20 replies to this topic

[White Persian]

I thought I started a thread a couple of days ago about actors who were *almost* cast in key Bond movie roles, like Jack Palance as Scaramanga or Jan Werich, who was replaced as Blofeld by Donald Pleasence, but I've searched the forum and can't seem to find it. Maybe I stuffed up the post.
Any way, I referred to an actor who was originally offered the role of Renard, but I'd forgotten his name.
He was a Spanish actor called Javier Bardem. He told EON "That's not the kind of thing I do...I want to be on risk. Otherwise, this job has not a meaning".
He has since garnered good reviews in "Before Night Falls", which I've not seen. Ironically, he only scored the lead in that film after the first choice, Benicio del Toro turned it down. Del Toro, of course, was not so precious about appearing as a Bond villain in LTK, and now has a Best Actor Oscar and a flourishing career.

[Blue Eyes]

Thanks Zencat

I'll e-mail you some details when I get around to it. They may interest you. Then again may not

[zencat]

Will do.

Magazine, huh? Sounds interesting...

[White Persian]

The McClory remake of Thunderball (the Len Deighton scripted version that preceded NSNA) had some great casting mentioned.
Blofeld.....Orson Welles
"M".........Trevor Howard
Leiter......Larry Hagman
Connery wasn't actually promised as Bond, but they were clearly angling for it my getting him to work on the screenplay with Deighton.

[Blue Eyes]

Everythind Nah just joking. That would take forever.

If you have time. And only if, I don't want you wasting work time or whatever. Okay?

But if you do have any time left over could you just scan a few interesting articles and send them my way please? I'd like to toy with some to make articles for the main site and possibly a magazine we're working on.

Woops did I mention a magazine. Naughty me

[Jacques Nexus]

Here's a list of actors who were candidates for Bond film roles (off the top of my head):

Noel Coward (Fleming's friend) & Christopher Lee (Fleming's cousin) as Dr No

Theodore Bikel as Goldfinger

Racquel Welch as Domino

Jan Werich as Blofeld

Maria Callas as Irma Bunt

Bridgit Bardot as Tracy (Fleming's Tracy is a blonde)

Lois Chiles as Anya Amasova

Sybil Danning as Octopussy (this would have been the sexiest casting of all time !!!!!- check out the article at 007Forever)

David Bowie as Zorin

[Jacques Nexus]

White Persian (16 Aug, 2001 05:35 a.m.):
...Palance's finest role was as hired gun, Wilson, in "Shane", and perhaps that's why he was thought of as Scaramanga, and in some ways I'd have preferred him to Christopher Lee, who rather sacrificed menace for urbane charm. Palance might have been nearer Fleming's more brutal and threatening character.

Scaramanga was probably Fleming's worst drawn Bond villain. I agree, Palance certainly fits Fleming's characterisation of Scaramanga.

[Jacques Nexus]

White Persian (24 Aug, 2001 11:50 a.m.):
...Wasn't James Mason almost cast as Hugo Drax in Moonraker? What happened, did someone show him the script?

Actually, White Persian, Mason may have been considered for the role of Stromberg. I remember a Christopher Wood interview many years ago in which he lamented the fact that Mason would have been more appropriate (and I agree). Talking about Drax...I think Michael Lonsdale did a good job.

[Blue Eyes]

Well I'm interested as well White Persian. But sadly, I know little.

I do know that Milla Jokovic (sp?) was up for the role of Elektra King in TWINE. I think she was considered second favourite should Sophie Marceau not wish to be cast or whatever.

[Jacques Nexus]

zencat (29 Aug, 2001 05:43 p.m.):
...A technological super weapon called OCTO-PC was also under consideration...

Intriguing...if you say OCTO-PC fast enough, it sounds like OCTOPUSSY. Anyway, Sybil Danning as Octopussy could have been the sexiest casting ever !.

[zencat]

Here we go. I found this in a July 1982 PREVUE magazine in a cover story interview with Sybil Danning "Will She Make Love or War to James Bond in OCTOPUSSY?" Two interesting tidbits:

"She had been set for a part in 1979's MOONRAKER, but was replaced by Corinne Clery as a result of a French con-financing deal." (Her name was going to be Trudie, I believe -- zencat.)

