Stunts in From Russia with Love, You Only Live Twice,
Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy
Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, Never Say Never Again, A View to a
Kill, The Living Daylights
Stunt Double for Christopher Lee in The Man with the
Golden Gun
Thanks to having a tall, lanky frame, Eddie Powell found himself a
regular stunt double for legendary actor Christopher Lee when the actor worked
with Hammer Studios during the 1960s. He was also Lee’s stunt double in The Man with
a Golden Gun and worked as a stuntman on several James Bond films spanning
three decades!
Powell in xenomorph suit on the set of Alien (Gavin J. Rothery photo)
Powell also worked on several other well-known franchises
throughout his career. For example, it comes as no surprise that Powell was
cast as an xenomorph in Alien (1979) and its sequel, Aliens (1986). He also
worked on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Howling II: … Your Sister is a Werewolf (1985), Batman (1989), and two films about Nottingham personality, Robin
Hood (1991) directed by John Irvin and Robin
Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) directed by
Kevin Reynolds.
Although the majority of Powells’ credits were for his stunt
work, he also did a little bit of acting. As an actor, Powell made guest
appearances on the The Avengers
television series, as Thompson in Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966), and as the third guardian in The
Prisoner (1967).
Over at the Gavin J. Rothery - Director - Artist website, for the entry titled Eddie Powell – Alien Stunt Performer there were
some lovely behind-the-scenes shots of Powell on the set of Alien.
Director of Photography in Dr. No, From Russia with Love,
Goldfinger, Thunderball, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with
the Golden Gun
Ted Moore was originally from Benoni, Western Cape, South
Africa. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1930 and served in the RAF during
World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) as well as a
French Croix De Geurre. For part of his service, Moore worked with the film
unit since by wartime, Moore had already been working as a cameraman in the
film industry.
Moore got his professional start as a camera operator for the
war drama Sons of the Sea (1939) and get
this, an actor by the name of Ian Fleming was cast as a Naval Intelligence
Officer – if that isn’t foreshadowing, I don’t know what is?! Some years later,
Moore met up with what would become part of the core crew for the Bond
franchise in the film Paratrooper
(1953). For that film, Terence Young directed, Richard Maibaum was the
screenwriter and it co-produced by Albert Broccoli. Further down into the
credits, I found stuntman Bob Simmons as well. And, in 1956, Moore, Young and
Broccoli joined forces again for Safari. This time, Moore led the Director of Photography for the second unit.
Moore did incredible work on seven Bond films as the
cinematographer, creating numerous memorable scenes. Some of the other films
that stand out in his filmography that I have seen: The Golden Voyage of
Sinbad (1973), Sinbad and the Eye
of the Tiger (1977), the disturbing Orca (1977), television mini-series The Martian
Chronicles (1980), and the epic Clash
of the Titans (1981), which was one of his
very last projects.
Throughout Moore’s career, that spanned over four decades,
he earned four accolades: for A Man for All Seasons (1966) he won an Academy Award and a BAFTA and for From
Russia with Love (1963) he won a BAFTA and
recognition from the British Society of Cinematographers.
In 1987, Moore passed away at the age of 72 in Surrey,
England.
Interesting fact: Moore and actress Charlize Theron were
both from Benoni and each earned the first Oscar for their respective fields
(cinematography and acting) as representatives from South Africa. Moore was
actually the very first South African to receive an Oscar.
Miss Caruso (aka Beautiful Girl) in Live and Let Die
The zipper on her dress may not have been a challenge for
James Bond’s magnetic watch in the post-title sequence of Live and Let Die (1973), but it is one of the more memorable scenes.
That beautiful Italian agent was played by Madeline Smith, who was born in
Hartfield, County of Sussex.
“The most irritating thing is when people assume that
because you have a large bosom, you’re going to be vapid and silly. I fail to
see what glands have got to do with brains,” Smith is quoted as having said in her IMDB bio. Her
breasts may have been a mixed blessing in her mind, but Smith did go on to a career in
modeling during the latter part of the 1960s and into the 1970s. And, she was a
regular with Hammer Film Productions around the same time frame.
