timothy dalton was the best!

dr. evan-gelist · June 2009

Dan Same wrote:

dr. evan-gelist wrote:

1. dalton did one more film
2. lazenby was taken to one side and given some advice and told to shape up by telly savalas
3. daltons acting skills werent wooden like lazenbys
4. dalton had 20 years of acting exp. before he did bond. lazenby came straight to the role after doing a frys advert.
5. lazenby regrets doing only one film, dalton has never regretted resigning at all
6. he hardly ever attends bond functions, memorials, photo opportunities, premieres or conventions. dalton does
7. lazenbys gunbarrel intro was lame and shocking

I don't know how seriously to take this, but here goes:

1)I don't know what the relevance is in relation to number of films. Plus you're being inconsistent. Moore did five more films than Dalton and Brosnan did two more films, yet you regard Dalton to be a better Bond than both Moore and Brosnan. To me, it's about quality, not quantity. I think that Dalton would have been the worst ever Bond, whether he did one, two, four or seven films. As for Lazenby, the only things I like about him are his physicality and his handling of the final scene.

2)Yet again with receiving advice. Why is such a terrible thing to receive advice?

3)Dalton was a better actor than Lazenby, however IMO, his acting skills went out the window in his two Bond films. I consider his two performances to be the two worst lead Bond performances of all time

4)Experience only counts if you see it on the screen. When it came to Bond, I personally didn't.

5)But what does Lazenby's regret and Dalton's lack of regret have to do with how good Bonds they were?

6)Dalton is a great guy, but that doesn't mean he was a great Bond. Moore has also spoken highly of his time as Bond, yet you don't seem to a big fan of him.

7)It mightn't have been the best but I wouldn't call it 'lame' or 'shocking.' Personally, I didn't mind it.

2. advice means another actor is telling u how to act, thats embarrasing
3. thats ur opinion
4. dalton is uncomfortable as a funny actor thats why he does it seriously and the exp. shows that
5. cant argue
7. lazenbys gunbarrel was bad. u dont get on one knee to shoot a gun

Dan Same · June 2009

dr. evan-gelist wrote:

2. advice means another actor is telling u how to act, thats embarrasing
3. thats ur opinion
4. dalton is uncomfortable as a funny actor thats why he does it seriously and the exp. shows that
5. cant argue
7. lazenbys gunbarrel was bad. u dont get on one knee to shoot a gun

2)Well, I don't think it's embarassing. However I do think that when it came to bond, Dalton should have asked for advice.

3)Of course it's my opinion, that's why I used IMO and 'I consider.'

4)Except, I think that his performances were boring and soulless. I didn't see any experience in his Bonds. Also, I don't think any of the Bonds were 'funny'; witty maybe, but not funny.

7)Maybe you don't, but it looks extremely cool.

Loeffelholz · June 2009

dr. evan-gelist wrote:

7. lazenbys gunbarrel was bad. u dont get on one knee to shoot a gun

Ideally not...the safest way is to lay prone on the ground

Actually, dropping to one knee---however one might view it stylistically, tactically presents a smaller target for your opponent...so arguably it's a sound move. I happen to think it's a cool and distinctive entry in the series of gunbarrel intros B-)

dr. evan-gelist · June 2009

the Dalton/Bond enemies (best to worst)

1. Franz Sanchez
2. Necros
3. Jorgi Koskov
4. Milton Krest
5. Brad Whittaker
6. Dario
7. Heller
8. Truman Lodge
9. Ed Killifer

Jamesbondjr · June 2009

Anyone else reminded of JennyFlexFan by the OP's fanaticism?

)

Higgins · June 2009

I can't see too many similarities with JFF. He was funny and I am sure, that he knew, that his borderline-praise of AVTAK was controversal.

All I can see here is a fanboy who's registered since 7 days and has nothing better to do than entering here on a James Bond Forum and dragging down 90% of all EON Bonds. I'd say, he's looking for trouble and not for a healthy discussion.

