88 replies to this topic

[Chicago103]

If you were to change the Bond franchise over time how would you have it be in terms of actors and movies.

Here is mine:

--------------------------------------------------------------
Reasons for changes noted

Sean Connery:

Dr. No (1962)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
((Never Say Never Again, (1983), unofficial))

George Lazenby:

On Her Majesties Secret Service (1969)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) (Lazenby should have made at least two and I think the script fits him and he already knew Jill St. John, aka Tiffany Case)

Roger Moore:

Live and Let Die (1973)
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy (1983)
A View To A Kill (1985)

Timothy Dalton:

The Living Daylights (1987)
License To Kill (1989)
Bond 17, Property of A Lady? (1991) (Dalton should have made a third)
Bond 18 (1993) (Dalton should have made four)

Pierce Brosnan:

Goldeneye (1995)
Tommorow Never Dies (1997)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002)
Bond 23 (2004) (Brosnan could have made another, more dignified end than DAD)

Daniel Craig:

Casino Royale (2006)

Bond 25(in this scenario)(2008)and a couple more for Daniel Craig

As you can see I mostly added movies so there wouldnt be the huge gaps between LTK and Goldeneye and DAD and CR. I took one film away from Connery (DAF) and gave it to Lazenby, gave Dalton two more films and Brosnan one more. We would have 24 official Bond films as of today instead of 21.

[TheSaint]

Great topic. This should get some interesting posts...

Connery:
Dr.No(1962)
FRWL(1963)
Goldfinger(1964)
Thunderball(1965)
OHMSS(1967)

Lazenby:
YOLT(1969)

Moore:
TMWTGG(1971)
LALD(1973)
Diamonds are Forever(1975)
TSWLM(1977)
Moonraker(1979)
FYEO(1981)
Octopussy(1983)
AVTAK(1985)

Dalton:
The Living Daylights(1987)
License to Kill(1989)
Property of a Lady(1991)
Quantum of Solace(1993)

Brosnan:
Goldeneye(1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies(1997)
TWINE(1999)
DAD(2002)
Casino Royale(2004)

Owen:
Risico(2006)

As I see it, Sean leaves after doing 5 films, with Majesty's as his finale.

George is cast as the vengeance driven Bond for Twice but, just like in real life, follows bad advice and only does one.

Instead of throwing money at Sean to return, Eon casts Roger, who debuts as the brainwashed Bond back from Russia in Golden Gun. Instead of Roger doing two films back to back, I stick to the new "1 film every other year" schedule that started in 1967. The reason I have Roger do 8 films is because Pierce would've looked too young to do AVTAK in 1985, and Dalton still wasn't interested. Of course, having Roger do 8 also gums up his doing The Persuaders! but, I can live with that.

NBC gums up Pierce's chance of doing Daylights in 1987 so, in comes Dalton, who ends up doing 4. Can't imagine him doing more than that.

Pierce takes over in 1995, and ends up doing Casino as his finale, where facing Le Chiffre is done as a flashback wrapped by a new story.

Since I'm no fan of Craig, Clive Owen gets the nod for Risico.

[Agent 0015]

ok....

Sean Connery
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Golfinger
Thunderball

George Lazenby
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Diamonds are Forever

Roger Moore
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View to a Kill

Timothy Dalton
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
Goldeneye
The Property of a Lady

Pierce Brosnan
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World is Not Enough
Die Another Day

Daniel Craig
Casino Royale
Bond 22
Bond 23

Edited by Agent 0015, 28 February 2007 - 04:40 AM.

[coco1997]

I love doing this kind of thing. Here's mine:

Sean Connery:
Dr. No (1962) - Christopher Lee as Dr. No. Proper opening gunbarrel music. Add 007 theme during the end credits.
From Russia With Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965) - Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is used as the music at the end.

George Lazenby:
OHMSS (1967)
You Only Live Twice (1969) - Featuring a far more revenge-driven Lazenby and the return of Telly Savalas as Blofeld. The film would much more closely follow the novel, but expand in certain places, i.e., the PTS being a shootout at Tracy's funeral, Bond going to NYC, footchase through Tokyo, Garden of Death, etc. Also use Julie Rogers' theme as it would fit the mood of the film better.

Roger Moore
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - No need to bring a visibly aged Connery back for ONE film when Moore would have been "moore" than ready to do this one. The tone of the original fits him much better, anyways. The movie could be cleaned up a bit more, though. By this time, Blofeld is dead, so we'd need a new villain (perhaps Goldfinger's brother, as the novel has it?) and the film could stand to be a bit darker here and there to stand as a respectable debut for Mr. Moore
Live & Let Die (1973)
The Man With the Golden Gun (1975) - Jack Palance as Scaramanga, Alice Cooper's theme in place of Lulu's.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - No ridiculous ketchup and mustard skisuit for Bond in the beginning. Also, Jaws dies.
Moonraker (1979) - If possible, have the film be a mix of the abandoned 1956 film project and Fleming's novel, too. Have Drax be a real Nazi. Less time spent in space.
For Your Eyes Only (1981) - Use Blondie's theme. Obviously needs a new PTS as Blofeld would have died in YOLT. Also tighten the rock-climbing scene at the end as it goes on for WAY too long.

Timothy Dalton
Octopussy (1983) - Better main theme. Perhaps Giovanni Vanelli's "Nightwalker" as suggested in another thread.
A View To a Kill (1985) - Basically re-draft the whole film to fit with the darker tone of Dalton's Bond. Try to find a way to make Grace Jones less ugly . This film probably needs the most work. But that's for another thread.
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence Revoked (1989) - Keep original title. No ridiculous "happy ending" that does a complete 180 on the tone of the entire film.
Colonel Sun (1991) - New film would be a sort of sequel to Licence Revoked, just as dark and personal. Film would take place in Hong Kong and China and feature music by Elton John and 808 State (ideas taken from another thread).

