63 replies to this topic

[Atticus17F]

Richard Burton to follow Lazenby - check him out in WHERE EAGLES DARE (1969). He's practically Bond in that (and a bloody good one, too).

I saw it again on BBC1 only a couple of nights ago and I thought the very same thing. He, er, "had the role down" (as cool persons would say). Hypnotic performance. Burton should've been Bond.

[Mister Asterix]

Liam Neeson, Sam Neill, Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, Christian Bale and of course Clive Owen!

Since when are Neill and Bale A-List actors?

[Lazenby880]

I've often thought, were they to have gone for an American A-lister, that Paul Newman would have made an interesting James Bond. He certainly had the ability to pull off a British accent, and is undoubtedly one of Hollywood's greats (in my opinion a legend).

In an alternate universe, if a different company made actual adaptations of the novels in the 1950s I've wondered how Cary Grant would do as OO7. I know, as previously mentioned, he is an obvious choice and probably not sufficiently 'dark' enough to portray the literary character but still a thought nonetheless.

Michael Caine: Quite possibly.

Edited by Lazenby880, 20 August 2005 - 11:52 PM.

[SecretAgent007]

Cary Grant (Cubby's choice)

David Niven (Fleming's choice)

Ralph Fiennes

Robert Wagner (if I had to pick a fellow American)he was very suave in his 60's TV show "It Takes A Thief" They (whoever "they" are should make that into a movie

James Mason

Sam Neil

Christopher Plummer

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

Cary Grant

Colin Firth

[Lady Rose]

Gregory Peck .... he had the voice, he had the look ...would have been great if he had been British

[Mister Asterix]

Again when were people like Sam Neill, Robert Wagner, Colin Firth ever on the A-list?

[Agent 76]

Mel Gibson

[spynovelfan]

If they'd made a big-budget CASINO ROYALE in 1954 or so and done one a year after that, it would have been great to have seen Errol Flynn play Bond for a couple of films.

[Andrew]

I must say that Ralph Fiennes would've made a great Bond. I know he's not exactly A-List but his acting is. He's got that cruel look like Fleming described.

[Genrewriter]

Mel Gibson
Michael Caine

[mcsearg]

I think Jack Lord could have pulled off being Bond as easy as he did Leiter...

[Double-Oh Agent]

Here are my picks for Bond alternatives:

1962 -- Cary Grant (He's just so suave and cool.)

1969 -- Patrick McGoohan (He was popular in the TV show(s) Secret Agent / Danger Man, but I'm not completely sold on him. However, I can't really think of any other big name British actors back then that would fit the role of 007. As for Richard Burton I suppose he would have been too old around this time. If you want to go American you could do worse than the cool Steve McQueen.)

1971 -- Christopher Plummer (He looked pretty good as Col. Von Trapp in The Sound Of Music and certainly carried an authoratative air and refused to back down to the Nazis.)

1973 -- Michael Caine (Why not? He was already a spy in the Harry Palmer films and he could have dyed his hair.)

1987 -- Sam Neill (I've always liked him. Sometimes I wish he would have gotten the part instead of Timothy Dalton.)

1995 -- Mel Gibson (He certainly would have been interesting in the role.)

2005 -- Hugh Jackman (He's awesome as Wolverine in the X-Men movies where his ability to do action is on full display. Meanwhile, he showed he could be suave and charming in the film Kate & Leopold. My (hoped for) pick for James Bond #7.)

[tonymascia1]

If they'd made a big-budget CASINO ROYALE in 1954 or so and done one a year after that, it would have been great to have seen Errol Flynn play Bond for a couple of films.

An inspired choice! Flynn himself would have loved it...

[tonymascia1]

For living actors: Hugh Jackman.

Otherwise (Besides Cary Grant and Errol Flynn), a young Olivier would have nailed this --- check him out in "Q-Planes" (aka Clouds Over Europe), a late 30s version of The Spy Who Loved Me...

[Agent 76]

1971 -- Christopher Plummer  (He looked pretty good as Col. Von Trapp in The Sound Of Music and certainly carried an authoratative air and refused to back down to the Nazis.)

