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UPDATED: Draco v Kerim Bey v Columbo v Mathis..your favourite ally ?

barryt007barryt007
edited June 2017 in Bond Movies Posts: 19,339
EDIT : NOW UPDATED FOR 2017

I always find these 4 allies of Bond to be the pick of the bunch (including the inconsistant and changing Leiter) but find it difficult to find the better one of the four.

They were all very important characters in OHMSS/FRWL/FYEO/CR and QOS, and had good depth to them that only added to the quality of the films .

Which one do you prefer and why ?
«1

Comments

  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    I really love both, and frankly have trouble picking a favourite. Both characters were extremely charismatic, both performances were outstanding and both had great chemistry with Connery/Lazenby. Both were classy, took a liking to Bond, and showed intelligence, and testicular fortitude.

    In a battle of titans, I'll award Ali Kerim Bey as the winner, by a hair.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Both imo are the best Bond allies but if I had to pick one, I'd pick Kerim Bey.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    I'd go with Kerim Bey, he just looks like a guy you could sit down have a drink and a cigar with, bullshit about current events (and his sons) - plus he had an awesome Phantom of The Opera-esque basement with a periscope :)
  • JobeGDGJobeGDG
    Posts: 107
    I always thought From Russia With Love let us get to know Kerim Bey more than On Her Majesty's Secret Service let us get to know Draco. Top that off with Kerim Bey's raw, infectious, zest for life, and I'd say he emerges as the clear victor.
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    Posts: 987
    There is very little to choose between them, they are both richly drawn characters striaght out of Fleming's books, they both share Bonds passions for adventure, fine food, handmade cigarettes, strong liquor and beautiful girls. They are both larger than life, lovable rogues whose careers dabble with the criminal world. Bond clearly respects both men and that is mirriored in their opinions of him. The only possible way to chose would be by which actor portrays the role best and even then it's a hard choice because both Pedro Armendariz and Gabriele Ferzetti could not of been better cast, each bringing much to their interpretations but if I had to choose it would be Kerim Bey simply because he has more screen time and a tragic death scene that is far more powerful than the usual type of EON sacrificial goat character.
  • danslittlefingerdanslittlefinger
    Posts: 886
    Kerim Bey all the way. Very warm and pleasant character.
    Would love to go Istanbul and sit with him drinking chai or coffee.

    Plus I prefer FRWL to OHMSS (slightly).
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Kerim Bey though there are little between perhaps the two best allies in the series.
  • dragonskydragonsky
    Posts: 2,491
    both are good alies maybe the best in the series but i think Kerim Bey is better
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited March 2011 Posts: 13,355
    So far we have:

    Ali Kerim Bey - 8

    Marc-Ange Draco - 0

    This thread makes me question if EON are able give us a great one-film allie ever again. When was the last time we had one? Raoul from Die Another Day I'd say. What a great character, so much more should have been made of him.
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    ^^^

    Make that 9-0
  • BaltiMooreBaltiMoore
    Posts: 7
    Add another to the tally for Bey.

    Draco was more interested in his own motives. Tracy was more Bond's ally then her father.
  • St_GeorgeSt_George Shuttling Drax's lovelies to the space doughnut - happy 40th, MR!
    Posts: 1,699
    Ali Kerim Bey is the best 'Fleming ally' and Pedro Armendariz's interpretation of him is completely on the money. Simply terrific.

    But, maybe because I love both the novel and film of OHMSS, I'll always prefer The Draco-meister... ;)
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited March 2011 Posts: 4,399
    Quoting Samuel001: This thread makes me question if EON are able give us a great one-film allie ever again. When was the last time we had one? Raoul from Die Another Day I'd say. What a great character, so much more should have been made of him.
    I really like Jeffery Wright as Felix Leiter in these new Bond films... it seems like they've done a good job in making him more of an equal to Bond, instead of buddy buddy sidekick role... and i would rate him high on a list of Bond allies - but the problem is, is that there isn't a lot of interaction between him and Bond in each film.. it seems like they had 1 (or 2) quick encounters, then they are gone... not enough time to build the chemistry.... but i loved their brief moments in Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace..
  • Agent_OO7Agent_OO7
    Posts: 72
    Quoting JobeGDG: I always thought From Russia With Love let us get to know Kerim Bey more than On Her Majesty's Secret Service let us get to know Draco. Top that off with Kerim Bey's raw, infectious, zest for life, and I'd say he emerges as the clear victor.
    Totally have to agree with this point. Kerim just seems far more friendlier, if I can put it simply.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited March 2011 Posts: 13,355
    Quoting haserot:

