13 replies to this topic

[jaguar007]

Found this article linked from MI6. I did see Johnson as Bulldog Drummond in the sixties movies when they tried to parody Bond. Descent actor, but does not have the charisma that was needed to carry the Bond series.

[i]Daniel Craig's the latest - but Richard Johnson could have been the first 007!

British actor Richard Johnson, a veteran of the West End stage and screen for over 50 years, has confirmed in a magazine interview he was the first choice to play James Bond in 1962 - and he turned the role down!

Johnson, who was briefly married to Hollywood legend Kim Novak, was named by director Terence Young as his ideal 007 for the first Bond film Dr No.

In the latest edition of the cult film magazine Cinema Retro, out this week, Johnson reveals: "The producers, Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, asked me - at Terence Young's instigation - and I turned the job down. I was under contract to MGM anyway, so that gave me a reasonable excuse to say no, because they told me I'd have to be under exclusive contract to them for seven years.

...

Read entire article at Absolutely James Bond

[zencat]

Yeah.

This "I was the first choice for James Bond" coming from old time actors is become as familiar as "I was the inspiration for James Bond" coming from old time WWII spies.

Whatever.

[Royal Dalton]

Richard Johnson's great, and I don't doubt what he's saying.

I'm quite surpised they didn't ask him about Craig, though. Considering they appeared together in Tomb Raider.

[spynovelfan]

Yeah.

This "I was the first choice for James Bond" coming from old time actors is become as familiar as "I was the inspiration for James Bond" coming from old time WWII spies.

Whatever.

True! But this does seem to have a grain of truth to it - Dana Broccoli says on the Inside Dr No DVD feature that Terence Young initially wanted Johnson.

Incidentally, Johnson played Geoffrey Jenkins's Royal Navy Commander Geoffrey Peace opposite Honor Blackman in the film of A TWIST OF SAND.

Regarding the war-time inspirations for Bond, I think Fleming borrowed and elaborated on a lot of people's experiences, so it's not so surprising a few of them have claimed it.

[K1Bond007]

Yeah.

This "I was the first choice for James Bond" coming from old time actors is become as familiar as "I was the inspiration for James Bond" coming from old time WWII spies.

Whatever.

haha.. so true.

[zencat]

And at this time hadn't there already been a "first Bond" in Barry Nelson? Not to mention a whole slew of potential "first Bonds" during the McClory whatnot.

But I get it. First Broccoli Bond. And I don't doubt it. But I think there might have been a few others in the mix as well.

[TheSaint]

"Eventually they offered it to Sean [Connery], who was completely wrong for the part. But in getting the wrong man they got the right man, because it turned the thing on its head and he made it funny. And that's what propelled it to success."

Nice back-handed compliment there, Dick.

[One-Ten]

Perfect.

[jaguar007]

He does have the right look, but he does not have the edge. He seemed more like a conservative man as Bulldog Drummond than a former Air Force Captain.

Interesting side note, It was pointed out earlier that he appeared in Tomb Raider with Daniel Craig but he was also the narrator for The Flame is Love which starred Timothy Dalton. He also appeared in Spymaker: The Secret life of Ian Fleming with Jason Connery.

[Roebuck]

He does have the right look, but he does not have the edge. He seemed more like a conservative man as Bulldog Drummond than a former Air Force Captain.

Drummond was an army officer, supposedly from the Loamshire Regiment (which I understand is a litterary in-joke that

[Turn]

And at this time hadn't there already been a "first Bond" in Barry Nelson? Not to mention a whole slew of potential "first Bonds" during the McClory whatnot.

But I get it. First Broccoli Bond. And I don't doubt it. But I think there might have been a few others in the mix as well.

Steven Jay Rubin's book The James Bond Films claimed Johnson was one of the contenders. Patrick McGoohan was also supposedly under serious consideration but rejected the part because he didn't like Bond's morals.

Speaking of the Barry Nelson Bond, I can't recall in all the material I've collected on Bond from the Connery days ANY mention of Nelson or the CBS version of Casino Royale. I never knew it even existed until a story in Bondage from where they found the film and showed it at a Bond convention in 1981 and the coverage in Rubin's book.

[triviachamp]

Speaking of the Barry Nelson Bond, I can't recall in all the material I've collected on Bond from the Connery days ANY mention of Nelson or the CBS version of Casino Royale. I never knew it even existed until a story in Bondage from where they found the film and showed it at a Bond convention in 1981 and the coverage in Rubin's book.

Probably had to do with the fact that it had been totally forgotten and EON was not willing to acknowledge other people having handled Bond.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Vale Richard Johnson

 

https://www.moviepos...ain/16/b70-8496

 

RIP

[glidrose]

And at this time hadn't there already been a "first Bond" in Barry Nelson? Not to mention a whole slew of potential "first Bonds" during the McClory whatnot.

But I get it. First Broccoli Bond. And I don't doubt it. But I think there might have been a few others in the mix as well.

Steven Jay Rubin's book The James Bond Films claimed Johnson was one of the contenders. Patrick McGoohan was also supposedly under serious consideration but rejected the part because he didn't like Bond's morals.

Speaking of the Barry Nelson Bond, I can't recall in all the material I've collected on Bond from the Connery days ANY mention of Nelson or the CBS version of Casino Royale. I never knew it even existed until a story in Bondage from where they found the film and showed it at a Bond convention in 1981 and the coverage in Rubin's book.

 
John Pearson's 1966 Ian Fleming biography mentions the CBS production, but not Barry Nelson.
 
Two of James Richard Parrish's books from the 1970's ("Hollywood's Great Love Teams" and "The Great Spy Pictures") mention both the production and BN.
 
Ditto for the following:
 
Allen J. Hubin's 1967 "The Armchair Detective".
 
The 1979 "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows".
 
Otto Penzler's "Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection" (1976).
 
I don't know if the 1972 edition of John Brosnan's JB in the Cinema mentions either, but the 1981 edition does.