64 replies to this topic

[DaveBond21]

RIP Joseph Wiseman.

Sad news, indeed. He was one of my favourite villains of the entire series. His voice is incredibly spooky. One of the most eerie scenes in a Bond movie is the one where Professor Dent comes to Crab Key in daylight (which is forbidden) and is given the spider cage. Wiseman's voice throughout that scene is ghostly.

It's interesting to note that he died soon after his wife, Pearl, died, as so often happens with elderly couples.

[Stuart]

"Tonight."

Indeed. Rest well.

[Turn]

Wiseman's Dr. No doesn't seem to be counted among the very top villains in the series, usually belonging to Blofeld and Goldfinger and sometimes Scaramanga. Reading some of the comments in this thread make me realize what an excellent villain he was. I would definitely place him in the top 5.

I like the way we don't meet him up front, just get hints of him and those who fear him; that builds him up. The scene where Dent comes to the bauxite mine is one of the most atmospheric in the whole series. I think part of the low budget of the film made the creative team that much more in tune with what they were doing and this scene is a perfect example. A later film would have probably used some elaborate lair, but the starkness of that room and the cage in Dr. No make for something special.

And unlike the Donald Pleasance Blofeld in YOLT, Wiseman's Dr. No doesn't disappoint, at least not for me, when we finally meet him. Blofeld is more about a make-up job and some sneering and gloating rather than the most dangerous man in the world as he's been built up over the previous films.

This leaves Yaphet Kotto as the next surviving actor to play the main villain in a Bond film in terms of the order they were made. All the others have passed.

[Cruiserweight]

Goodbye Doctor
I'll miss you

[DaveBond21]

I like the way we don't meet him up front, just get hints of him and those who fear him; that builds him up. The scene where Dent comes to the bauxite mine is one of the most atmospheric in the whole series. I think part of the low budget of the film made the creative team that much more in tune with what they were doing and this scene is a perfect example. A later film would have probably used some elaborate lair, but the starkness of that room and the cage in Dr. No make for something special.

Agreed, Turn. I love this scene and he must be the villain with the least amount of scenes in a Bond movie. This build-up - shown by the fear in Professor Dent's eyes, Quarrel's reluctance to even go near the island and the sound of Dr No's voice - makes him one of the very best bad guys.

[Cruiserweight]

He was the last of the 1960s main Bond villians to pass.

By quite a few years.

Lotte Lenya-1981
Adolfo Celi-1986
Gert Fröbe-1988
Telly Savalas-1994
Donald Pleasence-1995
Joseph Wiseman-2009

[PrinceKamalKhan]

A great actor with a terrific voice. I remember him also in Buck Rogers and The Silver Chalice.

RIP, Dr. No. Say hi to your agent Miss Taro/Zena Marshall(who died earlier this year) for us.

[Scaramanga'74]

Just last night I was watching Dr. No for the first time in the Blu-Ray format (a wholly refreshing experience, worth every single penny). A toast to the abiding memory of the nefarious Doctor. He will now resume his criminal activities in the SPECTRE underworld. The villains die while James Bond lives on...

[Forward Look]

Wiseman was an atmospheric Bond villain, with the use of voice only in the first half of the film, making him the best cinematic Bond villain of the Connery era. He lived a useful and long life since playing Dr. No. Rest well, Dr., and advise Miss Taro to be careful of her nail polish.

Tonight.

[Colossus]

He was my favorite Bond villain. I was glad that he lived so long to witness how giant and iconic the series became, for being the very first of all of those villains. RIP Mr. Wiseman, and intercept many rockets from the big sky above.

He was the last of the 1960s main Bond villians to pass.

By quite a few years.

Lotte Lenya-1981
Adolfo Celi-1986
Gert Fröbe-1988
Telly Savalas-1994
Donald Pleasence-1995
Joseph Wiseman-2009

Yep plus of the 70s ones he also outlived Gray's Blofeld and Stromberg.

[Mr. Van Bierk]

Sad news but he had a long life. R.I.P...
After Zena Marshall, Joseph...

[Double-Oh Agent]

Nnnnnooooooo!

Thanks for the memories Mr. Wiseman. You were the 007 villain prototype, which gave us many other great villains. And your iconic performance helped define the most successful film series of all time. You will be missed. R.I.P.

[dchantry]

This man was a gent. A few years ago I wrote to him in New York and asked if he would kindly sign a still from Dr No for me to add to my collection.
I sent US Dollars with it to cover postage back to the UK and he sent me a really nice reply back saying it was nice that people still remembered him and signed the still. He even sent the money back I sent.
In todays world of Z list celebrities charging £25 for signed pictures on masse it proved that there were still real stars out there.
God bless and RIP.

[FlemingBond]

RIP. nice long career. Memorable first Bond villain.
loved him on Crime Story too. one of my favorite shows.

[Jericho_One]

A great, great villain.

May he rest in peace.

