7 replies to this topic

[The Dove]

I've been in a Fawlty Towers mood lately (its one of my all time favorite British comedies!) and I've taken notice of how many of the guests on that show also appeared in a Bond film.. So just for fun I thought I would list them:

1. (the most obvious)John Cleese: played Basil Fawlty and was Q/R in The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.

2. Geoffrey Palmer: Admiral Roebuck in Tomorrow Never Dies (also was in the TV show, As Time Goes By, with Judy Dench) plays Dr. Price in the episode " The Kipper and The Corpse ".

3. Bruce Boa: The Air Force General in Octopussy, appears as the loud-mouth, obnoxious American guest in the episode " Waldorf Salad ".

4. James Cossins: Played Calthorpe in The Man With The Golden Gun, and appeared in the " The Hotel Inspectors " as one guest Basil assumes (incorrectly) is one of the inspectors.

5. Bernard Cribbins: Was the cabbie in the 1967 Casino Royale spoof, who drives Mata to Berlin, appears in " The Hotel Inspectors" as well, as a very annoying guest, who eventually ends up getting a pie smashed in his face and crotch by Basil and Manuel.

So, just for some fun trivia, I thought I'd post this for all you Fawlty Towers fans to see, in case you haven't noticed thesee Bond connections already.

[Joyce Carrington]

Fawlty Towers is brilliant.

I hadn't noticed those connections, but then it has been a while since I last saw an episode. Thanks for listing them here, Dove.

[The Number]

Too funny! The best show. Ever! I'm partial to the "Rat" episode. Still laugh my butt off everytime I see Basil's reaction to the cat...well..you get the idea. I remember most of the apperances you mentioned. Geoffrey Palmer's for one, is easy to remember. As is the Waldorf Salad bit. Damn. I'm going to have to watch them all over again for the others. I need a good laugh. This will do it.

P.S. I think Geoffrey Palmer has been in every British TV Show ever made though. really

Edited by The Number, 19 May 2006 - 08:41 AM.

[spynovelfan]

Both are much-loved British institutions that are continually shown on British telly.

Both feature a British male who has trouble with authority taking orders from a strict and disapproving older woman.

Connie Booth looked like a Bond girl.

Er... that's it.

[BMT-216A]

ye faulty towers is soooo good!!

i noticed the Calthorpe one, but not the others!

[I Like Sharks]

James Cossins who played Calthorp in the Man With The Golden Gun is a brilliant actor. He's great at getting irritated on screen and making it look funny. I thought he was really underused in MWTGG after seeing him in Fawlty Towers and also an episode of Some Mothers Do Have Em. Anyone know what else he's been in?

[Loomis]

Connie Booth looked like a Bond girl.

Did she?

I guess she could have been a Caroline Bliss-esque Moneypenny.

Other similarities between Bond and "Fawlty Towers":

- The lead actor in Bond is frequently accused of not looking like Bond, a charge that could certainly also be made to stick in Basil Fawlty's case.

- Bond's wife perished in a hail of bullets on her wedding day. Basil doubtless wishes that his had done so too.

- Both Bond and Basil spend an awful lot of time in hotels. Safe to say that Bond tends to enjoy the experience more.

- "That should keep you in curry for a few weeks" is something that Basil would say.

- Bond can be a terrific snob. So can Basil (see the Lord Melbury episode).

- Both Bond and Basil hang around an elderly major quite a lot.

- Bond is a Benzedrine addict. Basil could pass for one. (Enough now - Ed.)

[Bondian]

Looks like we have a real Basil Fawlty at Late Night With Dalton's Wendy.

http://www.daltonswe...p?showtopic=904

I'll be making all 12 episodes available also at the above site.

Cheers,


Ian