One word to Dalton: I never changed my mind from the first pic: I thought, that he looks like a bookkeeper and not a Bond.

Many say, that he was tough and more Fleming like, I found him soft and weak. Just 2 examples: He wasn't even able to destroy a balloon without blinking and his doggy-puppy-eyes, when the topic comes to Kara took a lot of grace, that his predecessors built up.

So, to my opinion, even Woody Allen was better than Dalton

Jamesbondjr · June 2009

Bondtoys wrote:

I can't see too many similarities with JFF. He was funny and I am sure, that he knew, that his borderline-praise of AVTAK was controversal.

I don't mean in style, just the level of obsession.

JFF was funny

dr. evan-gelist · June 2009

Jamesbondjr wrote:

Bondtoys wrote:

I can't see too many similarities with JFF. He was funny and I am sure, that he knew, that his borderline-praise of AVTAK was controversal.

I don't mean in style, just the level of obsession.

JFF was funny

sorry im not being funny here, but i thought this was a serious discussion site. dalton wasnt funny anyway. sorry if ive caused offence.

dr. evan-gelist · June 2009

actors that were screen tested, but lost out to timothy dalton.

Sam Neill
Christopher Reeve
James Brolin
Pierce Brosnan

Loeffelholz · June 2009

I think Sam Neill could have been an excellent Bond...and to be accurate, Pierce Brosnan didn't lose out to Dalton---he was cast in the role, then had to bow out when NBC flexed their legal muscles with Brozzer's 'Remington Steele' contract; Dalton was really their second choice at the time.

dr. evan-gelist · June 2009

Loeffelholz wrote:

I think Sam Neill could have been an excellent Bond...and to be accurate, Pierce Brosnan didn't lose out to Dalton---he was cast in the role, then had to bow out when NBC flexed their legal muscles with Brozzer's 'Remington Steele' contract; Dalton was really their second choice at the time.

not wanting to argue here but dalton was approached first but he was making brenda starr.

Loeffelholz · June 2009

Fine...but I think there's a piece of this chronological puzzle still missing...because if Dalton was doing Brenda Starr (and I'm sure she enjoyed it!), he surely wasn't doing TLD at the same time. If there was a delay in shooting TLD, it couldn't have been a long one (there were only two years between AVTAK and TLD).

And the bit about Brosnan getting the part, and then having to relinquish it because of 'Remington Steele', is a fact as well. But I'll defer to your expertise on this one---the title of your thread is "timothy dalton was the best!", after all, so I guess he gets the edge! {[]

EDIT: IMDB lists Brenda Starr as having a production date of 1989...and a release date of 1992 (!) ...must've been a classic.

dr. evan-gelist · June 2009

i admit that although dalton was good, he was better in flash.:))

Loeffelholz · June 2009

Brings me back to my point, though: if Brenda Starr was shot in '89, and TLD was shot in '86-'87, I'm not sure how Brenda Starr figures in Dalton not being Bond when...he was Bond (?) ?:)

Lady Rose · June 2009

Loeffelholz wrote:

Brings me back to my point, though: if Brenda Starr was shot in '89, and TLD was shot in '86-'87, I'm not sure how Brenda Starr figures in Dalton not being Bond when...he was Bond (?) ?:)

I'll help you out here Loeffs

Brenda Starr was filmed in 1986. Not sure were IMDB are getting their details from but its not the most accurate of sites and Dalton was indeed filming BS when the Bond role came up.

Now, the sequence of events as I know it are ...

Dalton is approached about Bond but is filming Brenda Starr and can't committ. Brosnan takes the Bond role and all systems go. Remington Steel producers stick their nose in and mess up for Brosnan and cause a delay in filming Bond (cant make a Bond film without a James Bond afterall

) . By this time TD has nearly finished filming BS and is approached again for Bond, which he can now accept.

Keeping up?

There is a well known story that apparently Dalton finished filming Brenda Starr on the Saturday and started filming TLD on the Monday, so it was all on a very tight schedule.

Anyone who knows any different can fill in the gaps.