She worked with Roger Moore on an episode of The
Persuaders! and it was Moore who
recommended Smith for the role of Miss Caruso. Smith continued in film and
television, making a return to acting briefly in 2011 after a long hiatus.
Here is an interview with Smith at BBC News in which she
talks about her involvement with the gorgeous picture book, Hammer Glamour (2009, Titan Books) by Marcus Hearn, and which
featured Smith on the cover.
Happy Saturday one and all! Today started out with yours
truly participating in a monthly podcast with three other independent scholars
called H.P. Lovecast and as you can probably easily deduce, we chat about
horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. This morning, we discussed the short story, Herbert
West – Re-Animator, which was serialized in
1922 in the publication Home Brew.
We had much to discuss and an hour went quickly. Next month, tentatively
scheduled for Saturday, July 18, we will discuss The Dream-Quest of Unknown
Kadath (1926). If you have an opportunity,
I hope you’ll check out the first three episodes over at our YouTube station. Now, for some
highlights from the world of Bond.
This day in 1922, English actor Peter Bayliss was born in
Kingston upon Thames. Bayliss had 80 acting credits to his name according to
his IMDB profile that spanned almost 60 year. His first role was an Aide to
Mithridates in the film Caesar and Cleopatra (1945). He worked on the small and large screens as well as the
theatre. For this blog, Bayliss was cast in the role of Benz in From
Russia With Love (1963).
Debbie Letteau (IMDB)
This day in 1956, American blond beauty Debbie Letteau was
born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her very first role was ‘Girl on the Corner’
in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and she
subsequently had 8 other credits that included television, film and a short
film. Her other standout role was the ‘Professor’s Daughter’ in Nicolas Roeg’s The
Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).Letteau’s most recent appearance was in
North Country (2005) as a ‘Hockey
Game Guest’.
This day in 1973, the theatrical release of Live &
Let Die opened in the United States and in
the UK in early July. It was the eighth James Bond film and marked the debut of
Sir Roger Moore. Guy Hamilton was back behind the camera lens and Bernard Lee
as M and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny back again. Desmond Llewelyn was
appearing in a television series at the time and although the tv producers
wrote him out of three episodes so he could film his parts as Q, Bond producers
Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli decided to downplay the gadgets angle.
Another person unavailable for this film was composer John Barry. Paul
McCartney and George Martin were asked to write the theme song and it was
performed by McCartney, his wife Linda and his group Wings. It marked the first
time the theme was a rock and roll song.
Live & Let Die cast (Wiki)
This day in 1996, long time producer Albert R. Broccoli
passed away at his home in Beverly Hills. The cause was heart failure and he
was 87. A number of cast members attended the funeral to pay their respects and
Broccoli is interred at the Hollywood Hills Cemetery. See this link to his
birthday on April 5.
JW Pepper in Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden
Gun
He may have mastered a southern drawl, but George Clifton
James was born in Spokane, Washington and graduated from the University of
Oregon as well as the Actors Studio. James served 3 ½ year in the South Pacific
theatre of World War II and he is a decorated veteran, which includes the
Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, among others.
James may be able to point his repeated portrayals of law
enforcement characters as having started with The Phil Silvers Show in which he appeared as a State Trooper and a
Sergeant in two separate episodes in 1957. In fact, I counted almost twenty
roles, including the two Bond films! He has 100 acting credits to his name and
at the age of 93, he is still making periodic appearances.
Neville Jason
Born this day in 1934
Kerim’s Chauffeur in From Russia With Love
English actor Neville Jason made his acting debut as Paolo
in the television series Sword of Freedom
back in 1957. The same year, he played Publius in “Titus Andronicus” at the
Stoll Theatre in London. Most of his appearances over the years has been on the
small screen, however he was cast in a handful of feature films including From
Russia With Love (1963). More recently, he
has lent his voice to video games including Venetica (2009), a beautifully drawn fantasy role-playing
game set in the 16th century.