[double-O-Durg]

The men who should've been Bond:

Errol Flynn
Cary Grant
Richard Burton
Clive Owen

[double-O-Durg]

I always thought Sam Neil was too weird looking for Bond, as for Gibson i think he would just coast through Bond. and call me old fashioned but Bond should always be a Brit

[pgram]

You mean apart from Jackman?

Errol Flynn (no doubt about that)
Walter Pidgeon (said it before, check Manhunt, you 'll be shocked)
Cary Grant (not physical enough, but definitely good)
Christopher Plummer (absolutely great)
Rod Taylor (watch Nobody runs forever, for both him and Plummer)
Stewart Granger (really good)
Mel Gibson (he 'd make the Moore films look like Ingmar Bergman films, though)

From the US:
Gary Cooper (he was really Conneryish, or to be fair, Connery was Cooperish- watch Desire, or Fritz Lang's Cloak and Dagger)
Tyrone Power (considered to be the best looking man ever)
John Gavin (he got it, but lost it)
George Clooney (I hate myself for that, but I like him)
Rock Hudson (thank God he didn't get it, we 'd never survive the shock)
Paul Newman, Clark Gable (really classy, although not my best choices)

And, of course Ricky Lee Travolta!!!!

Choices I 'd hate (though they seem appropriate): James Mason, Richard Burton, Sam Neil, Russel Crowe

Edited by pgram, 03 November 2005 - 12:36 PM.

[crheath]

Since we are looking at actors in the history of movies, I think Clark Gable would have been perfect. Remember his first few scenes in Gone with the Wind ("you miss O'Hara are no lady. I meant that as a compliment")?

Errol Flynn would have been a great choice also.

As for actors at the time of the series, Patrick McGoohan (who reportedly turned down the role) would have been a good choice when they started.

[medrecess]

I would say that Ralph Fiennes would have made a great Bond in 1995.He would have been perfect.If anyone of you has seen Mel Gibson in one of his early films -The Bounty ,he looked Bond totally.But height is a major factor and he is too short for Bond.Bale and Owen would have been good too.

[MrDraco]

Nesson could have never looked the part, to much of the old man type could have been a bad villain or M though...

Owen, Crowe, and John Kerry

[jaguar007]

Since we are looking at actors in the history of movies, I think Clark Gable would have been perfect.  Remember his first few scenes in Gone with the Wind ("you miss O'Hara are no lady.  I meant that as a compliment")?

Errol Flynn would have been a great choice also.

As for actors at the time of the series, Patrick McGoohan (who reportedly turned down the role) would have been a good choice when they started.

Clark Gable could have been an excellent Bond (too bad he died 2 years before Dr. No). Maybe that is why they got a past bond to be Rhett Butler in the sequel.

Also Errol Flynn could have been great as well, but I always pictured Flynn as the perfect SAINT (even better than Moore).

[Dalton's Wendy]

You mean apart from Jackman?

Errol Flynn (no doubt about that)
Walter Pidgeon (said it before, check Manhunt, you 'll be shocked)
Cary Grant (not physical enough, but definitely good)
Christofer Plummer (absolutely great)
Rod Taylor (watch Nobody runs forever, for both him and Plummer)
Stewart Granger (really good)
Mel Gibson (he 'd make the Moore films look like Ingmar Bergman films, though)

From the US:
Gary Cooper (he was real Conneryish, or to be fair, Connery was    Cooperish- watch Desire, or Fritz Lang's Cloak and Dagger)
Tyrone Power (considered to be the best looking man ever)
John Gavin (he got it, but lost it)
George Clooney (I hate myself for that, but I like him)
Rock Hudson (thank God he didn't get it, we 'd never survive the shock)
Paul Newman, Clark Gable (really classy, although not my best choices)

And, of course Ricky Lee Travolta!!!!

