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BOND. THE NAME COULD HAVE BEEN BOND

stagstag In the thick of it!
in Bond Movies Posts: 1,053
I'm hesitant to open new threads for fear of having them closed. I have done a search & can find no duplicates so here goes...................

Who do you think would have made a good Bond had Sean Connery not got the gig? Also what about the rest of the cast? Have you any suggestions for actors who could have done as good a job as Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell & Desmond Llewellyn had they not been considered for their respectives roles.

What about Lazenby, Moore or Dalton? Who could have been Bond had they not been on the scene?

Comments

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited July 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I think Connery defined filmic Bond (and a whole new iconic spy characterization) so well in those early films that it's almost impossible to contemplate anyone else in the role at that time. Perhaps Cary Grant could have handled FRWL & DN suitably (and brought something special to it as he always could), or even Roger Moore (from GF onwards at least).

    Same goes for Moore - I don't think anyone could have replaced him through the 70's. Those films were made for him and he for them.

    In contrast to many here, I think either Connery, Moore or Dalton could have pulled off OHMSS. So while I think the film is excellent, as is Lazenby, I think he was replaceable in it.

    Dalton? I would think the most likely answer is Brosnan, since he almost got the gig.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    bondjames wrote: »
    Dalton? I would think the most likely answer is Brosnan, since he almost got the gig.

    I think probably not given Brosnan did get the gig ahead of Dalton.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited July 2016 Posts: 23,883
    TheWizardOfIce wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    Dalton? I would think the most likely answer is Brosnan, since he almost got the gig.

    I think probably not given Brosnan did get the gig ahead of Dalton.
    True, but we are dealing in the hypothetical here. So if I stretch the hypothesis a little to assume Remington Steele isn't renewed, I think Brosnan circa 1987-1989 could have pulled off TLD and perhaps even LTK (with some tweaking) nicely.

    I've always said I preferred Brosnan when he was younger. There was an edginess to him back then (around the time of Fourth Protocol & The Noble House) that he lost as he aged in my view.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited July 2016 Posts: 9,117
    bondjames wrote: »
    TheWizardOfIce wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    Dalton? I would think the most likely answer is Brosnan, since he almost got the gig.

    I think probably not given Brosnan did get the gig ahead of Dalton.
    True, but we are dealing in the hypothetical here. So if I stretch the hypothesis a little to assume Remington Steele isn't renewed, I think Brosnan circa 1987-1989 could have pulled off TLD and perhaps even LTK (with some tweaking) nicely.

    I've always said I preferred Brosnan when he was younger. There was an edginess to him back then (around the time of Fourth Protocol & The Noble House) that he lost as he aged in my view.

    So do we think if Remington Steele had not been renewed that Broz would have been Bond all the way through 87-02 even riding out the 5 year hiatus?

    Personally I would say he that he would as, let's be honest here, Dalts always had his theatre career and other things he wanted to do. Bond was a massive deal for Pierce and without it he would have been lucky to be another Michael Biehn or Jeff Fahey. I doubt he would have quit while waiting for the MGM thing to be resolved.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,275
    Sir Oliver Reed, obviously.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    TheWizardOfIce wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    TheWizardOfIce wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    Dalton? I would think the most likely answer is Brosnan, since he almost got the gig.

    I think probably not given Brosnan did get the gig ahead of Dalton.
    True, but we are dealing in the hypothetical here. So if I stretch the hypothesis a little to assume Remington Steele isn't renewed, I think Brosnan circa 1987-1989 could have pulled off TLD and perhaps even LTK (with some tweaking) nicely.

    I've always said I preferred Brosnan when he was younger. There was an edginess to him back then (around the time of Fourth Protocol & The Noble House) that he lost as he aged in my view.

    So do we think if Remington Steele had not been renewed that Broz would have been Bond all the way through 87-02 even riding out the 5 year hiatus?

    Personally I would say he that he would as, let's be honest here, Dalts always had his theatre career and other things he wanted to do. Bond was a massive deal for Pierce and without it he would have been lucky to be another Michael Biehn or Jeff Fahey. I doubt he would have quit while waiting for the MGM thing to be resolved.
    I agree. I think Brosnan would have stayed on. I also (controversially perhaps) believe that LTK would have been a different film with Brosnan in it, and may have been more successful commercially as a result stateside.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited July 2016 Posts: 9,117
    bondjames wrote: »
    I also (controversially perhaps) believe that LTK would have been a different film with Brosnan in it, and may have been more successful commercially as a result stateside.

    I don't think this is controversial in the slightest. LTK was tailored specifically for Dalton so naturally they would have tailored it to Brosnan's Connery/Moore mash up style.

    Given the dark subject matter and Brozza's lighter style it wouldnt surprise me if the whole story was scrapped and they came up with a more standard 'Bond saves the work mission' a la TND or DAD.

    Financially more successful? Again I think this is a given. The public just didn't warm to Tim as they did to Pierce.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    Personally I think that Dirk Bogarde would have made a good first Bond. there are a couple of caveats though. The films would have needed to come in hard on the heels of Flemings initial successes & take a different approach perhaps to the celluloid Dr No we all know & love.

    Just one point. How do I post pictures directly from my computer?

  • BMW_with_missilesBMW_with_missiles All the usual refinements.
    edited July 2016 Posts: 3,000
    stag wrote: »

    Just one point. How do I post pictures directly from my computer?

    I don't believe there is a way to do it directly. You have to upload the picture to a photo sharing site (like photo bucket) and then link the image here (put the link inside of image tags). The photo will then display on this page.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    Okay. Thanks for that.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    What do members think of Cary Grant (although he was too old really when DN was being cast and his accent is mid atlantic)? He looks likes Fleming's Bond, he is suave and good looking, has screen presence/ star quality and is English.

  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    Yes He could have been a good Bond but as you say age was against him. Richard Todd & James Mason (also perhaps too old by that stage?) could have made interesting Bonds had the franchise begun in the fifties.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    Controversial perhaps but a left field contender to take over from Lazenby - Oliver Tobias anyone?

    I've posted the following link for those who haven't heard of him. (He's the one with the black hair)

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I'd have loved to have seen the late Lewis Collins as 007. He was a cool guy and did
    The SAS course, although he admitted he F*cked up his audition. :(
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    edited July 2016 Posts: 1,053
    Yup Collins would have been good - his time frame would have been post Sir Roger though. He was with the TA Parachute Regiment so was entitled to wear the beret & badge in real life. Here's a clip of him in action:

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