6 replies to this topic

[hrabb04]

These what if topics usually get a lot of mileage and interest, so here's another one:

What if Sean Connery, when he came back as James Bond, in DAF, asked for, and got a co-producer credit? He makes a lot more money and has some type of creative control.
In 1971, he asks for Terence Young to come back, but Young is busy with another film. They get Guy Hamilton instead for DAF.
In 1973, Connery asks his old friend Terence Young to come back for Live and Let Die. This is actually the only Bond novel Connery has read, so he knows the story, at least. Young agrees to come back and work starts on the script, with Maibaum taking a more prominent role this time.
First, as part of Connery's new deal with UA, he goes off to make The Offense with Sidney Lumet. It is a relatively brief shoot, and really reawakens Connery's acting chops.
Terence Young tells Sean to go off and get in shape for Bond, as he did not like how Connery looked in DAF. Much like he polished up Connery in Dr. No, over ten years before, Young does it again here.
Terence Young's Live and Let Die, with Sean Connery as James Bond, is a harder, more brutal affair than the movie we ended up getting. In the beginning of the movie, when we first meet Bond, he is in bed with Honey Ryder, as again played by Ursulla Andress, whom both Sean and Terence lure back. From there, Bond goes to New York City where he has his first brutal meeting with Mr. Big, who has his henchman break a few of Bond's fingers and knock Felix Leiter around a bit.
Bond and Felix head down to Florida as in the novel and things follow through with Felix swimming the sharks. The speedboat chase here is through the Everglades.
Bond's final confrontation with Mr. Big--the knife fight--is very brutal. There is no inflation here. Bond kills him hard, cold, and ruthlessly.

Sean Connery's James Bond oo7 will return in one more James Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun, Directed By Terence Young. More on that one later, as I have to go to class now! Sean finally retires from the role just prior to The Spy Who Loved Me, asking his old friend Roger Moore to take over the role in 1977.

[Scottlee]

Sounds interesting. Connery probaby would have been very good in those two films. Not sure Moore would have bothered coming in as late as 1977, though

[Genrewriter]

Connery would have been great in LALD but one would hope the script for Golden Gun would have been retooled to something much better. Still though, Connery vs. Christopher Lee would have been pretty cool.

[hrabb04]

Golden Gun would have been perfect as a final Connery film. Set it in Jamaica 12 yrs after Dr. No. He's older, balder, slower. Make him have something to prove, like in the book. In the book, he's on a mission of redemption to make up for getting brainwashed into killing his boss. Golden Gun really only works if you have a Bond who has some history, has a reputation. Moore, in only his 2nd Bond movie, didn't have that. In what would have been his 9th Bond movie, Connery would have been on the spot. Promote it as his last, best Bond, and people would have come. Terence Young could have really played up the macho best of the best theme. Bond's dark side being brought out in Scaramenga. It could have been really good.

[Donovan]

My list of "what ifs?" for Bond are on a somewhat similar track. The biggest one is "what if the films all stayed true to the novels, never being adapted to the extent of "You Only Live Twice", each being released once a year, and Connery was in all of them?" So maybe we'd have eleven or twelve films (forgetting SPY and EYES) in as many years. Each made with the same style and direction as RUSSIA. That means Sean Connery as James Bond facing Sir Hugo Drax (portrayed by someone who basically fits the novel's description), or Mr. Big (not Dr. Kananga), or the Spang Brothers. Let's say Connery kept himself fit...the age process from 32 years old to 43 or 44 would have been minimal.

But back to the original "what if?" since "LALD" took place in Jamaica, I believe changing the Jamaica location in the novel "TMWTGG" was one of the first creative decisions made.

[eyeinthesky]

Please tell us more.

[Almadjian]

Like it very much. Closer to the books. More continuity. And as has been said, Connery/Lee battle would have been great.