51 replies to this topic

[Colossus]

Blofeld in this and later movies just never felt like No.1 of SPECTRE. Compare the sinister Blofeld's in FRWL and TB with the supposedly same Blofeld in Secret Service or the first appearance with the great Donald Pleasence. The rest acted and looked like two-bit hoodlums, not the head of a multi-national world domination organization. You have Terry Savalas skiing down slopes after Bond, what the? This is the guy who doesn't even send hoodlums, he has lackeys who lead their groups. It was cheap and shlocky how he was perceived later on.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

Ah! I agree with you fully. Telly Salvalas while a great villian never really seemed like Blofeld to me...just some New York gangster.

I love that movie and I love him, but I think the role could've been better cast or he could've played it differently.

[Colossus]

yeah the film was great, plot, story but the Blofeld wasn't.

[Qwerty]

I thought he was a fitting Blofeld for the film. Someone like Donald Pleasence just would not have worked here.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

I thought he was a fitting Blofeld for the film. Someone like Donald Pleasence just would not have worked here.

Well yes naturally, you needed someone to match the younger cast, I just don't think he played the character right. Blofeld to me just isn't an active participant.

Of course you could argue in YOLT that he is, but by then his organization is pretty low key plus he'd have a hard-on for Bond anyway. (Obviously I am talking about book YOLT and the fight scene). Similarly by the time OHMSS comes along Bond has seriously thrashed SPECTRE time and again...but he still just didn't seem like the evil mastermind behind all of it.

Like I said, good villian, not the best Blofeld.

[Qwerty]

None of the three actors we see are the best in my view. That title will always go to the unseen Blofeld of From Russia With Love and Thunderball.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

None of the three actors we see are the best in my view. That title will always go to the unseen Blofeld of From Russia With Love and Thunderball.

You know, kind of an unconventional choice but I'm with you on that all the way.

Donald Pleasance is so iconic though, it's hard not to love him.

[Spoon]

I think Savalas was GREAT. I thought his Blofeld was very suave, confident and charming. And a person who repeatedly almost succeeded in taking over the world would have to be like that. He couldn't be frothing at the mouth; he wouldn't get anywhere. If someone who looked and acted like Pleasance in You Only Live Twice wanted you to join up with his organization... would you do it? Seriously. Of course you wouldn't! You would have run screaming as soon as you saw him. He's obviously insane. Savalas' version felt much more like a real person whom people would follow, and who could successfully put something like this together. His chemistry with Rigg was great. You couldn't have even imagined doing a scene with Pleasance's Blofeld like the one where Savalas and Rigg flirt. Pleasance's Blofeld was so unrealistic, the idea of him having a human conversation (much less coming off like a refined gentleman) would be ridiculous.

Savalas' Blofeld probably shouldn't have got involved in the action so directly, but oh well. That doesn't ruin the whole thing for me. I think he was good as Pleasance, each definitively defining the character in a different way. And certainly worlds, worlds better than Gray.

Edited by Spoon, 03 October 2005 - 03:28 AM.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

Yes, good chemistry indeed with Rigg but then, that in itself seemed un-Blofeld to me. I don't view him as the type to try and steal the girl from Bond.

[Qwerty]

You know, kind of an unconventional choice but I'm with you on that all the way.

I find many people seem to think that Blofeld to be the best.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

You know, kind of an unconventional choice but I'm with you on that all the way.

I find many people seem to think that Blofeld to be the best.

Yes but how many of them could actually name him? I know I couldn't...he doesn't really come up as an actor...but all in all he was perfect. I just watched FRWL last night in fact, there's so much more menace to him then than in OHMSS or even YOLT.

[Qwerty]

You know, kind of an unconventional choice but I'm with you on that all the way.

I find many people seem to think that Blofeld to be the best.

Yes but how many of them could actually name him? I know I couldn't...he doesn't really come up as an actor...but all in all he was perfect. I just watched FRWL last night in fact, there's so much more menace to him then than in OHMSS or even YOLT.

Certainly not a lead actor by any means, but that's hardly important in this case IMO.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

Ditto, I'm just saying he doesn't come up much.

[Qwerty]

Fair enough.

[Colossus]

The Blofelds of FRWL and TB were sinister, and the greatest one played by an actor is Pleasance's.

I found it hilarious someone would ask here if you would join Blofeld based on his appearance, what kind of question is that? You're a bottom of the barrel lackey, i doubt you'd even see or know who Blofeld is let alone know you're even working for SPECTRE and you would get recruited for an organization which is probably run by countless others going all the way to the top. Or if you are a noted mastermind of something intending to accomplish your evil goals and met with a closer circle to Blofeld, i doubt you'd give two bits about how "great" Blofeld looked.
Pleasance captured the darkness of Blofeld better than any of the actors.

[Turn]

I kind of like the fact the Savalas Blofeld gets down and dirty in the action in this film. One of the problem with some of the other main villains in the series is they have others do their heavy lifting and you get to see Blofeld do so here. Stromberg, for instance, pushes buttons. This is a Blofeld out to do whatever he can to make his plots work and destroy the man responsible for trashing so many of them.

Did anybody really think the Pleasance Blofeld was any physical match to Connery or Lazenby? Savalas brings that to the table. It's interesting so many people like the unseen Blofeld, but I really never bought the whole Blofeld in suit and tie thing either. Great voice, though.

The books talk about Blofeld being a very big, imposing man, capable of building SPECTRE. He wasn't necessarily in the movies, but Savalas you could see pulling some of that off in making his way to the top. Maybe he is a bit Americanized through Savalas, but by his being this way, he doesn't need a henchman heavy to do his work for him.

