Bald or Hirsute Blofeld?

Gassy Man

Forgive me if this has already been asked, but should Ernst Stavro Blofeld make his triumphant return, do we wish to see him in the Donald Pleasance/Telly Savalas mold or the Charles Gray/Max Von Sydow mold?

I would prefer him in the former -- perhaps by the end of the film rather than the beginning. I realize there is the whole Dr. Evil thing, but given that Christoph Waltz, who is most likely to be the character, has been seen in more than a few films with his full head of hair, I would like something different. Perhaps only shave it down almost to the scalp. Or maybe have him lose hair due to Bond wounding him.

Kent007

I don't want to see an exact replica of Blofeld and I feel that if Waltz is bald, people will just take it as him as reproducing Blofeld, rather than making the character his own.

I know Blofeld also has hair in DAF but in mainstream culture he's always shown as being bald. And like you said, because of Austin Powers/Dr.Evil, I can't see Blofeld being bald.

Blackleiter

Kent007 wrote:

I don't want to see an exact replica of Blofeld and I feel that if Waltz is bald, people will just take it as him as reproducing Blofeld, rather than making the character his own.

I know Blofeld also has hair in DAF but in mainstream culture he's always shown as being bald. And like you said, because of Austin Powers/Dr.Evil, I can't see Blofeld being bald.

I feel the same way.

Virgil37

As in the novels. I read them a long time ago, but I think Blofeld had hair in the novels. Or there might be a character who apparently has hair and at the end we see him (or her) take off a wig. I think this movie will revolve around who Blofeld really is, so any obvious external signs will be misleading at best. There might be a bald villain, or a character with a white cat, but they won't be him (or her). The Blofeld revelation will be the cliffhanger ending of SPECTRE.

Gassy Man

I suspect that if the hair become an issue, he will either (eventually) be very tightly shorn or there will be some sort of injury or scarring that requires he shave his head to avoid it simply being a fashion thing.

SilentSpy

It doesn't really matter to me as long as he is a tough Blofeld. Or very calculating. I didn't like the Diamonds are Forever or beginning of For Your Eyes Only versions.

Kent007

Yeah, I don't want Blofeld offering Bond a "delicatessen in stainless steel" like at the start of FYEO )

AlphaOmegaSin

Virgil37 wrote:

As in the novels. I read them a long time ago, but I think Blofeld had hair in the novels. Or there might be a character who apparently has hair and at the end we see him (or her) take off a wig. I think this movie will revolve around who Blofeld really is, so any obvious external signs will be misleading at best. There might be a bald villain, or a character with a white cat, but they won't be him (or her). The Blofeld revelation will be the cliffhanger ending of SPECTRE.

The Blofeld of the Novels alters his Appearance each time.

Virgil37

AlphaOmegaSin wrote:

Virgil37 wrote:

As in the novels. I read them a long time ago, but I think Blofeld had hair in the novels. Or there might be a character who apparently has hair and at the end we see him (or her) take off a wig. I think this movie will revolve around who Blofeld really is, so any obvious external signs will be misleading at best. There might be a bald villain, or a character with a white cat, but they won't be him (or her). The Blofeld revelation will be the cliffhanger ending of SPECTRE.

The Blofeld of the Novels alters his Appearance each time.

I started re-reading OHMSS yesterday! he hasn't appeared yet. Did you notice that Blofeld was born on the same date and year as Ian Fleming? nice touch.

Gassy Man

I had no idea -- that's pretty funny!

AlphaOmegaSin

Virgil37 wrote:

AlphaOmegaSin wrote:

Virgil37 wrote:

As in the novels. I read them a long time ago, but I think Blofeld had hair in the novels. Or there might be a character who apparently has hair and at the end we see him (or her) take off a wig. I think this movie will revolve around who Blofeld really is, so any obvious external signs will be misleading at best. There might be a bald villain, or a character with a white cat, but they won't be him (or her). The Blofeld revelation will be the cliffhanger ending of SPECTRE.

The Blofeld of the Novels alters his Appearance each time.

I started re-reading OHMSS yesterday! he hasn't appeared yet. Did you notice that Blofeld was born on the same date and year as Ian Fleming? nice touch.

I never knew that {[]

Thunderpussy

I wish them both a happy birthday every year.

David Schofield

Like to also point out that Waltz is quite slight and looked shorter than DC.

Now that presents the unthreatening dilemma EON faced with Pleasance, and if he's bald plays straight into the Dr Evil territory as that Pleasance problem means he could end up as a figure of fun.

But he's not Blofeld, anyway. That's someone else, either Bellucci or someone else, who may or may not be bald

Wald/Oerhauser/Blofeld: "Yes, Mr Bond, my father spent hours teaching you to ski. But because you were always an arrogant, posing English swine, I decided to become a major international criminal and so I changed my name to Ernst Stavro Blofeld."

I mean, come on....

AlphaOmegaSin

Well Donald Pleasence was short then Connery )

David Schofield

AlphaOmegaSin wrote:

Well Donald Pleasence was short then Connery )

And just about everyone else he made a movie with. Which is the point.

IanT

Personally I thought Telly Savalas was the best Blofeld. He was physically imposing, didn't mince about and looked the part (ie not like Dr Evil).

Any future blofeld should be just like that, or Monica Belucci

IanT

I forgot to add that Mark Strong would make a very good Blofeld

Thunderpussy

..... and he drives a white Jag !

Blackleiter

IanT wrote:

Personally I thought Telly Savalas was the best Blofeld. He was physically imposing, didn't mince about and looked the part (ie not like Dr Evil).

Any future blofeld should be just like that, or Monica Belucci

Nailed it! {[]

Gassy Man

David Schofield wrote:

Like to also point out that Waltz is quite slight and looked shorter than DC.

Now that presents the unthreatening dilemma EON faced with Pleasance, and if he's bald plays straight into the Dr Evil territory as that Pleasance problem means he could end up as a figure of fun.

But he's not Blofeld, anyway. That's someone else, either Bellucci or someone else, who may or may not be bald

Wald/Oerhauser/Blofeld: "Yes, Mr Bond, my father spent hours teaching you to ski. But because you were always an arrogant, posing English swine, I decided to become a major international criminal and so I changed my name to Ernst Stavro Blofeld."

I mean, come on....

Being short and slight, though, has never precluded Waltz from being menacing -- and that's really all Blofeld has to be. In the end, it isn't one's physical stature that is imposing but one's inner menace. After all, some of the world's greatest despots, like Hitler and Napoleon, were about Waltz' height. And the most decorated American soldier of WW2, Audie Murphy, was only about 5'5", depending on which source.

Waltz as Blofeld would be easy to explain if it turns out his father was an ex-Nazi or something who changed his name, and Blofeld, Jr., just goes back to the family name when he reveals himself as a villain.

Gassy Man

IanT wrote:

I forgot to add that Mark Strong would make a very good Blofeld

He would.

The Domino Effect

I'd like to see Blofeld sporting a blue Mohawk. Or if they want him to be current an fashionable, a fauxhawk.

Gassy Man

Or they could shave his head, give him a goatee and mustache, and have him wear thick-rimmed glasses so he looks rather like an evil professor.

BIG TAM

Doesn't bother me whether he's bald or with hair. It's the quality of actor & performance that matters.

Thunderpussy

If Blofeld isn't bald and stroking a white cat, I'm walking out of the cinema !
If I haven't already walked out over no gun barrel at the start. Or Because they
Hadn't played the Bond theme enough!
In fact, I probably won't Need a seat at all with all the walking out I'll be doing ! ) )
Roll on SPECTRE {[]