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The Klebbie for hammiest performance in a Bond film goes to Jonathan Pryce for Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies. Accepting the award is the hostess Carver fired from the German studio! Proving that Carver does forgive!
Now we shall move on to another interesting category. Through-out the early films the producers often cast European actors and actresses. They were cast because of their close physical resemblance to the character in the Fleming novels. Often times these actors and actresses needed to be dubbed, as sometimes they had limited English skills, or very heavy accents. In one case the producers used a voice to highlight a villain who wouldn't appear on screen for several years.
Let's give these voice actors their due and give a Bondie to best Voice Actor in a Bond movie. I did keep this to the 1960's. If there are other actors in later films please let me know. We are voting on who most matched the on-screen actor, who brought the right voice to the character.
The nominees are:
There you have it, our nominees for best voice actor in a Bond film. Which one deserves the honour of taking home a Bondie?
If anything, Nikki probably deserves a lifetime achievement Bondie more than anybody else in the Bond world. At least more than anyone else who was never credited.
Take this as my vote for her here.
As for the rest: Even I as a German who had seen umpteen Gert Fröbe movies, including the German-dubbed version of GF which Gert did himself, didn't realise until much later that someone else dubbed him in the English/original version of GF. So kudos to Michael Collins indeed. But Nikki clearly takes the cake for me.
I think I agree, although all the others were fantastic as well.
'our estimates were considerably (pause) higher'.
'competition from Latin America, prices are down'
'I anticipated that factor!'.
And a death centence has been spoken right then and there. I can't think of any voice beeing more authorative, directive and intimidating than Pohlmann's Blofeld.
Maybe one day they will do a documentary on all the voice actors over the years. Many stories to be told.
I also don't mind Eric (originally: Erich) Pohlmann, who as a Vienna-born actor chose to follow his fiancée, who was Jewish, into British exile in 1939. I have also known him from quite a few German movies and TV of my childhood in the 1960s (I was born earlier, but we didnt have a TV until 1965 - imagine!) and also liked him very much, as far as personal feelings to actors from mere TV viewers go.
Learning that he was the voice of Blofeld after it was finally possible to watch the original versions of the Bond films was another surprise. So I'm not trying to diminish his contribution in any way, though I remember him mostly as a sort of portly, jovial actor with a bald patch and a moustache, but not for his voice.
The same appreciation, of course, goes to Robert Rietti (or Rietty), probably Nikki's male equivalent in having re-voiced (aka dubbed) quite a number of actors in the Bond realm. It should also be noticed that the three I've been discussing here (Nikki van der Zyl, Eric Pohlmann and Robert Rietti/y) were Jewish or connected to a Jewish person and therefore went to Britain and/or the US in the thirties. What a waste of talent that the Fascists and particularly the Nazis created over here! I truly hope we made up for that talent drain in the meantime. Not for this generation (actually, mine and the two since) having to feel guilty about what happened 80 years ago, but in our own interest.
I appreciate your dilemma! This is a category with an embarrassment of riches.
It is a great thing that these voice actors were able to match their on-screen character so well. It is harder than it looks and they did it with considerable aplomb.
I love Pohlmann in FRWL "Let his death be a particularly unpleasant one." Said with disdain but not without OOT emotion.
He appears as an actor in one of the Pink Panther films and has a Syndey Greenstreet vibe to him. No doubt leading to the producers looking for another candidate for the job. One wonders if they had kept Jan Werich if they'd had Eric dub the voice?
Cai-Cai-Cairo!
"Who's uh, funeral is it?"
Nikki Van Der Zyl had made a legacy in the Bond franchise, she dubbed many of the Bond Girls in the classic era, she also worked as a dialogue coach with Gert Frobe, whose English was limited, in the title role for Goldfinger.
She's one of the Bond legends along with the several Bond directors, screenwriters (especially Richard Maibaum), and John Barry.
David De Keyser also did a Great job as Marc Ange Draco for Gabrielle Ferzetti, it's really convincing.
But in terms of the one who created a legacy and iconic status, I would give this win to Nikki Van Der Zyl!
Some were good, some less so, but I find it tragic thar none could match that voice. Losing the voice we lost a bit of the aura of fear. And I think casting Blofeld with both the perfect voice and look is near impossible. Christopher Lee at the time would have worked (he was great as Scaramanga, but would have been greater as Blofeld). Otherwise I honestly don't know.
speech pre the helicopter attack in the climax!
I'm not sure about that. If true it would be a fun easter egg.
Thank You! I knew that voice was somehow familiar.
Dang; I've just thought of a nomination for hammiest actor which is too late: the Stealth Boat Captain in TND! "They gave their position 70 miles from here. The British Navy will never find them" - he's awful! :D
I will put forward an award and lay out the field and then the esteemed community will vote for their choice. Look back on the first page of the thread if you wish to see all the categories we have tackled in the past. We may re-visit some as No Time to Die wasn't around for some of them and who knows maybe the esteemed academy has changed their opinions.
Lets wrap up the category that was left dangling for a calendar year. Best dubbed voice over artist in a lead role.
The Bondie goes to Eric Pohlmann for the dubbing of Blofeld.
Voting shows the following:
Since we have awarded a Bondie, lets move back to the Klebbie side of things and give an award to something that needs a good kick in the shins!
The category is Worst Acting by an Extra or Un-Credited Role and the nominees are:
There you have it, which one deserves a kick to the shins for their screen time in a Bond film. Let us know which one is worthy of being singled out for a terrible performance in a small role/extra.
Oy, if I have to choose, I choose Freaking-Out Paris Taxi Driver.
But I'd like to propose a write-in: Military Guard in OP. "And he's wearing a red shirt!"