28 replies to this topic

[DLibrasnow]

The emergence of a male M at the end of "Skyfall" bodes the return of a long-running debate in Bond fandom. Ever since Robert Brown appeared as M in 1983s "Octopussy" the debate has raged. Was Brown the same Sir Miles that Bernard Lee portrayed so capably for 17 years? Or was he returning as Admiral Hargreaves, a character Brown had played in "The Spy Who Loved Me"?

Despite the fact that Brown was never named either way there are possible clues. Michael G. Wilson when asked in 1981 about recasting Bond's superior was quoted as considering returning a previous figure in the Bond universe, but did not elaborate. Then in the 1990s a Danjaq commissioned and EON approved CD-ROM was released that named Brown's M as Hargreaves. Then several years ago an eagle-eyed Bond fan noted that Brown's M sported a lower rank in his "The Living Daylights" pre-credits sequence than he had 10 years previous in "The Spy Who Loved Me".

This seemed fairly conclusive at the time and many fans hailed it as definitive proof that Brown could not be Hargreaves.

However in 2009 I accepted a position to work for The Washington Post as a contractor for the U.S. Navy. A Google search on my name and Navy will reveal some if the articles I wrote for navy.mil and the DoD.

In one quiet moment with a Chief Petty Officer, I recounted this debate. He scoffed at the supposed uniform "proof" as "irrelevant" and cited a number of examples of naval officers who are demoted and forced to take desk jobs after some serious infractions. He claimed to know one demoted officer who had to work for naval intelligence.

Indeed in the year and three months I worked on the contract with the Navy I met two officers who had been demoted in rank. One of those two now holds a position of great responsibility at the Pentagon.

So, with "The Living Daylights" uniform issue now discredited the debate continues and is likely never to be resolved.

It also threatens to intensify with the closing minutes of "Skyfall". If Ralph Fiennes appears in the next 007 movie will fans claim that he is Sir Miles or Gareth Mallory? Time may tell.

[graric]

Unless the next film has someone refer to Fiennes as 'Miles' or gives any suggestion that his name may not be Mallroy I don't see any reason why anyone could suggest he is Miles Messervy.

While the Robert Brown debate may go on in fandom indefinitely (I personally believe that even if Brown isn't Hargreaves, the colder relationship he shares with Bond compared to Lee's M did suggests he is not Messervy) there is no reason at this point to suggest Fiennes can be brought into the debate, unless someone wants to suggest Brown's character is in fact Mallory!

If the Bond series has another reboot after Craig leaves, and Fiennes stays in the role of M, there could be an argument about some ambiguity in his identity: but at the moment he is perhaps the least mysterious M we have ever had!

[MajorB]

I agree with graric. Mallory is Mallory is Mallory. Obviously, if someone wants to imagine that he's "secretly" Messervy, that's their prerogative. But the film very clearly presents him as his own, separate character.

 

I've always found it odd that there's huge controversy about "which" M Brown is playing. It's not as if there are right and wrong answers. I've always assumed that he was meant to be replacing Lee in the same role, not a new character, simply because I assumed there'd be mention of there being a new M if he were meant to be someone else. But obviously there are ways to interpret the films that allow for Brown to be playing Hargreaves. Barring definitive evidence in the films, or a statement from the producers, there's nothing conclusive either way. People are free to interpret it whichever way makes them happy. It's pretend. Speculate away, but getting worked up over it makes no sense.

[thecasinoroyale]

As Brosnan commented in 'GoldenEye' about Judi Dench's predecessor keeping Cognac in the top drawer at MI6, that wwas a clear change of character.

 

As with 'Skyfall', we saw the old M and new M together, and his name as Gareth Mallory, and so this, in my eyes, is not Lee's character of Miles Messervy, but Gareth Mallory. A new M, and in the canon of the Bond films he is the 4th M in my eyes after Lee, Brown and Dench's characters taking on MI6.