And re the plot for OCTOPUSSY...

"Veteran Bond writer Richard Maibaum reportedly created a treatment which focused on a supervillianess and her quest for vengeance against Ernst Stravro Blofeld and SPECTRE, for a crippling humiliation suffered at their hands. She encounters Bond and enlists his aid in her revenge scheme--knowing the secret agent hates Blofeld for killing his wife, Tracy. A technological super weapon called OCTO-PC was also under consideration. However, licensing complications with the SPECTRE ad the Blofeld material may have caused the producers to pursue another direction."

[zencat]

Jacques Nexus (29 Aug, 2001 01:11 p.m.):
Tell me zencat...do you have any knowledge of the original Maibaum treatment for AVTAK ?. It was supposed to be about Zorin maipulating the course of Halley's Comet to hit Silicon Valley (though I would have thought it would destroy a lot more than that !!).....would love to know what's in this treatment !!!.

I've heard of this Halley's Comet plot for AVTAK, but I've never seen or read a treatment. I would also love to know more. I'd also like to read the original OCTOPUSSY treatment which is about an "Octopussy weapon" or some such thing.

[White Persian]

Back to the notion of Jack Palance as The Man With The Golden Gun". Richard Maibaun has said that he pictured TMWTGG as a Bondish take on the classic Western, "Shane"- a showdown between two top guns, Bond and Scaramanga. The thrust of that theme was softened by the introduction of the energy crisis subplot and the Solex Agitator gizmo.
Palance's finest role was as hired gun, Wilson, in "Shane", and perhaps that's why he was thought of as Scaramanga, and in some ways I'd have preferred him to Christopher Lee, who rather sacrificed menace for urbane charm. Palance might have been nearer Fleming's more brutal and threatening character.

[White Persian]

Latest post on my one man thread...
Anyone remember Gayle Hunnicutt being announced as Solitaire in "Live And Let Die". I've always wondered what happened. Was Jane Seymour cast because she seemed more virginal? Is "more virginal" tautology? Are there degrees of virginity?

[Jacques Nexus]

[quote]zencat (27 Aug, 2001 07:21 p.m.):[quote]
...And of course there's David Bowie as Max Zorin. I've even seen a AVTAK storyboard which depicts Zorin as Bowie.[/quote]
Tell me zencat...do you have any knowledge of the original Maibaum treatment for AVTAK ?. It was supposed to be about Zorin maipulating the course of Halley's Comet to hit Silicon Valley (though I would have thought it would destroy a lot more than that !!).....would love to know what's in this treatment !!!.

[White Persian]

Clearly this topic is a personal obsession of mine, of no interest at all to the wider Bond community.

(sigh)

Wasn't James Mason almost cast as Hugo Drax in Moonraker? What happened, did someone show him the script?

[freemo]

Hey, I'm interested in this topic, but I didn't reply because all the ones I know everyone else does too, like Louis Jourdan (Kamal) being considered as Drax.

[zencat]

White Persian (24 Aug, 2001 11:50 a.m.):
Clearly this topic is a personal obsession of mine, of no interest at all to the wider Bond community.

I'm very interested in this topic, but I don't know of many casting misses. I had heard Raquel Welch was considered for the role of Domino in THUNDERBALL. That would have been fine by me. No one was hotter than Raquel back in the day!

And of course there's David Bowie as Max Zorin. I've even seen a AVTAK storyboard which depicts Zorin as Bowie.

[zencat]

White Persian (19 Aug, 2001 07:55 a.m.):
Anyone remember Gayle Hunnicutt being announced as Solitaire in "Live And Let Die". I've always wondered what happened. Was Jane Seymour cast because she seemed more virginal? Is "more virginal" tautology? Are there degrees of virginity?

Seems to me Gloria Hendry told us at the Bond Collectors Weekend in New Orleans in 2000 why they changed the part at the last minute, but now I can't remember the story.

[Blue Eyes]

You wouldn't happen to have a scanner would you Zencat?

[zencat]

Blue Eyes (30 Aug, 2001 12:35 a.m.):
You wouldn't happen to have a scanner would you Zencat?

Yes. What do you need?