Actors' Favorites
Johnny O
Posts: 5MI6 Agent
Anyone know if the Bond actors have ever revealed their 'favorite' Bond films that they appeared in? I had to venture a guess, judging by their demeanor in the film and some interviews I've seen over the years, I would have to say:
Connery - Goldfinger
Moore - For Your Eyes Only
Dalton - LTK
Brosnan - GE
Connery - Goldfinger
Moore - For Your Eyes Only
Dalton - LTK
Brosnan - GE
Comments
BTW- this seems more suitable for the General James Bond chat forum???
Maybe the admin can move it?
Yes indeed--to the General chat it goes!
You're right Tatiana, Roger Moore declares TSWLM his favorite on the DVD documentary.
Oh I probably should add that Lois Maxwell's (Miss Moneypenny) favorite film is OHMSS because she believes that even if it wasn't a Bond film, it would have been a great film anyway.
-Roger Moore
Connery: FRWL and TB
Lazenby: OHMSS(obviously)
Moore: TSWLM with OP 2nd
Dalton: TLD
Brosnan: GE
Craig: CR(obviously)
Of course, I'm not sure how valid some of the sources are. What would be really interesting is to learn what other Bond actors' films are the other Bond actors favorites. I think I read that GF and YOLT are Brosnan's favorite Connerys, Dalton said his 3 favorites were DN, FRWL and GF, and I believe FRWL is Craig's favorite.
(Source IMDB)
I don't believe he's commented on DAD, perhaps he's already blocked it from his memory.
I just watched that one again, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps it's the first Bond he saw at the cinema (he'd be around five at that time)? Or perhaps...
(1) Both CR and LALD feature a new actor taking on the part of 007 for the first time.
(2) In each case, the New Guy (copyright Loeffelholz) is taking over from a proven and immensely popular predecessor (in both cases, very minor point though it is, a blond man replacing a dark haired one).
(3) Both films are (reasonably) close to Fleming while the previous entry had been a weak, sci-fi themed one with attempts at humour...
(4)...which nevertheless performed well at the box-office, creating expectations for the next one (and hence putting pressure on the lead actor).
(5) Both films go to pains to avoid direct comparisons with the previous leading man- eg Bond doesn't report to M's office for his instructions, Q is absent, and the PTS is different from the norm.
I'm sure there are other points that could be made, but you get the drift.
Figures, really. At his age, that would likely be the one he saw when the 'movie fan' portion of his brain circuits were being fused...
We all have that 'one Bond film'...with me, it was Sean Connery dangling in the night air outside Willard Whyte's penthouse in DAF B-)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
You've thought this out rather better than I did, Barbel ;% I think you may be onto something.
And the copyright is much appreciated! {[]
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Of course, I never implied that he ought to be embarrassed about it ?:) LALD is my favourite Roger Moore Bond.
I'm guessing that particular film would probably be hitting TV about the time Craigger was starting to pay attention to such things, that's all---no value judgements, re: relative merit intended.
Really, Dan, I get enough grief over my position on Bond #3...no need to exacerbate the matter
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Nah; the 'one Bond film' which makes one a Bond fan :007)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I'd have put the little symbol (you know, a "c" inside a circle) except there doesn't appear to be one on my keyboard! (Just as there isn't an umlaut to go above the "a" in my user name X-()
It was all complete.
However, the first Bond film I saw in theaters was Tomorrow Never Dies, one that was fun for me then (I was 6) with all the explosions and how Teri Hatcher's hairdo vaguely reminded me of Natalya. I then grew to dislike it...
Still, good news that Craig likes LALD! It's a goodie certainly, and what makes it better is that it's a Moore movie!
LALD is a favourite of Daniel Craig's, it was one of the first films he ever saw and most likely was his favourite Bond film, but not now. Not according to the article below in which he states that his favourite Bond films are DN and FRWL.
http://www.movieweb.com/news/41/15741.php
Not sure how close LALD is to Fleming, Barbel. This article on Fleming fidelity in the EON films gives it a D.
http://www.hmss.com/amvee/nuggets.htm
That's funny. I remember thinking that Natalya and Paris resembled each other. Then there was that rumour that Paris was Natalya in an earlier script draft....
You dislike your first Bond in the cinema, JFF? I've always had affection for MR, my first Bond in the cinema. I still appreciate it on a "light action comedy" level. I think I'd always have a sentimental affection for my first Bond in the cinema whatever it was(even if it was AVTAK )
It's a lot closer than DAF, which was my point. I used the phrase "(reasonably) close"- to illustrate:
LALD: Novel
Bond is sent to New York by M to investigate master criminal Mr Big, a black gangleader who reigns by terror and voodoo (with the figure of Baron Samedi prominent in this) from his HQ in Harlem. There he teams up with his friend Felix Leiter, also working on the case. An attempt is made on Bond's life soon after his arrival. Bond and Leiter go to a Harlem establishment owned by Mr Big (whose gang includes Tee Hee and Whisper), and while they are having a drink and enjoying the cabaret act their table sinks into the floor. Mr Big's goons lead Bond to their boss. Tied to a chair, he's questioned by Mr Big who relies on Solitaire's reading of the cards for information. Due to her attraction to 007, she doesn't give him an accurate reading.
Solitaire is a white girl held captive for her mystical abilities, important to Mr Big's organisation since he uses voodoo to keep his followers in check. Following the interrogation, Mr Big's henchman Tee Hee tortures the little finger of Bond's left hand. Bond manages to escape. Solitaire and Bond subsequently team up, but she is re-captured by Mr Big. Part of their travels together has them on a train, where an attempt is made on their lives.
Bond goes to the Caribbean to smash Mr Big's smuggling scheme where he is assisted by Quarrel to swim to Mr Big's underground lair. Captured, he and Solitaire are tied together to be eaten by sharks, but (of course) manage to escape, thanks to Bond's use of equipment from Q Branch.
This survives pretty much intact into the film. Of course there are many other elements to the book which are not in the film (most obviously Leiter's encounter with a shark, which made it into LTK) and many parts of the film not in the book (eg the boat chase and JW Pepper) but by Bond film standards it contains a fair amount of Fleming- I would say the most of any in the 70s. DAF more or less abandons Fleming once Bond arrives in Las Vegas (apart from the coda); TMWTGG and MR take only the very bare bones of their novels; and TSWLM of course is completely different.
Good! I'm not crazy for thinking they looked similar. I wish it was Natalya, except then she'd have to die (I still want Natalya to come back!)
Still, it wasn't the first Bond I SAW, that was GE, and I am quite attached, as well as to AVTAK. I did like TWINE, as I remember it more, going there, but what I do remember about TND is that we won the free VHS tape of it.
http://www.klast.net/bond/tndnews2.html#starburst
Of course this was from 1997.