Stacey Sutton is not that bad!
Jarvio
EnglandPosts: 4,241MI6 Agent
Today, I re-watched two Bond films, TMWTGG and AVTAK. Both are films where the main Bond girls are very unpopular.
But, from watching them both on the same day, I can honestly say that Stacey Sutton was a much better Bond girl than Mary Goodnight.
For one, Stacey was more interesting, and had a more interesting background than Goodnight. Goodnight was just a colleague, nothing more than that really.
Secondly, Stacey gives Bond useful information about Zorin. What does Goodnight do that's useful? Gets the solex, but then gets captured in Scaramanga's boot.
The only things about Stacey that I didn't like was her screaming - it was very high-pitched. But honestly, overall, Stacey Sutton is ok! I enjoyed her as a Bond girl. I previously thought she was annoying, but after comparing her to Mary Goodnight today, I can say that Goodnight is far, far worse.
What does everyone else think?
But, from watching them both on the same day, I can honestly say that Stacey Sutton was a much better Bond girl than Mary Goodnight.
For one, Stacey was more interesting, and had a more interesting background than Goodnight. Goodnight was just a colleague, nothing more than that really.
Secondly, Stacey gives Bond useful information about Zorin. What does Goodnight do that's useful? Gets the solex, but then gets captured in Scaramanga's boot.
The only things about Stacey that I didn't like was her screaming - it was very high-pitched. But honestly, overall, Stacey Sutton is ok! I enjoyed her as a Bond girl. I previously thought she was annoying, but after comparing her to Mary Goodnight today, I can say that Goodnight is far, far worse.
What does everyone else think?
1 - LALD, 2 - AVTAK, 3 - LTK, 4 - OP, 5 - NTTD, 6 - FYEO, 7 - SF, 8 - DN, 9 - DAF, 10 - TSWLM, 11 - OHMSS, 12 - TMWTGG, 13 - GE, 14 - MR, 15 - TLD, 16 - YOLT, 17 - GF, 18 - DAD, 19 - TWINE, 20 - SP, 21 - TND, 22 - FRWL, 23 - TB, 24 - CR, 25 - QOS
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
Comments
2 contenders for the worst Bond girl I would say.
Mary Goodnight was the worst written character by some distance and I think that Andrea Anders woud have been a far more worthy main Bond girl in the movie.
Stacey Sutton was better written but worse acted in my opinion. She did have a little more depth to her but the fact that Tanya Roberts very quickly went from a-list star back to soft porn actress was no real surprise after this.
I would probably say that Stacey was mildly preferable.
As for Britt Ekland, well she certainly looks great in a bikini. Er, but that's about it.
Also, Stacey had to deliver lines of technical bablle - and its something which makes you say "she doesnt really know that," whereas Goodnight never does.
Finally the most noticable difference would be that Goodnight doesnt scream "Jaammmesss, what are you doing" every second minute.
Personally, I thought Roberts handled the technical babble pretty well. If she ever stumbled, I thought it was like, for Stacey, it was like something unbelievable is happening that she can barely speak!
Goodnight was just abysmal, in fact, I only remember what she looks like and barely the performance because of how unmemorable it was. From what I do remember though, is that she was an inept and bumbling fool, something Stacey was not.
And if you bring up the whole blimp thing, it's perfectly understandable that she didn't hear it. No, I'm not defending every little thing about AVTAK that there is to defend (well kind of) but I read this awhile ago and it makes perfect sense.
So, May Day's on the rail car, it blows up, creating a massive explosion OUTSIDE WHERE STACEY IS, the ground shakes, it's a big noise, Stacey falls. Bond was inside, so his hearing isn't as impaired by the blast as hers was, so she runs down yelling out James because she probably can't hear herself speak and needs his help. She can't hear the fastly approaching blimp and that's why she's easily kidnapped.
Ha!
@merseytart
I've always considered Stacy Sutton to be a realistic character among many fantastical ones.
Gotta give credit where it's due. {:)
-Roger Moore
"Here in Aisle 6, ladies and gentlemen, we have the Faint Praise department...and to your left in Aisle 7, the Set The Bar Low department..."
But Tee Hee, you're absolutely right, Stacey is probably the most realistic Bond girl that you'll ever run into. Plus, she was exactly hindering Bond like Goodnight was. Goodnight had the Solex but had to go run around the car, she was asking to be captured while Stacey couldn't really help it.
Preferably using one's Aston Martin. Seriously, the competition for "most realistic Bond girl" isn't too fierce and nor should it be. Bond girls are as much creatures of fantasy as 007 himself, and long may that continue.
For Britt is was downhill after "The Wicker Man" in which she makes noises Tanya Roberts could never hope to top.
Tanya does voice over ads on the radio for Las Vegas Casino's "Can you say high roller, baby!"