Al Overton
was an American sound recordist originally from Connecticut. He got his start
in the film Port of Hell in 1954 and had almost 100 sound credits to his name
before his death in 1985. Overton was nominated for Best Sound in Diamonds
Are Forever, along with Gordon K. McCallum
and John W. Mitchell at the Academy Awards in 1972.
Looking over
his filmography, a couple of credits stand out: It Conquered the World (1956) starring Peter Graves and Lee Van Cleef; The
Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming
(1966) starring Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner and John Phillip Law (swoon!); and The
Shootist (1976) starring John Wayne and
Lauren Bacall.
David
Hedison
Born this
day in 1927
Felix Leiter
in Live and Let Die, Licence to Kill
I met David
Hedison at a Hollywood Collector’s Shows about four years ago. Still the tall,
handsome man at 80-something at the time, it was easy to see how he had made it
through the industry door into acting. His IMDB profile notes that he was
turned onto acting after seeing Blood and Sand (1941) starring several inspiring actors of the time: Tyrone Power,
Anthony Quinn, John Carradine, and George Reeves. The leading lady was the
lovely Rita Hayworth.
I believe I
first saw Hedison in the syndicated Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, which originally aired from 1964 through 1968. He
went onto guest star in several popular television shows during the 1970s and
1980s. Hedison was the first actor to portray Felix Leiter twice and he was the
only actor that played Felix opposite two different James Bond actors, Roger
Moore and Timothy Dalton. Jeffrey Wright was the second actor to have a
recurring role as Felix in two Bond films, Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008) with Daniel Craig playing Bond in both.
Anthony
Zerbe
Born this
day in 1938
Milton Krest
in Licence to Kill
Nicknamed
‘Bug’, Anthony Zerbe is a SoCal man originally from Long Beach, California. I
did not recognize his name on my list, but as soon as I saw his face, I did.
He’s had over 100 acting credits across several genres, but he is probably best
known for his westerns.
He’s definitely one of those solid character actors
does very well in making the main characters do great. I guess is no surprise
that he would pull off a good villain as he did in Licence to Kill where he met a grisly end.
Today's spotlight is on a prolific assistant director who worked on some high profile films in his career. However, I found very little in the way of information about Derek Cracknell in a Google search, which is unfortunate, since it would have been fascinating to read his observations about working on the various films that he did. I would have been interested in reading about the different style of directing he encountered. What worked? What didn't? How did directing evolve from the 1960s through the 1980s? What was it like to work with Stanley Kubrick? So many questions that remain unanswered...
Cracknell, center, hands on his hips
Derek Cracknell
Passed away this day in 1991
Assistant Director for Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let
Die, The Man with the Golden Gun
Derek Cracknell for approximately thirty years as part of
the second unit and/or assistant director on about fifty films and television
shows. He worked three Bond films, however he also worked on a few other
projects of note: 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968), Battle of Britain (1969),
A Clockwork Orange (1971), Aliens (1986), and Batman (1989). I do find it interesting that he never sat
in the director’s seat,
especially given the fact that he was Stanley Kubrick’s first assistant on two
very influential films in the history of cinema.
Cracknell passed away at the young age of 55. His daughter,
Sarah, is a well-known lead singer for the British band St. Etienne.
I’m getting to attend the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and
CthulhuCon in San Pedro later today, so I wanted to make sure that I didn’t
miss posting today’s Bond 365.
I wanted to mentioned that today, John Gardner’s
Cold (1996) and Raymond Benson’s The
Man with the Red Tattoo (2002), both
published by Hodder & Stoughton, were released this day in Bond history. I
haven’t read either novel as yet however I have read some of their other
writing, which I have found enjoyable. I would like to read more of their
novels, but just never seems to be quite enough time in the day to get to
everything!
Bob Kindred
Born this day in 1923
Second Unit Camerman/Camera Operator in From Russia With
Love, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, For
Your Eyes Only
There wasn’t any personal information that I could find for
Bob Kindred, other than his filmography. He started working in 1948 on The
Red Shoes as a clapper loader, loading the
film into the camera magazines. Kindred would have also likely had clapperboard
duties; making sure the shot information was correctly noted and then operate
the board at the beginning of each shot. Apparently “clapper loader” is an English
term while “second assistant camera” would have been used more often in the
U.S.
