for your height only

delon64 · July 2008

the mail on sunday has outed craig as a stacked heel lift wearer in order to appear taller than his female co stars in high heels...i worked in wardrobe for a long time in the theatre and they are used more often than you would think...craigs first ever press conference was a bit suspicious as his clompy horse style walk and odd foot placement is the usual giveaway...but hell it worked for bogart and alan ladd!

Strangeways · July 2008

Size isn't everything!

7289 · July 2008

Prehaps a bit of that dreaded "short man" syndrome is what gives DC's protrayal of Bond a certain "edge".

Loeffelholz · July 2008

delon64 wrote:

the mail on sunday...

If it's in a Brit paper, and it's about Craig, I'm inclined to disbelieve it on a reflexive basis

Still, it's no mystery that Craig is the shortest actor to play Bond, and the trickery employed to make him 'taller' onscreen is a matter of course. He's an excellent Bond notwithstanding :007) I always assumed that this was part of his motivation to look like he could 'kill someone' when he took off his shirt; musculature as compensation.

arthur pringle · July 2008

I knew it. :v I'll be shattered if we find out he's wearing a wig next.

Tyler · July 2008

Hahahaha. Short-Man Syndrome for sure with the lifts, plus get your chick to wear flats and stoop! works fine for Tom Cruise, Nicolas Sarkozy and Sly Stallone LOLOL

7289 · July 2008

DC would not be the first Bond to have a "slight inferiority complex".

DAWUSS · July 2008

Would you feel better if we went to the NBA, found a white guy and made him run around with an English accent?

SIS7777 · July 2008

If you take the time to research a little bit you will find that it was the producers idea for him to wear the lifts in the cocktail scenes. As a masculine and powerful figure, it wouldn't do for the Bond girl to be taller than Bond, even when wearing 3-4 inch heels. Gemma Arterton is 5'7, and DC is 5'10, hence needing the lifts when she is in stilettos.

Son Of Barbel · July 2008

DAWUSS wrote:

Would you feel better if we went to the NBA, found a white guy and made him run around with an English accent?

No, but maybe one with a Scottish accent would work

i expect u2 die · July 2008

I'm pretty short to be honest, not quite reaching a 5'8

It only really gets annoying in situations like a nightclub, when I become rather invisible.

you learn to live with it

superdaddy · July 2008

so wat if he does wear heels connery wore a wig for crying out loud

Tyler · July 2008

Connery, bald or not was, and is, more "Man", than anyone of us mere mortals could ever hope to be.... LOL

delon64 · July 2008

who remembers the incomparable weng weng?...now he was a true shortarse...i actually named this thread after the english title of his most popular movie...as for craig we could have ronnie corbett as the next villain with maybe frankie dettori as the henchman

John Drake · July 2008

Craig is 5"10/5"11, depending on who you believe. That's hardly short. It's not tall either but you'd think he was the same height as Weng Weng the way the press goes on about it.

youknowmyname · July 2008

i read that it was only in scenes where arterton was in stilettos...that's understandable.

clever title to the thread though, clever title indeed.

in the words of Largo, "you and your friend have been clever, perhaps too clever."

Lexi · July 2008

..it's still sad in IMO that we still need to feed societies incessant idea that a leading man has to be taller than a woman. X-(

Surely his incredibly strong physique is enough.

Sharpe · July 2008

I'm just over 5'6" and while fairly short i'm not that aware of it most of the time. 5'10" doesn't seem short at all.

Hardyboy · July 2008

Height is relative. It always amuses me when I watch a basketball game on TV and I'll hear the announcer say, "They're bringing in the little guy"--and the "little guy" is 6'2"!

I don't suppose anyone still visits that anti-Craig site, which last I saw was morphing into a generic Bond chat site. . .if they're anything like their old selves, I'm sure this "news" about Craig's lifts has given them pages of material.

zaphod · July 2008

I think that the fact that this keeps surfacing is evidence that it is an issue at least for some of us. I don't think the issue is about if leading men in general have to be taller than leading Ladies(clearly they don't) but if James Bond in particular does. This does impact upon elements of Daniel's performence in as much as his much publicised beefing up has always smacked to me as overcompensation for lack of height and physical prescence. In my view he over did it in CR and came on a bit too much like an overdeveloped bouncer for my tastes. From what I have seen he looks more natural in QOS which is a good thing.

I think that we need a balanced approach to this, as it seems that we are in danger of regarding any criticism/questioning of Daniel as Bond as being heretical, which cannot be a good thing.
For my money he is too short for Bond (there are doubts re how accurate 5ft 10 is for Daniel) and for what it's worth he is too old for a newby 00 (they have to retire at 45)

All that being said he gave a truly great performence in CR,and I cannot think of anyone who could have outperformed him, but it does not mean that he is perfect. He is in a markedly different and arguably more modern mode of masculinity than we have seen before as Bond, and challenges the historical 50's idea of 'tall dark & Handsome' which we have come to associate with Bond since the publication of Casino Royale.

In summarry Daniel represents a huge change whils at the same time giving a great performence

Napoleon Plural · July 2008

He looks like Charles Hawtrey on the new poster.

