Julius Harris as Tee Hee
crawfordboon
Posts: 126MI6 Agent
One thing I always meant to say on this board is how much I loved the character Tee Hee in LALD. The concept of such a fleshed-out henchman, with his own unique character and personality, was something a bit new in the Bonds. Harris leant the character considerable charisma, adding to a formiddable onscreen presence, and earning a place as one of the great henchmen.
He has this great infectious glee about him - the scene where he destroys 007's Walther with his steel pincors is a joy - the subtext is almost tangible!
His mirth and sense of humour is palpable in the scenes where leaves Bond on the crocodile island "you jsut put your hand in his mouth and pull his teeth out" is delicious, and contrasts well with his dissapointment earlier of not being allowed to chop Mr Bodn to shreds with his pincers.
Even his vicious attack on Bond and Solitaire in the conclusion is well interspersed with his trademark giggles, grins, and chuckles. All in all a remarkably portrayed, well constructed gloriously psychopathic character, a crdit to the Bond series. The line "this is the part I like best" is particularly well delivered and is so much of a classic it regularly makes into TV trailers for LALD.
He has this great infectious glee about him - the scene where he destroys 007's Walther with his steel pincors is a joy - the subtext is almost tangible!
His mirth and sense of humour is palpable in the scenes where leaves Bond on the crocodile island "you jsut put your hand in his mouth and pull his teeth out" is delicious, and contrasts well with his dissapointment earlier of not being allowed to chop Mr Bodn to shreds with his pincers.
Even his vicious attack on Bond and Solitaire in the conclusion is well interspersed with his trademark giggles, grins, and chuckles. All in all a remarkably portrayed, well constructed gloriously psychopathic character, a crdit to the Bond series. The line "this is the part I like best" is particularly well delivered and is so much of a classic it regularly makes into TV trailers for LALD.
Comments
-Roger Moore
I've always thought that TeeHee (and the other villians in LALD, for that matter) was quite simply the happiest henchman in the series. As you said, his joy is palpable in everythinng he does...henchmen of the world, take note: you can enjoy your work and let the world know you enjoy it.
TeeHee...the Happy Henchman.
Harris was always a proud member of the Bond family. I recently read some of his comments at the time of LALD. Harris talked about how great it was that the villians of LALD happened to be black. In his view, this was a significant event for African-American actors. And I believe his delight at being in a Bond film totally infects his performance.
That first meeting with 007 and his gun is both chilling and funny, the perfect Bond combination. When Tee hands Bond his mangled gun and walks away chuckling...that's an all-time great moment for Bond henchman.
And lets not forget the other two members of a stunning villian trio: Yaphet Kotto and Geoffrey Holder. As far as I'm concerned, these three are criminally underrated when it comes to Bond-fan discussion. Where are all the Kananga and Baron Samedi fans in the crowd?
Once again, top-notch work, crawfordboon.
"What do you know about alligators, Bond?"
It is just a pity that the main villain, Kananga, had such a poor death scene. Or rather, just the moment of his inflation was corny, the rest of the scene was very good. His performance on the whole was exemplary.
The supporting cast is what makes LALD an interesting, and quite unique Bond movie. It is by far my favourite Roger Moore Bond film.
I know the voodoo/blaxploitation theme of LALD does not work for many Bond fans, but it does work for me. I love it.
Agreed. You could buy a guy with a metal claw. Metal Teeth than cut chains? Yeah, it's cool, but.....
And the final fight between him and Bond is pretty vicious, and again, was a precursor to the similar scene in TSWLM.
does the voice over for Johny Depps Charlie and the chocolate factory
appologise if you knew that
Julius harris from "Salty the sea lion " TV show. :x
Loved this as a Boy. B-)
http://youtu.be/Re-CQpMAsew
with Julie Harris.
The Sound of Music would of been very different.
He'd of been wandering around Killing Nazi's with
his metal arm, and getting it on with the More
attractive Nuns.
Come to think of it I do remember watching
something similar, Only the Nuns seemed to
be wearing More Bikinis, and listing to 70's
guitar music.
Samedi, too,... I remember after the film's release, finding out who Geoffrey Holder was and realized what a prolific and brilliant artist he was (and is). Lot of people knew him as "that 7-Up add guy," but I'd already knew he was this brilliant dancer and choreographer, oh and actor like in LALD. That whole "Samedi show" in the San Monique hotel is pretty cool. When you think on it, the script's voodoo elements are pretty tame and generic, it's Holder and his Samedi performance that brings the island culture to life. Too bad Solitaire was played by a scrumptious young British lassie, and not a sensuous, gorgeous young Caribbean actress ... say, Martine Beswick? :v She would've been fab, though the "oh, I'm a shrinking violet virgin, scared and excited by this man Bond" crap would've had to be corrected (mercifully).
I posted a few mins ago, Julius Harris was a wonderful, warm man when I met him briefly at USC's Norris Theater in the early 80s. I'll bet he and Moore got along great, resulting in the chemistry we see in the film. I may end up getting the BD, even though much of LALD makes me cringe, even through the nostalgia of seeing it first in the Santa Rosa theater that summer of its release. Tee Hee's actually a more palpable and imposing character ... he could've been Mr. Big, easy. Would've been more like the books, in fact.
“It reads better than it lives.” T. Case
Yes, Julius Harris had the build to be a good fit for the original (and far more interesting) Mr Big of the original Ian Fleming novel from 1954. As it was, he fitted the Tee Hee role to a "T".
Yes, that and the tagged on endiing favoured by Guy Hamilton after the main villain's death where the henchman/henchmen make a revenge bid on an unsuspecting James Bond and the girl.
With Scaramanga it seems he played him as a true gentleman assassin, the underworld side of James Bond. If anything, Scaramanga lacked menace and was rather too light in his portrayal - as was Nick Nack trying to cash in on Scaramanga's death - amusing as that was.