[seawolfnyy]

The only way I could ever see Mallory actually being the same character as Bernard Lee is if we are to apply the ridiculous codename theory to M and suggest that Miles Masservy is just a codename. Or that Gareth Mallory is a codename. But that wouldn't explain Judi Dench. Or it could. My head hurts now.

[L4YRCAKE]

All right, so I'm going to say that Gareth Mallory and MIles Messervy are probably not supposed to be the same character, I don't think Gareth Mallory was a codename or anything, he seemed too public a figure for any sort of subterfuge, but he does seem an obvious nod to Bernard Lee's 'M', very intentional.  Of course, we haven't really seen him 100% dig into the 'M' role yet, so I'm sure we'll all have much stronger observations to go on with the next Bond and beyond.  My spider sense tells me that Bond 24 may have a similar feel to From Russia With Love, with two agencies squaring off against each other and lots of familiar visual touchstones that Skyfall intentionally paved to set up, Moneypenny, the leather door, M's office, SPECTRE Island, etc. with Bond 25 being a more flamboyant Goldfinger type of sequel.  Then again, what do I know?  

 

Here's my question tho':  Is 'M' a codename/prefix?  If Mallory's name had been Gallory would he then have been named 'G'...?  What does 'M' really stand for?  In Casino Royale, Bond indicated that he'd discovered the answer against Judy Dench's wishes, surely she didn't threaten to have him shot for figuring out that 'M' stood for Mum, right...?   Is it some sort of crazy secret known only to the person with the title 'M'?

[Yellow Pinky]

I have always felt, though to my knowledge it's never been specifically spelled out, that the letter M refers to an office, title, or position within MI:6.  As such, and given Britain's penchant for the nomenclature, I always thought that M stands for Minister, such as Minister of Defence, but as a title within MI:6 (Military Intelligence 6).

[Vauxhall]

I have always felt, though to my knowledge it's never been specifically spelled out, that the letter M refers to an office, title, or position within MI:6. As such, and given Britain's penchant for the nomenclature, I always thought that M stands for Minister, such as Minister of Defence, but as a title within MI:6 (Military Intelligence 6).

The first Head of MI6 was Mansfield Smith-Cumming, who used to sign documents as "C". As the story goes, Ian Fleming decided to use the other initial, "M", for the fictional Head of MI6 in his novels.

Regarding the original question, Ralph Fiennes' character will always be Gareth Mallory for me, unless the writers/producers decide to rename him Sir Miles for unknown reasons. It's quite refreshing to have a new M with a bit of backstory already - former British Army, captured in Northern Ireland, risked his life to protect his predecessor, etc.

[marktmurphy]

I've no idea why anyone would think Mallory is Messervy. I'm a bit lost on that concept.

 

But as to whether Brown is Hargreaves... I tend to think not. Just the likelihood of having two such similar men in the same job; and why would they both be Admirals? Real SIS chiefs at the time mostly started their careers in the Army, and nowadays they haven't even been military men.

[Bill]

Interesting points here.

Vauxhall is absolutely right about Fleming's usage of M based on C.  Fleming used to refer to his mother as M.  Make of that what you will.

 

Given Skyfall's ending, with Moneypenny in the anteroom and M's office being essentially Bernard Lee's office, I do not think that Mallory is necessary the third (of fourth if you think Bernard Lee and Robert Brown played Sir Miles Messervy, as I do) M.  Instead, as Sam Mendes wanted, we have Skyfall looping with Dr. No. 

Thus, borrowing a term from Doctor Who, wibbly wobbly timely wimey--the Craig films serve as prequels to the series from Dr. No on, or they are part of a separate continuity with the new offices just happening to look nearly identical to the ones from 1962 to 1989.

IMHO, Ralph Fiennes should just be M next time--no need to give the character an actual name--Judi Dench's M is never referred to by name on screen, and the old M is only called Miles once, by Gogol in The Spy Who Loved Me, and never by last name--there is no need to do so next time. 

This approach works equally well for those who want a clear diffentiation between the first 40 years of the film series and the last 10, and for those like myself who hated the concept of rebooting the series.  I feel like I have Bond back, and it is a good feeling! I don't want him to go again!

