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Happy Canada Day: 146 years/Canadiana in the Bond films

timmertimmer
edited July 2013 in General Discussion Posts: 4,622
Happy Canada Day, July 1st, 2013, celebrating the 146th anniversary of the British North America Act of 1867, which united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire.



Moving Mr. Wint! Heartwarming Mr. Kidd!


Comments

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    Are you Canadian yourself @timmer?
  • timmertimmer
    edited July 2013 Posts: 4,622
    Yep, born in Ottawa, grew-up watching the changing of the guards on Parliament Hill.
    Riveting stuff when you are a little boy.
    guard-changing.jpg
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    I have some relations in Toronto. Plus, FYEO short story was partly set in Ottawa!
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    And Bond battled Spectre in Toronto in TSWLM, before he motored south for his rv with Vivienne at the Dreamy Pines Motor Inn.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    timmer wrote:
    And Bond battled Spectre in Toronto in TSWLM, before he motored south for his rv with Vivienne at the Dreamy Pines Motor Inn.

    Yes, Horst Uhlmann of SPECTRE and 'The Mechanics'. I'd quite forgotten that, @timmer!
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    Interesting, Fleming's observations about Toronto, circa 1961-62. He called it a tough town, like it was Istanbul or something.
    Methinks he was rather dramatic. I wouldn't even call Toronto a tough town now. Yes there are gang-bangers, regular shootings and the usual stuff that plagues any big city, and areas you wouldn't visit un-invited unless you were Remo Williams.
    But the main areas, malls, down-town etc are completely safe to walk around in.
    As big cities go, Toronto is probably one of the safest, just for moving about in, working and living.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    timmer wrote:
    Interesting, Fleming's observations about Toronto, circa 1961-62. He called it a tough town, like it was Istanbul or something.
    Methinks he was rather dramatic. I wouldn't even call Toronto a tough town now. Yes there are gang-bangers, regular shootings and the usual stuff that plagues any big city, and areas you wouldn't visit un-invited unless you were Remo Williams.
    But the main areas, malls, down-town etc are completely safe to walk around in.
    As big cities go, Toronto is probably one of the safest, just for moving about in, working and living.

    Interesting observations there on the myth and the reality, @timmer.
  • timmertimmer
    edited July 2013 Posts: 4,622
    To be fair to Fleming though, he was in the business of exploring the criminal and dangerous element of any city, that regular people can avoid if they keep to their business and stay in the safe areas. He did spend time in Toronto during the war, especially at the commando training centre Camp X, which was located just outside the city in Oshawa, so he picked up some stuff while he was here.
    Toronto though, always has been an international criminal hub with much various and sundry organized crime activity, and with connections to Detroit and New York City gangs, so the city is tough in that sense, even if it's not dangerous to move about and live in, as the city is also well policed and economically prosperous.
    Fleming being smart about criminal matters, it seems, tapped into the more dangerous underbelly, declared the city tough, and worked this into Bond's Toronto Spectre encounter.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    timmer wrote:
    To be fair to Fleming though, he was in the business of exploring the criminal and dangerous element of any city, that regular people can avoid if they keep to their business and stay in the safe areas. He did spend time in Toronto during the war, especially at the commando training centre Camp X, which was located just outside the city in Oshawa, so he picked up some stuff while he was here.
    Toronto though, always has been an international criminal hub with much various and sundry organized crime activity, and with connections to Detroit and New York City gangs, so the city is tough in that sense, even if it's not dangerous to move about and live in, as the city is also well policed and economically prosperous.
    Fleming being smart about criminal matters, it seems, tapped into the more dangerous underbelly, declared the city tough, and worked this into Bond's Toronto Spectre encounter.

    Yes, and Thrilling Cities (1963) by Ian Fleming is testament to this.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,433
    Don't forget the film Bond was almost sent to Station C Canada during the Thunderball mission! Trying to think of any other Canadian references during the film series?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    thedove wrote:
    Don't forget the film Bond was almost sent to Station C Canada during the Thunderball mission! Trying to think of any other Canadian references during the film series?

    The Yukon was mentioned as the crash-site of the plane in the Moonraker Q briefing with B/W footage.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653


    Happy birthday
  • timmertimmer
    edited July 2013 Posts: 4,622
    thedove wrote:
    Don't forget the film Bond was almost sent to Station C Canada during the Thunderball mission! Trying to think of any other Canadian references during the film series?
    There's lots of them. We did this once before, maybe it was on the old site and thus not archived here, but there must have been at least 15 good ones.
    Maybe a new thread.

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    timmer wrote:
    thedove wrote:
    Don't forget the film Bond was almost sent to Station C Canada during the Thunderball mission! Trying to think of any other Canadian references during the film series?
    There's lots of them. We did this once before, maybe it was on the old site and thus not archived here, but there must have been at least 15 good ones.
    Maybe a new thread.

    Well, funny I can't really think of any more in the official Bond film series.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Only that Corrine in Quantum of Solace was part of the Canadian secret service.
  • timmertimmer
    edited July 2013 Posts: 4,622
    There are lots eg. one of the GF mobsters smuggled something from Canada into the States. There is a big Canadian flag fluttering in CR at the Ocean Club.
    It's mentioned that Bond is flying over Newfoundland in GF.
    Kronsteen defeats a Canadian chess master at the beginning of FRWL.
    There is a shot of the Canadian seat's UN audio plug, in the LALD pts.

    And there are Canadian actors such as Lois Maxwell, Cec Linder, Austin Willis, Stana Katic, and probably some others that I can't think of right now.
    Of coure there is also Harry Saltzman, KD Lang and Paul Haggis.

    There are others. Careful watching of the films reveals lots of arcane Canadiana.

    And of course there was this august international event, a scant two years ago.
    I'm sure Babs, Mike and Craig were all there. ;)

    243431_2018478990293_1493437266_2293469_7088554_o1-333x500.jpg
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