Bond at 50: Five Supporting Characters That Made Bond Films Work

The James Bond films have not survived for half a century by James Bond alone.  There have been bad guys, sexy girls, and more gadgets than you can count.  But almost overlooked have been the supporting characters that have provided continuity, class and an important counterpoint to the five James Bonds. 

Here's my list of five supporting characters that have contributed so much to the success of the series.

1.  Bernard Lee - M.  The head of MI6, her majesty's secret service.  Lee played a stern, no-nonsense director who coolly dispatched Bond on his dangerous missions.  A veteran of over 100 films, Lee played the role of M in the first 11 Bond movies, transitioning from the hard-edged Dr. No to the lighter version with Roger Moore.  

Lee's last film was Moonraker.  Lee filmed the opening scenes of For Your Eyes Only, but was hospitalized with stomach cancer before filming was completed, and died in January 1981 at age 73.  The script was rewritten to show M on leave, leaving the role vacant for that film as a tribute to Lee.  The veteran actor was so perfect for the part, it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

2.  Judith Dench - M.  For four films, Robert Brown filled in as M, but he always seemed like that - a stand in for Bernard Lee.  But in 1995, accomplished actress Judith Dench took over the role of M, and she immediately owned the role.  As Bond's first woman boss, she was as stern and demanding as Lee's character.  But with Dench we see a personal relationship develop with Bond.  She admires him and respects him. And she appreciates the danger into which she sends him.  

By all accounts, Dench's character is at the center of the upcoming Skyfall, and rumors persist that this may be her last Bond film with hints that her character may not survive.  But regardless, Dench has been a highlight of the last seven Bond films.  Her portrayal of M has added to her stunning list of film credits and remarkable performances.

3.  Desmond Llewelyn - Q.  The Quartermaster.  The master of gadgets - and the sharp quip to put Bond in his place.  ("Oh grow up, 007").  Llewelyn's familiar face appeared more Bond films than any other actor - 17.  He started with a small role in From Russia With Love, explaining the latest attache case to Bond in M's office.  In Goldfinger, we got a full look at Q in his lab as he introduced the "other" star of Goldfinger -- the Astin Martin DB5, complete with ejector seat.  From that scene on, Q was an integral part of the Bond formula.  The character has been absence from the two Daniel Craig movies, but will return with a younger, tech-savvy Q in Skyfall.

Llewelyn died in 1999 after filming The World Is Not Enough. He was fatally injured in a car accident.  The film's closing credits contain a dedication to Llewelyn. 

4.  Lois Maxwell - Moneypenny. The "usual repartee", as M called it in Thunderball, between Bond and Moneypenny was another important part of the Bond formula, particularly in the early movies. Maxwell was perfectly cast as the secretary who always flirted with Bond, but never caught the prize. But there was always a subtle undercurrent that she did not really want Bond, and that while she flirted, she knew the dangerous business he was about.  

Maxwell played Moneypenny in the first 14 Bond films, probably extending one or two films past the appropriate age for the Moneypenny character, particularly in an awkward scene at the races in her last film, A View To A Kill. But there was more to Maxwell than Moneypenny.   Two other actresses have played Moneypenny since Maxwell, but her successors have not left an impression.  However, in the new Skyfall, the role is played by a new Moneypenny, Naomi Harris.  

After her husband's death in the late 1960s, Maxwell largely gave up acting (except for the Bond films), and returned to her native Canada, where she was a columnist for the Toronto Sun (writing under the pen name "Moneypenny") and a successful businesswoman.  She died in 2007 at age 80.

5.  Felix Leiter - played by eight actors.  For fans of the Bond novels, one of the diappointments of the Bond movies is the failure to develop the character of Felix Leiter, Bond's counterpart at the CIA.  In six of the 13 Fleming books, Leiter is a hardened ex-marine, bourbon and branch water drinking Texan who loses an arm and part of a leg in a shark attack in the second Bond book, Live and Let Die.  

The eight actors who have played Leiter are:  Jack Lord (Dr. No), Cec Lender (Goldfinger), Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball), Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever), David Hedison (Live and Let Die and License to Kill),  John Terry (The Living Daylights), and Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace). 

After an absence of some period in the films, Leiter reappears in the Daniel Craig reboot, appearing in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, leading to the possibility that this relationship will develop further in the Daniel Craig Bond movies.  Leiter does not appear in Skyfall, but his absence makes sense as the plot seems to center on M, London and a homeland attack on the British Secrect Service.