 

[Harry Fawkes]

Dispel all notions that Mallory is Sir Miles Messervy KCMG.

 

Mallory was Special Air Service.

 

Sir Miles was Royal Navy.

 

Nuf said!

[Guy Haines]

I think the only similarity between the new M and Sir Miles is the office suite. I don't think Mallory is Messervy. For a start, the Admiral was several years older than Bond in the books, to put it mildly. The age difference between Craig's Bond and Fiennes' M is less than ten (If we go by the actors dates of birth, about six years - you know you are getting old when, as in my case, the actor now playing James Bond's boss is younger than you!)

 

And the new M had, we are led to believe, seen service in the field himself, despite his protestations to the contrary. That doesn't sound like the old sea dog Fleming originally created.

[L4YRCAKE]

Was it stated that Mallory had seen field service and was special air service et al in Skyfall?  I hadn't caught that if it was there, very interesting.   I think there's great things to be had with giving M a little backstory, though a little mystery is good too.  Bond in his own way is a very simple character, but that doesn't mean the other characters in the story have to be.  Then again, too much back story and the films stop being Bond-centric and that doesn't feel right.  A character is that interesting in Bond's universe, give them a spin-off.  Bond should always get the spot light, it's not an ensemble cast in that way.  

 

So when Bond claims to figure out what M stands for in Casino Royale and Dench threatening to have him shot if he utters one more syllable was just a red herring?  I was kinda hoping they'd go somewhere with that.  

 

And the ending of Skyfall looping back into Dr. No...?  What a thought.  I kinda find it hard to believe they may apply the reboot to classic villains other than Blofeld, but my god...  if they did that'd be something.  I'd like to think they'd be smart enough to know that for the most part a remake is probably not such a great idea, but to have Doctor No and Red Grant and Auric Goldfinger and others running around out there again, it would be tricky but if they pulled it off...???  Whew.  Now that'd be something.    

[Bill]

L4YERCAKE:

It would be interesting to see remakes of the other films, but I do not think that is necessarily a good idea.  

Now that we are back at square one--there is no reason that Dr. No through Die Another Day, if you will, could have seen to take place between Skyfall and Bond 24--and we go from there.

[AMC Hornet]

Of course Robert Brown played Admiral Hargreaves, who replaced Sir Miles Messervey as M. Nothing else makes sense.

 

Just as Sandor (Milton Reid) escaped the destruction of Dr. No’s island and eventually found work with Karl Stromberg.

 

Paula “Zora” Kaplan (Martine Beswick) was a Turkish gypsy who joined MI6 and became our ‘man’ in Nassau, while Anatol “Morzeny” Gogol (Walter Gotell), having survived near immolation, left SPECTRE for the KGB where he rose to the rank of General.  After Kerim’s death, Kerim’s mistress Bonita (Nadja Regin) moved to Central America, where she took up Flamenco dancing. Kronsteen (Vladek Shebal) miraculously survived fugu poisoning only to get blown up in a phone booth in Berlin.

 

Colonel Ling (Burt Kwouk), shot several times point blank by Goldfinger, survived to represent China at a blackmail auction in Berlin (presided over by Kronsteen), then joined SPECTRE’s space project in Japan.

 

Thom Carter (Shane Rimmer) and Klaus Hergeshiemer (Ed Bishop) left their jobs as space trackers in Hawaii to work for Willard Whyte. Thom went on to join the US Navy, rising to the rank of Commander (Submarines) in only six years. Meanwhile, Blofeld had  taken such a liking to Dikko Henderson (Charles Gray) that he adopted his image for himself and his numerous doubles.

 

Sir Hilary Bray (George Baker) joined the Royal Navy and met Bond again in Holy Loch, where 007 was briefed by Admiral Hargreaves – the future M.  Ruby “Buttercup” Bartlett - nee MacTarry (Angela Scoular) had the distinction of rubbing down both Sir James Bond and one of the b-b-b-bounders using his name and number.