[hcmv007]

Just agreeing a bit w/ Turn here. Blofeld was supposed to be a figure who physically intimidates on sight, Telly (Who loves ya baby?) did it perfectly.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

Pleasance captured the darkness of Blofeld better than any of the actors.

Than the other actors sure. But he was hardly dark, himself. Sure he played it well but when it all comes down to it Donald Pleasance was just a short little man with a funny face. I don't necessarily see Polish mastermind of espionage but maybe Scaramanga's buddy from the circus.

[doublenoughtspy]

First, I'm not sure how you can really compare "performances" of the FRWL/TB Blofelds to those of YOLT/OHMSS/DAF.

You never see their face, you never see them move, you never see them react.

So you are projecting your own sense of evil on the faceless individual, and of course a real flesh and blood performance isn't going to measure up.

I agree with Spoon - Savalas has charisma - you believe he is a leader of men and would not hesitate to keep his lackey's in line with a show of force.

The Blofeld of the books is a tall man, with greek heritage.

Savalas fits on both counts, Pleasance on neither.

Peter Hunt talks about how you never see Pleasance move in YOLT because he waddled - his walk was just too comical to have in the film. Thus he could not have worked at all in OHMSS - where a more pysical villain was needed.

[Mister Asterix]

[mra]It is not Blofeld in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service that does not live up to his previous self it is SPECTRE. The evil orginisation seems to have dramatically shrunk from where it was where it was in Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. Blofeld is more

[darthbond]

I loved the blofleds but as everyone says Donald Pleasance is the best of them all. Sure Salavas was great, but I thought he was some another person out to see what they can do to mess up someone's day. DAF's blofled didn't cut it.

darthbond

[Colossus]

Those after Pleasence was just cheap and schlocky like said.

[doublenoughtspy]

Wow, hard to come up with anything against that stunningly presented argument.

[Colossus]

Look at the 1st post.

[Red Grant 15]

I think Pleeseence and Savalas both did an equally good job.

[doublenoughtspy]

Look at the 1st post.

Oh, you mean the one where you call him "Terry" Savalas?

If you are going to criticize someone's portrayal, at least have the courtesy of spelling their name correctly.

[Donovan]

It's funny how each of the three actors who have played Blofeld are wildly different from each other, yet they're playing the same character. Pleasance as a screen villain intent on taking over the world is great. But he doesn't really represent Fleming's description at all. Villains up to this point in the series were pretty much well-cast based on Fleming's description. So when we get to YOLT, characters such as Blofeld, Henderson, and Tiger -- while giving good performances -- do not satisfy those who read the novel. Is this even important? Depends on your point-of-view.

Savalas for me best continues the character as created by Pohlman/Dawson. There's some physical strength in Savalas compared with Pleasance. The voice, while having the obvious New York accent (complimenting Lazenby's Australian accent, "mystery tour, eh?"), still has that deep and ominous quality--particularly noticeable during the hypnotic sequences.

And I've said this before in other threads, Charles Gray's only real problem is his voice. He looks the most like Blofeld as described in OHMSS. But that darned nasally proper voice wrecks the character. Plus the way Gray plays the character so lightly (thank you, Mr. Hamilton) makes "Diamonds Are Forever" more of a fun Bond film than a thrilling spy adventure. But I like it.

[Colossus]

Look at the 1st post.

Oh, you mean the one where you call him "Terry" Savalas?

If you are going to criticize someone's portrayal, at least have the courtesy of spelling their name correctly.

Oh ok pointing out a misspelling, so the fact i replaced ll with rr makes Savalas' look and potrayal all the more Blofeld like?

That's the whole point all you can think about is how i'm badmouthing him, when i'm just telling the truth. FRWL, TB, YOLT had the leader of the multi-national organization. In OHMSS acted more of a hoodlum and like one of the leaders under Blofeld rather than Blofeld himself like a Dr. No rather than Blofeld.

Also whoever said Blofeld is greek, Blofeld's mother is greek, his father is POLISH.
Who said Pleasence doesn't seem the hands-on type obviously judge straight out of his intended responses to the action and his placed position in YOLT rather than the man himself and what he can accomplish, i don't think they've seen another movie with Pleasance, one he did right before YOLT was Fantastic Voyage about a ship going in a human's bloodstream, and the crewmember, Pleasence does go try to go against the rest of the crew by force.

Edited by Colossus, 06 October 2005 - 02:50 AM.

[Harmsway]

Salvalas' Blofeld was the weakest point about OHMSS. While someone younger undoubtedly needed to be cast than Pleasance (who is the best screen Blofeld, IMO), the role was treated like a mobster in OHMSS, and robbed the character of his power and dominance.

[doublenoughtspy]

I know his father is Polish, but the point is, with a middle name Stavro and a Greek mother - he has Greek heritage - which Savalas obviously has.

Are you claiming that Pleasence has either Greek or Polish heritage?

I am not disputing that Pleasence is a good Blofeld in YOLT - but he would not have worked for OHMSS.

But at 5' 7", he was just not a pysical threat to Bond the way Savalas was in OHMSS.

Can you honestly say you can picture Pleasence on skis? In the bobsled brutally fighting it out with Lazenby?

I also don't like the way Pleasence practically clings to the cat for protection when confronting Bond in YOLT.

http://www.allstarz....nery/yolt16.jpg

He also doesn't handle a pistol with any kind of authority the way Savalas does.

I also can't picture Pleasence romancing Tracy - she would have laughed in his ugly face and pushed him over with a single slap.