    Quoting Samuel001: This thread makes me question if EON are
    able give us a great one-film allie ever again. When was the last time we had
    one? Raoul from Die Another Day I'd say. What a great character, so much
    more should have been made of him.
    I really like
    Jeffery Wright as Felix Leiter in these new Bond films... it seems like they've
    done a good job in making him more of an equal to Bond, instead of buddy buddy
    sidekick role... and i would rate him high on a list of Bond allies - but the
    problem is, is that there isn't a lot of interaction between him and Bond in
    each film.. it seems like they had 1 (or 2) quick encounters, then they are
    gone... not enough time to build the chemistry.... but i loved their brief
    moments in Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace..
    Something Bond 23 will likely have is more scenes with Bond and Leiter and less with M. A very different film could be made out of this. The future for the Bond series is a clean slate, so it's very exciting to see what happens.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    edited April 2015 Posts: 5,131
    Draco & Kerim Bay - Equally impressive and both very well cast. In terms of Wrights Leiter he is ok. I would have prefered the 'hawk like' texan with blode hair from Flemings novel but as long as Bond is perfectly cast I find Wright acceptable in the role.
  • timmertimmer
    edited April 2015 Posts: 4,622
    Quick note. I don't believe his name was "Ali" Kerim Bey, just Kerim Bey.
    This discussion was had on another thread here, a while back, maybe way back, can't remember, but a member who knew the language (Turkish maybe) said the girl was simply calling him.
    "ali" meant come hither or something to that effect. She was effectively saying
    "Come to me, Kerim Bey."

    anyway my favourite of the pair was Kerim Bey. Solid ally and very well played by Pedro Armendariz.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    I find it respectless to choose one of these two great characters over the other, but I can´t imagine the office mistress saying the name Marc Ange Draco in such a lovely way ;-).
  • CrabKeyCrabKey
    Posts: 1,999
    Their speech rhythms and phrasings are almost identical.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Kerim Bey. He introduced me to Raki!
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    It would have to be Kerim Bey.
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,369
    Kerim Bey. I want to be one of his sons.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Marc-Ange Draco all the way.

    This guy is one of the biggest crime bosses in Europe.He probably knew Don Corleone. He takes on Blofeld. He is the father-in-law of James Bond. And he does not hold a naked woman chained under his table, he is more civilized than that.
  • RobertsonRobertson
    edited June 2017 Posts: 170
    delete
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Robertson wrote: »
    At least Kerim Bey wasn't a mobster.

    But he wasn't exactly 'squeaky clean' ,for sure.

  • RobertsonRobertson
    edited June 2017 Posts: 170
    delete
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Robertson wrote: »
    Furthermore, as a critique of not just the film but also the novel: Bond should be putting crime bosses out of business, not marrying their psychotic daughters.

    Sometimes you have to side with a lesser evil to catch total evil.
    Bond needed to find Blofeld,Draco knew where he was,and he had limited time as M was seriously losing patience.

  • RobertsonRobertson
    edited June 2017 Posts: 170
    delete
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    edited June 2017 Posts: 2,252
    Kerim Bey by a long shot. Draco is a fine ally too (in the top 3) but Kerim Bey and Bond have great genuine chemistry. I would rename the thread Kerim Bey or Columbo because I think there's more similarities between those two in the chemistry with Bond and charisma.
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited June 2017 Posts: 19,339
    Aaah that's a good idea @w2 ,and I can think my one more who is in my top four along with the 3 mentioned.

    I will change the thread title .

    EDIT : Done...these are my top 4 allies,tough to pick a favourite.
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