As for Brenda Starr itself, there was a huge delay in releasing the film and as as you rightly summised, it is a pile of poo! Cant even be found is a bargain bin these days

)

Loeffelholz · June 2009

Right, thanks Rose ;%

dr. evan-gelist · July 2009

Lady Rose wrote:

Loeffelholz wrote:

Brings me back to my point, though: if Brenda Starr was shot in '89, and TLD was shot in '86-'87, I'm not sure how Brenda Starr figures in Dalton not being Bond when...he was Bond (?) ?:)

I'll help you out here Loeffs

Brenda Starr was filmed in 1986. Not sure were IMDB are getting their details from but its not the most accurate of sites and Dalton was indeed filming BS when the Bond role came up.

Now, the sequence of events as I know it are ...

Dalton is approached about Bond but is filming Brenda Starr and can't committ. Brosnan takes the Bond role and all systems go. Remington Steel producers stick their nose in and mess up for Brosnan and cause a delay in filming Bond (cant make a Bond film without a James Bond afterall ) . By this time TD has nearly finished filming BS and is approached again for Bond, which he can now accept.

Keeping up?

There is a well known story that apparently Dalton finished filming Brenda Starr on the Saturday and started filming TLD on the Monday, so it was all on a very tight schedule.

Anyone who knows any different can fill in the gaps.

As for Brenda Starr itself, there was a huge delay in releasing the film and as as you rightly summised, it is a pile of poo! Cant even be found is a bargain bin these days )

very good and correct lady rose

Scribe74 · July 2009

Dalton never got the respect he deserves for returning Bond to his literary roots. After more than a decade of Roger Moore's comical (and certainly entertaining) depiction of Bond, audiences weren't ready for Dalton's intense portrayal. Personally, I love the Dalton films. The homage to Live and Let Die (the book) in LTK is great.

All that said, Daniel Craig is--at least for me--by far and away the best of the cinematic Bonds.

dr. evan-gelist · July 2009

Scribe74 wrote:

Dalton never got the respect he deserves for returning Bond to his literary roots. After more than a decade of Roger Moore's comical (and certainly entertaining) depiction of Bond, audiences weren't ready for Dalton's intense portrayal. Personally, I love the Dalton films. The homage to Live and Let Die (the book) in LTK is great.

All that said, Daniel Craig is--at least for me--by far and away the best of the cinematic Bonds.

good point scribe, people werent ready for the dalton films cos they were so used to moores antics. im sorry but im not a moore fan, in my eyes hes not an actor, although he did have the best women and bad guys. my fave dalton girl is pam bouvier.

sambwoy · July 2009

dr. evan-gelist wrote:

actors that were screen tested, but lost out to timothy dalton.

Sam Neill
Christopher Reeve
James Brolin
Pierce Brosnan

I think Christopher Reeve merely stated he had been approached. The Living Daylights Ultimate DVD features has got a Sam Neill screen test. James Brolin was tested prior to Octopussy, but lost to Roger Moore.

I think Dalton fared better in other non-Bond films in terms of critical reception and box office and within the overall legacy of Bond, but the premises of his Bonds and everything else was good, and you could never say they are bad films.

I remember the time when TWINE came out and ITV showed this documentary 'The James Bond Story', and Lazenby and Dalton's films and Moonraker got unfairly bashed. Not one of the best Bond TV docs. Its was one of those cheap kinds where I remember the contributors were mostly immature TV celebs and journalists posing as 'experts'.

Licence To Kill with Bond going rogue agent and making the villain too naturalistic may have contributed to the perception that it was a failure, but there are other contributing factors outside its control such as the fact that it was released backed by a poor advertising campaign against strong box office rivalry. MGM turned down the original ad artwork by Bob Peak and issued ones that looked similar to those they did for Daylights. LTK perform better in certain countries' markets such as Taiwan, France and South America.