 

Saddrudin (Albert Moses) went from tending bar in Cairo to heading up SIS Station I – Udaipur, while Aziz Fekkesh (Nadim Sawalha) survived being bitten by Jaws and joined the Tangier police force.  Smithers (Jeremy Bullock) was seconded from the US Navy to assist Q, while Richard (Kim Fortune) survived being machine-gunned and remustered to the RAF, only to be immolated while helping transport a NASA space shuttle.  The Sardinia hotel receptionist (Valerie Leon) finally got to deliver her message in Nassau six years later.

 

USAF Commander Bob Conley (Manning Redwood) resigned his commission after the theft of two cruise missiles, and went back to being a mining engineer, last known to be working for Zorin Industries.

 

A near-death experience convinced Brad Whittaker (Joe Don Baker) to give up his evil ways, and he devoted his string-pulling talents to helping the CIA, under the cover name “Jack Wade.” No wonder Bond pulled his pistol on him when they met in St. Petersburg!

 

Nothing else makes sense.

[jaguar007]

Of course Robert Brown played Admiral Hargreaves, who replaced Sir Miles Messervey as M. Nothing else makes sense.

 

Just as Sandor (Milton Reid) escaped the destruction of Dr. No’s island and eventually found work with Karl Stromberg.

 

Paula “Zora” Kaplan (Martine Beswick) was a Turkish gypsy who joined MI6 and became our ‘man’ in Nassau, while Anatol “Morzeny” Gogol (Walter Gotell), having survived near immolation, left SPECTRE for the KGB where he rose to the rank of General.  After Kerim’s death, Kerim’s mistress Bonita (Nadja Regin) moved to Central America, where she took up Flamenco dancing. Kronsteen (Vladek Shebal) miraculously survived fugu poisoning only to get blown up in a phone booth in Berlin.

 

Colonel Ling (Burt Kwouk), shot several times point blank by Goldfinger, survived to represent China at a blackmail auction in Berlin (presided over by Kronsteen), then joined SPECTRE’s space project in Japan.

 

Thom Carter (Shane Rimmer) and Klaus Hergeshiemer (Ed Bishop) left their jobs as space trackers in Hawaii to work for Willard Whyte. Thom went on to join the US Navy, rising to the rank of Commander (Submarines) in only six years. Meanwhile, Blofeld had  taken such a liking to Dikko Henderson (Charles Gray) that he adopted his image for himself and his numerous doubles.

 

Sir Hilary Bray (George Baker) joined the Royal Navy and met Bond again in Holy Loch, where 007 was briefed by Admiral Hargreaves – the future M.  Ruby “Buttercup” Bartlett - nee MacTarry (Angela Scoular) had the distinction of rubbing down both Sir James Bond and one of the b-b-b-bounders using his name and number.

 

Saddrudin (Albert Moses) went from tending bar in Cairo to heading up SIS Station I – Udaipur, while Aziz Fekkesh (Nadim Sawalha) survived being bitten by Jaws and joined the Tangier police force.  Smithers (Jeremy Bullock) was seconded from the US Navy to assist Q, while Richard (Kim Fortune) survived being machine-gunned and remustered to the RAF, only to be immolated while helping transport a NASA space shuttle.  The Sardinia hotel receptionist (Valerie Leon) finally got to deliver her message in Nassau six years later.

 

USAF Commander Bob Conley (Manning Redwood) resigned his commission after the theft of two cruise missiles, and went back to being a mining engineer, last known to be working for Zorin Industries.

 

A near-death experience convinced Brad Whittaker (Joe Don Baker) to give up his evil ways, and he devoted his string-pulling talents to helping the CIA, under the cover name “Jack Wade.” No wonder Bond pulled his pistol on him when they met in St. Petersburg!

 

Nothing else makes sense.

Perfect post. OF course you neglected to mention that Andrea Anders survived Scaramanga's gun shot and started and Octopus cult and took to smuggling.

 

Now lets look at why Felix looks so different every time we see him

[AMC Hornet]

Thank you, Jag - I was going to update and mention Andrea "Octopussy" Anders, nee Smythe, but you beat me to it.

