Question about Michael G. Wilson cameos
Barbel
ScotlandPosts: 37,861Chief of Staff
I've spent a lazy Sunday morning watching (and enjoying) MR, indulging in one of the favourite sports of the veteran 007 fan: spotting Michael G. Wilson. I think MR has the largest number of appearances from him, though obviously I could be wrong, and I have a couple of questions about two of them.
As Bond leaves the gondola and enters St Marks Square, three men walk across from left to right: Wilson, director Lewis Gilbert, and Cubby Broccoli. A few seconds later as Bond approaches the Venini Glass shop, Wilson walks from right to left accompanied by a boy- I'm guessing this is his son David but am not sure. Anyone got an idea? (I don't think it's his younger son Gregg)
While M and Bond talk once Frederick Gray has stomped off, a man & woman are on the bridge behind them and totally out of focus. The man's MGW, is the woman his sister Barbara or perhaps his wife?
As Bond leaves the gondola and enters St Marks Square, three men walk across from left to right: Wilson, director Lewis Gilbert, and Cubby Broccoli. A few seconds later as Bond approaches the Venini Glass shop, Wilson walks from right to left accompanied by a boy- I'm guessing this is his son David but am not sure. Anyone got an idea? (I don't think it's his younger son Gregg)
While M and Bond talk once Frederick Gray has stomped off, a man & woman are on the bridge behind them and totally out of focus. The man's MGW, is the woman his sister Barbara or perhaps his wife?
Comments
Oh, very good! But I did check earlier threads and did some Googling, and couldn't confirm that the boy is a younger Wilson or who the woman on the bridge is.
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SM, when I get a moment I'll work on that list.
Off the top of my head, and not complete:
GF- One of Goldfinger’s men during the raid on Fort Knox. Possibly doubling for Mr Solo in longshots of the limo.
TSWLM- In the audience at the Pyramids (he's behind Anya and Fekkesh while 007 walks by).
MR- Walking across St Marks Square when Bond leaves Franco at the gondola (with Lewis Gilbert and Cubby*). Then walking in the opposite direction a few seconds later (with his son David). Standing on a bridge ( with ? BB) while Bond and M talk. A technician at NASA.
FYEO- A priest at a wedding when Bond visits Melina.
NSNA- Driving the car while Cubby takes aim at McClory (er... I may be wrong about this one).
OP- A member of the council when Gogol and Orlov argue. On the boat when Bond escapes Kamal.
AVTAK- Voiceover when Bond and Stacy visit Mr Howe at City Hall.
TLD- In the audience near Saunders just before Bond asks for his help.
LTK- Voiceover in PTS. Bond’s hands when he cuts the tape on Leiter’s house.
GE- A member of the council when Ouromov reports to Mishkin.
TND- A speaking part, with a name: Tom Wallace, reporting to Carver (“Consider him slimed”)
TWINE- A worker at Zukovsky’s casino, handing Electra something to sign.
DAD- Man leaning on car when Bond arrives in Havana. General Chandler (speaking part, with a name and a credit), with M and Falco while Graves deploys Icarus.
CR- Montenegro police chief, framed by Mathis (have to check, but I think he was credited here too).
QoS- Man reading newspaper in hotel lobby when Bond calls on Slate.
SF- Glimpsed behind Tanner after M looks at the coffins.
SP- Talking (with his son Gregg) to C just before M and Moneypenny do.
* Opinions vary here. While the last of the three is definitely Cubby Broccoli some have identified the other two as Ken Adam and/or Dana Broccoli.
The story I've heard (and believe, since it's completely plausible) is that the young MGW was on leave from his studies* and visited his mother (Dana) and stepfather (Cubby) during the shooting of GF, and was persuaded (not too reluctantly) to be an extra/double in some scenes. It's not unreasonable that he would be in the background of the Auric Stud location.
* initially engineering and later law, both of which proved useful in his Bond career. For example, he was involved in the camera equipment used in the freefall PTS of MR (lightweight cameras attached to helmets were used; a heavy camera might have broken the cameraman's neck when his chute opened). And his law degree came into play both during Broccoli's split from Saltzman (which is when MGW's role began to grow; basically he initially replaced Saltzman becoming Broccoli's right-hand man and taking over more of Broccoli's role as time went on, eventually succeeding him- (step)father to son) and in the wrangle between Eon and MGM which caused the delay between LTK and GE.
Edit- it's just occurred to me that this post might be completely incomprehensible to someone who doesn't get the acronyms...
MGM- a well known film maker (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
MGW- producer of the Bond films (Michael G. Wilson).
GF- third Bond film, Goldfinger.
MR- eleventh Bond film, Moonraker.
LTK- sixteenth Bond film, Licence To Kill.
GE- seventeenth Bond film, GoldenEye.
PTS- the (usually) short bit before the titles (Pre-Title Sequence).
SM- a frequent poster here (Silhouette Man).
For more information on acronyms frequently used on AJB (er... that's us), see http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/31194/the-ajb-glossary-so-far/
He had a cameo if GF, but as a soldier in the Fort Knox assault.
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From mi6, a very similar list
...see post 7 above.