked with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, having played in such major Shakespearean works as
Richard II
,
As You Like It
, Romeo and Juliet, and
Love's Labour's Lost
.

His television appearances include
Mistral's Daughter
,
Jane Eyre
, and Joan Collins'
Sins
. He made his film debut in 1968 as young King Philip of France in
The Lion in Winter
, and has played in many motion pictures since then, including Cromwell,
Wuthering Heights
(as Heathcliff),
Mary, Queen of Scots
,
Agatha
, Flash Gordon,
Chanel Solitaire
, and
The Doctor and the Devils
.