 

She and Bond failing to recognize each other is as puzzling as Bond and Blofeld failing to recognize each other in OHMSS - yet Bond instantly accepts that the late Dikko Henderson is Blofeld in DAF.

 

What's up with that?

[Dustin]

 

Of course Robert Brown played Admiral Hargreaves, who replaced Sir Miles Messervey as M. Nothing else makes sense.

 

Just as Sandor (Milton Reid) escaped the destruction of Dr. No’s island and eventually found work with Karl Stromberg.

 

Paula “Zora” Kaplan (Martine Beswick) was a Turkish gypsy who joined MI6 and became our ‘man’ in Nassau, while Anatol “Morzeny” Gogol (Walter Gotell), having survived near immolation, left SPECTRE for the KGB where he rose to the rank of General.  After Kerim’s death, Kerim’s mistress Bonita (Nadja Regin) moved to Central America, where she took up Flamenco dancing. Kronsteen (Vladek Shebal) miraculously survived fugu poisoning only to get blown up in a phone booth in Berlin.

 

Colonel Ling (Burt Kwouk), shot several times point blank by Goldfinger, survived to represent China at a blackmail auction in Berlin (presided over by Kronsteen), then joined SPECTRE’s space project in Japan.

 

Thom Carter (Shane Rimmer) and Klaus Hergeshiemer (Ed Bishop) left their jobs as space trackers in Hawaii to work for Willard Whyte. Thom went on to join the US Navy, rising to the rank of Commander (Submarines) in only six years. Meanwhile, Blofeld had  taken such a liking to Dikko Henderson (Charles Gray) that he adopted his image for himself and his numerous doubles.

 

Sir Hilary Bray (George Baker) joined the Royal Navy and met Bond again in Holy Loch, where 007 was briefed by Admiral Hargreaves – the future M.  Ruby “Buttercup” Bartlett - nee MacTarry (Angela Scoular) had the distinction of rubbing down both Sir James Bond and one of the b-b-b-bounders using his name and number.

 

Saddrudin (Albert Moses) went from tending bar in Cairo to heading up SIS Station I – Udaipur, while Aziz Fekkesh (Nadim Sawalha) survived being bitten by Jaws and joined the Tangier police force.  Smithers (Jeremy Bullock) was seconded from the US Navy to assist Q, while Richard (Kim Fortune) survived being machine-gunned and remustered to the RAF, only to be immolated while helping transport a NASA space shuttle.  The Sardinia hotel receptionist (Valerie Leon) finally got to deliver her message in Nassau six years later.

 

USAF Commander Bob Conley (Manning Redwood) resigned his commission after the theft of two cruise missiles, and went back to being a mining engineer, last known to be working for Zorin Industries.

 

A near-death experience convinced Brad Whittaker (Joe Don Baker) to give up his evil ways, and he devoted his string-pulling talents to helping the CIA, under the cover name “Jack Wade.” No wonder Bond pulled his pistol on him when they met in St. Petersburg!

 

Nothing else makes sense.

Perfect post. OF course you neglected to mention that Andrea Anders survived Scaramanga's gun shot and started and Octopus cult and took to smuggling.

 

Now lets look at why Felix looks so different every time we see him

 

 

"Felix Leiter" is a code name the CIA uses for all agents having to deal with the Brits.

Edited by Dustin, 11 January 2013 - 08:32 PM.

[AMC Hornet]

Which is all good fun until someone loses a leg...

[plankattack]

Oh AMC, you kidder you.

Of course you forgot Mitchell from QoS. Still surprised that MI6 didn't know he worked for Quantum considering he was one of those chaps taking potshots at 007 in the sinking house in CR......

[Guy Haines]

Was it stated that Mallory had seen field service and was special air service et al in Skyfall?  I hadn't caught that if it was there, very interesting.   I think there's great things to be had with giving M a little backstory, though a little mystery is good too.  Bond in his own way is a very simple character, but that doesn't mean the other characters in the story have to be.  Then again, too much back story and the films stop being Bond-centric and that doesn't feel right.  A character is that interesting in Bond's universe, give them a spin-off.  Bond should always get the spot light, it's not an ensemble cast in that way.  