Choices I 'd hate (though they seem appropriate): James Mason, Richard Burton, Sam Neil, Russel Crowe

I think you have selected, overall, the best choices, with very few goofs:

YES: Errol Flynn -- yes!
Walter Pidgeon
Cary Grant -- double yes -- and can be tough, as in None But the Lonely Heart
Christopher (spelled like this) Plummer (would have been excellent!)
Rod Taylor
Stewart Granger (a personal choice of Fleming's)

YES -- U.S.: COOP -- gorgeous!
Tyrone Power -- also! (I had dinner with his daughter Romina two months ago -- she looks exactly like him)
John Gavin
Rock Hudson
Paul Newman
Clark Gable (could have been anything)
James Mason (you're wrong -- he was another personal choice of Fleming's, I have heard)
Richard Harris (you left him out, but he was a dear -- met him)

NO -- Mel Gibson (too . . . ugh)
Russell Crowe (I happen to have had drinks with him, also, and he's darling -- but not for Bond)
RICHARD BURTON (well . . . I hate to say it, but I also met him ... Oh! those blue eyes! and that TWINKLE in them! but he was more THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD.

THE WORST -- George Clooney: he opens his mouth, and that Kentucky twang falls out!!!!!

[Streetworker]

Cary Grant (Cubby's choice)

David Niven (Fleming's choice)

Ralph Fiennes

Robert Wagner (if I had to pick a fellow American)he was very suave in his 60's TV show "It Takes A Thief"  They (whoever "they" are should make that into a movie

James Mason

Sam Neil

Christopher Plummer

Fleming's first choice was actually little-known British actor Edward Underdown (who was in Thunderball). It seems a strange idea, until you see pictures of him when he was younger and then you see what Fleming meant.

As for who I'd like to have seen in the role - Cary Grant, of course. Get a copy of Notorious and watch his performance as the spy in that. Now that's really a "Bond Begins"...

[pgram]

I think you have selected, overall, the best choices, with very few goofs:

YES: Errol Flynn -- yes!
Walter Pidgeon
Cary Grant -- double yes -- and can be tough, as in None But the Lonely Heart
Christopher (spelled like this) Plummer (would have been excellent!)
Rod Taylor
Stewart Granger (a personal choice of Fleming's)

YES -- U.S.: COOP -- gorgeous!
Tyrone Power -- also! (I had dinner with his daughter Romina two months ago -- she looks exactly like him)
John Gavin
Rock Hudson
Paul Newman
Clark Gable (could have been anything)
James Mason (you're wrong -- he was another personal choice of Fleming's, I have heard)
Richard Harris (you left him out, but he was a dear -- met him)

NO -- Mel Gibson (too . . . ugh)
Russell Crowe (I happen to have had drinks with him, also, and he's darling -- but not for Bond)
RICHARD BURTON (well . . . I hate to say it, but I also met him ... Oh! those blue eyes! and that TWINKLE in them! but he was more THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD.

THE WORST -- George Clooney: he opens his mouth, and that Kentucky twang falls out!!!!!

Dear Wendy, glad you liked them. A few more comments:
James Mason is one of my favourite actors, but for Bond, I don't think he has that adolescent look in his eyes (watch Connery when he has to swallow the pill in TB, or when he checks the suitcase in FRWL), which I think is important. It is the microbehaviour element that determines the womaniser. And I don't really care about Fleming's choices, he was not always right, as far as the cinematic medium is concerned. Many of his ideas would never work on the silver screen.

Anyway,this is why I selected Clooney- he definitely has it. He looks a man of his age (which is rare in nowadays Hollywood), but has this boyish charm. And, remember, for us, non English native speakers, accent is not that important an issue. Yet, I did say I hate myself for this, haven't I?

When I was little, I used to be in love with Romina Power, will you tell her that, please, when you see her again?

Mel Gibson would never have been my favourite Bond, but at the time when he was considered he was a decent choice.

Richard Harris was a superb actor, but I 've never seen his as Bond (just like Michael Caine).

I 've corrected my spelling in Cristopher Plummer...

Russel Crowe, IMHO, is really overrated, and not really good looking, anyway.

