Swift! Who was the first actor to portray Ian Fleming’s legendary character James Bond?
If you answered Sean Connery, I am sorry to say that you are incorrect. Connery was the first Bond actor in a major motion picture, but Bond was first voiced by actor Barry Nelson in the 1954 live TV broadcast of Casino Royale. The anthology series “Climax” first adapted Fleming’s novel Bond into a one-hour TV drama, with Bond changing from Brit to Yank and co-starring the legendary Peter Lorre as the villain Le Chiffre. Nelson didn’t get around to delivering any of the now familiar Bondisms (“shocked, not moved.” or “Bond is the name. James Bond .
Sean Connery made his debut as Bond 6 years later in DR. NO (1960). His unique facility for mixing humor with lethal calculation has made him an icon. He became so attached to the Bond character that he feared he would be typecast and live in the shadow of a British secret agent forever. After five films Connery made the decision to retire and move into other, more serious genres of film. Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, the producers of the film Bond, have already faced their own trick: how to proceed with a series of films, one of the most profitable in the world, without a man whose name seemed to be the same. his hero.
It’s not like other people have already tried to make bonds. The owners of the rights to CASINO ROYALE (it was the only Ian Fleming Bond book that the Cubby/Broccoli team did not own the rights to) decided to produce their own Bond film in 1966, knowing that none of their versions would be taken seriously anyway. and impressed by the recent success of such wacky sex comedies as WHAT’S THE NEW PUZZY?, they decided to make the entire band a star-studded phenomenon. David Niven was cast as the original James Bond (who was known by his former screen name). Peter Sellers was cast as the author who was recruited by secret-service to impersonate James Bond . Woody Allen was cast as the nephew of “Jimmy Bond”. In fact, they name all their agents “James Bond”. Bond girl” played in DR. NO, dubbed “James Bond” in advertising for the movie. Oddly enough, actor David Niven was the closest any actor to portraying Bond had ever been to author Ian Fleming.
During the career of Sean Connery’s resignation, several actors were considered as a replacement in the second Bond film, ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE. Among them Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Burt Reynolds. Unfortunately, they were all either younger at the time or were unable to fill their shoes elsewhere under an exclusive contract and bond. Eventually the producers chose George Lazenby as the next link. A relatively unknown actor at the time, Lazenby was considered to have the same ability as Connery to convey the character’s humor and grittiness. Audiences seemed to disagree and this film became Lazenby’s one and only shot at playing the band. The huge paycheck convinced Connery to return for the role in another film, THE DIAMONDS CENTURY but the experience proved so horrific that he vowed never to do it again. (Though this season has been appropriately indulged in any titles and it still never says never in 1983).
Roger Moore, now released from his commitments to the British television series PERSUADERS, could take the role of 007 in THE LIVING AND THE DIE. The character’s abilities for humorous aspects tended to outweigh his action hero skills and character-changing antics in subsequent movies… finally getting to the point where Bond escaped the bad guys by dressing up in a miner’s outfit. However, Moore’s Bond films continued to be remarkably successful until the actor simply got too old to continue.
Once again the producers found themselves scrambling for a new actor. The favorite contestant for the role was young Pierce Brosnan who enjoyed huge success on TV’ REMINGTON STEELE. Unfortunately, the contract at the time prevents him from hooking up with a lucrative franchise. Finally, a new successor was chosen, Timothy Dalton (who was considered a minor for the latter part in 1969). He finally got the chance to break into the living light in 1987. The effort to get back to Bond was more serious and Dalton did it brilliantly. Unfortunately, the weak writing of the two films appeared to have saved the huge film box office bonanzas that the producers were used to.
Finally in 1995 Pierce Brosnan got the opportunity to bond in the film GOLDENEYE. The crucial mix of comedy and humor was once again in place and audiences flocked to new movies. Brosnan would play Bond four times before deciding that he had done all he could reasonably. He expressed interest in making an adaptation of CASINO ROYALE with writer/director Quentin Tarantino but the producers were reluctant to hand over so much power to a maverick director not considered one of their “team”. In place of his CASINO ROYALE film, a familiar face continues: Daniel Craig.
Craig was a controversial choice from the get-go, apparently because of his blonde hair. However, he did an incredible thing, like a chain of fringes, more than he seemed to be. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE This was a more emotional bond and less polished than he had previously portrayed onscreen. Here, however, when he first assumed his mission as a double-o agent and a little more reckless and inexperienced than he was to be later. He did not know how to order his Martin for God’s sake.
As has been repeatedly proven since Sean Connery first vowed “never again”, he is greater than any actor and, if he can even survive through Woody Allen, James Bond will surely last for many more years (and adventures). I came.