 

So when Bond claims to figure out what M stands for in Casino Royale and Dench threatening to have him shot if he utters one more syllable was just a red herring?  I was kinda hoping they'd go somewhere with that.  

 

And the ending of Skyfall looping back into Dr. No...?  What a thought.  I kinda find it hard to believe they may apply the reboot to classic villains other than Blofeld, but my god...  if they did that'd be something.  I'd like to think they'd be smart enough to know that for the most part a remake is probably not such a great idea, but to have Doctor No and Red Grant and Auric Goldfinger and others running around out there again, it would be tricky but if they pulled it off...???  Whew.  Now that'd be something.    

 

During Bond's "close shave" with Eve in Macau, he mentions Mallory's service with the "Hereford Regiment". I can think of only one British Army unit stationed in Hereford, and that's the SAS. Also, we learn that Mallory was held hostage by the Irish Republican Army for three months. SAS? Northern Ireland? That sounds like field work to me.

 

Looping back to Dr. No? If it happens, I think it may be at the end of Craig's tenure as Bond. Or rather the final Craig film could end with M congratulating Bond on the outcome of his latest assignment, then casually mentioning some unfortunate business in Jamaica involving the Head of Station J and his assistant going missing. No mention of Dr No, but fans would know what the film is hinting at.

[DLibrasnow]

Of course Robert Brown played Admiral Hargreaves, who replaced Sir Miles Messervey as M. Nothing else makes sense.

 

Just as Sandor (Milton Reid) escaped the destruction of Dr. No’s island and eventually found work with Karl Stromberg.

 

 

Your post makes no sense because of one simple factor that you fail to take into account. It's entirely plausible for an Admiral such as Hargreaves to be appointed Head of SIS. Wasn't Sir Miles also an Admiral?

[L4YRCAKE]

Ohhh...  to hint at Doctor No and then not deliver would be just downright cruel.  

 

I think trying to shoehorn as if Dr. No thru Die Another Day happened between Skyfall and Bond 24 wouldn't happen, my feeling was that Bond 24 will pick up immediately where Skyfall left off, not necessarily with the specific assignment that M hands Bond right at the end, but somewhere around there.  It would be interesting to have a special film where they bring back not one but several of the classic villains and have them all working together, say, Dr. No, Red Grant, Goldfinger, Largo, Mr. Big, Scaramanga, with Blofeld heading all of them as some sort of SPECTRE terrorist super group...

 

Sorry everybody, somehow I've gone from discussing M's identity to wishing for a return of Doctor No and Bond's own personal Legion Of Doom.  I'll stop now.  

[AMC Hornet]

 

Of course Robert Brown played Admiral Hargreaves, who replaced Sir Miles Messervey as M. Nothing else makes sense.

 

Just as Sandor (Milton Reid) escaped the destruction of Dr. No’s island and eventually found work with Karl Stromberg.

 

 

Your post makes no sense because of one simple factor that you fail to take into account. It's entirely plausible for an Admiral such as Hargreaves to be appointed Head of SIS. Wasn't Sir Miles also an Admiral?

 

Define "ironic hyperbole".

[DLibrasnow]

 

 

Of course Robert Brown played Admiral Hargreaves, who replaced Sir Miles Messervey as M. Nothing else makes sense.

 

Just as Sandor (Milton Reid) escaped the destruction of Dr. No’s island and eventually found work with Karl Stromberg.

 

 

Your post makes no sense because of one simple factor that you fail to take into account. It's entirely plausible for an Admiral such as Hargreaves to be appointed Head of SIS. Wasn't Sir Miles also an Admiral?

 

Define "ironic hyperbole".

 

 

Good point

 

Really,the whole Admiral Hargreaves argument will never be ended no matter how much "evidence" is unveiled. It's a matter of personal preference. Some prefer to think of Brown as playing Hargreaves in all his appearances and others that he was Sir Miles for 4 of the movies in the 1980s.