Why was there no comment about Ricky Lee Travolta?

Anyway, most of these choices were rather obvious, and many other people suggested them. My only original contribution to this thread is Walther Pidgeon, whom most people here obviously don't know. I will never get tired of repeating this: watch Fritz Lang's Manhunt, and you 'll see what I consider to be the closest ever to Fleming's Bond. In fact, I can't help thinking that Fleming had Manhunt's Pidgeon in mind, maybe subconsiously. (watch it anyway, it is a very interesting film). He had the attitude, comma of hair and, after a torture scene, even the scar. Check these attachments, there are plenty more images in Google.

 Walter_20Pidgeon.jpg   42.92KB   43 downloads
 walter_pidgeon_2.jpg   2.08KB   30 downloads

Edited by pgram, 03 November 2005 - 12:18 PM.

[spynovelfan]

Nesson could have never looked the part, to much of the old man type could have been a bad villain or M though...

Is it just me who sees the resemblance between Liam Neeson and Daniel Craig?

[killkenny kid]

James David Graham Niven or Archibald Alexander Leach.

[pgram]

Is it just me who sees the resemblance between Liam Neeson and Daniel Craig?

I don't know if it is only you, but I don't see any.

[Dalton's Wendy]

[quote name='pgram' date='3 November 2005 - 06:42']
[quote]I think you have selected, overall, the best choices, with very few goofs:

Dear Wendy, glad you liked them. A few more comments:
James Mason is one of my favourite actors, but for Bond, I don't think he has that adolescent look in his eyes (watch Connery when he has to swallow the pill in TB, or when he checks the suitcase in FRWL), which I think is important. It is the microbehaviour element that determines the womaniser. And I don't really care about Fleming's choices, he was not always right, as far as the cinematic medium is concerned. Many of his ideas would never work on the silver screen.

Anyway,this is why I selected Clooney- he definitely has it. He looks a man of his age (which is rare in nowadays Hollywood), but has this boyish charm. And, remember, for us, non English native speakers, accent is not that important an issue. Yet, I did say I hate myself for this, haven't I?

When I was little, I used to be in love with Romina Power, will you tell her that, please, when you see her again?

Mel Gibson would never have been my favourite Bond, but at the time when he was considered he was a decent choice.

Richard Harris was a superb actor, but I 've never seen his as Bond (just like Michael Caine).

I 've corrected my spelling in Cristopher Plummer...

Russel Crowe, IMHO, is really overrated, and not really good looking, anyway.

Why was there no comment about Ricky Lee Travolta?

Anyway, most of these choices were rather obvious, and many other people suggested them. My only original contribution to this thread is Walther Pidgeon, whom most people here obviously don't know. I will never get tired of repeating this: watch Fritz Lang's Manhunt, and you 'll see what I consider to be the closest ever to Fleming's Bond. In fact, I can't help thinking that Fleming had Manhunt's Pidgeon in mind, maybe subconsiously. (watch it anyway, it is a very interesting film). He had the attitude, comma of hair and, after a torture scene, even the scar. Check these attachments, there are plenty more images in Google.
[/quote]


Hi, pgram! You may be right about Fleming's choices; if I am not mistaken, he was against Connery at the outset, was he not?

Noooooo . . . despite his wonderful looks, I would still not be happy with George Clooney in the role, for reasons I mentioned above.

Romina is still beautiful; her eyes are riveting, exactly like her father's were.

I agree with you about Michael Caine, but . . . I don't know . . . I think Richard Harris could have pulled it off.

Russell Crowe . . . no . . . not classically handsome, but he does have those beautiful, sad-looking Richard Burton-blue eyes. Plus, Crowe also has IT.

Ricky Lee Travolta: am not familiar enough with him to have an opinion.

Christopher Plummer and Walter Pidgeon, both of whom would not only have been excellent choices, would also have brought one additional element of closure to the Bond franchise: They are both Canadian!

Therefore, they would have represented the sixth member nation of the Commonwealth to have played James Bond!