Underrated Performances

bigzilcho

Greetings everyone. Time for a list.

Every film has at least one performance that does not get enough praise or attention.


DN-John Kitzmiller (Quarrel)
One of those solid performances that everyone and his brother takes for granted. "Get her Quarrel! And the camera!"



FRWL- Vladek Sheybal (Kronsteen)
As far as I'm concerned, Kronsteen should never have been killed and Sheybal is beyond perfect casting. Check out the lizard glare he gives his chess opponent. Chilling. And remember:"Who is Bond compred with Kronsteen?"



GF- Cec Linder (Felix Leiter)
Yeah, yeah, I know, Linder is totally miscast and looks like Bond's dad but I have never had a problem with his casual, seemingly happy-go-lucky Felix. Besides, Linder is a Canadian and THAT earns him major bonus points in my books.



TB- Philip Locke (Vargas)
"Vargas does not drink. Does not smoke. Does not make love. What do you do, Vargas?" Vargas represents a time when even the most minor of villians had an identity. There's someting ice-cold about the man. Check out the moment with Bond/Fiona where Vargas disarms Bond and very subtly fondles Bond's gun.



YOLT- Akiko Wakabayashi (Aki)
When a list of favorite Bond girls is made, these two lovely Japanese ladies never seem to get a break. Akiko gives a solid performance and is quite believable as an operative. One of her finest moments is when Bond asks her how long she has worked for Henderson: "Long enough to know not discuss such matters with strangers."



OHMSS- Ilse Steppat (Irma Bunt)
Steppat has not gotten a FRACTION of the kudos she deserves for one of the great villianesses in the series. In the the collective unconscious of the Bond universe, Bunt is the nightmare villian that never got caught or punished. And has there ever been a scarier moment for Bond, the lover, than Bunt's face filling the screen:"Fancy meeting you here, Fraulein!" An absoluely chilling performance.



DAF- Charles Gray (Ernst Stavro Blofeld)
Perhaps not the best Blofeld and certainly miscast, Gray still gives the finest performance as Bond's arch-villian. Pleasance and Savalas are both worthy but it is Gray who feels the most dangerous and decadent. And if the rest of the film was as good as the penthouse confrontation (the finest Bond-Blofeld scene in the series) we would be talking about DAF with FRWL reverence. Classic moment: Blofeld complimenting Williard Whyte as being a "splendid administrator" and gleefuly taking a puff on his cigarette holder. A superb touch of villainy!



LALD- Julius Harris (TeeHee) and Arnold Williams (Cab Driver)
In a movie overflowing with underrated performances a tip of the hat must go to two of LALD's henchmen. Harris plays TeeHee as if he is just the happiest dude on earth and Williams plays the CabDriver as if he is the SECOND happiest. In a scene worthy of Hitchcock, Bond realizes his NewOrleans cab has a NewYork cabbie."Well, hello there, Jim! Relaaaaax, Mr. Big wants to see you." An absolutely cracker-jack Bondian moment.



TMWTGG- Maud Adams (Andrea)
One of those performances that needs a pat on the back. Shabbily treated by both Bond and Scaramanga, Adams captures the essence of a kept woman longing for ecsape with a hint of desperation. A good performance that never gets recognition.



TSWLM- Shane Rimmer (Captain)
Although Rimmer never played Felix Leiter he gives the finest Leiter-type performance in the series. Check out the banter Rimmer's Captain has with Bond and you will realize what a perfect Felix he could have been. As far as I'm concerned, Rimmer should have been appointed Felix for life after DAF.


End of Part One


"Today's your lucky day, Jim , you're going skydiving."

Napoleon Plural

Good stuff! Although I'm not sure about Kronsteen not deserving to be killed. He messed up the operation with his arrogance! And he was a nasty man, I think we all agree. In any event, I'm not sure you could have taken it to Human Resources at Spectre.

I like Norman Burton as Leiter, some good banter between him and Connery. In my view Jack Lord was very good and closest to Fleming's hero, but there wasn't a huge amount of rapport.

Higgins

imho Vladek Sheybal's performance is pretty similar to Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre in CR. Both of them are exactly how I imagine a classical Bond Villain!

Your praise is absolutely deserved!

Alex

My pick is Michael Gothard, who played Emile Leopold Locque in FYEO. I think he should've been included in the pantheon of Bond adversary greats.

Sure, one could make the argument silence equals subtle with no work involved.

In either case, he always marked an impression with me. :007)

thesecretagent

That's a good list, I'm sure there's more to come.