Bond at 50; Best Bond Sidekicks

Bond sidekicks have come in all types, sizes and shapes - from sophisticated Ali Kerim Bey to the preposterous Sheriff J.W. Pepper.  Here's my pick for the best.



1.  Ali Kerim Bey - Pedro Armendariz. From Russia With Love.  A Mexican actor Armendariz played the Turkish patriarch to perfection.  His performance was deserving of Oscar consideration.  Kerim Bey's knowledge of Gypsies, Bulgarians, and how "the game" is played in the Balkans drives the entire movie - not to mention the memorable shooting of the bad guy as he tries to escape through Anita Ekberg's mouth.  Tragically, Bey was suffering from terminal cancer while filming the movie.  He committed suicide four months before From Russia With Love opened.





2.  Quarrel - John Kitzmiller. Dr. No.  Kitzmiller, a Michigan native, played the wily island fisherman Quarrel who takes Bond to Crab Key.  His character got the series off to a great start. Classic line delivered while wiping a smashed flash bulb from his face:  "You want I should break her arm?"  Tragedy also hit Kitzmiller, who died at age 51 only three years after the release of Dr. No.

3.  Milos Columbo - Chaim Topol. For Your Eyes Only. Greek pistachio-tossing smuggler was more memorable than most characters from the Roger Moore era.

4.   Sheriff J.W. Pepper - Clifton James.  Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun.  James "good ol' boy" sheriff added humor that helped change the entire nature of the series as it transferred from Connery to Moore. (At age 91, James is still kicking. His last movie role was in Sunshine State in 2002).

5.  Felix Leiter - Rik Van Nutter.  Thunderball.  Leiter's character was most fully utilized in Thunderball.  Van Nutter would have been great had he played this role in all the early Bond films.
 

6.  Felix Leiter - Jeffrey Wright.  Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace.  Wright appeared in the first two Daniel Craig movies, playing a major role in Casino Royale.  He seems to be developing a larger recurring relationship with Bond, similar to the the novels. However he is not listed in the cast of Skyfall

7.  Jack Wade - Joe Don Baker.  Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies.  Texas swagger and CIA contacts. Baker also played the villain Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights

8.  Tiger Tenaka - Tetsuro Tamba. You Only Live Twice.  The cool head of the Japanese Secret Service complete with his private train, ninjas and magnetic helicopter on demand.  Bond's response:  "Bird never build nest in bare tree."

9.  Felix Leiter - Jack Lord.  Dr. No  Before "Book 'em Dan-O" and Hawaii 5-0, Lord was the first to play Felix Leiter.  Producers tried to lure Lord back to play the Leiter role for Goldfinger, but he wanted near-equal billing and pay with Sean Connery.  Producers looked elsewhere, and Leiter went on to become an occasional character played by many actors.


10.  Paula Caplan- Martine Beswick. Thunderball.  Gorgeous agent lays groundwork for Bond's work in Nassau, then falls victim to Largo and his hinchman Vargus.   She earlier played one of the two girls fighting in the Gypsie camp in From Russia With Love.

Bond at 50: Best Quotes and Quips from 50 Years of James Bond Films

The Bond movies are full of quips and great quotes.  There are to many to limit this list to just 10 or a dozen, so I'm setting out a full 20.  

I prefer the quotes that show a glimpse at the hard personality of Bond as played by Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, as opposed to the more flippant comments of Bond as played by Roger Moore.  But I think there are plenty of quotes on this list for every Bond fan. 

1.  "No, Mr. Bond.  I expect you to die."  Goldfinger. Goldfinger to Bond, responding to Bond's question:  "Do you expect me to talk?" Short and to the point. Movie writing at its best.  (Click here for clip)

2.  "That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six." -- Dr. No. Bond to Professor Dent , who has just fired six shots into the bed where he thought Bond was sleeping. Bond follows by a single shot kill of Dent.  This one scene really establishes Bond's 00 credentials for the movie series. This is no Cary Grant suave or Humphrey Bogart slap-someone-around tough. This is a character who will shoot someone who is unarmed when its needed. 

3.  "Now the whole world will know that you died scratching my balls." Casino Royale. Bond to LeChiffre as Bond retains his gritty unbroken determination during a horrific torture scene - maybe the most intense scene of any Bond movie to date. 

4.  "This never happened to the other fellow."  On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Bond speaking to himself (and the audience).  After the bad guys get away in the opening sequence, George Lazenby makes the comment in an obvious reference to his replacement of original Bond Sean Connery.

