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'Neither Seen Nor Heard - The Role of Children in the James Bond Films'
I might be wrong about this but it seems that children don't appear in any of the Bond films that I can remember, or at least not given any dialogue. The one exception I can think of is the little kid who helps Bond start the boat motor in TMWTGG. Am I missing any other kids who appear & speak in the Bond series?
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Interesting idea for a topic, but I think you're right on that. Strange too, though I suppose children didn't appear in the Fleming Bond novels either (well apart from the crying babies near Fort Knox in the 1959 Goldfinger novel). I think there was a child in TLD whose mother pulls him away when Bond pulls a gun on them, thinking it is the assassin who has just killed his MI6 contact Saunders. Apart from that, I can think of no other, though I will give it more thought through the day and come back to you. I suppose that Nick Nack was presented as rather childish in TMWTGG too though with his cute uniforms and bowler hat.
Please give this thread a chance, @Benny, friend. I've posted things quite accidentally in the News section before. I think we need a little more leniency on here with new members like @Dr_Yes who aren't posting spam after all, unlike some new members do. This is this poster's first discussion topic and it's something new to discuss here and I think it has potential to be quite interesting.
Perhaps the OP could change the heading somewhat to make the Bond link a little clearer, though. Something like 'Neither Seen Nor Heard - The Role of Children in the James Bond Films' would be more appropriate for a James Bond fan discussion site such as this and less vague too, perhaps.
No point other than idle curiousity about a very minor quirk in the film series. Also, I didn't mean it as "news". It's my first time initiating a discussion & I didn't notice about assigning it a proper category.
I think it's very much justified. Another topic I had never even considered myself. well done. Now, how about changing your thread title a bit to the one I marked in bold above there, to put the cherry on the cake, so to speak?
Yes, very good. I had forgotten about that one. same era, too. Then there are all those screaming kids (does that count as dialogue?) in the gorilla scene. Also, what about the children as innocents theme in the ticking time-bomb scene near the end of Octopussy, rather appropriately also set in a circus setting?
TSWLM- This child serves no other purpose than to witness the Lotus emerge from the water.
http://screenmusings.org/TheSpyWhoLovedMe/pages/007tSWLM_0691.htm
CR- The child handing drinks to Obanno (his son?). Mr. White watches him play pinball as Obanno speaks. The fact that the child is playing games and most likely also a soldier who has killed people is powerful.
http://screenmusings.org/CasinoRoyale/pages/Casino-Royale-0074.htm
http://screenmusings.org/CasinoRoyale/pages/Casino-Royale-0078.htm
http://screenmusings.org/CasinoRoyale/pages/Casino-Royale-0082.htm
CR- The children on the beach running after Solange enhance her beauty and innocence, providing maximum impact of the later scene with her found dead.
http://screenmusings.org/CasinoRoyale/pages/Casino-Royale-0361.htm
http://screenmusings.org/CasinoRoyale/pages/Casino-Royale-0363.htm
I haven't seen DAF for ages. Maybe the children Mrs. Whistler is teaching have some dialogue.
Don't worry about that. You're new, after all. I've done that more than a few times myself and even had a perfectly good thread locked because of it. Moderators need to give a little bit too I firmly believe as it's the members who make this place after all and that should never be forgotten.
And to be fair "Bloody Tourist" is a cracking line after Bond pushes him out the boat :-)
Yes, and he did treat him as the caddish Bond from LALD would have. Duty before honour, I suppose! See my thread on the Moore Bond of LALD as a cad for more details on this theory/thesis of mine.
One of the high points of that film! =D>
Yes, it's a hilarious line, up there in the Moore era with the equal simplicity of "Egyptian builders!", coming close there to the Duke of Edinburgh's 'It looks as if it was put in by an Indian', referring to some dodgy looking electrics!
Oh The Duke has his own 'encyclopedia' of great lines. It was often referenced in Have I Got News For You.
"How do you get the natives to stay sober long enough in order for them to pass their test" when speaking to a Scottish driving instructor is a personal highlight.
;)
:))
The example I give would be Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I found "Shortround" to be a little annoying and felt it was too child orientated unlike Raiders. Had it down as my least favourite until Crystal Skull came along.
Am I being harsh or do I have a reasonable point?
Yes, I remember that one, too!
Quite. Whilst the studio might think giving Bond a Short Round to tag along would be a great idea thank Christ EON would never let it happen.
Indeed. I can only nod in agreement, Ice, such is your eloquence!
Yes. And somewhat reminiscent of Tiger's ninja training school in Fleming's YOLT. Remember the young ninja who fell to his death while attempting to scale a wall for Tiger and Bond's delectation?
Yes, vaguely. This may have been the inspiration, then.
Plus, another little mention of children comes very poignantly at the end of OHMSS with Tracy Bond's line 'First a boy and then a girl.' And then she is murdered. The saddest children reference of them all in the Bond films. I do think so.
Absolutely. As a child, I strongly disliked children films with children as main characters. I couldn't stand them.
About the OP, I think it is a fascinating topic. Why is there barely any children in Bond movies? I have an hypothesis: it would age Bond, make him mortal, so to speak. Bond is eternally ageless in fiction. If he interacted with children, people would remember he is a mortal man, who can grow old, have children of his own, become a grandfather, retire from MI6, etc. And ultimately die of old age.
Yes indeed. My favourite ending to any Bond book and film of all time. Quite simply sublime.