A stand-out for me is Dr. Kauffman in TND. Short on screen but huge on presence.

DaltonFan1

Of course Timothy Dalton has yet to receive the full recognition he deserves for his proper, tough and independent Bond.

Christopher Walken is a great actor whose villain would have been fit for a great film.

Similarly, his namesake Lee put in a great performance in an underwhelming film.

bigzilcho

Thanks for the input everyone.

And now...Part 2.


MR-Lois Chiles (Holly Goodhead)
Nothing to write to the Oscars about but Chiles has never gotten any respect for her performance. She is believable as a scientist and takes no guff from Bond in such a way that she is one of the few Bond equals that feels cpmpletely compatible to our boy James. Bonus points for the moment she absolutely clobbers a guard at the space station with a punch that could have knocked a barn down. I kid you not, that single punch is a thing of beauty and is an all-time high moment in Bond Girl history.


FYEO- Carole Bouquet (Melina Havelock)
Another leading lady who deserves more respect. There's something about the lady's eyes that speak of an intensity that's rarely seen in the Bond series. And has there ever been a comparable moment of tension between Bond and a woman than in the scene where Melina is about to kill Kristatos and Bond intervenes. The way she delivers "Get out my way, James." makes you believe , and then some, in the notion that NOTHING will prevent this Greek woman from avenging her loved ones.


OP- Louis Jordan (Kamal Khan)
Actors like Jordan are going the way of the dodo bird. Here is a gentleman who represents old-school villiany at its most refined. Every subtle nuance and glance should be examined by all future Bond villians, especially the backgammon scene which is as good as any gambling scene in the series. Check out the moment after the classic exchange: "Spend the money quickly, Mr. Bond./I intend to, Kamal Khan". That single death-glare he gives Bond with a hint of a nod is one THE great moments in all of Bond villiany.


AVTAK- Grace Jones (Mayday)
Jones and the film have gotten so much flack over the years that any praise is immediately dismissed as being the ramblings of a Zorin-type dementia. Sure the film has flaws, but its always entertaining and so is Jones. Bonus points for the scene where she realizes Zorin has betrayed her and extra bonus points for the way she screams "Get Zorin for me!!!!!"


TLD- Timothy Dalton.....'nuff said.


LTK- Carey Lowell (Pam Bouvier)
In my humble opinion, (and without any doubt, question or deliberation) the finest Bond-equal leading lady in the series and a criminally underrated performance to boot.


GE- Joe Don Baker (Jack Wade)
Baker as Wade was the best Felix Leiter-type in a long time and could have enriched the series if there were more scenes like the one in Cuba in which he denies being in Cuba. Check out his priceless double take after he realizes Natalya knows way too much information. Bonus points for the way he catches the car-keys with his hat (you just know good'ol boy Baker has done that in real life).


TND- Jonathan Pryce (Elliot Carver)
Definitely one the most polarizing performances in the series. To begin with, any complaints about Pryce himself (as opposed to the character) must be qualified with the proviso that Pryce is widely acknowledged as one of the finest actors in the world. Pryce is incapable of giving anything less than a good performance and that is why his Carver deserves more respect. Pryce had the guts to play Carver as a spoiled child megalomaniac. One of the most dangerous moments in the film is when his wife Paris tries to console him after Bond literally crashed his party. The way he hisses out:"Not to me!" speaks volumes about the egos of Bond villians.


TWINE- Pierce Brosnan
Pierce's finest performance as 007 is as good as any in the series and anyone who disagrees with me can meet me at Scaramanga's island for ten paces.


DAD- Toby Stephens (Graves)
Another one of those performances that has been too easily dismissed over the years. In a better film, Stephens would be a classic villian for the ages. The first time Bond and Graves meet there is a palpable dislike Bond has for the man that goes beyond professional animosity. Everyhing about the man (his youth, wealth, arrogance) seems to be a personal insult to Bond and Stephens plays the insolence to the hilt. Stephens in real life is probably a pleasant man but, as Graves, he is the kind of guy whose smug smirk deserves to be clobbered without remorse or pity..


CR- Judi Dench (M)
A tip of the hat to the M a whole generation has grown up with and taken for granted. Quibble all you want about the updated M or the fact that M should be a man, not for one second has the lady's presence and authority ever been questioned, at least in my books. From her first appearence in GE, Dench has been a superb M (although Bernard Lee is still heavyweight champ) and an incalculable addition to the series in terms of adding class and gravitas to the proceedings. And always remember: "Bond, don't ever break into my house again."