5. "Do you mind if my partner sits this one out?  She's just dead."  Thuderball.  Bond to strangers at table in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Lounge after Spectre agent Fiona Volpe is shot by her own people while dancing with Bond.

6. "I must be dreaming."  Goldfinger. Bond's reaction when Pussy Galore introduces herself. Goldfinger.  (The original line in the script - "I know, but what's your name" - was scrapped by censors.

7.  "You see, we have all the time in the world."  On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Bond to police officer after murder of his wife. 

8. "One of us smells like a tart's hankerchief." Diamonds Are Forever.  Bond to sniffing rat when he wakes up inside a pipeline after coming in close contact with Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wendt.

9.  "Three measures of Gordon, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shaken over ice then add a thin slice of lemon peel." Casino Royale. Taken verbatim from Chapter 7 of Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale. Note: Kina Lillet is no longer available. The available substitute is Cocchi Americano.

10.  "Well, I've heard the price of eggs is going up, but isn't that a little high?" Octopussy.  Bond's response to Megda who is relaying Kahn's offer of trading a valuable Faberge egg for Bond's life

11.  "Named after your father, perhaps?"  Diamonds Are Forever. Bond's response after a scantily clad young woman (Lana Wood) introduces herself saying "I'm Plenty O'Toole." 

12.  "Do I look like I give a damn?" Casino Royale. Daniel Craig signaled that his Bond would be different with this quick retort to the bartender's inquiry, "shaken or stirred?" 

13.  "Sounds like a French tart's nail varnish." Goldfinger. Bond's reaction to Felix Leiter when told of the name Auric Goldfinger 

14. "That's a nice little nothing your almost wearing." Diamonds Are Forever.  Bond to Tiffany Case. The rest of the scene:  Tiffany:  "I'll finish dressing"  Bond: "Oh please don't.  Not on my account." 

15. "No.  I know a little about women."  Thunderball. The concluding line in an exchange with Largo.  Bond: "That gun looks more fitting for a woman."  Largo: You know much about guns, Mr. Bond?"

16.   "I'm the money."  Casino Royale.  Vesper Lynd's introduction to Bond, who responds "Every penny of it."

17.  "Shocking.  Just shocking." Goldfinger. Bond speaking to the recently electrocuted henchman lying dead in an electrified tub in opening scene.

18.  "Dinner?  I can't. Something big's come up." Goldfinger. Bond turning down dinner invitation from Felix Leiter while Jill Masterson is draped around Bond in his bed

10.  "He always did have an inflated opinion of himself."  Live and Let Die. Bond to Solitaire after Kananga (Mr. Big) exploded from compressed air capsule.

 20.  "A genuine Felix lighter. Illuminating." Live and Let Die.  Bond's remark when he finds that the car lighter is his communication devise with CIA agent Felix Lieter.

BONUS:  It's an exchange, not a single quote. But it has been made even more significant by the Internet parodies of Bond's first meeting with Dr. No, and the introduction of the audience to SPECTRE, the mega-crime organization, the Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. 

Dr. No.  "Specter."   
Bond:  "Spectre?"   
Dr. No: "Spectre" 

Click here for the real clip.  And click here for one of the Internet spoofs.

Bond at 50: Best Villians & Masterminds

These are the big guys.  The masterminds.  The ones who seek world domination who can only be thwarted by 007.  So who are the best of the worst, the most evil of the evil? 

Based on his performance as one of the most frightening killers ever on film in No Country for Old Men,  I have no doubt that Javier Bardem will be among the best villains ever in any James Bond movie.  But pending release of Skyfall, here is my list of the top Bond arch-villains.  

Of course Number 1 is #1 on the list. Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the mysterious sinister head of Specter. Only his cat is seen in From Russia With Love and Thunderball.  Blofeld's name and face were revealed in You Only Live Twice, but he was better as a villain when his identity was hidden.

Anthony Dawson played the unseen Blofeld

 1.  Ernst Stavro Blofeld -"?"   From Russia With Love, Thunderball.  Camera angles or curtains hid his face from view, as Blofeld delicately stroke his white cat. This early Blofeld was ruthless, cunning, and mysterious.  When he was revealed in You Only Live Twice (played by Donald Pleasance), it was a terrible disappointment, both in terms of casting and makeup. But for those two movies where the mystery was maintained, it was brilliantly sinister.   In the credits, Blofeld is listed as being played by "?"  In reality, the role was performed by British actor Anthony Dawson, who appeared on camera in Dr. No as Professor Dent,  pictured above ("You've had your six").  The voice of Blofeld, however, was dubbed by Eric Pohlmann, a native of Vienna who escaped to England just before WWII. 

