1954 CLIMAX - CASINO ROYALE
CBS Television purchased rights and included in their live broadcast TV anthology style series CLIMAX. Mostly forgotten, this is why Ian Fleming's first Novel was never a movie made by the original production team of the movies. Being an American show, James first screen adaptation was a CIA (Called Combined Intelligence in movie) agent named Jimmy Bond. Felix Leiter of the CIA was named Clarence Leiter from British Intelligence (Makes Sense).Ducking form assassin fire, Jimmy Bond dodges into Casino Royale, were e meets up with Clarence Leiter. Bond uses his Baccarat genius to defeat Le Chiffre, forcing him to be pushed out of Soviet Spy circles.Bond former girlfrend, Valerie Mathis (Also French Spy of Deuxieme) is on Le Chiffre's arm.
Le Chiffre captures and tortures Bond, looking for the check of his casino winnings. In a final showdown, Mathis frees herself from Le Chiffre using her as a shield long enough for Bond to shoot and kill.
Ian Fleming was approached to write a series based on the character. That never happened but many lead to books that eventually became movie ideas for the film series.
BOND - Barry Nelson as Jimmy Bond
BOND GIRL - Valerie Mathis (Linda Christian)
VILLAIN - Le Chiffre (Peter Lorre)
HENCHMAN -
MAIN ALLY - Clarence Leiter (Michael Pate)
MONEY PENNY - NA
M - NA
Q - NA
MUSIC -
BOND TOYS -
1967 Casino Royale
Sir James Bond (David Niven) is the original. The scene were British, American, French & Soviet "Inteligence" begs Bond out of retirement is hilarious. The character list alone sounds like a bad joke waiting to happen. He says NO until his mansion explodes. OK.
To fake out SMERSH (Always love that name - thought it was a spoof of SPECTRE until I saw earlier Bond films LOL) there are six fake James Bonds. Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers), Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress - Also Honey Ryder from Dr No), Miss Moneypenny (Barbara Bochet), Mata Bond (Bond's Daughter from Mata Hari - a real spy killed in WW1), Coop (Terence Cooper) and "The Detainer" (Dalia Lavi).
Like the original book (and other movies/TV) much of the movie involves Bond(s) going after Le Chiffre (Played by Orsen Welles - Who turned down playing Goldfinger a few years before, wanted more money) via the card tables, etc.
Bond finds Jimmy Bond (Woody Allen) disguised as Dr Noah. Jimmy is hell bent on biological warfare to make all women beautiful, kill anyone 4'8" or taller. Jimmy is forced to swallow and atomic pill. During the final Calvary battle, Jimmy burps into explosion. Every on but Jimmy end up in heaven. Jimmy finds himself in Hell.
BOND - George Lazenby 007
BOND GIRL - Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress)
VILLAIN- Le Chiffre(Orson Welles) James Bond Jr (Woody Allen)
HENCHMAN / MAIN ALLY See above for important castings
MONEY PENNY - Barbara Bouchet
M - John Huston
Q - Geoffrey Bayldon
MUSIC : Burt Bacharat
1969 ON HER MAJESTY's SECRET SERVICE
This is one of the best Bond Films. Often discarded as George Lazenby only made one movie, OHMSS has a more realistic tone and amazing villain (Telly Savalas as Blofeld). Lazenby himself was a no name plays the Bond role on the soft side, this allows for greater romantic story line.
Bond falls in love with Tracy (Contessa Teresa "Tracy" di Vicenzo). Tracy's father, Draco, agrees to help Bond, after Bond turns down large dowry to marry.
Bond finds Blofeld in Switzerland. Looking to retire and become the "Comte Balthazar de Bleuchamp" (Blofeld in French). In order to retire in peace, Blofeld intends to hold the world's agricultural supply ransom, employing his "Angels of Death". These girls are unsuspecting pawns being brainwashed at Swiss Clinic for Allergies to deliver biological agents to various parts of the world.
The ski chase is awesome. With Blofeld leading the henchmen himself - much more hands on as a main villain than in most Bond films. Bond is trapped under Avalanche while Tracy is captured.
While rescuing Tracy and stopping Blofeld, Blofeld escapes in a Bobsled, although severely hurting his neck.
Bond & Tracy get married, but while stopped on the roadside, Blofeld drives by and kills Tracy sitting in his Aston Martin.
I think this is the only movie with a tragic ending or sorts.
When I watched beginning of Diamonds are Forever the first time in order, the opening scene seems more like a neat revenge / clean up form this movie.
BOND - George Lazenby 007
BOND GIRL - Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg)
VILLAIN- Blofeld (Telly Savalas)
HENCHMAN - Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat)
MAIN ALLY - Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti)
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
MUSIC : John Barry, Love Song "We Have All the Time in the World" has lyrics by Hal David, performed by Louis Armstrong
BOND TOYS - Radioactive Lint (Homing Device), Safe Cracker, Mini Camera,
1987 LIVING DAYLIGHTS
Timothy Dalton was a great Bond, but only made two movies. Roger Moore was 59. "Remington Steele" forced producers to pass on Pierce Brosnan in the 1980s. Legal disputes delayed third filming and Dalton resigned after two - never all that enthusiastic for the role to begin with. LIVING DAYLIGHTS was the 4th most successful Bond film of all time. Dalton may have been one of my favorites due to the serious and gritty character that seemed more believable. Roger Moore was entertaining but that era got more and more silly...
We meet the new bond in a training mission gone wrong. Someone murders 004. Barely surviving Monkey attack (OK I think it was a Baboon), Bond gives chase, landing on army truck driven by assassin. Falling off cliff, Truck explodes as it hits water below, while Bond floats away and parachutes into yacht with Dalton's first Bond Girl.