[NDP]

I was working as an orderly at Parkway Hospital in Queens, NY many years ago. I was coming off an elevator, when I looked across at the people sitting, I noticed Dr. No siiting in a chair! I could not believe my eyes, it was the same face from the movie, only his hair had turned grey! I spoke with him briefly and he told me at that time that his mother was ill. He must have been in his late seventies or at the time. He seemed surprised that someone noticed him, especially a kid. I saw him at the hospital for around a week and always said hello and inquired about his mom. I will always cherish that memory.

[mccartney007]

I met Joseph Wiseman in New York when he was performing on stage there in the early 2000's. I'd always heard that he didn't like talking about James Bond, but he seemed to be thrilled that I knew who he was. A few weeks later I wrote to him and he ended up sending me to two signed DR. NO postcards -- one of which I gave away to a friend of mine. He was a really lovely man and will be missed.

[YOLT]

RIP Dr.No. What an Iconic chracter.

Its also sad that one by one legends pass away. And the time is coming closer to all of us and also our 007's

[Professor Dent]

He set the stage as the first Bond movie villain & I always enjoy watching his performance as Dr. No.

RIP, Mr. Wiseman.

[TheLazenby]

No disrespect meant to Mr. Wiseman, but calling him "The first James Bond villain" is just plain wrong. That's a bit damning to Mr. Lorre, isn't it?

Man, we're really losing our early villains:

* CR'54 - Peter Lorre
* DN - Joseph Wiseman
* FRWL - Lotte Lenya
* GF - Gert Frobe
* TB - Adolfo Celi
* CR'67 - Orson Welles
* YOLT - Donald Pleasence
* OHMSS - Telly Savalas
* DAF - Charles Gray (who had no neck!)
* LALD - Julius Harris

Dag. That's one a movie.

[DaveBond21]

I met Joseph Wiseman in New York when he was performing on stage there in the early 2000's. I'd always heard that he didn't like talking about James Bond, but he seemed to be thrilled that I knew who he was. A few weeks later I wrote to him and he ended up sending me to two signed DR. NO postcards -- one of which I gave away to a friend of mine. He was a really lovely man and will be missed.

It's great to hear these nice stories about him.

[Turn]

No disrespect meant to Mr. Wiseman, but calling him "The first James Bond villain" is just plain wrong. That's a bit damning to Mr. Lorre, isn't it?

Depends on how you view it. Many fans view the Eon series as the "official" films and anything else as a rogue production. I consider Joseph Wiseman's Dr. No the first James Bond villain, not because I buy into the official series view, but because that really was the first in my view that set the series going, that had actual ties to it, even being referred back to in FRWL. Nothing damning toward Peter Lorre intended.

The CR '54 was a one-shot TV production, it led to nothing and was basically forgotten until a film historian found the kinescope of it in the early '80s. And if you count a TV production, you may as well also count the villains that populated the James Bond Jr. series too.

[TheLazenby]

Well, no, because nothing from "James Bond Jr." was ever considered as one of the James Bond films. :-P Despite it's length (I think the version with the long ending is something like 58 minutes?), I've almost always seen it listed alongside the other films, when "Casino Royale '67" and "NSNA" are included in the list.

I've always found not discussing the rogue Bonds alongside the others very disheartening - when Sean Connery stars as James Bond in a movie, it deserves mention. That's why I was glad to see Rubin's "James Bond Encyclopedia" actually gave extensive coverage to ALL the films, including a ton of stuff about CR67.

But that's not appropriate here, this is Joseph's thread. :-)

[DR76]

Wow! I thought he had passed away years ago. Aside from Dr. No, I also remember him as Manny Weisbord in the 80s TV show, "MIAMI VICE".

[double o ego]

Spooky thing is, I had this urge to watch Dr.No on monday, which I did and was thinking to myself why is this film hadly ever appeaing in fans' top 5 Bond movies. Wiseman's portayal of Dr.No is legendary and set the standard not just for Bond villains but for many other sureal-type villains, without ever coming off as ridiculous. He was a man with great talents, the use of his voice alone will testify to that and I'm thankful that God gave him a long and prospeous life in which he was able to witness many things, many changes and see how the series he help catapault into the mainsteam became incredibly successful.

RIP Mr Wiseman, you were a fine actor.

[Doctor No]

Look at my username to see what I thought of his work in the film. RIP

[O.H.M.S.S.]

One of the most memorable performances in movie history, title character of the first Bond movie, Joseph Wiseman as Dr. No, a sad loss, RIP.

[the villain's architect]

Sad. His Dr. No is an icon in movie history. RIP.

[darkpath]

RIP Mr. Wiseman. Thank you for creating such an effective and effecting role that we still enjoy the franchise you helped start.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

A great actor with a terrific voice. I remember him also in Buck Rogers and The Silver Chalice.

Another great role for Joseph Wiseman is in John Huston's classic 1960 western The Unforgiven with Audrey Hepburn, Burt Lancaster and Audie Murphy.