Pierce Brosnan
Goldeneye (1995) - Plot more similar to the original draft. Use Ace of Base's "The Goldeneye" as the main theme.
Tomorrow Never Lies (1997) - Keep original title. Make Paris Carver the main Bond girl. Sir Anthony Hopkins is Elliot Harmsway. k.d. Lang's "Surrender" as the main theme.
The World Is Not Enough (1999) - Show the rescue of Elektra King from Renard as the PTS. The opening credits begin as we close in on Bond's eyes (as in the original draft). Use Straw's theme song. Cast Monica Bellucci as Elektra King. Re-cast Christmas Jones, and for God's sake, give her a better name! No mourning scene after Bond kills Elektra. Perhaps have her not die and make the last scene be her at the psychiatrist, as it was in one of the earlier drafts. Not EVERY film has to end with Bond getting the girl.
Beyond The Ice (2002) - Use Red Flag's theme or get Shirley Bassey to come back to wail out one final Bond theme for this franchise. LOTS and LOTS of work would have to be done on this one, obviously, too numerous to list here. No invisible Aston Martin, no annoying Jinx, no gene therapy crap, etc. Basically, do everything possible to make this a proper send-off for Brosnan.

Daniel Craig
Casino Royale (2006) - Perfect film! Perhaps re-incorporate the subplot with the ripped playing cards, and that's about it...

[ChronoBreak]

Cool Topic. In my alternate timeline, everything's the same until 1981. *disolve*

Roger Moore's era comes to an end with FYEO.

The series takes a much needed 6-year break.

In 1987, Timothy Dalton debuts in TLD

1989: License to Kill
1992: Property of a Lady

Timothy Dalton bows out, accomplishing all he wished to with the character.

In 1995, Pierce Brosnan debuts in Goldeneye.

1997: Tomorrow Never Dies
1999: The World is not Enough

In 2002, Pierce Brosnan appears in his final Bond film - Which isn't Die Another Day. I'm removing DAD from the timeline completely. P&W miraculously produce a script that gives Brosnan a respectable send off, thus capping off his era.

In 2006, Daniel Craig debuts in Casino Royale. And all is right with the Bondiverse.

[Publius]

I tried not to make too many major changes, since I'd be completely lost if I did.

Sean Connery
1962: Dr. No
1963: From Russia With Love
1964: Goldfinger
1965: Thunderball
1967: Diamonds Are Forever

The only difference here is that Sean gets a clear send-off in the form of a much improved (albeit still charmingly campy) DAF instead of YOLT.

George Lazenby
1969: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1971: You Only Live Twice

George is convinced to stick around for one more (money, perhaps?), but the producers realize he'll leave soon and decide to cast someone certifiably long term next time.

Also, YOLT, which is an entirely different animal here, doesn't shy away from OHMSS like DAF does in our timeline; rather, they're the two most linked Bond films, chronologically and thematically.

Roger Moore
1973: The Man with the Golden Gun
1975: Live and Let Die
1977: The Spy Who Loved Me
1979: Moonraker
1981: For Your Eyes Only
1983: Octopussy

I think TMWTGG would make for a better intro to a new Bond, especially if the "attempted assassination" angle was worked in at the beginning and if the film was actually the cat-and-mouse game it should have been. It probably needs a setting other than Asia or the Caribbean, though.

Also, Moore's second movie should have been a summer release like the others, so push it back six months from what it was in our timeline. And if Connery wants to return in NSNA, Warhead, or whatever, let him.

Timothy Dalton
1985: The Living Daylights
1987: From a View to a Kill
1989: The World is not Enough

Seeing a decline in revenue with the last two Moore films, the producers switch back to a winter release schedule.

TLD is still Dalton's debut, but two years early. AVTAK gets back its cooler, better sounding, and more logical original name. Screw people getting confused; it didn't hurt FRWL. LTK has been given the more fitting title of TWINE.

Sean Bean
1995: Goldeneye
1997: Tomorrow Never Lies
1999: Die Another Day
2002: Everything or Nothing

I guess the big change here is obvious. Even if it was still Brosnan, though, it'd be okay.

Keep TND's cooler, better sounding, and more logical original name (hey, where have I heard this before? ) with Surrender as the title song, and since TWINE has been taken already rename it DAD (a title I do like, for the record). Also, for the 40th anniversary, 20th (official) Bond film, the name Everything or Nothing is more fitting than Die Another Day.

Daniel Craig
2006: Casino Royale
2008: Bond 22 (The Property of a Lady?)
2010: Bond 23 (Shatterhand?)
2012: Bond 24 (My Enemy's Enemy?)

Just the minimum amount of films I want Craig to do with the release schedule I'd like to see.

[dee-bee-five]

Since I'm no fan of Craig, Clive Owen gets the nod for Risico.

And then the series dies...

[carddoug]

how about having craig start with casino royale in 1995 and then having doing movies such as property of a lady,shaterhand and then having him do five or six more films.

[ACE]

Instead of throwing money at Sean to return, Eon casts Roger, who debuts as the brainwashed Bond back from Russia in Golden Gun.

Since I'm no fan of Craig, Clive Owen gets the nod for Risico.

Brilliant idea for Roger's debut, TheSaint. Really good.

2 Questions:
Have you seen Craig as Bond?
What did you think?

[Loomis]

I'm also curious as to whether you've kept up the boycott, TheSaint. Given the unprecedented level of critical acclaim for CASINO ROYALE, and Craig's Bafta nomination, etc., as well as colossal box office and the fact that it's the first reasonably faithful Fleming adaptation for decades, it must take a will of steel for a hardcore Bond fan to shun it. I mean, you've got Graham Rye calling Craig the best Bond ever, Raymond Benson rating CR (in his Amazon list) as the fourth best film in the series.... Any serious Bond fan (as opposed to serious Brosnan fan) who's still resisting a viewing, still immune to the most basic curiosity about this movie.... well, I can't imagine it's easy.

Back OT, I wouldn't change much. I'd make GOLDENEYE Dalton's final outing rather than Brosnan's first, which would now be TOMORROW NEVER DIES (given TND's stylistic break with GOLDENEYE, it actually seems a bit like a debut anyway). And the Jinx film would have been made.

