Four Aces! Wiseman, Crewdson, Healy, and Glen…Day 135 of Bond 365

Joseph Wiseman

Joseph Wiseman

Born this day in 1918

Dr. Julius No in Dr. No

Believe it or not, Canadian actor Joseph Wiseman did act in a number of television shows and films, beyond his role as Dr. Julius No. Wiseman originally began acting on stage but in 1950, he was cast as Deleo in the film With These Hands. He played opposite some well known actors including Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata! (1952), Sir Laurence Olivier in The Betsy (1978), and Sean Connery in Dr. No (1962). He was offered the villainous role after producer Harry Saltzman saw him in Detective Story (1951).

Bond Trivia: Wiseman was the actor to pass away (2009) that had played a villain in Sean Connery films made by United Artist.

Crewdson on Set of The War Lover (Photo: David M Kay) 

John Crewdson

Born this day in 1926

Helicopter Pilot for From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only

Draco’s Helicopter Pilot in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Englishman John Crewdson most often was hired for his pilot skills, although he did also have four instances of acting as well. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, you may remember Crewdson grinning into the camera as he piloted one of the faux Red Cross aid copters into Blofeld’s fortification in the Swiss Alps. Apparently, that scene was a dress rehearsal for a real life event in which he was part of the Sealand special unit sent to a North Sea fortress.

From what I could find, Crewdson had a company called Film Aviation Services. He had gotten his flying experience from the British Army and RAF. He and his company were hired by Columbia Studios for the film The War Lover (1962) starring Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner, based on the 1959 novel by the same title written by John Hersey.

David Healy

David Healy

Born this day in 1929

Houston Radar Operator in You Only Live Twice

Vandenberg Launch Director in Diamonds Are Forever

It took awhile to find the elusive David Healy because of the chap from The Big Bang Theory kept showing up in my searches, but I’ll be honest, I got excited when I saw that Healy was involved in the film Labyrinth (1986). He was the voice of the Right Door Knocker – brings joy to my heart thinking back to that movie….Okay, I digress.

Our Bond alum Mr. Healy got his start in the television show, The Sentimental Agent, back in 1963 in which he play Alfie Prentice. He guest starred in such spy projects as Espionage, The Saint, The Double Man, Assignment K, and The Secret Service, among several listed in his filmography. He even voiced a video game, his last project actually, called Cluedo (think Clue) in which he was Professor Peter Plum. It was released two years after his death in 1995.

John Glen, director of eight Bond films! 

John Glen

Born this day in 1932

Englishman John Glen has held several roles in the James Bond franchise, including direction EIGHT Bond films:

Second Unit Director, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Editor, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Second Unit Director, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Editor, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Second Unit Director, Moonraker (1979)

Editor, Moonraker (1979)

Director, For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Director, Octopussy (1983)

Director, A View to a Kill (1985)

Clapper Loader for the pre-shot scenes of San Francisco, A View to a Kill (1985)

Director, The Living Daylights (1987)

Director, Licence to Kill (1989)

Glen got his start working as a messenger in the film industry. Like one or two of our previous Bond alums, Glen worked for Shepperton Studios under Alexander Korda (The Third Man) during the 1940s. Working through the various jobs within a film crew, Glen finally made his directorial debut in 1968’s “Somebody Loses, Sombody…Wins?” episode of the television series, Man in a Suitcase. During the 1970s, he consistently edited and held second unit directorial reigns on the Bond films. In the 1980s, he became the official director. Glen holds the record for directing the most Bond films (Guy Hamilton has seven).

Bond Trivia: According to IMDB, in four of his films for Eon Productions, Glen includes a scene in which Bond is startled by a sudden flight of one or more pigeons. I seriously wonder how Freud would analyze that tidbit? Or, how about the “double-taking pigeon”??

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