Kindred worked his way up to focus puller for his second and
third outing. As a focus puller, he would have been responsible for maintaining
the sharpness of the subject being shot. This person would be knowledgeable
with cinematography, leading to grasping important concepts that leads to
working the camera as an operator.
For the rest of Kindred’s career, he worked as a camera
operator or second unit cameraman for five Bond films that included Sean
Connery and Roger Moore era titles. In addition, Kindred crossed paths with
Bond alums such as Connery and with Christopher Lee when he worked on a few
Hammer Horror films.
Bruce Glover
Born this day in 1932
Mr. Wint in Diamonds Are Forever
Like Joanna Lumley, featured in yesterday’s entry, Bruce
“Hellion” Glover seemed to be a natural at acting, having fallen into it after
returning from the Korean War suffering with malaria. He appeared on and off
Broadway from 1955 and had traveled out to Hollywood, working in a few
television shows here and there. By the mid 1960s, the call was much stronger
for him to make Los Angeles and Hollywood home.
Glover got his shot when he was cast as Mr. Wint in Diamonds
Are Forever (1971) and is probably the role
he is best known for. Afterwards, he returned to the small screen and continued
to make appearances on just about every popular show of the 1970s and 1980s. I
was actually intrigued by the fact that he played the Dealer in a little known
film called Ghost Town (1988),
which I wish would be released on DVD! (Looking at the IMDB entry, I’m not the
only one either!)
I met Glover about two years ago at a Hollywood Collector’s
Show in which the organizers hosted a Bond reunion. As I remember, he liked
telling stories of working on Diamonds Are Forever. He signed my BIG James Bond Archives book from Taschen and invited me to come check out
his classes on acting that he teaches in the LA area. Nope, I haven’t made it
to a class yet.
Film Editing for Diamonds Are Forever and Live and Let Die
Bert Bates, who also went by A. S. Bates, started editing
back in 1931 with the film Many Waters (UK) and spanned through 1973. He worked
with Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed and edited more than sixty films
throughout his career as a film editor. His work on the two Bond films was at
the end of his illustrious career with many high profile movies.
I have done a bit of digital editing on Final Cut Pro, but I
have also done some film editing. It is an exacting, meticulous process. In a New
York Times article written by Mark Harris,
he referred to film editing as an “invisible art.” It is like lettering comics;
if done right, it’s presence blends in resulting in an audiences’ experience
that is not jarred by poor visuals (the letters). The same is true for editing,
especially since editing impacts the visual telling of the story through a
series of cohesive sequences. When editing digitally, a cut of the “film” can
be undone, however just think what working on physical film would have
involved. It’s kind of like measuring twice (maybe three or four times) before
cutting. Thinking in those terms and applying to Bates, whose entire career was
working with film was a tremendous accomplishment to his ability to work with
myriad of directing styles and visions over forty years!
Here’s a look at the opening sequence of Battle of
Britain, one of the films that Bates edited
in the 1960s. By the way, you might notice some of the names, including a number
of Bond alums!
Ian Fleming took a leap with his ninth novel The Spy Who
Loved Me (1962) by telling the story in
first person, not by James Bond, but by Vivienne Michel a young Canadian woman
touring America. It was shortest novel Fleming wrote that apparently was highly
sexually explicit; the book tells the story of Viv’s love affairs, including
her encounter with Bond in the latter part of the book.
The book received the most negative reviews from critics and
fans of any of his books. As a result, Fleming did everything he could to
suppress the novel. For example, he blocked the release of a paperback version
and only gave the rights to the title for a film version to Saltzman and
Broccoli. However after his death, a paperback edition was released and Jaws
(Richard Kiel) is loosely based on the character named Horror, one of the two
mobsters who visits the motel.
Fleming stated that his motivation for writing The Spy
Who Loved Me was inspired by his discovery
that his books were being read by youth who were making out Bond to be a hero.