You could also twist my arm into having Connery in OHMSS, with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER a "proper" followup, and a sentimental 2007 release for CASINO ROYALE (but still the exact same film, of course). Maybe they could have done a Wai Lin spinoff in 1999 and refrained from making THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. Which would, of course, mean only two outings for Brosnan's Bond, separated by a five-year gap, but is that a problem? Well, I don't see one.

[plankattack]

Instead of a whole list, I'll just emphasize a couple of good ideas on the thread:

- Laz trilogy - great idea. He marries, he gets revenge.

- Ending Sir Rog with FYEO or more likely OP. AVTAK toughened up a bit, de-Moored in, fact, (a greater sense of the microchip/industrial espionage side of things - it is the mid-80s after all), so TD enters the series at DC's age.

- Delete DAD from our collective memories and replaced with a proper Brozza send-off.

I did read somewhere that the original Goldeneye script was written with TD in mind. That might be interesing (though perhaps too similar in tone to LTK).

Great thread!

Edited by plankattack, 28 February 2007 - 02:28 PM.

[ACE]

Ian Fleming's James Bond starring Sean Connery

Dr No 1962
From Russia With Love 1963
Goldfinger 1964
Thunderball 1965
Moonraker 1967

George Lazenby as James Bond
in Ian Fleming's

On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969
Diamonds Are Forever 1971
You Only Live Twice 1972

Roger Moore as James Bond 007
in Ian Fleming's

The Man With The Golden Gun 1973
Live And Let Die 1974
The Spy Who Loved Me 1975
For Your Eyes Only 1977

(Sean Connery James Bond in Warhead 1979)*

Octopussy 1980

Michael Billington
Ian Fleming's 007

From A View To A Kill 1982
Risico 1983

(Sean Connery James Bond in Warhead 8 1983)*

The Hildebrand Rarity 1985

Timothy Dalton as
Ian Fleming's James Bond 007

The Living Daylights 1987

(Pierce Brosnan James Bond in SPECTRE 1988)*

Licence To Kill 1989

(Pierce Brosnan James Bond in Blofeld 1991)*

Colonel Sun 1992

(Pierce Brosnan James Bond in
Longditude 78 West 1992
Domino 1992
Sour Martinis 1993
When The Kissing Stopped 1993
Smokeheart 1993
Knight Of Shadows 1993
A Conservative Estimate of Death 1993)#

Jason Isaacs as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in

Goldeneye 1995
Tomorrow Never Dies 1997
The World Is Not Enough 1999
Die Another Day 2002

Jack Davenport as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in

Casino Royale 2005
Licence Renewed 2007
Quantum Of Solace 2009


* Produced by Kevin McLory and Xanadu Productions
# TV Movies produced by Albert S Ruddy and Kevin McClory

[JLaidlaw]

My changes would mainly be an attempt to give the Bond films some sort of continuity arc which is lacking from most of the films.

Sean Connery
1. The Moonraker (1962)

I do think Bond should have had an introductory film written by, or supervised by Ian Fleming. I want to keep Live and Let Die with Moore's Bond, and I want to keep Casino Royale with Craig's, so Moonraker is the best book to introduce the Bond character, with perhaps some extra back story that isn't in the books, about Bond being a young man in the wartime Navy. The title has a 'The' added, which somehow is more in keeping with sixties style. The title song is a Thunderball style song, with as much of that style of title sequence as was possible at that time. Lee and Maxwell are exactly the same, but Sylvia Trench is left out of this film. Connery films the Gunbarrel, not Bob Simmons. Maurice Binder keeps the copyright, and is able to sell it for Kevin McClory's film Warhead.

2. Dr No (1963)

The title song is a Goldfinger style song, with the hint of a mystery man named only Dr No. Desmond Llewellyn arms Bond with his PPK. Impressed with The Moonraker, Noel Coward plays Dr No well. Apart from that the film is exactly the same.

3. From Russia With Love (1964)

The next two films are almost perfect, but I'd like little tweaks in continuity, ie. When Desmond Llewellyn reappears, he should give a less stiff performance.

4. Goldfinger (1966)

Again, continuity, Sylvia Trench should be somehow written out. Maybe when in Florida, Bond should be reading a postcard from her. I like Cec Linder, but I think he should play Felix's partner rather than Felix. Jack Lord should be Felix Leiter, and there shouldn't be a new one until Live and Let Die

5. Thunderball (1968)
6. You Only Live Twice (1969)

The goodbye to Connery, and I think a fitting one. Don't have him come back for any official films.

George Lazenby
7. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1971)

At the start of the film Bond doesn't know Blofeld escaped. M shows Bond a photograph of Blofeld in Rome, and tells Bond that he messed up, he'll be setting 006 on the case instead, and there the resignation letter comes in. I don't really want to say this, but make Blofeld's lair less kitsch. Keep Tracy's death at the end of the film. The only problem is that Irma Bunt would have to be played by a different actress.

8. Diamonds Are Forever (1972)

Telly Savalas as Blofeld. Put Tracy's funeral, or at least her grave in the pretitles sequence. Make the film a personal revenge for Bond, and little else. No moon-buggy chase, no Blofeld acting as someone else. And the next time Cubby Broccolli says 'I have an idea for a story' tell him he's a great producer, but when it comes to the stories, leave it to Fleming.

Roger Moore
9. Live and Let Die (1974)
10. The Man With The Golden Gun (1975)
11. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

The Spy Who Loved Me needs the original idea of a group of terrorists taking over SPECTRE and wanting to destroy the world

12. The Property of a Lady (1979)

Octopussy, with a much better title that fits the film. I've moved this one only because I consider Live and Let Die and For Your Eyes Only to be Moore's best films, and it's a good top and tail. Title song changed, but the new one doesn't feature the title.

13. For Your Eyes Only (1981)

As the Blofeld story is over, now the pretitles sequence for For Your Eyes Only involves a battle in mid-air over a parachute

Timothy Dalton
14. The Living Daylights (1984)
15. From A View To A Kill (1986)

Which is completely different to the A View to a Kill we eventually get, except Duran Duran are reunited to record the theme. (Failing that Spandau, they are exactly the same band). As another Spy Thriller, it means that Dalton is completely built up as Bond by the time of Licence to Kill.

