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The Minor Character Hall of Fame
saunders
Living in a world of avarice and deceit
Lots of focus is given to the main characters of the Bond films such as Bond, the Bond girls, the Bond villains, M, Q, Moneypenny and Saunders, but what about the less important characters who help to create such a colorful and diverse rich tapestry of a world that our hero inhabits. Well don't worry as this is the topic to rectify this, simply tell us who your favourite minor character is and why they deserve such recognition. It doesn't matter how small or insignificant their role was, maybe for instance you hold deep admiration for the camp Rio hotel manager in MR or maybe it's someone with a far more meatier role such as gunsmith Lazar from TMWTGG, whoever it is this is the place to praise their achievements.
To start us off I can't think of a more fitting candidate than:
<B>HECTOR GONZALES</B>
In the world of James Bond the Cuban hit man Hector Gonzales will always be overshadowed by the more high profile Francisco Scaramanga and they do indeed bear many similarities, it is implied that they are both Communist trained, both have a love for gold jewellery and both enjoy their killing for high financial gain. But despite far less screen time Hector is by far the more interesting of the two assasins. When we first see him he is posing as a pilot for the Athens-based Kerkyra Charter Service, duping his passenger Melina Havelock so that she will lead him to his targets, Melina's parents Sir Timothy and his wife Iona. During the flight it is clear that he has charmed her despite his rather dodgy moustache, balding hairline, open medallion-ed shirt and generally greasy appearance managing to portray a sort of hispanic/greek hybrid something akin to a Brazilian Kebab van man. But despite these shortcomings Melina is comfortable enough to do her make up in front of him and to laugh and chat with him, even pointing out her parents ship the 'Triana' as they approach Corfu Harbour. Even after they land and her parents appear Hector is still charm personified reminding Melina of her shopping bags bearing gifts for his 'targets', this is far removed from the cold distant approach that Scaramanga used to track and kill his victims, and while this moment would of been a opportunity to pull out a weapon and gun down the Havelock's he doesn't, for Hector is a man of style, why just shoot a defenceless ageing couple when you can machine-gun them with high-velocity 222 bullets at a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute from a dive bombing Cessna seaplane, and it's only as he pulls the trigger does that facade of charm suddenly slip to reveal his snarling, mouth foaming, savagery. So confident is he in his own lethal ability that he doesn't make a second pass over the 'Triana', he has fired therefore he has killed, and just flies off into the distance.
We next meet Gonzales at a heavily guarded villa outside Madrid in Spain. Once again we find evidence of his sociability, no small island with just a girl and two hired help for this man, this is truly 'Playboy Mansion' Hit-man style with bikini girls, muscled men, swimming pools, alcoholic beverages and blaring pop music vocalised by 'Rage'! Assuming this is Hector's Euro pad and these people are in his employment then it would suggest that he is a good and considerate boss, providing generous amenities such as 'swing-ball', dispensing random thick wads of banknotes and apparently not even frowning on office romances that would seem to blossom in this environment. His staff, both the men and girls come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds suggesting that he takes both equality and diversity in the workplace very seriously (and if one of those bikini beauties did turn out to be a former man, isn't that just proving the point!) and considering the age and general fitness of the tubby guard that Roger knocks into the pool I think we can agree that being ageist is not another of this mans faults.
But Hector does have one rather major flaw and that's his ego, despite correctly identifying him from his standard sidearm he quickly dismisses the captured Bond as too insignificant to be killed by himself (though to be fair maybe the seaplane wasn't tanked up) and delegates the task before preparing to do a showstopping dive into the pool. It is in this act of hubris that Hector tragically meets his end as he is shot in the back with a bolt from a crossbow fired by a lone assassin, you can't help but think that Hector himself would of approved of the irony of his death, being killed by the daughter of two of his victims, a girl who had sat next to him neither realising the others killer instincts, and so it's almost with a magisterial sense of grace that his body slowly rises to the surface of the pool revealing the final gruesome act in a long career of death.
Yet even after his death his charisma is such that his men feel the need to go to extreme lengths to avenge his passing by chasing and destroying Melina and continuing the repetitious cycle of folly that is hot blooded revenge. Yes he was a killer and an enemy of Bond, and yet take away the morals and is Bond really much different? They are both hired killers, they both enjoy beautiful objects and vast quantities of gorgeous girls and both will resolve issues with extreme violence, Hector Gonzales RIP.
To start us off I can't think of a more fitting candidate than:
<B>HECTOR GONZALES</B>
In the world of James Bond the Cuban hit man Hector Gonzales will always be overshadowed by the more high profile Francisco Scaramanga and they do indeed bear many similarities, it is implied that they are both Communist trained, both have a love for gold jewellery and both enjoy their killing for high financial gain. But despite far less screen time Hector is by far the more interesting of the two assasins. When we first see him he is posing as a pilot for the Athens-based Kerkyra Charter Service, duping his passenger Melina Havelock so that she will lead him to his targets, Melina's parents Sir Timothy and his wife Iona. During the flight it is clear that he has charmed her despite his rather dodgy moustache, balding hairline, open medallion-ed shirt and generally greasy appearance managing to portray a sort of hispanic/greek hybrid something akin to a Brazilian Kebab van man. But despite these shortcomings Melina is comfortable enough to do her make up in front of him and to laugh and chat with him, even pointing out her parents ship the 'Triana' as they approach Corfu Harbour. Even after they land and her parents appear Hector is still charm personified reminding Melina of her shopping bags bearing gifts for his 'targets', this is far removed from the cold distant approach that Scaramanga used to track and kill his victims, and while this moment would of been a opportunity to pull out a weapon and gun down the Havelock's he doesn't, for Hector is a man of style, why just shoot a defenceless ageing couple when you can machine-gun them with high-velocity 222 bullets at a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute from a dive bombing Cessna seaplane, and it's only as he pulls the trigger does that facade of charm suddenly slip to reveal his snarling, mouth foaming, savagery. So confident is he in his own lethal ability that he doesn't make a second pass over the 'Triana', he has fired therefore he has killed, and just flies off into the distance.
