21 replies to this topic

[Felix_Leiter]

Ladies and gentlemen there is a weird rumour floating around. Was or was not Timothy Dalton originally supposed to be in TMWTGG? If so, that might have made it a better film. Had that movie been made into a really dark, emotional movie, it would have been quite good. One thing that always bothered me though was the gun being made out of all the different parts. I always pictured it being a golden revolver. Imagine the Dalton and the golden revolver in a sick and twisted duel inside Scaramanga's demented fun house. Simply Brilliant.

[jeff319]

I read somewhere that he was a candidate for Live and Let Die, and again with For Your Eyes Only (Roger Moore didn't want to play the role anymore at that point, and the producers were looking around for a new Bond).

Haven't heard the "TMWTGG" rumor, though.

[Tanger]

He was even considered for OHMSS in 1969.

Lazenby was also considered for TMWTGG for some reason.

[Turn]

For TMWTGG I would say definitely not. For LALD, it's a good possiblity.

I know TMWTGG was not a posibility since in Moore's James Bond Diary book on the making of LALD he mentions in a passage that Harry Saltzman wanted to start filming TMWTGG the next spring after LALD is released.

[Tanger]

It was Moore himself that said about Lazenby btw, so I guess Dalton could have been in consideration at that time too.

[Tanger]

Apparantly, quite a few people were being considered for TMWTGG. For some unknown reason, Moore wasn't going to be used but then in the end he was asked to return to the role. They originally only wanted him for one film before they could find a solid replacement. But things turned out the way they did and Moore was Bond for 6 more films.

It's strange I know but it's all there on the DVD and it's said by Moore himself so it must have some truth.

[marktmurphy]

Odd to think for four films on the trot in a space of 6 years there was a change in the actor playing James Bond each time.

[General Koskov]

Last year, in computer graphics class, I made a new TMWTGG poster with George Lazenby!

It was basically the gunbarrel, but gold-coloured, with Lazenby pointing a PPK at the us, through it.

I'll see if I can get it from my school's computers and post it.

[B5Erik2]

Dalton was seriously considered for the role of James Bond by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for OHMSS. Dalton knew that he was too young, and Broccoli and Saltzman agreed. They briefly considered him again for LALD, and kept him in mind each time that they had trouble negotiating a new one film contract with Roger Moore after Moonraker.

They should have hired Dalton for Octopussy....

[ChandlerBing]

They should have made Dalton the villian in a Bond movie if they wanted him in there so damned bad. The man was more suited to playing the villain than Bond. He kept telling Davi during the filming of License To Kill that he had the best part, so what does that tell you? The man was obviously miscast.

[B5Erik2]

Dalton was the perfect Bond - someone you could buy into as an assassin (which is basically what the 00's are). Dalton portrayed Bond as a bad *** who could handle himself against the worst opposition - but without being invulnerable or invincible. He was Fleming's Bond put on screen - the Bond I prefer.

[fulgentius]

I'm pretty sure he was considered for "Diamonds are Forever" also.

BTW I just saw "Lion in Winter" on TV; it was Dalton's screen debut (1968). At the time he was really much too young to play Bond; that's why he didn't win the part, but I'm surprised he was actually considered.

It always struck me as very odd.

[Station T]

Dalton should have starred in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. It was tailor made for his Fleming-inspired take on Bond. And the thought of him sharing the screen with Carole Bouquet!!! It would have been a sexier movie, that's for sure.

If Dalton has starred in FYEO when his biggest champion, Cubby, was still healthy enough to protect him from the idiots at MGM/UA (Cubby managed to keep Moore for TSWLM even after the disappointing returns of TMWTGG, but couldn't keep Tim in place for GOLDENEYE in the face of studio pressure for a new Bond), Dalton would have had the opportunity to establish himself as The Bond of the Eighties.