16. Licence to Kill (1988)

Kept the same, with A new title song from The Pretenders. Keep with rock-pop songs for the Dalton era. Released in November, with better advertising.

17. Colonel Sun (1990)

Naturally, the story becomes depthened more than in the book. The attempted framing of Bond becomes more personal than in the book as reference is made that his government will disown him as a rogue agent, after his actions in Licence to Kill, this implication foreshadows Goldeneye. Edward Fox is brought into the official Bond Universe to play the minister. The series takes a well earned break whilst Kevin McClory tries to get more money.

Pierce Brosnan
18. Goldeneye (1995)

Paul Oakenfold is not hired to compose the soundtrack. Instead the contract falls to a relatively unknown British TV soundtrack composer called David Arnold.

19. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Unfortunately, I like Surrender and Sheryl Crow's song equally, but I think the latter fits the graphics better, so Surrender remains a secondary song

20. The World is Not Enough (1999)

Though TND and Goldeneye title sequences have beautiful moments, the poor quality of the rest of the sequences means that Daniel Kleinman is replaced, a franchise company is brought in to do the title sequences. Desmond Llewellyn's last line as Q is changed from 'Always have an escape plan' to 'Always leave them wanting more'- perfect.

21. Quantum of Solace (2001)

Quantum of Solace is not based at all on the story, but is a fitting title for a cold Bond film. This involves some of the plot of Die Another Day, Brosnan is caught, they have to pull him out of Korea because he is leaking information. Bond is then sent on a mission to discover who is setting him up, and comes across a conspiracy in his own government. John Cleese returns as Q, and a nearly-fortieth anniversary nod is made by having Christopher Lee as one of the governmental conspirators.

22. Everything or Nothing (2003)

An elaborate plot and a traditional formula goodbye film for Brosnan. Something special should happen at the end, perhaps Bond and Moneypenny (Samantha Bond) get together at last.

Daniel Craig
23. Casino Royale (2006)
24. Bond 24 (2007)

Back to Back fiming ensures the two related Bond films are produced to be only a year apart. Fan forums buzz with excitement, with many convinced that this film will be called The Hildebrand Rarity, whilst others insist it should be 007 in New York.

The Unofficials
0. The Double 0 Agent (1954)

Rename the Casino Royale to Fleming's suggested American title, just so we don't have three films called Casino Royale. Have the agent as British, but it would still be entertaining to tell the story from an American perspective, Leiter's.

6.5 Casino Royale (1968)

If Casino Royale has a few rewrites, and a less complex plot (and for that matter, better editing) it could be a perfectly executed spoof. I am convinced by the maxim that a comedy film can't sustain itself more than an hour and forty five minutes at most. The only reason I don't make it Connery's first film is that I think the 2006 version was almost perfect

9.5 Warhead (1973)

Sean Connery stars. Less rights issues allow this to be made around the same time as Diamonds are Forever, and allow it to be a plot deviating further from that of Thunderball. It coincides with a year's break in the series and so there is no Battle of the Bonds. It makes sufficient money so that McClory does not wish to make it again until 1991. Many people still today think of this as an official Bond film, and despite it being similar to Thunderball, the differences mean that to the average viewer, it sits happily as part of the Canon. It therefore gains a Special Edition release shortly after the other films in 2003, and is included as one of the 23 films in the Ultimate Edition release sets in 2006.

The Spy who Loved Me would become less of a comic film, and Moonraker and A View to A Kill as we know them would not exist. Diamonds are Forever would not be so camp, and there would only be one take over the world plot. Connery would be given more time to pursue other projects, and not be invited back when he was old and out of shape, Lazenby would get a second chance, Moore would retire younger, Dalton would prove his Bond worthwhile and Brosnan would be given a fairer goodbye, thus all five actors would be happier with their lot (Except perhaps Moore who liked Moonraker). I still think there's some turkeys in there (I don't like Thunderball, and I'm not a big fan of TMWTGG) but I think the canon of twenty-two films would work better together. All the good Fleming titles (apart from Risico) are used.

[00Twelve]

Good food for thought, this topic is.

Sean Connery:
Dr. No (1962)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)

Sean leaves happily at the top of his game, gets many other good roles.

George Lazenby (Probably would have been someone else entirely, but that's ok):

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1967)
You Only Live Twice (1969)
The Man With The Golden Gun (1971)

George decides to leave the series after a clean story arc, gets other work afterward.

Roger Moore:
Diamonds Are Forever (1973)
Live And Let Die (1975)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
For Your Eyes Only (1979)
Moonraker (1981)
Octopussy (1983)

(Star Wars doesn't influence Cubby so much, Rog bows out gracefully)

Timothy Dalton:
From A View to a Kill(with a blessedly different plot) (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence Revoked (1989)

Legal crap still happened, whatever, yeah.

Tim gracefully bows out, after having a great three-film run.

Pierce Brosnan:
GoldenEye (1995)
Tomorow Never Lies (1997)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002) (better title, not overusing the word 'die')

Pierce gracefully bows out, no scandal, but is still hard to replace; Producers still see Bond at the end of the road, and needing an overhaul. The rights to CR are finally acquired, and production commences on CR, with the role being captured by...

Daniel Craig:
Casino Royale (2006)
Bond 22 (2008)
Bond 23 (2009 or 2010)
Bond 24 (Maybe)

I still wish there were a way to have LALD before DN, but an introduction to Bond with LALD would probably be a bomb, methinks. And in this alternate timeline, there may not have been such current ripe opportunity to readapt the Fleming books that previous films so loosely adapted. Maybe then I would be more in favor of brand new written adventures, rather than said readaptations.

[Blonde Bond]

Sean Connery:

Dr. No (1962)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)


George Lazenby:

On Her Majesties Secret Service (1969)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)



Roger Moore:

Live and Let Die (1973)
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy (1983)
A View To A Kill (1985) (*insert a better bond girl here. Thank you. Come back again!*)




Timothy Dalton:

The Living Daylights (1987)
License To Kill (1989)
Bond 17 (1991)




Pierce Brosnan:

Bond 18 (1993)
Goldeneye (1995)
Tommorow Never Dies (1997)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Bond 20 (2001, "Mommy, make that horrible Die Another Day go away...")
Bond 21 (2003-2004) (*Insert a classic bond film here*)



Daniel Craig:

Casino Royale (2006)
Bond 23 (2008) (*insert a classic bond movie here, that will surpass all the previous classics in the series)

Edited by Blonde Bond, 28 February 2007 - 05:03 PM.