What a pair to draw to, only Roger Moore could do them justice!
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
So THATS the reason why I like Britt Ekland.
Let's be fair, the woman didnt have too many highs. She married Peter Sellers whilst at a low point in his carear, and all shes really done is one cult movie, and one Bond movie.
Roberts isn't the greatest actress in the world, but I'd take her over Eklund any day. While Eklund looks great in a bikini, I hated the character. The only thing that saved TMWTGG for me were the performances of Lee and Moore.
The only things I like about this movie are Fiona Fullerton's charming performance(so good her scenes with Sir Roger play as if they'd been taken from a far superior Bond film and awkwardly edited into this incredibly pathetic one),and the presence of the great Patrick Macnee--he's utterly wasted here,which is nothing short of criminal.These two actors deserved to be in a much better movie.
I don't hold The Man With the Golden Gun in especially high regard either.I've always liked Christopher Lee, but he's completely wasted in a ridiculous motion picture with an absolutely dreadful screenplay that never really takes advantage of his ominous presence(which was the precise reason Eon signed him).As it is,Mr.Bean or Pee-wee Herman would've been much more threatening adversaries for 007 than Lee's Scaramanga.
This movie plays like one of those countless German Spanish and Italian James Bond imitations from the 1960s, that got almost everything right as far as looks go, but always had a pointless and childish storyline(this is true of A View to a Kill as well).The acting's not especially compelling in either film-phoned in is more accurate- and the villains are poorly written and poorly depicted.These two films belong on Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
However,had TMWTGG begun with a scene spotlighting Scaramanga chasing a terrified Nick Nack, and then taking aim and putting a bullet between the dwarf's eyes and laughing heartily--that would have improved the movie immensely.Additionally,we should have seen Scaramanga feeding the corpses of his on-island victims to crocodiles or dumping them into quicksand.And if the whole utterly pointless Solax Agitator subplot had been removed(a last minute addition tossed in at Cubby's command in an effort to make this movie somehow seem "current"),there'd have been more time for the titular character to try and hunt James Bond down.There'd have actually been some real suspense.Scaramanga would truly be menacing.Hunting 007 wouldn't have been an afterthought--as it is in the existing film.On looks alone,TMWTGG resembles a twisted version of "Fantasy Island" but minus that program's quality.Francisco Scarmanga is supposed to be a cold-blooded killer,and a real challenge to 007, but that's an image which never once comes across in a dismal motion picture that threatens to run on forever.
Still,considering how unfortunate The Man With the Golden Gun is,I find Britt Eklund's intentionally over-the-top rendition of Mary Goodnight rather charming.I've always thought Britt was a pretty good actress, and in TMWTGG, she's the one bright spot in what I consider a very badly made motion picture.So I definitely prefer Mary Goodnight over Stacy Sutton.
Having said all of this,I'll freely admit that A View to a Kill and The Man With the Golden Gun really weren't made with me in mind, but were instead produced for different audiences entirely.They're aimed at little kids with short attention spans.
Quite frankly,I don't care for most of the extremely awkward and usually senseless 007 "action comedies" Eon cranked out like so many sausages in the 1970s and early 1980s.In fact,I consider most of these things to be creatively bankrupt and incredibly disappointing.They're examples of lazy filmmaking.
I regard both of these Bond movies as missed opportunities for the series.
Considering the money and the talent involved,AVTAK and TMWTGG had the potential to be much better movies than what Eon eventually chose to make.What a shame.What a waste.But as evidenced by some of the posters here and elsewhere, they clearly have their fans, despite their many faults.
John Steed is as important to the spy genre as James Bond, and to see him relagated to a toss off, bit part was disgusting. Such a horrible waste of film and talent. I gather some folks enjoyed AVTAK so there is some degree of redemption in that!
TMWTGG, the least of the things wrong with this film was Ms. Eklund, and her presence did not enhance or detract from the overall quality of the film.
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
Huzzah, Mr. Garvin! Huzzah! {[]
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
As for TMWTGG, I loved thw twist of Andrea getting Bond to try to kill the villian, but it was just something that could have been much better developed.
The whole 'City Hall's Burning!!' sequence---and the Keystone Cops fire truck chase-ripoff which follows---are not at all Bondian, IMRO, and end up derailing the middle act of the picture.
"Jaaaaames!!!! Don't leeeeaaaavvvee meeeeeee!!!"
[insert sound of violent retching]
Hi JFF!
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Certainly AVTAK and TMWTGG aren't going to be awarded lengthy originality awards as far as plot or execution go. There's all sorts of recycled ideas in them which had been executed previously and with superior flavor.
However, I can still gleam enjoyment from these lessly regarded motion pictures, and, dare I say it, have a pleasant time with the old friends. They can take themselves seriously when the time calls for it and then they go and wink at the audience. That's a good combination in my book.
