42 replies to this topic

[DLibrasnow]

It's remarkable that Moore remained loyal to the Broccoli's given that bad press generated by the EON publicity machine.

[JackChase007]

Well, for Felix we would need an actor who could portray an American Bond, so as to speak. I always thought of Jack Lord as the perfect Felix - someone cool, and debonair, basically a mirror image of Bond, but American. And although Hedison wasn't quite the same character as Lord's Leiter, it still worked - in LTK, Hedison and Dalton did share some very good, genuine chemistry, IMO, and you could buy that these two men were good friends.

However, if bringing back Felix is too risky (or whatever else), then why not bring in Rene Mathis? And that casting is so easy too - the amazing Jean Reno. I would love to see him be a Bond ally, and that's just such a perfect opportunity to get him in the series.

[Jaelle]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
It's remarkable that Moore remained loyal to the Broccoli's given that bad press generated by the EON publicity machine.

Good point, I agree.

[Moore Not Less]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
It's remarkable that Moore remained loyal to the Broccoli's given that bad press generated by the EON publicity machine.

It just goes to prove that nice guys don't win. The bad press generated by the EON publicity machine was total hypocrisy. It was like Roger Moore had nothing to do with them and they had nothing to do with the style and tone of Roger's films. To his eternal credit Roger has taken all the criticism from wherever it came from without retaliating in any way. It must hurt him, but he never shows it.

[ray t]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
It's remarkable that Moore remained loyal to the Broccoli's given that bad press generated by the EON publicity machine.

was it 'loyalty'...or mutual financial expediency?

isnt it true that after the magnificent and highly successful moonraker, roger was on a picture by picture deal?..as i remember, the negotiations did not exactly run smooth as silk...in fact eon would use a tactic of screen testing this one or that one as leverage vis-a-vis moore, and the englishman in turn would use his leverage as the de-facto peoples choice james bond.

this negotiation on a movie by movie basis might have irked cubby subconsciously, hence the so-called neg. pub. at his moore's expense...

yes? no?

i mean, the talking parrot, the outrageous tarzan yell and the 'glib' shenanigans of AVTAK were hardly moores doing, was it?

[BONDFINESSE 007]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
It's remarkable that Moore remained loyal to the Broccoli's given that bad press generated by the EON publicity machine.

very bad indeed, that press machine was a nasty beast

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by ray t

this negotiation on a movie by movie basis might have irked cubby subconsciously, hence the so-called neg. pub. at his moore's expense...

yes? no?

No....Moore has stayed friends with the Broccoli clan and spoke warmly about Cubby and his kids long after he left the role. It's notable that he and George Lazenby were the only two 007 actors to grant interviews to John Cork.
A man of real class and a true gentleman.

[ray t]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow


No....Moore has stayed friends with the Broccoli clan and spoke warmly over Cubby and his kids long after he left the role. It's notable that he and George Lazenby were the only two 007 actors to grant interviews to John Cork.
A man of real class and a true gentleman.

i meant the irking being on eon's side not on moore's....hence the neg. pub by eon. roger is a class act.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by ray t


i meant the irking being on eon's side not on moore's....hence the neg. pub by eon. roger is a class act.

Ooops......my bad!

[bryonalston]

I think that they should bring Felix back in a highly important, behind the desk job, maybe as the head of some agency or security force. If they don't do that, then they could maybe create Felix Leiter's daughter, who could be the Bond girl also.

[DLibrasnow]

Snowie, Felix Leiter didn't lose both his legs in LTK.  He lost half of *one* of his legs.

In order for Felix to come back, EON would have to do one of two things:

1. Give him a half-prosthetic leg.  This would mean *acknowledging* the existence of LTK and Timothy Dalton as James Bond.

2. Ignore the events of LTK and presume he has no physical disability.  This would mean an *explicit* erasure of the Timothy Dalton Bond films, at least LTK.

Either choice would bring some...shall we say...*discomfort* to EON, imo.

I know some fans dismiss Leiter as a character in the films and have no problem with his departure from the series.  I'm not one of them.

I agree that the films have never treated the character with any integrity or much thought.  However I don't agree that Leiter's impact in the films has been *zero*.  I think he does have some impact.  Leiter's appearances serve to more directly place Bond in the world of espionage professionals, and to show how he functions with a male friend he trusts.  I find watching Bond interact with Leiter a fascinating little window into Bond himself---here's a guy Bond treats with respect, as an equal, with trust and confidence.  A guy who works in the same world he does, and who's about the same age he is (or supposed to be).  I don't care about the impact on casual audiences, who may not remember him, I speak for myself as a viewer.

I like seeing Leiter in DN and the other Connery films, I like seeing him work with Bond in LALD, I even like his brief appearance in TLD (tho I agree with Loomis that that appearance is a poor script choice).  I liked seeing him in NSNA - the only problem I found there is that there was *zero* chemistry between Connery and Casey.

I like his appearance in LTK, tho I have mixed feelings about the return of Hedison as Leiter in that film.  On the one hand, I would've preferred John Terry to come back.  On the other, I understand that the return of a familiar face like Hedison would resonate more with audiences given the plot of LTK--Bond going rogue because of what happens to his best friend.

Imo, Jack Wade has made *zero* impact in the Brosnan films - we've yet to see Brosnan's Bond interacting on an equal, professional basis -- with a subtext of friendship and trust -- with a fellow agent.  Yes, there was Wai Linn, but there's the whole sex/romance angle there that entirely changes the tone and nature of their relationship.  (And let's not even mention Jinx).  And she's a stranger to Bond so there's no back-story between them as there is between Bond and Leiter.

The Brosnan Bonds seem hell-bent on pairing him with a female kick-butt professional agent.  In each case, the interaction between them has been wholly forgettable and unconvincing.  (I've warmed up to Wai Linn as a character independent of Bond, but her interaction with Bond, and the whole romantic angle, falls completely flat, imo).  Well if they're so interested in showing Bond working with a fellow agent, why don't they show him working with a MALE agent (of whatever race or nationality)?  I would love to see them bring back the CIA's Felix Leiter but, barring that, another male agent would be quite an interesting thing to see.  The closest the Brosnan Bonds have come to that was the opening scene in GE, and I always enjoy watching that sequence.

It'll be interesting to see how they approach the character if he appears in CASINO ROYALE (2006).

[DLibrasnow]

In fact this question is more relevent now than ever. Will we ever see Felix again?

[Loyal Terrior]

I've moved on. There's been such an absense, that I don't think he needs to return.