Bond helps a KGB Officer defect. General Georgi Koskov (Jeoen Krabbe). Disobeying orders, he does not kill the female cellist / assassin. Bond smuggles Koskov out through Trans-Siberian Pipeline. Meanwhile numerous American and British agents are being killed.
Koskov shares that General Leonid Pushkin - new head of KGB - has revived Smiert Pionam (SMERSH S BACK!!! "Death to Spies") but then gets abducted from Safe House. Bond doubts the claims.
Returning to Chech Republic, Bond reizes Koskov's defection was staged when he finds Kara Milovy - te cellist/assassin that is actually Koskov's girlfriend. Q has turned Aston Martin into Bat-mobile. And the cello case sled border crossing is very amusing!!!
BOND "We have nothing to declare"
KARE "Just the cello" (cello, lo, lo - echo)
Meanwhile Pushkin cancels deals with American Arms Dealer, Brad Whitaker. Pushkin teams up with bond, faking Pushkin's assassination. Necros kills Saunders with automatic door after he discovers Koskov and Whitaker have financial history.
Kara drugs Bond. Bond escapes capture with Kara in Afghanistan along with Leader of local Mujaideen. At the Height of the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan, the locals team up with Bond to stop major Opium Shipment.
Bond slips on board cargo plane with bomb. Locals raid Soviet base on horseback. Naked Russians flee as portable outhouse/showers is pulled off its foundation. Bond flys away with plane. Necros slips on board. Bond fights with Necros - while Kara "flies" plane - throws him and Opium out of plane to his death, then throws bomb at Soviets to help locals win battle. The whole thing is very Indiana Jones if you ask me - in a good way.
Bond finds Whitaker back in Tangiers. In final gun battle, Bond kills Whitaker with exploding key cain activated by wolf whistle. Pushkin arrests Koskov. Kara gives final concert. General Gogol cameos. Bond awaits in dressing room. THE END
BOND Timothy Dalton
BOND GIRL - Kara Milovy (Maryam d'Abo)
HENCHMAN - Necros - Yet another East German tall brooding type
MAIN ALLY - General Leonid Pushkin (John Rhys-Davies), Felix Leiter (John Terry), Saunders (Thomas Wheatley)
MONEY PENNY - Caroline Bliss
M - Robert Brown
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
MUSIC - John Barry's last Bond score. A-ha co wrote and performed theme song. "Take on me" does not appear in film but would have worked as far as I am concerned.
BOND TOYS - Pipeline Cab, Keychain (w/ Stun Gas, Explosive Charge, Lock Pick), Glasses with Binocular abilities, Boombox Rocket Launcher, New Aston Martin (w/Lasars, Missile, Rockets, Skis, Tire Spikes, Self Destruct)
1989 LICENCE TO KILL
Again another stellar Bond film from Timothy Dalton... I love this movie. It is darker and for more packed with stunts and action fitting a modern film. Benicio Del Toro as Dario and Robert Davi as Sanchez are possibly the best 1 - 2 Bond Villians of all time. Ruthless etc
Bond and Felix Leiter - on way to Felix's wedding - are picked up to help arrest drug lord, Franz Sanchez. Felix and James get back to the wedding just in time, dropping in by parachute.
Sanchez escapes, and his henchmen kill Felix's wife and wounding Felix. Bond goes after his own revenge, but is slowed down by M, who revokes his license to kill. Bond escape British watch dogs and goes rogue.
Bond interrupts a major drug deal by Milton Krest aboard the Wavekrest, stealing the money and destroying the drugs. Flying off with money plane as Krest's Men look for Bond in the water. With Pam Bouvier (who he recently rescued at the bar) they fly to Republic of Isthmus, where Q sneaks in some toys.
Bond poses as a hit man. His cover is helped when Hong Kong drug cops capture bond along with MI6 agent, Fallon (Not Jimmy, no relation). Sanchez's men rescue Bond.
Meanwhile Milton Cross shows up making excuses about the missing money. Sanchex finds the money in the decompression camber - placed there by Bond - and uses chamber to make Krest explode. Bloody!!!
Wayne Newton is hilarious as the womanizing relaxation expert that is the cover for Sancez's operation, where they convert drugs into gas and show buyers how to extract.
Bond sets fire to the factory with plenty of gas around and drags lead henchman Dario into a shredder.
In a major highway shoot out, Bond chases down Sanchez - fleeing in convoy of gas trucks filled with cocaine mixture. Bouvier fly Bond out in a plane. Bond takes out three of four trucks before final battle, wit Sanchez attacking Bond with Machete. The truck crashes. Oil is spewing. Sanchez is about to cut open Bond with machete. Bond finds the LIGHTER form Felix Leiter that has a very powerful flame thrower quality. Sanchez stumbles back into gas truck on fire. BIG EXPLOSION...
BOND Timothy Dalton
BOND GIRL Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto)
VILLAIN -Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi), Colonel Heller (Don Stroud), Milton Krest (Anthony Zerbe)
HENCHMAN - Dario (Benicio Del Toro)
MAIN ALLY Felix Leiter (David Hedison) , Sharkey (Frank McRea)
MONEY PENNY - Caroline Bliss
M - Robert Brown
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
MUSIC - Gladys Night performs "License to Kill" Loosely based on Horn line from Goldfinger theme.
BOND TOYS - Exploding Toothpaste, Sniper Rifle Camera, Lasar Camera (Not a weapon, takes Xray photos), Exploding Alarm Clock, Broom with Radio, Felix LIGHTER (Mini Flame Thrower), Manta Ray camouflage,
BOND
BOND GIRL
VILLAIN
HENCHMAN
MAIN ALLY
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
MUSIC
BOND TOYS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_gadgets
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