[doublenoughtspy]

. Given the unprecedented level of critical acclaim for CASINO ROYALE, and Craig's Bafta nomination, etc., as well as colossal box office

I'm a little surprised that someone who loves TMWGG so much would even care what critics think or point to box office as a gauge of a film's quality.

Tons of critics were incredibly harsh about Lazenby and OHMSS when it debuted - are they right then? Should we all rank the films based on their box office?

BTW, I don't pay too much attention to Bafta's either, considering that for all the quality Bond films released in the 60s - the series only garnered 3 nominations (Ted Moore did win for FRWL cinematography), and even Casino Royale 67 got a nomination for costume design.

Hunt never winning for editing? Young/Hamilton/Gilbert/Hunt not even getting nominations for their films? Maibaum not nominated for any of his work? Come on.

[Jim]

In 1958, Ian Fleming sells the rights to all his existing and future James Bond short stories to Hugh Hefner, largely to annoy his wife. The McClory incident also happened. The rights to the novels he sells to Broccoli and Saltzman.

Sean Connery [1962-1965]

Casino Royale (1962): Filmed in black and white and on location in Northern France, still a firm fan favourite despite its relatively small budget, due to Ken Adam's extraordinary Casino set (a largely blank room with a grille in the ceiling - who would have expected that in a battered beachfront turn-of-the-century neo-Gothic hotel?), Sean Connery's utterly extraordinary pronounciation of "Veshper" and the scene where one of the leading characters emerges from the sea wearing only swimming trunks; an iconic image, even if it had to be filmed in Jamaica to spare Mr Connery any embarassment from emerging from the autumnal English Channel. The film earns itself an unfortunate reputation when Marylin Monroe - intially cast as Vesper Lynd - takes the method acting a bit too far just before the picture is released. The film ends on Bond vowing to avenge himself on SMERSH, which he does in...

From Russia with Love (1963): A riot of exotic colour, and notable for the film's first cliffhanger ending. An initial draft of the script, introducing SPECTRE as the villains, is dumped as unnecessary and pointlessly friendly towards evil Bolshevieks. Author Ian Fleming has a cameo role as one of the naked fighting gypsy girls. Truman Capote's Rosa Klebb is another higlight. The film is nominated as Best Picture for the Academy Awards but appears to lose out to the damn-near unwatchable Tom Jones. With this disappointment, as he spills to the wine-red floor, will James Bond return?

Dr No (1964): Yes. It's making far too much money to stop now. With Fleming duly tucked up in dead, Eon decide to push the envelope (whatever that means) and let themselves loose on Fleming's most outlandish novel. As a mark of respect to his friend, Noel Coward agrees to take on the role of Dr No, as long as he can wear one of his own dressing gowns and his steel claws are the precisely the girth of the third assistant director's penis. The scene where he invites Bond to dinner and regales him with three hours of camp theatrical anecdotes and random bitching about Dame Sybil Thorndyke - "Thorndyke by name, Thorny Dyke by nature, my dear" - is heavily cut. Still, the film-makers do show some of the restraint later absent from the series when the sequence with the giant squid, a long-lost fan "Holy Grail" deleted scene, is excised for being a ) too long and b ) too stupid. Dr No does drown in a cloud of guano, although not until Coward has delivered of one of the immortal speeches of the Bond series "Oh/ What a to-do/ I am covered in poo. My dears/ I once was No/ And now I'm Not."

In 1965, Sean Connery starts getting stroppy, so they try to drown him.

Thunderball (1965): Introduces Bond's Aston Martin and the pre-credis sequence in which he jet-packs off the Chateau, squirts water over his pursuers and then ejects his Japanese female sidekick out of the car's roof is hailed by many as four minutes of uber-Bond, but most as insanely misogynistic and racist. Eon takes this as a compliment. The rest of the film continues as is, for to mess with it would be vandalism. However, halfway through filming the underwater battle scene, and after a hard day of screaming down the telephone for a share of the loot, Connery does get suspicious when his polyurethane underwater jetpack is replaced by a lead one. Agreeing to finish the film, Connery vows that it will be his last.

This places Eon in a quandary: Thunderball earns a zillion dollars (inflation adjusted) and the name Connery is big business.

Hence...

Neil Connery: 1967

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1967): "You Know the Name! You Know the Number!" the adverts screamed. We also know a completely abject performance when we see one. Fundamentally inexperienced, Connery v2.0 goes down like a rat in a pram. Deciding against the condescending "Bond has had to have plastic surgery" routine, Eon are still accused of breaking the fourth wall with dialogue such as "Do you have any brothers, Count?" / "No, Sir Hillary. Do you?" / (Staring straight at camera and winking as if suddenly palsied) "Yesh". Eon accused of huge cynicism. They take this as a compliment. Becomes controversial in later years when ABC splits the film in two for television and hires Sean Connery to do a voiceover as Bond. Time becomes kind to the neglected film - which contains many of the series' best scenes, when Connery's not in them - and some delusionists will even claim that the leading man's tears in the final scene are evidence of true talent rather than director Peter Hunt mashing his testes with a broken pencil, off-camera. Also controversial is the casting of Tracy - whilst having an acting heavyweight supporting the untried Connery may be laudable, 73 year-old Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies is, it has to said, unconvincing in some stunt sequences. The rumour that she ate a murray mint before a love scene haunts the picture to this day.

Sean Connery: 1970 - 1971

You Only Live Twice (1970): The punning title aside, the real Connery's return to the series is a triumph. Set mainly in Japan, Bond avenges the death of his wife and there's some volcano madness too. The acting is largely dreadful. Asked why he returned to the series after rejecting it so vehemently in 1965, Connery admits that being offered Belgium was a substantial incentive. He claims that he intends to flatten it and build the world's largest golf course and that he will put his brother in charge. He later admits that the bit about his brother was a lie.