QOS- Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter)
Far and away, the best acting talent ever hired to play Felix, Wright is on his way to finally establishing Leiter as a character as important to Bond as M,Q and Moneypenny. As far as I'm concerned, Wright should be appointed Felix for life. Bonus points for the way he lies to Greene on the plane about not knowing Bond. Pound-for-pound the greatest moment in Felix Leiter history (with apologies to Jack Lord).


Any comments are appreciated.




"Is anything broken?"
"Only my tailor's heart".

Higgins

bigzilcho wrote:

AVTAK- Grace Jones (Mayday)

8-) ...and you have kept yourself so well for a very long way.

And now, what a mistake )

bigzilcho

Bondtoys wrote:

bigzilcho wrote:

AVTAK- Grace Jones (Mayday)

8-) ...and you have kept yourself so well for a very long way.

And now, what a mistake )

Bondtoys...Killing Tibbett was a mistake.

Praising Jones, as I said, is a sign of Zorin-like dementia...but I will stand by my statement.


And besides, the law of averages guarantees that there will be at least one choice that will make someone proclaim I deserve a place in the asylum of Napoleons.


"You lose, 007."

Dan Same

Big, congratulations on, yet again, an amazing thread. While I don't agree with all of your choices (Dalton, Pryce, Dalton, one other which I will expand on another time), I love your lists, and this is no exception. You are IMO consistently one of the best AJB topic starters, and this thread is evidence of that. Bravo! {[]

That said, I do need to question one of your choices, :v however I will do so at a later date.

Higgins

bigzilcho wrote:

Bondtoys...Killing Tibbett was a mistake.

Praising Jones, as I said, is a sign of Zorin-like dementia...but I will stand by my statement.


And besides, the law of averages guarantees that there will be at least one choice that will make someone proclaim I deserve a place in the asylum of Napoleons.


"You lose, 007."

I always appreciate people who stand with their opinion ) Even when they know that they are wrong

And yes, killing Tibbett was a mistake.

little nelly

bigzilcho wrote:

YOLT- Akiko Wakabayashi (Aki)
Akiko gives a solid performance and is quite believable as an operative. One of her finest moments is when Bond asks her how long she has worked for Henderson: "Long enough to know not discuss such matters with strangers."

she's underratedly beautiful as well.

Sir Hillary Bray

Ah zilcho, once again you have stirred AJB out of the doldrums. {[]

Like Dan, I cannot agree with many of your choices (methinks you are a little ambitious in trying to name a performance for each film) but that is beside the point. It's the effort and commitment that count, and you have those in spades. {[]

Rather than argue against your choices, I'll provide some of my own:

GF - Burt Kwouk (Mr. Ling)
Tiny role, but well-played. I love how his character, a small brainy type, has the balls to tell the massive man-planet Goldfinger to "suspend your other activities". I also liked that they used Kwouk's own voice, as opposed to the dubbed basso profundo he got in YOLT.

YOLT- Charles Gray (Henderson)
Perfect as the Brit in exile who's seen it all, despite claiming to be only just learning his way around. Wonderful sense of booziness in the man.

TSWLM - Shane Rimmer (Captain Carter)
Yeah, his hair's too long for the Navy, but these were the '70s after all! He adeptly portrays a man in charge of his ship, yet common-sensical and compassionate enough to deal with both Bond and Anya.

OP - Kabir Bedi (Gobinda)
With all the great henchmen in the series, he's always overlooked. But his constant scowl is both a source of genuine menace to Bond, and great amusement to the audience. His incredulous "out there?" to Kamal is a real underrated humor moment in the series.

LTK - Anthony Starke (Truman-Lodge)
There has to be a great Truman-Lodge backstory, doesn't there? Upper East Side trust fund baby, crashes 3 of daddy's convertibles before he's 18, smart guy but fails out of Princeton cause he's always loaded on coke and heading back to NYC to party with supermodels, heads down to Isthmus for a little R&R, meets Lupe in the casino bar, makes a clumsy play for her, gets hauled up to Sanchez's office where he impresses the boss with his brains and his knowledge of the product, is hired by Sanchez and paid well and allowed access to any women except Lupe but on the condition that he no longer use the product, finds he has real talent as a CFO-type but kicking the habit brings out the anal perfectionist in him and he starts to wonder about his boss.

