James Bond: Multiple 007s

[RobertScorpio]

Reasons why he has to be the same guy:

- References in DAD to other movies, as far back as the early 1960s

- References in LTK and Moonraker to his wife, killed in OHMSS

- TWINE taking its title from the Bond family motto seen on Lazenby's clothing in OHMSS

- In Goldeneye, M refers to Bond as a dinosaur, a cold war relic. We are therefore expected to assume that he is the same Bond who fought with Russians in so many previous movies.

- Felix Leiter, Miss Moneypenny, Blofeld and M's assistant Tanner, who was played by Michael Kitchen and then Rory Kinnear, have all, like Bond, been played by different actors, just like Bond. There's never been any suggestion that they are all different characters. You just have to allow for recasting in a movie series that's been going on for nearly 50 years

- Charles Gray, Joe Don Baker and Maud Adams have all played two characters in Bond movies. Applying the strict rule that new actor = different character, surely we would have to say that returning actor = same character with new identity, surely? That the villainous general in TLD is the CIA man in Goldenye? Er, no, again, you just have to allow for the realities of the movie-making world and actors being re-hired.

Reasons Why He Must Be a Different Guy;

- In OHMSS, at the start 007 (played by Lazenby) says 'this never happened the other guy.' Never mind 'in-joke to the audience', the fourth wall has never come down in the Bond series! If he's referring to another guy, then he's a different Bond

- Also in OMHSS, Blofeld fails to recognise Bond, even though they previously encountered each other in the preceding movie, YOLT

- In DAF, the next movie, when Connery returns, at the start, M (or some other character) comments on his recent absence and says something along the lines of 'we can get along in your absence, you know.' Again, in-joke to the audience (at Connery's expense) bedamned, there has to be an explanation onscreen!

- Also in DAD, Connery Bond hunts down Blofeld but never mentions the fact that Blofeld murdered Lazenby Bond's wife in the previous movie. Some fans have commented on the ferocity with which Connery deals with the fake Blofeld at the start of the movie and put it down to his desire to avenge Tracy, but I find this hard to reconcile with his failure to mention her.

- Can anyone imagine Sean Connery wearing those dodgy safari suits Roger Moore used to wear?!

- For that matter, can you imagine any of the previous Bonds carrying out that action sequence from the start of Casino Royale?

- In Goldeneye, M is clearly meeting Bond for the first time in her new role and refers to him as a dinosaur. But in CR, M has clearly been in her role for some time, while Bond is a new 00 agent.

- I can't remember the sequence, but some Bonds were able to defuse nuclear bombs, while their successors weren't (of course, it could be that there were different types of bomb or designs involved)

- Bond's commander rank came from his having been a submarine commander. But the Bond of CR was an ex-SAS man.


At the end of the day, I don't think we are expected to believe that James Bond is a number of different men. There simply has never been any great degree of continuity in the movie series. You have to allow for a degree of rebooting, of glossing over changes in time and in matters behind the screen (different actors, writers, etc). But the 'different Bonds' theory is good fun and is actually as plausible as anything else in the franchise!

Lots of research here...so I will cede all my opinions on this matter as agreeing with yours...Good job...

Rob
Scorpio

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Actually, not so much research, as just a ridiculous amount of trivial useless information floating about in my head. But thanks anyway!

 

[RobertScorpio]

^ Actually, not so much research, as just a ridiculous amount of trivial useless information floating about in my head. But thanks anyway!

You have a much better memory than I do...and wow, if this is just off the tip of your head, I am amazed....You are a Bond fan, grade-A....

I watched THUNDERBALL a couple nights ago on BBC-America. And I hadn't seen it in a while. It was actually pretty good, but I know that many Bond fans don't seem to care for it. But it was Connery's favorite...of all his Bond movies, including Never say Never, THUNDERBALL seemed more modern in its approach than the other Connery bond movies...

I didn't really care for NEVER SAY NEVER....missed the mark with me...