We next meet Gonzales at a heavily guarded villa outside Madrid in Spain. Once again we find evidence of his sociability, no small island with just a girl and two hired help for this man, this is truly 'Playboy Mansion' Hit-man style with bikini girls, muscled men, swimming pools, alcoholic beverages and blaring pop music vocalised by 'Rage'! Assuming this is Hector's Euro pad and these people are in his employment then it would suggest that he is a good and considerate boss, providing generous amenities such as 'swing-ball', dispensing random thick wads of banknotes and apparently not even frowning on office romances that would seem to blossom in this environment. His staff, both the men and girls come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds suggesting that he takes both equality and diversity in the workplace very seriously (and if one of those bikini beauties did turn out to be a former man, isn't that just proving the point!) and considering the age and general fitness of the tubby guard that Roger knocks into the pool I think we can agree that being ageist is not another of this mans faults.
But Hector does have one rather major flaw and that's his ego, despite correctly identifying him from his standard sidearm he quickly dismisses the captured Bond as too insignificant to be killed by himself (though to be fair maybe the seaplane wasn't tanked up) and delegates the task before preparing to do a showstopping dive into the pool. It is in this act of hubris that Hector tragically meets his end as he is shot in the back with a bolt from a crossbow fired by a lone assassin, you can't help but think that Hector himself would of approved of the irony of his death, being killed by the daughter of two of his victims, a girl who had sat next to him neither realising the others killer instincts, and so it's almost with a magisterial sense of grace that his body slowly rises to the surface of the pool revealing the final gruesome act in a long career of death.
Yet even after his death his charisma is such that his men feel the need to go to extreme lengths to avenge his passing by chasing and destroying Melina and continuing the repetitious cycle of folly that is hot blooded revenge. Yes he was a killer and an enemy of Bond, and yet take away the morals and is Bond really much different? They are both hired killers, they both enjoy beautiful objects and vast quantities of gorgeous girls and both will resolve issues with extreme violence, Hector Gonzales RIP.
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Comments
- Krilencu (Fred Haggerty, FRWL)
- Toussaint (Geoffrey Cheshire, OHMSS)
- Klaus Hergesheimer (Ed Bishop, DAF)
- Miss Caruso (Madeline Smith, LALD)
- Achille Aubergine (Jean Rougerie, AVTAK)
- Fallon (Christopher Neame, LTK)
- Cmd. Richard Day (Christopher Bowen, TND)
Most certainly I have forgotten a few so this list may grow.
I remember on the floor laughing the first time I saw the whole "G Section, checking Radiation Shields". To me this scene is a moment that really gives Diamonds are Forever a touch of good-hearted, light humor, and lifts up a film that is perhaps not as rich in story as the more serious, Fleming-esque spy entries like FRWL, TB, or OHMSS. Yet at the same time, the exchange is so Fleming in it's tongue and cheek. I don't know what it is exactly that makes it work, because afterall it's such a throwaway gag. It's so ordinary--almost like a conversation you would have with a co-worker on the elevator; this is part of the humor--seeing Bond in an everyday "shoot the s***" kind of situation. Ed Bishop plays the scene great and Connery's raised eyebrow smirky humor adds a lot, in addition to maximizing the classic Connery "sh" pronunciation. Plus, I like the Hergesheimer character. He seems like such a nice guy. How could he be working for Blofeld? Perhaps he doesn't know. Maybe he's just a good scientist checking in and out of work just trying to make a paycheck. I think if it had been any other character, Bond would have needed to resort to choking or knocking out the guy to get inside the lab. Added trivia: director Guy Hamilton would call some "Hergesheimer" if he couldn't remember the name, so Tom Mankiewicz wrote it in to the screenplay--what a hoot. I know Klaus Hergesheimer is just a throwaway character, but it's little moments like these that stick in my memory after watching a Bond film.
^ That one was for you buddy ;-)
DaltonCraig007, how about Chew Me from your beloved "TMWTGG"?
"Ah! My Caaaa! My Caaaa!"
And what's with that little dance he did there? If this ridiculousness was meant to make us laugh, mission failed, at least in my case.
DarthDimi how can you disrespect such a great minor character as the French cab driver? I love that little guy, he's a real inspiration to me and I've already practised his famous line so if ever I'm fortunate enough to see my car being stolen I can do the "Oooooooohhhh ma caaaa!" line :)
Which I'm sure we'll get. One day. ;;)
GoldenSaw
From Jigsaw With Love
Moodbreaker
GoldenGun, you are right. J.W. is too big-time to be lumped with the minor characters :)
@Moonraker You are a top member here !! =D>
:)