During the filming of

The Man with the Golden Gun (1971): Connery discovers that Belgium is too small for his ego and demands Germany. After three seconds of debate, Broccoli and Saltzman refuse and Connery walks, although by this stage, lumbers would be more apt. He retires to Bruges to be closer to his money.

Filming is suspended with little over a quarter shot whilst a new Bond is sought. Fortunately, little enough imagination is required to hire

Roger Moore [1973-1983]

The Man with the Golden Gun (1973): Deciding that by this stage the audience could not be any more condescended, the film-makers opt for the "plastic surgery whilst being brainwashed" routine as some sort of way of explaining how the Bond of the early part of the film - a hog of a Scot - is somehow changed by the Russians into a skinny ginger Englishman. The audience, largely accepting any old rubbish by this stage, are happy to buy it, and the scene when Moore tries to kill June Whitfield's M is a series highspot. Even though the script has evident problems, Christopher Lee's scruffy Cuban gangster is a genuine departure for the actor, although the fangs seem a touch trite on reflection. The ending of the film, in a hall of mirrors in which Bond's face is seen to change from Connery to Moore back to Connery and then Moore again is proclaimed as "a serious study of fragmented identity" by someone on this website probably, but most people know "too cheap to reshoot" when they see it.

Live and Let Die (1974): And so we come to this, the (no pun intended) black sheep (although this is a joke in the script, God help us). Due to the ("plot" critical) scene in which Moore's Bond blacks up to infiltrate the Harlem den of Mr Big, this film has not been shown on British television since May 1982 and for years was only ever available on bootleg VHS from that bloke on the market. The redemption of the film may never yet happen, and the (briefly available) DVD release of 2002 only compounded the error: digitally rendering Moore white (but being unable to redub his feeble attempts at patois) sent the police round to Rodney King's again.

Due to the race riot in Letchworth in July 1974, Harry Saltzman withdraws from the partnership. A euphemism for being utterly broke due to being a greedy loony.

Diamonds are Forever (1976): Following Live and Let Die, which they rather enjoyed, the government of South Africa invites Broccoli to make his first "go-alone" Bond film there, which after thirteen seconds of doubt, he agrees to. Careful to avoid accusations of racism and black-bashing, with his usual fist around the jugular of world affairs, Broccoli insists on all lead characters being white. This does not improve matters, but the film becomes a particular favourite with the KKK - they are able to project it onto their robes. The last film to feature Blofeld, the casting of Kevin McClory as the villain is initially accepted by McClory as a great compliment, but his family become suspicious the day after filming is completed when he does not return home. To this day, Eon deny that the death scene where Blofled is force-fed his cat and then hacked to death in a combine harvester is a snuff movie. One of cinema's most mysterious... mysteries.

A hiatus is necessary. But James Bond will return...

[DamnCoffee]

Great thread


Sean Connery:
Dr. No (1962)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)

George Lazenby:
On her Majestys Secret Service (1967) - The same but two years earlier. Dir: Peter Hunt
You Only Live Twice (1969) - Very close to novel, darker tone. Dir: Peter Hunt
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - Totally different plot all together, makes use of the Spang brothers, blofeld dropped. Dir: Peter Hunt

Roger Moore:
Live and Let die (1973) - Exactly the same as movie
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - Closer to Novel, darker tone
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979) - Closer to novel, lose Jaws, Expand on Drax's character more, darker tone
For Your Eyes Only (1981)-Same as before, different pre title sequence

Timothy Dalton:
Octopussy (1983) - Same as before but with Dalton in the role
From A View To A Kill (1985) - complete script polish, recast Stacey, make Grace Jones less ugly
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence Revoked (1989) - keep original title, drop Michale Karman as composer, bring back John Barry
Licence Renewed (1991)
Colonel Sun (1993) - Anthony Hopkins as main villain
Goldeneye (1995) - same as before but with Dalton in the role, Brosnan didn't suit darker role.

Pierce Brosnan:
Tommorow Never Lies (1997) - Keep original title, use KD Langs Surrender as main song, drop wailin and make Paris as Bond girl
The World is not enough (1999)
For Special Services (2000)
Die Another Day (2002) - Drop Berry make Rosamund Pike main Bond girl, take out ice wave, keep the same tone as the first 35 mins, drop Tama-Whore-ri and bring back Michael Apted (at least he tried), if CGI is needed, hire someone who actually knows what they are doing.
Everything or Nothing (2004) - Video Game Adaptation, same cast, give Brosnan a true send off

Daniel Craig:
Casino Royale (2006) - Perfect Bond movie!, the only thing i can say is make PTS longer, use card storyline
The Property Of a Lady (2008)
Risico (2010)
The Hildebrand Rarity (2012) - Everyone thinks the world is going to end at this point, Producers pull out all the stops and make the Best Bond movie ever!
Quantum of Solace (2014) - World obviously dosent end , use '007 in New York' for PTS.

[Publius]

Jason Isaacs as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in[/b]

Nice one. Seems there were a lot of good 007 candidates in the 90s.

[00Twelve]

Jim delivers again.

[Loomis]

. Given the unprecedented level of critical acclaim for CASINO ROYALE, and Craig's Bafta nomination, etc., as well as colossal box office

I'm a little surprised that someone who loves TMWGG so much would even care what critics think or point to box office as a gauge of a film's quality.

If you've read my recent disses on this site of THE DEPARTED and THE QUEEN, and my praise for HANNIBAL RISING, you'd know that I'm by no means a slavish follower of the critical community.

As for TMWTGG, I'll point out that it gets a star in Halliwell and a very respectable *** in Maltin.

Should we all rank the films based on their box office?

Of course not. Neither are the Baftas of any tremendous importance in the scheme of things.

However....

The point I was trying to make is that CASINO ROYALE is by far the best-received (on all levels - commercial, critical, fan reaction, industry awards) Bond film of all time. You wouldn't disagree with that, surely? Like it or dislike it, it's simply a matter of fact that CR has made an unprecedentedly huge splash. TWINE and DAD (just to cite the last two for the sake of comparison) made the usual Bond box office splash, but nothing else. The reaction this time round is something new for the series, and something rather big.