In Looney Tunes: Back In Action, Dalton plays, Brendan Fraser's dad (!), an actor playing a spy.

dr. evan-gelist · July 2009

you ve made some good points sambwoy. i personally think if dalton did the bond films that brosnan did, and vice versa, dalton wud have been considered one of the best bonds. i personally dont like the way bond is portrayed by roger moore. he has a slapstick style, and was only missing barbara windsor as a bond girl.

hegottheboot · July 2009

Dalton brought that Shakespearean touch with his portrayal that led many to believe he was too focused and uptight. his problem was the weakness of the scripts and only doing two. With more films, he could only get better. (Although I think TLD was the last great bond film.) He had the hard edge. He not only could but did kill in cold blood-not necessarily liking it-yet sometimes you could see the gleam of pleasure in his eyes. he was human-not a superman. He could make mistakes. He questioned M's orders and OPENLY DEFIED HIM!! No other Bond besides GL and the book character did this. It shows that his Bond was a thoughtful spy as he realistically should be. (TLD even has the sniping in Bratislava!!) In TLD, during Koskov's debriefing we see Dalton listening in with a look perfectly stating-you're full of it. Not since Connery have we seen a 007 with the sardonic look in his eye showing exactly who's in control. (compare TD in this scene with Sean in Dr. No after talking to Pleydell-Smith in the phone booth!)
LTK was certainly flawed but this is not Dalton's fault. He really is ignored by the general public, but never by 007 fans.
Another thing: Dalton smoked as Bond!!! What happened to Bond lighting up?? CR by Fleming-70 cigarettes a day. CR 2006-absolutely nothing! Roger Moore smoked cigars, Connery had cigarettes, and so did George!! What's next the complete abolition of Bond drinking? (scene in QoS on the plane was a cheap shot to Fleming readers-at least I felt so.)

dr. evan-gelist · July 2009

you have nailed it on the head there hegottheboot. it is frustrating being a dalton fan, epsecially the ignorance towards dalton. the public probably wanted to see roger limping along for another two films.

dr. evan-gelist · September 2009

In LTK, i think Everitt Mcgill's character Ed Killifer was underused, because Everitt was acting better in Under Seige 2.

DaltonFan1 · September 2009

Isn't it a travesty Dalton didn't take the Bond role earlier and stuck with it? We could have had 5 or 6 classics instead of just 2.

dr. evan-gelist · September 2009

Yes. Im not a Moore fan at all. He was way too old.

Blackleiter · September 2009

I thought Timothy Dalton was a very good Bond. But the best? I'm sorry, but I don't think a serious case can be made for Dalton over Sean Connery. Anyone care to try to make that comparison?

dr. evan-gelist · March 2010

In all fairness, Dalton was a fan of Connery's, and this was also the case with Moore and Brosnan aswell. Ive never seen any Bond actor admit they liked Sir Roger's version.

Alex · March 2010

dr. evan-gelist wrote:

Ive never seen any Bond actor admit they liked Sir Roger's version.

Well ... I've never seen RM have an unkind word to say about any of his co-workers. But perhaps that sort of humanity is a symbol of a bygone era. Occasionally it certainly makes it's absence felt amongst 'fans'. Perhaps kindess is so seldom practiced nowadays that people don't recognize it when they see it.

If your statement is used as some sort of chassis to comfortably frame your dislike of Roger Moore upon then more power to you. Perhaps it validates your personal belief in his poor portrayal and that's all good if you want to go that route. Unfortunately, not only is such a statement completely worthless as a foundation for RM's role being poor, (in your opinion), it's also something I've never once heard and in my opinion completely ridiculous.

I'm certain Moore, in the company of professional peers and colleagues, (actors), being in the same line of work and all, have commented amongst themselves. I'm also confident enough in my opinion to assume very few of them would have exhibited the obnoxiousness that your statement seems to be extoling. (I realize you mention "fairness", but this thread is from September and such a short statement drew my response)

But when you acquire physic mind reading powers, please be sure to divulge the mental trappings of Connery, Lazenby, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig. (you'll certainly have your work cut out for with Sir Sean) Good luck!

timothy dalton was the best!

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