Out of concern for his part in shaping young minds, he wrote this novel as a
tale of caution. Coming from the perspective of having just read Matthew
Parker’s biography and given the timeframe of when the novel would have been
written – 1961 – I wonder if there wasn’t some deeper introspection on the part
of Fleming regarding the deterioration of his relationship with his wife. Both
parties ‘openly’ engaged in affairs, but Fleming was unhappy and unhealthy in
his later years.
Although Fleming was very much of the opinion that the novel
was a failure, there were some positive responses. Both Raymond Benson and
Jeremy Black agreed that Michel was Fleming’s most developed female character
and that she finds strength in spite of her past experiences. And one reviewer
appreciated the more romantic tone that set this novel apart. I look forward to
reading it and making my own comparisons with the other novels and short
stories that are part of Bond’s cannon.
Syd Cain
Born this day 1918
Art Direction in Dr. No, From Russia with Love and Live and Let Die
Storyboard Artist in GoldenEye
Production Designer in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Alongside Ken Adam, the name Syd Cain is synonymous with Eon
Productions and James Bond. Cain began working as a draughtsman at Denham
Studios in the 1940s. Eventually, he would work with Saltzman and Broccoli on
five Bond films spanning across four decades. He created several sets, such as
for the chess match, and memorable gadgets, such as Colonel Rosa Klebbs’ shoe
spike and Bond’s briefcase of lethal weapons and gold coins, all featured in From
Russia with Love.
In 2002, Cain wrote his autobiography Not Forgetting James Bond in which he relates stories of
his 57 years working in the industry. It’s illustrated with archival
photographs, many of them rare and from Cain’s personal collection. MI6 Confidential has them for sale (includes Cain’s autograph) if
your collection doesn’t include this tome.
It’s the day after an evening in Los Angeles attending a
concert of Rome, Daemonia Nymphe, and Worm Ouroboros that played until about
1:30 AM this morning. A bit of a very late night for me, so I’ve been catching
some short naps throughout the day. Throw in the mix two trips to the local
veterinary clinic for my sick kitty and I feel like I’m going to need at least
another day’s rest in my weekend somewhere.
Back in 1960 this day saw the UK release of Ian Fleming’s collection
of short stories featuring James Bond wrapped up in a Richard Chopping cover (a
brilliant one at that – love the symbolism!) and titled For Your Eyes Only. This was a departure from the full-length novels
that Fleming had been writing, tucking between the release of Goldfinger and Thunderball. The stories included in the collection include “From a View to a
Kill”, “For Your Eyes Only”, “Quantum of Solace”, “Risico”, and “The Hildebrand
Rarity”.The format Fleming
incorporated may be familiar to English Literature enthusiasts: W. Somerset
Maugham.
Fleming originally wrote four of the five stories with the
intent that they would be used for television episodes, but the idea was dropped.
I’m sure that Fleming was disappointed, since he would have still been trying
to realize seeing James Bond manifested on the silver screen. There were some
elements and characters that were used in the various Eon Production films. In
the case of “Quantum of Solace”, only the title was used for the 22 Bond film.
Front Projection Technique (Wikipedia)
Charles Staffell
Born this day in 1915
Optical/Projection Effects for Diamonds Are Forever; Optical Effects for Live and Let Die; Front Projection for Octopussy; Front Projection for A View to a Kill
Carles Staffell’s career in optical and projection effects
spanned five decades and included several critically acclaimed and immensely
popular and influential. In an article covering the celebration of Pinewood
Studios’ 70th anniversary, The Independent had quoted Staffell regarding the development of the
“independent frame” technique. Staffell had worked with V C David Rawnsley and
inspired Staffell in his own visual effects projection techniques to the point
that he was honored with an Academy Award of Merit in 1969. Staffell’s effects
would help Stanley Kubrick recreate the Vietnam War in Full Metal Jacket. In
addition, the British Society of Cinematographers has a visual effects award
named in his honor.