Rob

 

[Captaindemotion]

You know that NSNA is a remake of Thunderball, I take it? It's okay, I suppose, but you miss the Bond theme and it's odd seeing Connnery opposite a Moneypenny other than Lois Maxwell and a different M. Barbara Carrerra is a good villainness and it's interesting that Bernie Casey predates Jeffrey Wright as a black Leiter by 23 years or so.

The other interesting thing about NSNA is that it was released the same time as Octopussy, the 'official' Bond movie of the year. Roger Moore was quite relaxed about the competition - he joked that it was just the same as being able to see Gielgiud as King Lear in one theatre and Olivier as him in the next one! I think his tongue was firmly in his cheek when he said this!

Often overlooked though, is the fact that the same year you could have seen a third James Bond onscreen, albeit of the small variety. The 1983 telemovie The Return of the Man From Uncle features a scene where the leads are in a bar frequented by spies. They speak to a character addressed only as James. He's played by George Lazenby and is seen getting into a car with the registration plate 007. I think it's an Aston Martin, but I'm not sure. So, I suppose you'd have to say that Lazenby actually played 007 twice!

 

[RobertScorpio]

You know that NSNA is a remake of Thunderball, I take it? It's okay, I suppose, but you miss the Bond theme and it's odd seeing Connnery opposite a Moneypenny other than Lois Maxwell and a different M. Barbara Carrerra is a good villainness and it's interesting that Bernie Casey predates Jeffrey Wright as a black Leiter by 23 years or so.

The other interesting thing about NSNA is that it was released the same time as Octopussy, the 'official' Bond movie of the year. Roger Moore was quite relaxed about the competition - he joked that it was just the same as being able to see Gielgiud as King Lear in one theatre and Olivier as him in the next one! I think his tongue was firmly in his cheek when he said this!

Often overlooked though, is the fact that the same year you could have seen a third James Bond onscreen, albeit of the small variety. The 1983 telemovie The Return of the Man From Uncle features a scene where the leads are in a bar frequented by spies. They speak to a character addressed only as James. He's played by George Lazenby and is seen getting into a car with the registration plate 007. I think it's an Aston Martin, but I'm not sure. So, I suppose you'd have to say that Lazenby actually played 007 twice!

Huh..I've never seen that! I will look for it.

I love all the 'behind the scenes' stuff between Brocoli and the other guy who did Thunderball and how they duked it out in court and all that....it makes for a good read....

Fact or fiction...is Timothy in NSNA or not??? My uncle says yes..I say no

Rob

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Timothy Dalton? Not that I'm aware of. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's not. I hear lots of people claiming that he was first offered the role of Bond in 1969 (ie for OHMSS) and that he turned it down as he was too young. I also hear stories that FYEO was written for Dalton, but Moore was persuaded to come back. I'm sceptical of both, not least of all because even when he did eventually land the role, Dalton was very clearly the second choice to Brosnan - he only got it because Pierce couldn't get out of his Remington Steele contract.

There were rumours about 10 years ago that Kevin McClory was trying to get yet another remake of Thunderball/ NSNA off the ground and that this time he wanted Dalton for Bond, Connery for Blofeld and Lazenby as a SPECTRE assassin. Since Connery's relationship with McClory ended up just as hostile as that with Broccoli (or Stephen Norrington, for that matter!), this always seemed a non-starter. Other rumours were that he was going to cast Liam Neeson (despite the latter declining to replace Dalton) as Bond and get Roland Emmerich to direct. This movie was to feature a Blofeld lair in the Statue of Liberty, with lazers being fired of Lady Liberty's eyes. this was an idea that had been circulating since the original drafts of the movie that eventually became NSNAin the 1970s, written by Connery and Len Deighton.

 

[Zeppster]

there are 2 James Bonds. the first one played by Connery thru Brosnan and the wannabe who's trying to be Jason Bourne played by Craig David.

I hate this theory about the new Bonds. Does anyone ever come to think that Jason Bourne basically was made to imitate James Bond? All the Bourne movies do is imitate the old Bond films and put continuity with them