Number24 · August 2008

I remember going to England on a school trip when I was about 17-18 years old. For some reason the group of pupils I spent the most time with were 6'2'' or taller. We all found it amusing that englishmen were so small ..
When Craig was called "short" at 5'10'' i couldn't help thinking of this!
Craig is tall enough.
But I'll admitt there are advantages to being tall: The few times I have been in in a threathining situation (e.g. fight waiting to happen) people tend to walk in small circles around me, even though
I'm not muscular. ... and you HAVE TO look down when talking to a girl (they are all shorter) to look her in the face and whatever is lower down than the face ...

zaphod · August 2008

Number24 wrote:

I remember going to England on a school trip when I was about 17-18 years old. For some reason the group of pupils I spent the most time with were 6'2'' or taller. We all found it amusing that englishmen were so small ..
When Craig was called "short" at 5'10'' i couldn't help thinking of this!
Craig is tall enough.
But I'll admitt there are advantages to being tall: The few times I have been in in a threathining situation (e.g. fight waiting to happen) people tend to walk in small circles around me, even though
I'm not muscular. ... and you HAVE TO look down when talking to a girl (they are all shorter) to look her in the face and whatever is lower down than the face ...

I don't think that the issue is whether Daniel is short or not in general, but whether James Bond should be taller than 5ft 10.These for me are quite different matters. For what it's worth I am doubtful that Daniel is 5ft 10 (check out the site 'how tall are celebrities') there is certainly a lot of discussion/dispute regarding this.
I have come to accept that this for me at least is a limitation with Daniel, but that does not mean that he has/is not doing a very good job. in fact it's testament to just how good an actor he is that although very far from the classic Bond look (either Cinematic or Literary) for the most part It's not a problem. This does not stop Daniel from being a very good Bond, but it does mean that he is not perfect. I would also prefer less beefy Bodygaurd and a little more polish/style as he develops into the role & hope to see that in QOS.

7289 · August 2008

Since Bond only appears on a two dimensional movie or TV screen the actual hieght of the actor is not a factor in playing the role. This was proven long ago by the likes of Alan Ladd and Humphrey Bogart who would have killed to be 5'10.

At least Craig has his own hair, a much more serious issue. "Big Tam's" toupee - it's mysterious coming and going's in TB, YOLT and NSNA are a distraction. The GF rug was so poorly applied that it really does distract one's eye - and affects the enjoyment of the film.

DC's relative height matters only when he and Satsuki are buying a bed or an armchair.

zaphod · August 2008

7289 wrote:

Since Bond only appears on a two dimensional movie or TV screen the actual hieght of the actor is not a factor in playing the role. This was proven long ago by the likes of Alan Ladd and Humphrey Bogart who would have killed to be 5'10.

At least Craig has his own hair, a much more serious issue. "Big Tam's" toupee - it's mysterious coming and going's in TB, YOLT and NSNA are a distraction. The GF rug was so poorly applied that it really does distract one's eye - and affects the enjoyment of the film.

DC's relative height matters only when he and Satsuki are buying a bed or an armchair.

At the risk of flogging this to death I have to disagree. Relative height is a factor that can be evident in a 2D medium as was clear in CR (Hotel & Casino scenes where Daniel appeared shorter than Vesper and other cast members) If Eon didn't think it mattered then why get Daniel to use lifts in QOS ?
I agree that Connery's hair piece was an issue, just not the one I was talking about.
I really do get a sense that any doubts about Daniel seem to be regarded as a form of disloyalty, and a good deal of defensiveness about this particular issue. Bringning up another actors unsuitability does not really engage with the question

7289 · August 2008

[quote=zaphodI really do get a sense that any doubts about Daniel seem to be regarded as a form of disloyalty, and a good deal of defensiveness about this particular issue. Bringning up another actors unsuitability does not really engage with the question[/quote]

I don't regard questioning D.C. as a form of dis-loyality, and don't feel too defensive about it either. It's really all in fun so what the heck...

I think Ladd and Bogart are fine examples of height challenged actors having that "disadvantage" removed by apple crates or other boxes, and some skillful camera angles.

If the same tricks are used by Craig, it's interesting but hardly as big a factor to me as something really significant like a "dead skunk" sitting on top of his head throughout the film.

As many times as I have seen CR'06 DC's height was never an issue. I think rather than being something to defend, I think it's something that the anti-Craigs are happy to obsess over, in the same manner I do regards "Big Tam"s" toupee.

Lexi · August 2008

...can I ask then, as a 6'1 female, what the hell does it matter if he is shorter?

I have struggled with this issue (men in particular being very threatened) by my height and it's something I almost feel I have to apologise for.

Craig's height, to me, is irrelevant. So what? So what if the current Bond could be shorter than the Bond Girl, it's 2008 for God's sake...are you so entrenched in the old fashioned way, that the man has to be taller than the girl?

...and here I was thinking we were moving forward with equality.

(...and Daniel is 5'11....don't deny him that last inch, it can make all the difference

)

Hardyboy · August 2008

This all reminds me of an old joke. A short guy walks up to a tall, beautiful woman and says, "Hey, Gorgeous, whadda ya say to a little f___?"

She pats him on the head and says, "Hello, little f___!"

I got a million of 'em!

Loeffelholz · August 2008

)

He's here all week, folks! Be sure to tip your waitresses and bartenders! {[]

laser944 · August 2008

I will try to inject some common sense into this thread,and without going into too much detail I can speak with some authority on this subject.The DC James Bond is the most authentic James Bond there has been, you would not be able to see anything out of the ordinary about Mi6 agents they blend in with the background hence the silly shirt at the begining of CR,(the one some of you have ordered) they are not 6 2".The average height of most SAS & SBS is 5 8" any taller than that, their bodies would not be able to function and perform on missions such as the Iranian Embassy seige. If you want Bond to be more authentic stop moaning about his height please.

Napoleon Plural · August 2008

Well, I didn't know that, fair enough. Though you could argue that's a bit like saying Bond should have a Ford Fiesta not an Aston as that's a less standout car.

Lexi, we're just flogging this thread to death like we do with everything...

for your height only

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