A Dalton-starring OCTOPUSSY (as good as it is with Moore) and VTAK (as bad . . .) would have been almost unrecognizable from the Moore versions; I believe they would have been much more like FYEO in tone (an anomaly in the Moore canon since it was written in the belief he wouldn't return). There is no way Dalton is going to put on that clown suit, for example! The filmmakers tried to adjust TLD for Tim's strengths at the last minute, so there is no reason to expect they would not have made darker, tougher, and more realistic versions of the other two films with him as well.

Ian

[ChandlerBing]

MGM didn't want Dalton as Bond? They're not as dumb as I once thought.

[SeanValen00V]

Also Dalton believe in replacing Connery in OHMSS, it would ruin his career, big shadow of Connery etc.

As things worked out Moore's movies were so different, I'm glad they got made, gave the series a different mentality, different audience as well, and Dalton was the important element in getting back to track with flemming in TLD and LTK, Pierce commented he looked too young in 87 for Bond, and thus I think every actor played Bond his prime, rather then at different times, were god knows what the result might of been, things could of been worse, turned out good. The positive.

[ChandlerBing]

Dalton was worried about ruining his career as Bond back then? Why didn't he hold that same consideration for the rest of us when he took on the task of boring the **** out of us in 1987?

[B5Erik2]

No, no, no. Dalton was absolutely NOT boring. Intense, yes. Boring, no.

Fans used to the overstimulation and (sometimes) hammy acting of Roger Moore might think so, but Dalton perfectly captured the spirit of Ian Fleming in his portrayal of Bond.

I wish he could have done at least one more Bond film.

[MattCasey009]

yes it is true that dalton was seriously considered for OHMSS but he backed down because he was only 19 years old and thought that he was far too young to play Bond. So then Broccoli was in a huge hole. who in gods name was going to play Bond. they got it cornered down to an american fellow and a british man and Lazenby. Lazenby was up to par on their standards for acting and just kicked ***** in the fight scenes, so because of his supremecy in the fight scenes Lazenby got the role, and signed for a 3 movie contract, but only played 1 movie due to his frustration with the part and the tention with the producers. I feel that Lazenby should have acted out his contract and then he may have been more comfortable with the role, and things may had run smoother with producers and he could be considered a good bond. however, instead this did not happen and a balding, wrinkled and greying connery got paid a rediculous amount of money to play bond in Diamonds Are Forever. I did not however hear anything about Dalton getting a shot to play Bond in TMWTGG

[White Persian]

Originally posted by Turn
For TMWTGG I would say definitely not. For LALD, it's a good possiblity.  

I know TMWTGG was not a posibility since in Moore's James Bond Diary book on the making of LALD he mentions in a passage that Harry Saltzman wanted to start filming TMWTGG the next spring after LALD is released.

True, but there were tentative plans to film TMWTGG in the late sixties, shortly after it was published. This was about the same time that Dalton was first considered for the role (he felt that he was then too young).

[Dr Noah]

Dalton was considered for OHMSS and later for FYEO. For DAF EON wanted an American actro, John Garvin, but United Artists wanted Connery.

I don't think anyone but Moore was considered for TMWTGG in '74, LALD was succssful and Moore was Bond....

But TMWTGG was for a time considered as the follow-up to YONLT in '68, so Dalton may have been approached. One person who was approached was Moore but he still had tv commitments (one of the reasons TMWTGG was abandoned in favour of OHMSS was that location was originally to be Cambodia...but internal politics soon ruled this out).

[White Tuxedo]

Originally posted by ChandlerBing
They should have made Dalton the villian in a Bond movie if they wanted him in there so damned bad.  The man was more suited to playing the villain than Bond.  He kept telling Davi during the filming of License To Kill that he had the best part, so what does that tell you?  The man was obviously miscast.

Actually, I like a Bond who can more ruthless than his enemies.

[kevrichardson]

why would you guys consider Dalton for what many of you consider the worst Bond movie ever. Moore was still very young and attrative in TMWTGG. What the point. according to many who responded to my thread about "what is wrong with Golden Gun" Many replied that everything was wrong.