I certainly am a fan of the novels. The yarns Mr. Fleming created were highly addictive and splendidly laid out. As a reader, you couldn't really ask for anything more. Yes, the first four films were absolutely breathtaking, pure adult entertainment, of a kind seldom seen before. (and were also cranked out every year)
There are times when I want a seriously told adventure, brimming with amorous adult sophistication, and there are times when I want to turn my brain off and watch an over-the-top and colorful spy-vs-spy fairy tale.
As a fan of both those styles, I really couldn't be happier.
And yes,Stacy Sutton IS that bad--thanks to an absolutely inane screenplay and incompetent direction.
I have to say, it surprises me that people often group TMWTGG in with AVTAK in terms of quality (or lack thereof.) While I don't consider TMWTGG to be a masterpiece, I don't think it's nearly as bad as AVTAK. In fact IMO it's a pretty good film. The problem with TMWTGG IMO is the screenplay and how it makes light of a terrific concept (master-spy against master-assassin.) But I still think it has some great things going for it; Lee's performance, Bond's sexual ruthlessness, the theme song, Britt Ekland (although her character was less than ideal), a terrific fight scene, some fun (albeit not particularly great) dialogue at the end and some pretty good dialogue at other moments in the film. I agree that Eon should be ashamed of themselves for making AVTAK (and TLD and DAD) but, while TMWTGG will always be near the bottom of my film, I don't think it is anywhere near the worst film of ther series. I think it may even be, dare I say it, undderrated.
Perhaps I'm judging their virtues with heart instead of head. However, unfortunately, I've a soft spot for the period, blemishes and all. Yes, they are incredibly juvenille and ridiculous in places, (look at the clues left for Bond in MR, a ten year old could follow that trail),
Still, I can't help and love them regardless. Perhaps I've gained a certain tolerance since they remind me of a different place and time
Hello... Loeffelholz.
As Roger pointed out, Dianne was one of few people who preferred him to Sean Connery.
Still, I thought the City Hall Burning sequence was a very tense and realistic predicament that you could get in (I mean, it's not like anyone's trapped in a volcano lair while ninjas try to attack it). Bond's climbing down the ladder after escaping the building with Stacey (who, if I were in her situation, would be acting 10 times worse), with John Barry's majestic rendition of AVTAK marks a dramatic and beautiful moment of the film.
The subsequent firetruck chase is also fun, in another more realistic type of chase, as Bond had to utilize his surroundings to evade the police who thought he killed Howe and set the building aflame (I mean, come on, is it any worse than the Moon Buggy chase?). All the car chases are fun in Bond movies, and this is definitely one of my favorites. It ends on a comical note, but don't they all to some extent or another?
AVTAK is an interesting film for many reasons, and that's why I love it, in certain parts, particularly its villains, it's quite over the top, but in other aspects, it's more gritty and realistic. When you watch AVTAK, you get the best of both worlds.
Yup, all the clumsy rear-screen projection work, Stacey's fumbling around that causes the ladder to go out of control, and Stuntman #302 hanging off the ladder all spell hardcore realism to me.
Sorry--I'd resolved to stay out of AVTAK issues, but I just couldn't let that one pass!
Bond is made for better things than a routine fire rescue, IMO...but you loved it, and that's great. Personally, I preferred the volcano lair (a wild, ingenious, forever-remembered---and spoofed---Ken Adam masterpiece of a set).
You loved the fire truck gag...cool. I'd refer you to the classic Mack Sennett comedies of the '20s---they did it even better...and they did it first.
One of my favourite bits in AVTAK, though, is when Stacey's grandfather's ash urn is smashed over a baddie's head...
...and there aren't any ashes in the urn...
Sure, Gramps always loved a good fight...but WHERE IS HE???
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Another complaint-at the time AVTAK was made,the manner in which the fictitious Howe was killed in SF City Hall, came too closely after the real-life murder of San Francisco's previous mayor, George Moscone(6 years previously--which ALSO took place in City Hall)--to look anything other than tasteless.
Timing truly is everything.
It's a shame Eon didn't take a moment to alter that particular portion of the film's storyline.Since the film is already incoherent anyway,a minor change wouldn't have damaged it.
No, I like the volcano lair, I just think that escaping from the City Hall is a much more realistic predicament for someone to get into. Granted, it's not like anyone will anytime soon, but you could probably turn on the news and hear a similar story while you won't hear "Superspy escapes from evil genius's volcano lair with the help of some renegade ninjas". That's all I'm saying.
I still like the firetruck chase, at least it's not as bad (IMO) as the insipid tanker truck chase from my favorite movie of all time
Also Loeff, if you thought about subscribing to my NSA sponsored magazine, AVTAK Monthly, you would find out where Stacey's grandfather's ashes were. But as of right now, I'm not going to tell you.