Therefore, it would be extraordinary for any Bond fan to refuse to see it. A Bond fan who will see any new Bond film (and buy any new Bond novel, and so on) as a matter of course, but won't see the most controversial, most financially successful (let's not quibble about THUNDERBALL and adjusted grosses, eh?), most nominated, most rapturously-received Bond film ever, which also happens to be the most Flemingian in decades?

Not that I'm trying to attack TheSaint, whose posts I greatly enjoy, or anyone else, and note that I'm not being abusive towards anyone. We've all got our own tastes and opinions, which is great, and makes CBn a great site, but I'm just pointing out that to ignore CR in the face of all its undeniable success can't be easy for a Bond fan.

[Loomis]

Noel Coward agrees to take on the role of Dr No, as long as he can wear one of his own dressing gowns and his steel claws are the precisely the girth of the third assistant director's penis. The scene where he invites Bond to dinner and regales him with three hours of camp theatrical anecdotes and random bitching about Dame Sybil Thorndyke - "Thorndyke by name, Thorny Dyke by nature, my dear" - is heavily cut.

Oh, very good.

[Andrew]

Here's a pretty conventional alternate timeline, not deviating too far from the actual EON series...

Sean Connery
1962 Dr. No
1963 From Russia with Love
1964 Goldfinger
1965 Thunderball
1967 Diamonds Are Forever

Roger Moore
1969 On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1970 You Only Live Twice
1973 Live and Let Die
1974 The Man with the Golden Gun
1976 The Spy Who Loved Me
1978 Moonraker

Michael Billington
1980 For Your Eyes Only

Sean Connery
1983 Octopussy

Timothy Dalton
1985 From a View to a Kill
1987 The Living Daylights
1989 Colonel Sun
1995 Goldeneye

Pierce Brosnan
1997 Tomorrow Never Dies
1999 The World is Not Enough
2002 Die Another Day
2004 Everything or Nothing

Daniel Craig
2006 Casino Royale

Later I'll post my much less "conventional" alternate universe

[coco1997]

I look forward to it.

[tdalton]

Sean Connery
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
You Only Live Twice

Roger Moore
The Man With The Golden Gun
Diamonds Are Forever
Live and Let Die
The Spy Who Loved Me

Timothy Dalton
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
From A View To A Kill
The Living Daylights
Licence Revoked
GoldenEye

Sean Bean
Moonraker
Tomorrow Never Lies
For Special Services
Never Dream of Dying

Daniel Craig
Casino Royale
A Whisper of Hate
Risico
The Undertaker's Wind
Colonel Sun

[TheSaint]

2 Questions:
Have you seen Craig as Bond?
What did you think?

I'm also curious as to whether you've kept up the boycott, TheSaint. Given the unprecedented level of critical acclaim for CASINO ROYALE, and Craig's Bafta nomination, etc., as well as colossal box office and the fact that it's the first reasonably faithful Fleming adaptation for decades, it must take a will of steel for a hardcore Bond fan to shun it. I mean, you've got Graham Rye calling Craig the best Bond ever, Raymond Benson rating CR (in his Amazon list) as the fourth best film in the series.... Any serious Bond fan (as opposed to serious Brosnan fan) who's still resisting a viewing, still immune to the most basic curiosity about this movie.... well, I can't imagine it's easy.

When I posted my alternate timeline, and substituted Owen for Craig, little did I dream that I would re-open this can of worms.

I didn't see CR so, yes, I've kept up the "boycott". Once I make up my mind on something like this, fan or not, I stick to it. I was a fan of Batman way before Bond and yet, once Keaton was cast as Batman, it was a certainty I would not see the Tim Burton film. 18 years later and I still haven't seen either Batman or Batman Returns. Guess that's where my "will of steel" comes from. As for Rye & Benson's opinions, I've known these guys personally since before there was a CBn. Neither are big fans of Roger as Bond so, I think it's ok for me to pass on Craig.

Back OT, I've noticed a few posters have mentioned or listed a Jinx and/or Wai Lin film. If Eon never considered doing a Felix Leiter film, which I definitely would've lined up for, I really don't see why a film on either Jinx or Wai Lin was even considered.

[Professor Pi]

Nice thread ... OK, here goes:

CONNERY (62-69)
DN-FRWL-GF-TB as is, then
OHMSS (with Bridget Bardot as intended)
YOLT (more faithful to novel, with Telly again, Connery gets to kill Blofeld as his swansong*)

LAZENBY (71-73)
DAF (with Spang brothers)
Moonraker (novel or movie version)

MOORE (75-83)
LALD-TMWTGG-TSWLM, and then, as promised at its end,
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy

BROSNAN (85-91)
From a View to a Kill
The Living Daylights (Maibaum and Wilson both said they had Pierce in mind for this)
The Property of a Lady (if only to get this title used and over with)
Colonel Sun (Dies Another Day Beyond the Ice?)

DALTON (93-99)
Licence (Renewed) to Kill (just kidding, keep LTK title)
GoldenEye (I met Bruce Feirstein and he did say he wrote this with Tim in mind)
The World Is Not Enough (Dalton could pull this off, yes?)
Tomorrow Never Dies (but with a Fleming title--'The Richest Man in the World'?)

CRAIG ('01-'07)
Casino Royale (reinvent Bond for the new millenium)
Risico (if we must use every Fleming title)
Shatterhand (Dr. Gunthram as a real villain, not just Ernst's pseudonym)
Quantum of Solace (R-rated serious dramatic film that earns Craig an Oscar, no less)

*As a running joke, each actor remakes McClory's script in a non-EON production:
Connery - Never Say Never Again
Lazenby - Longitude 78 West, directed by Francis Coppola
Moore - James Bond of the Secret Service, directed by Steven Spielberg
Brosnan - SPECTRE, directed by John McTiernan
Dalton - Warhead 2000, directed by Quentin Tarantino (imagine that combo!)
Craig - (Are we out of McClory's working titles yet?)

And instead of CR '67, Mike Myers does one spoof Bond titled,
"Never Say SPECTRE Again!"