Angela Scoular and George Lazenby in OHMSS
Angela Scoular
Passed away this day in 2011
Agent Buttercup in Casino Royale (1967); Ruby in On Her Majesty’s Secret
Service
She attended the RADA and got her first television acting
credit in the series No Hiding Place in 1963-1964. In 1967, she was cast in the
non-Eon Productions’ Casino Royale as
Buttercup and then two years later, she worked in the Eon Productions’ On
Her Majesty’s Secret Service as Ruby, one
of the ladies at Blofeld’s clinic where she was being cured of her allergy to
chicken.
Scoular also acted in theatre with roles in classical and
contemporary plays. Her last acting credit was on As Time Goes By as Glenys in 1996. Sadly, her death was
self-induced.
Wow! Bond
365 has hit 100 days! I didn’t know if I could do it for the long haul and
while I still have over two-thirds of the year to go, I am well and truly on my
way. I’m hoping to add a bit more in the way of reviews and in depth analysis,
but some days just getting the entry out and on the page with the other tasks I
have is the best I can do. So, thank you for coming back repeatedly, which
means a lot to me. Have a wonderful evening and see you tomorrow!
Aileen
Lewis
Born this
day in 1914
Chess
Tournament Spectator in From Russia With Love
This is
Aileen Lewis’ second appearance in Bond 365, having been spotlighted on
February 12 for her passing at the age of 99. Her career started in 1959 and
concluded in 1977 for a total of 21 acting credits. In addition to working on From
Russia With Love, she did do a guest
appearance in Roger Moore’s The Saint for two separate roles in 1962 and 1965. She also completed an
uncredited appearance in Doctor Who
in 1970 during Jon Pertwee’s stint as the time traveler.
Maurice
Binder
Passed away
this day in 1991
Main Titles
for Dr. No, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret
Service, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun,
The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a
Kill, The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill
Maurice
Binder was a visual designer who worked on many opening title sequences over
several decades. He designed advertisements for Macy’s in New York City and
eventually moved west to work at Universal Studios. The opening sequence below
from The Grass Is Greener (1960) apparently brought Binder to the attention of
Broccoli and Saltzman and he was hired to do the opening credits of Dr. No. He came up with the gunbarrel sequence that became
a standard of every James Bond film opening. He completed 14 title sequences
for Bond and a total of 81 during his career.
Live and
Let Die was Ian Fleming’s second novel
published by UK publisher Jonathan Cape in 1954. Set in London, the US and
Jamaica, Fleming introduced Mr. Big, who was associated with SMERSH. He was
smuggling old gold coins, which led to Bond involvement with the US, however
the real story lay with the East-West relationship and the Cold War
Released the
following year, Moonraker was the third
novel from Fleming. In the book, Bond has to stop Sir Hugo Drax who wants to
destroy London with a nuclear rocket. The story was set in the UK and dealt
with the theme of an internal threat, which seemed to anticipate many years in
advance of the situations that the UK would face in this contemporary
environment of terrorism.
The Live
and Let Die novel was adapted to film in
1973 and was the eighth Eon Productions and the first outing for Roger Moore as
James Bond. The Moonraker novel
was drastically changed to include a space station storyline and it became the
eleventh film. Roger Moore starred in this Bond film as well.
Albert
R. Boccoli
Born this
day in 1909
Albert
Broccoli was born in Queens New York and was the youngest child of two. In the
early 1950s, he moved to London and worked with Irving Allen. They formed
Warwick Films and this association allowed Broccoli to meet and work with
individuals that he would later select to work with on the Eon Productions Bond
films.
Broccoli and
Harry Saltzman became co-producers (Saltzman would not sell his rights to make
Bond films) on the James Bond films, which started with Dr. No in 1962. While Broccoli became more committed to the
Bond series, Saltzman was interested in pursuing other projects, which
eventually led to their split.
In 1981, Roger
Moore presented Broccoli with an Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
This is a hectic day for Bond events! Let’s start with this
day in 1959, which saw the UK book release of Goldfinger. Apparently, it originally had the title The
Richest Man in the World, but I’ll be
honest, I’m glad it was changed. I think Shirley Bassey’s theme song for the
film version just would not quite be the same with that long title. Anyway,
this was Fleming’s seventh book and another cover designed by artist Richard
Chopping.
