Midnight and the Kidd in Day 19 of Bond 365

Hello! Welcome back to Day 19 of Bond 365. I'm glad to see you back and I hope that you are enjoying the daily entries, which provide a little break in the day.

Today we have two supporting cast members from the early days of the Bond films. Bill Nagy, who was cast in two supporting roles in two Bond films, and Putter Smith, who portrayed a very recognizable character, Mr. Kidd.

Bill Nagy as Midnight

Bill Nagy

Passed away this day in 1973

Midnight in Goldfinger and USAF General at Pentagon in You Only Live Twice

Bill Nagy has lengthy filmography – 112 acting parts that started in 1952 with Anne of Green Gables. Nagy was born in Hungary but portrayed many Americans throughout his career, which included Danger Man (1961), The Avengers (1963), and The Saint (1962, 1964). For the melodrama fan, Nagy played Gregg Flint and Joe Baumgarten in Coronation Street. He was acting up until his death in 1973. Sadly, he died quite young, 51 years old.

Here’s a trailer for Goldfinger that includes a clip of Nagy as an American gangster who demands his money from Auric Goldfinger.

Nagy returned for You Only Live Twice for another supporting part this time as a USAF General at the Pentagon. 

Putter Smith, Jazz Bassist

Putter Smith

Born this day in 1941

Mr. Kidd in Diamonds Are Forever

Believe it or not, Putter Smith made his debut as an actor in Diamonds Are Forever. He played Mr. Kidd, one-half of the assassin team with Mr. Wint (Bruce Glover). In all, his IMDB profile lists five roles for Smith with his last acting role in the movie In The Mood or also known as The Woo Woo Kid (1987). 

I have had the pleasure of meeting Bruce Glover at one of the Bond reunions and although Mr. Smith was a tentative, unfortunately he did not make it. The characters featured in the book version as part of the Spangled Mob and are well remembered because of their implied homosexual relationship, both in the book and in the film. In addition, their characters have had a cultural impact. One of the best ones is that a London diamond jewelry store named their establishment Wint & Kidd. Let's hope they hold onto their merchandise! 

Here’s a clip of Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint plying their expertise as henchmen early in the movie as well as their wit, albeit, morbid.

What else has Smith been doing? Well, he is a professional Jazz Bassist who has collaborated with Duke Ellington, Alan Broadbent, Ray Charles and many others. He has written instructional music books as well as teach music. If you’ll be in Worcester, Massachusetts at the beginning of April, then you can catch Smith and Jeff Colella performing at Mechanics Hall Concert.