[PrinceKamalKhan]

You Only Live Twice (1969) - Featuring a far more revenge-driven Lazenby and the return of Telly Savalas as Blofeld. The film would much more closely follow the novel, but expand in certain places, i.e., the PTS being a shootout at Tracy's funeral, Bond going to NYC, footchase through Tokyo, Garden of Death, etc. Also use Julie Rogers' theme as it would fit the mood of the film better.

Interesting idead about PTS a shootout at Tracy's funeral, coco1997

Tomorrow Never Lies (1997) - Keep original title. Make Paris Carver the main Bond girl. Sir Anthony Hopkins is Elliot Harmsway. k.d. Lang's "Surrender" as the main theme.

Totally approve of those ideas(see my sig)

The World Is Not Enough (1999) - Show the rescue of Elektra King from Renard as the PTS.

That would have definitely improved that film

Sean Bean
1995: Goldeneye
1997: Tomorrow Never Lies
1999: Die Another Day
2002: Everything or Nothing

Like the Sean Bean switch. Bean easily outacted Brosnan in GE.

Goldeneye (1995) - same as before but with Dalton in the role, Brosnan didn't suit darker role.

Agree totally. Dalton's ghost haunts GE.

Pierce Brosnan:
Tommorow Never Lies (1997) - Keep original title, use KD Langs Surrender as main song, drop wailin and make Paris as Bond girl

Agree again as above

Sean Connery
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
You Only Live Twice

Roger Moore
The Man With The Golden Gun
Diamonds Are Forever
Live and Let Die
The Spy Who Loved Me

Timothy Dalton
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
From A View To A Kill
The Living Daylights
Licence Revoked
GoldenEye

Sean Bean
Moonraker
Tomorrow Never Lies
For Special Services
Never Dream of Dying

Daniel Craig
Casino Royale
A Whisper of Hate
Risico
The Undertaker's Wind
Colonel Sun

I think I like tdalton's best

OK, my attempt-

Sean Connery:

1962-DN
1963-FRWL
1964-GF
1965-TB
1967-OHMSS

George Lazenby:

1969-YOLT(more faithful to the novel, of course. If you think about it, a more faithful film version of YOLT would profoundly affect the whole course of the series. TSWLM, MR, and TND would all differ greatly if that had happened).

Roger Moore:

1971-TMWTGG(more faithful but would keep Lee as Scaramanga)
1973-LALD
1975-TSWLM(might incorporate more of the actual novel)
1977-OP
1979-MR(a perfect OTT finish to the Moore era)

Timothy Dalton;

1981-FYEO(more serious. The Blofeld PTS would be dropped since he would have died in YOLT but I would retain Bond at Tracy's grave. No Bibi, more sparks between Bond and Melina and the ATAC threat would have been milked for a lot more danger and tension)
1983-Colonel Sun
1985-From A View To A Kill(with a major script overhaul prior to shooting, more faithful to Fleming's short story)
1987-TLD
1989-Licence Revoked
Summer 1992-GE(Dalton's finale)

Pierce Brosnan:

Christmas 1994-Licence Renewed with Michelle Pfeiffer as Lavender Peacock
Summer 1997-Zero Minus Ten(instead of TND. Like the plot of leveling Hong Kond prior to its return to Red China)
Christmas 1998-DAF with Teri Hatcher as Tiffany and Denise Richards as Plenty
Christmas 2000-For Special Services

Daniel Craig:

2002-CR reboot for the 40th anniversary Bond
2005-Risico
2007-The Property of a Lady(gotta release a Bond film in 2007)
2009-The Hilderbrand Rarity

Clive Owen:

2011-Bond 26

[dee-bee-five]

2 Questions:
Have you seen Craig as Bond?
What did you think?

I'm also curious as to whether you've kept up the boycott, TheSaint. Given the unprecedented level of critical acclaim for CASINO ROYALE, and Craig's Bafta nomination, etc., as well as colossal box office and the fact that it's the first reasonably faithful Fleming adaptation for decades, it must take a will of steel for a hardcore Bond fan to shun it. I mean, you've got Graham Rye calling Craig the best Bond ever, Raymond Benson rating CR (in his Amazon list) as the fourth best film in the series.... Any serious Bond fan (as opposed to serious Brosnan fan) who's still resisting a viewing, still immune to the most basic curiosity about this movie.... well, I can't imagine it's easy.

When I posted my alternate timeline, and substituted Owen for Craig, little did I dream that I would re-open this can of worms.

I didn't see CR so, yes, I've kept up the "boycott". Once I make up my mind on something like this, fan or not, I stick to it. I was a fan of Batman way before Bond and yet, once Keaton was cast as Batman, it was a certainty I would not see the Tim Burton film. 18 years later and I still haven't seen either Batman or Batman Returns. Guess that's where my "will of steel" comes from. As for Rye & Benson's opinions, I've known these guys personally since before there was a CBn. Neither are big fans of Roger as Bond so, I think it's ok for me to pass on Craig.

I'm not sure if that's a will of steel or sheer bloodymindedness. Rye and Benson may not, as you say, be fans of Moore; knowing one of them personally for many years, I happen to know that's certainly true in his case. But I don't think either of them has "passed" on seeing any Moore Bond film because they know - as any fair minded person surely does - that to give in to any self-indulgent boycott is to forfeit one's right to comment generally. For instance, how can you answer which is your favourite Bond film if you have chosen not to see one? It would be impossible to do so.

It is a particular pity in this case because I happen to believe that you have passed on THE classic film of the series - and I write as someone who for decades has regarded OHMSS as the peak of the series. And when Craig was first announced, I was definitely dubious and remained a fence-sitter for quite a while. But I had to give the guy a chance and came out convinced that he is the best guy, bar none, to assume the role. Subsequent viewings have reinforced that view (and, believe me, working in TV as I do, I'm not easily impressed or swayed by hype). An open mind is far more rewarding than a will of steel.

Edited by dee-bee-five, 01 March 2007 - 07:57 AM.

[MarkA]

I think George Lazenby should have gone on till Dalton took over. Then we would have been spared years of Roger Moore as Bond.