Charles Russhon
Born this day in 1911
Military Liaison: Turkey and Technical Advsior for From
Russia With Love
Government Liaison: USA/Military Liaison: Kentucky and
Technical Advisor for Goldfinger
Technical Advisor and Government Liaison for Thunderball
Air Force Officer in Thunderball
Location Scout & Military Liaison: Japan and Technical
Advisor for You Only Live Twice
Police Liaison: New York for Live and Let Die
Sean Connery with Retired Lt. Col. Charles Russhon
I was definitely curious by Charles Russhon because of his
varied liaison credits. Apparently, he was very well connected and thanks to
him, the films had more validity and realism. For example, he was able to
commandeer the use of Commanche monoplanes for Goldfinger as well obtain permission for filming the exteriors
of Fort Knox. And for Live and Let Die, with the New York Police Department’s assistance, the crew was able
to film in Manhattan. It seems to me like an interesting job and one that not
that many could fill, especially for five of the Bond films.
Some rather fun trivia from IMDB: In Goldfinger, apparently
there is a sign over the Fort Knox hanger that reads “Welcome, General
Russhon.” And, if you happen to know the comic strip character Charlie Vanilla
in Steve Canyon, that character was
based on Russhon.
Corinne Clery has been acting and modeling since she was
seven years old. Along with her role as Corinne Dufour, a beautiful henchman
for Hugo Drax and briefly a Bond Girl in Moonraker, you may remember her in erotic The Story
of O (1975), Italian futuristic fantasy Yor,
the Hunter from the Future (1983), and
sci-fi The Humanoid (1979) which
starred Bond alums Richard Kiel and Barbara Bach. However, most of her acting
has been European projects.
Peter Lorre
Passed away this day in 1964
Le Chiffre in Climax’s Casino Royale (1954)
I find Peter Lorre such an amazing actor, I think in part
because he was able to transition from the silent film era of the 1920s (my
favorite era of films) to the talkies and continue to have a prolific acting
career with the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, David Niven, Kirk
Douglas, Jason Mason, Ingrid Bergman, Mary Astor, and directors Alfred
Hitchcock and Fritz Lang.
Lorre was born Laszlo Lowenstein in Rozsahegy
Austria-Hungary, now known as Ruzomberok, Slovakia. He ran away from home as a
youth and received stage training in Vienna. He took on the stage name of Lorre
in 1925. He remained an “unknown” until Fritz Lang cast him as the child killer
in M (1931), which is ranked as one of
the 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time (Premiere Magazine, April 2004).
He continued to act in Germany, but was supposedly told by Joseph Goebbels to
flee Germany. Whether true or not, Lorre moved to Paris, London and then to
Hollywood in 1935 like so many German expatriates fleeing Hitler’s regime.
What stands out about Lorre's portrayal as Le Chiffre is the fact that he is the
first on screen Bond villain. I think that is truly cool given that he such a
recognizable person in film and television and has been influential in popular
culture. There have been many characters that have parodied his looks and he
unique way of speaking. For example, his likeness was parodied in the cartoon Mega
Man, Ren from The Ren &
Stimpy Show, and the villain Rocky Rococo
in The Adventures of Nick Danger, Third Eye. In addition, he inspired Boo Berry, the ghost
mascot for the General Mills cereal. And, he was mentioned in Al Stewart’s song
“Year of the Cat.”
Lorre had quite a dark sense of humor, some might say warped. Upon seeing Bela
Lugosi’s body with the Dracula cape, Lorre asked fellow actor Vincent Price if
he should drive a stake through Lugosi’s heart just in case. And when
interviewed during the House Un-American Activities Committee’s investigation
of possible Communists in Hollywood, Lorre was asked to name anyone he had met
in Hollywood that he thought was suspicious. He responded by listing everyone
he knew – I don’t think the committee could take him seriously if he did that.
Let’s take look at a clip from Casino Royale (1954), which pits Le Chiffre and James Bond at the
Baccarat table. Some excellent tension portrayed in spite of my not knowing how
the game is played.
