Scientists reveal the face of James Bond
Lady Rose
London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
Psychologists reveal the secret face of Fleming's perfect James Bond
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 2:07am GMT 06/03/2007
Eat your heart out Daniel Craig. The perfect James Bond looks more like Sean Connery, according to a computer reconstruction published by psychologists today.
To discover exactly how the author, Ian Fleming, envisaged his hero, Prof Rob Jenkins, of the University of Glasgow, and Prof Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, have employed a technique known as prototyping.
Most people are poor at describing a face that they have in their mind, but they can easily pick out photographs of faces that resemble the image they are thinking of.
Previous research has shown that blending together several pictures of a face creates an accurate image of that person.
Now the same technique has been used for the first time to create a photograph of a fictional character.
In 1961 Fleming listed several Hollywood actors that he thought had the right facial characteristics to play Bond.
Prof Jenkins tracked down images of these actors - Cary Grant, David Niven, James Mason, Patrick McGoohan, Rex Harrison, Richard Burton and Stewart Granger - and used sophisticated software to blend them into a single composite.
"We have used face merging technology to create the image of Bond that Ian Fleming had in mind when he wrote his books," said Prof Wiseman
"The image shows a clean-cut, classic looking face which is far more Connery than Craig.'' He added: ''Perhaps this is another way of resolving the question of who is the best Bond."
Prof Jenkins said: "The image allows us to turn back the hands of time, go inside Fleming's head and see how he envisioned Bond when he was writing his novels."
advertisementThe same technique has applications for increasing the accuracy of witness testimony in crime investigations.
It could even be used by online dating websites to help people identify the types of face that they find most attractive.
The researchers will discuss their findings with interested members of the public during a free evening event - The Scientist who Loved Me - at the Dana Centre, the Science Museum's adults-only bar and café, tomorrow evening.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/nbond06.xml
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 2:07am GMT 06/03/2007
Eat your heart out Daniel Craig. The perfect James Bond looks more like Sean Connery, according to a computer reconstruction published by psychologists today.
To discover exactly how the author, Ian Fleming, envisaged his hero, Prof Rob Jenkins, of the University of Glasgow, and Prof Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, have employed a technique known as prototyping.
Most people are poor at describing a face that they have in their mind, but they can easily pick out photographs of faces that resemble the image they are thinking of.
Previous research has shown that blending together several pictures of a face creates an accurate image of that person.
Now the same technique has been used for the first time to create a photograph of a fictional character.
In 1961 Fleming listed several Hollywood actors that he thought had the right facial characteristics to play Bond.
Prof Jenkins tracked down images of these actors - Cary Grant, David Niven, James Mason, Patrick McGoohan, Rex Harrison, Richard Burton and Stewart Granger - and used sophisticated software to blend them into a single composite.
"We have used face merging technology to create the image of Bond that Ian Fleming had in mind when he wrote his books," said Prof Wiseman
"The image shows a clean-cut, classic looking face which is far more Connery than Craig.'' He added: ''Perhaps this is another way of resolving the question of who is the best Bond."
Prof Jenkins said: "The image allows us to turn back the hands of time, go inside Fleming's head and see how he envisioned Bond when he was writing his novels."
advertisementThe same technique has applications for increasing the accuracy of witness testimony in crime investigations.
It could even be used by online dating websites to help people identify the types of face that they find most attractive.
The researchers will discuss their findings with interested members of the public during a free evening event - The Scientist who Loved Me - at the Dana Centre, the Science Museum's adults-only bar and café, tomorrow evening.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/nbond06.xml
Comments
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Are there any actors that you think of when you see this.
I see John Barrowman, which is... Interesting.
I can see the headlines now.
Fun experiment, but not very interesting. Looks like Rock Hudson to me!
Fleming went so far as to commission a drawing of Bond for the Daily Express comics. You can see it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fleming007impression.jpg
I was also thinking Michael Ansara.
For those of you who don't know him, Google him and you'll see what I mean.
I'm not so sure that's an especially accurate way of determining how Fleming saw Bond. I still say the picture in Fleming's mind was a picture of Fleming himself. The sketchy descriptions of Bond in the novels are simply the result of the author being a little sheepish about describing himself. And, of course, it allowed every guy reading the books to see himself as 007.
How about those "scientists" morphing all the real Bond actors' faces together - might be interesting!
Joking apart, the premise is indeed most unscientific.
I think the whole thing in nonsense. For me when I read the books I see Connery. And if Connery had never played him Cary Grant.
(In my opinion North By Northwest was the 1st James Bond film)
This is not just because of the films, I recently read all 3 Bourne books back to back and I never once imagined that little 'pipsqueak' Matt Damon in the part.
and I know exactly how ahrd it is to describe a character in one's head...I can;t even begin to describe what the Bond I see looks like...
~Pen -{
mountainburdphotography.wordpress.com
Thanks for sharing, Rose
He doesn't strike me as "terribly good looking"---which is how Fleming occasionally wrote that some of Bond's literary leading ladies viewed him---and which was a benchmark quote by poor Danny's most insistent detractors during the pitched battles of the Craig Wars...but that's only my opinion.
Fleming created one of the greatest characters of the last century...and his writing gives sufficient (and contradictory) information to allow, IMRO, a wide variety of actor representation, to be sure. His choice of actors to play the role is similarly diverse: from David Niven and Rex Harrison to Richard Burton and Cary Grant.
Might as well add the above image to a very long list, but he's not the 'definitive' one as far as I'm concerned---because, to me, such a thing does not exist away from the printed page.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
sorry Dan, Pierce, Rog and Georgie...
The actors mentioned in this article were not just chosen because they might fit Fleming's idea of Bond. They were chosen for various reasons. Fleming knew David Niven. Cary Grant was obvious because he had done North by Northwest. Harrison and Mason were given nods because of their notariety and because they were what the international audience had become used to seeing as a English leading man.
I truly believe as many do that Fleming was describing himself in a guarded way. He probably made the Carmichael reference because he thought he resembled him in his youth - which he did a little..they both had long faces and prominent noses and similar hair styles (though Flemings was wavy). If the films had been done in the early fifties, I have always felt that Stewart Granger would have been the perfect choice. Not only did he resemble Fleming (an idealized version of course), he was a solid leading man with an authoritative voice. For those of you who might question my choice, look him up on Wikipedia and look at the photo they use, then try and watch any films he did in the 40's and 50's. As far as the actors that have been used thus far, I believe Timothy Dalton has probably came closest to Fleming's idea of Bond. Sure Fleming liked Connery after seeing him in Dr. No, and talking to him in person. However, in his mind Fleming may have only "went along" and was being diplomatic because he felt the film side of his creation was no longer in his hands, and he knew Connery would guarantee good box office (and therefore more money in Fleming's coffer). If he had been able to see all the actors that have played his creation, I think Fleming would have chosen Dalton first.