 

I assume that those who believe that Brown was Sir Miles will be arguing that Fiennes will be Sir Miles in any future 007 outing in which his character is not explicitely named. I'm almost surprised the Sir Miles devotees did not declare that Dench was a post sex change Sir Miles.

[seawolfnyy]

 

Of course Robert Brown played Admiral Hargreaves, who replaced Sir Miles Messervey as M. Nothing else makes sense.

 

Just as Sandor (Milton Reid) escaped the destruction of Dr. No’s island and eventually found work with Karl Stromberg.

 

Paula “Zora” Kaplan (Martine Beswick) was a Turkish gypsy who joined MI6 and became our ‘man’ in Nassau, while Anatol “Morzeny” Gogol (Walter Gotell), having survived near immolation, left SPECTRE for the KGB where he rose to the rank of General.  After Kerim’s death, Kerim’s mistress Bonita (Nadja Regin) moved to Central America, where she took up Flamenco dancing. Kronsteen (Vladek Shebal) miraculously survived fugu poisoning only to get blown up in a phone booth in Berlin.

 

Colonel Ling (Burt Kwouk), shot several times point blank by Goldfinger, survived to represent China at a blackmail auction in Berlin (presided over by Kronsteen), then joined SPECTRE’s space project in Japan.

 

Thom Carter (Shane Rimmer) and Klaus Hergeshiemer (Ed Bishop) left their jobs as space trackers in Hawaii to work for Willard Whyte. Thom went on to join the US Navy, rising to the rank of Commander (Submarines) in only six years. Meanwhile, Blofeld had  taken such a liking to Dikko Henderson (Charles Gray) that he adopted his image for himself and his numerous doubles.

 

Sir Hilary Bray (George Baker) joined the Royal Navy and met Bond again in Holy Loch, where 007 was briefed by Admiral Hargreaves – the future M.  Ruby “Buttercup” Bartlett - nee MacTarry (Angela Scoular) had the distinction of rubbing down both Sir James Bond and one of the b-b-b-bounders using his name and number.

 

Saddrudin (Albert Moses) went from tending bar in Cairo to heading up SIS Station I – Udaipur, while Aziz Fekkesh (Nadim Sawalha) survived being bitten by Jaws and joined the Tangier police force.  Smithers (Jeremy Bullock) was seconded from the US Navy to assist Q, while Richard (Kim Fortune) survived being machine-gunned and remustered to the RAF, only to be immolated while helping transport a NASA space shuttle.  The Sardinia hotel receptionist (Valerie Leon) finally got to deliver her message in Nassau six years later.

 

USAF Commander Bob Conley (Manning Redwood) resigned his commission after the theft of two cruise missiles, and went back to being a mining engineer, last known to be working for Zorin Industries.

 

A near-death experience convinced Brad Whittaker (Joe Don Baker) to give up his evil ways, and he devoted his string-pulling talents to helping the CIA, under the cover name “Jack Wade.” No wonder Bond pulled his pistol on him when they met in St. Petersburg!

 

Nothing else makes sense.

Perfect post. OF course you neglected to mention that Andrea Anders survived Scaramanga's gun shot and started and Octopus cult and took to smuggling.

 

Now lets look at why Felix looks so different every time we see him

 

We also can't forget about Professor Dent (Anthony Dawson), who despite being an underling to Dr. No is actually his boss Blofeld and becomes James Bond's nemesis after Bond fails to kill him in Jamaica.

[AMC Hornet]

Now you're just reaching.

[dtuba]

If we are going full circle back to 1962, then I would love it if Q shows up in Bond 24 dressed identically to the nerdy-looking radio operator we saw in the opening scenes of Dr. No.

Edited by dtuba, 29 August 2013 - 02:39 AM.

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

I think Skyfalls ending loops with Dr. No in spirit, not in any chronological sense. Unless they show Fiennes' M in future films wearing a naval uniform I believe he's Gareth Mallory, not Miles Messervy. And I never thought of Robert Brown's M to be Messervy either, he might've been Hargreaves or then he was someone else.