Barbel

Sir Hillary Bray wrote:

LTK - Anthony Starke (Truman-Lodge)
There has to be a great Truman-Lodge backstory, doesn't there? Upper East Side trust fund baby, crashes 3 of daddy's convertibles before he's 18, smart guy but fails out of Princeton cause he's always loaded on coke and heading back to NYC to party with supermodels, heads down to Isthmus for a little R&R, meets Lupe in the casino bar, makes a clumsy play for her, gets hauled up to Sanchez's office where he impresses the boss with his brains and his knowledge of the product, is hired by Sanchez and paid well and allowed access to any women except Lupe but on the condition that he no longer use the product, finds he has real talent as a CFO-type but kicking the habit brings out the anal perfectionist in him and he starts to wonder about his boss.

Why aren't you writing the scripts??!! Brilliant stuff.

Loeffelholz

I'll just throw my hat into the ring and cite Mathew Amalric's Dominic Greene. As I said in my QoS review at the time, he's not the best villain ever, but that's not his fault. Given the parameters within which he was allowed to work, I find his performance quite good. His scene with the 'new' Bolivian president, at the Perla de las Dunas, is classic Bond villainy---retooled for a pervasively corrupt and decadent 21st Century.

With regard to motor oil...that man was clearly a quart low :v

Barry Nelson

Big Z, as always a splendid list with some great observations.

Of course one can't agree on everything, although I think you are spot on with Carey Lowell and Pierce, I can't agree with Carole Bouquet.

Tip of the hat to Sir Hillary for pointing out Anthony Starke as Truman Lodge, good choice.

I have always felt Britt Ekland's performance in TMWTGG is way underrated. The comment most often heard about Goodnight is how annoying she was, well exactly, that was how the character was written and Ekland nailed it. Ekland played the character as it was written and never receives credit for it. One more thing, she had that bikini thing down too.

mrbond

I know one - your ma!

Napoleon Plural

"Now, now mrbond, we must ensure you're completely calmed down before we let you back into polite society!"

bigzilcho

mrbond wrote:

I know one - your ma!

Either I'm dense, ignorant or just plain cranky but that, Mr.Bond, happens to be single most insulting and, pound-for-pound, stupidest thing I've EVER read in any of my topics.

Congratulations!

As for the other comments, thanks everyone. Much appreciated. Perhaps Mr.Bond can learn some manners and civility from the more sophisticated members.

You know, Mr. Bond...do me a favor...cultivate some maturity. Because, as it is, I have ZERO patience for people like you and comments like that. Understand?

Period.

Infernorhythm

DAD: Will Yun-Lee as Colonel Moon. Yun-Lee's always been a favorite actor of mine, but he first came to my attention in the PTS of DAD. There was an intensity in his performance, along with a sense of intelligence and cunning. His interaction with Brosnan in the PTS was wonderful, and while I liked the idea of a villain who changed his appearance in DAD (which at times felt more like a more faithful MR adaptation then MR), Toby Stephens' performance was so unlike Yun-Lee's that it was disappointing.

hegottheboot

I still say that Pedro Amendariz is criminally underrated as Kerim Bey:
"I hope you are good at eating with your fingers." "Not bad for a man who started life breaking chains with his teeth in a circus." "He is also my son. All of my key empolyees are my sons. blood is the best security in this business."
Also:
John Kitzmiller, Anthony Dawson, Jack Lord, Joseph Wiseman.
Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya, Valdek Sheybal, and Eric Pholman/Anthony Dawson
Harold Sakata,
Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Phillip Locke, Luciana Paluzzi,
Akiko Wakaybashi, Tetsuro Tamba, Donald Pleasance, Charles Gray
George Lazenby, Telly Savalas, Gabrielle Ferzetti,
Bruce Glover, Charles Gray
Julius Harris, Yaphet Kotto, Geoffrey Holder, Arnold Williams
Christopher Lee, Herve Villecheze,
Shane Rimmer, Curt Jurgens,
Michael Lonsdale,
Michael Gothard, Julian Glover
Louis Jourdan
Christopher Walken, Patrick Macnee
Timothy Dalton, Jeroen Krabbe, John Rhys-Davies
Timothy Dalton,
Alan Cumming,
Johnathan Pryce, Vincent Shiavelli,
Pierce Brosnan, Robert Carlyle, Sophie Marceau
and I can't think of any for DAD.
This goes without saying: Bernard Lee, Desmond Lewellyn, and Lois Maxwell.

Grindelwald

Gobinda would break Bonds fingers like twigs just for fun :oX-({[]

Blackleiter

My vote goes to Desmond LLewelyn as "Q" in every Bond film in which he appeared, but especially License to Kill when he had his most screen time. Honorable mention to Telly Savalas as Blofeld in OHMSS. I thought he came across as charming, menancing, arrogant and brilliant - everything I want in a Bond villain.