2.  Auric Goldfinger - Gert Frobe (voice dubbed by English actor Michael Collins due to Frobe's heavy accent).  Goldfinger.  Frobe was perfectly cast as the gold-loving meglamaniac who drives a gold Rolls Royce and plans to "knock off Fort Knox."  Note: When the Goldfinger was released in Germany, Frobe redubbed the part so that his own voice was used.

3.  LeChiffre -   Mads Mikkelsen Casino Royale.  Benzene sniffing, blood weeping from his eye, LeChiffre was not only cruel and sinister, but also was the most believable Bond villain ever.  He was drawn almost exactly from the pages of Ian Fleming's first Bond novel, published nearly 60 years ago. 

4.  Emilio Largo - Adolfo Celi.  Thunderball.   Super cool with a patch over his eye, kissing his own ring, Largo was the most cool and stylish of Bond's adversaries.

5.  Ernst Stavro Blofeld - Telly Sevalas.  On Her Majesty's Secret Service. This was the best portrayal of Blofeld in any of the Bond movies.  It's too bad producers did not chose Savalas to play Blofeld in all of the Bond movies in which the character appeared. Fortunately Savalas was not hampered by the horrid makeup job that Donald Pleasance had to deal with in You Only Live Twice.

6.  Alex Travelyen / Janus - Sean Bean. Goldeneye.  Bond must fight one of his own, a former comrade (006) and friend who turned traitor.  He plots with a Russian general and steals Russia's Goldeneye satellite weapons system. Bond ultimately battles Travelyen, who is equally trained, high above a satellite dish. It is one of the few times when Bond has emotions other than survival as he fights the villain. 


7.  Dr. No - Joseph Wiseman. Dr. No. The mysterious Dr. No is kept that way for much of the movie.  We hear much about him, but only see him in 2 major scenes near the movie's conclusion.  But unlike the disappointment of finally seeing Blofeld, Wiseman's Dr. No lives up to all our expectation.  He is mysterious, grandiose, and so calmly in control.  Alas, Velcro had not yet been invented for his metal hands or the story might have ended differently.  Best line:  "Unfortunately I misjudged you. You are just a stupid police man" 

8. Scaramanga - Christopher Lee.  Man With The Golden Gun.  The tri-nipple killer gets a million dollars a hit.  He's cool - nearly as cool as Largo - as he plots with his new laser weapon amid the exotic islands off the China coast.  A worthy adversary.


9.  Max Zorin - Christopher Walken. View To A Kill.  Walken is a perfect mad man, laughing as he kills and willing to leave his girlfriend behind to a certain death. He just needed a better plot.  

10.  Franz Sanchez - Robert Davi. License to Kill.  This is maybe the darkest Bond movie. Sanchez is an exception to the general rule that the principal villain has henchmen who do the actual killing. Sanchez is himself a killer.  The movie opens with Bond's friend, CIA Agent Felix Lieter getting married. But Sanchez exacts cruel revenge on Lieter by killing his new bride and critically wounding Lieter.  Bond sets out on a course of revenge which ends in fiery retribution.

11.  Electra King - Sophie Marceau.  The World Is Not Enough.  Only woman on the list.  But then again, when you kill your father to take over his oil company, plan to set off a nuclear bomb in Istanbul in order to drive up the value of your oil reserves, and kidnap M, you've earned your way on to the list.

12.  Elliot Carver - Jonathan Pryce.  Tomorrow Never Dies.  Clearly inspired by media tycoon Rupert Murdock.  More than a decade later, the Daily Globe scandal that rocked the Murdock empire seemed like life, imitating art, imitating life.

Bond at 50: Dirty Dozen - The Best Henchmen Who Tried to Kill Bond

Every Bond movie has an arch villain.  But the Bond arch villain never does his own dirty work.  He always has that quirky companion to do the job.  Whether using an iron-brimmed fedora, metal dentures or just old fashioned squeeze power, these characters make the movies exciting and memorable.

 

Here's my list of the best henchmen (or henchwomen) from the James Bond movies.

1.  Odd Job - Harold Sakata.  Goldfinger.  No contest here.  Whether he was flinging his hat at a statute or a fleeing Tilly Masterson, toting a golf bag, driving a gangster to a "pressing engagement" or letting gold bars bounce off his chest, Odd Job was unforgettable - and all without uttering a single word.  His only line: pointing to a golf ball he had just dropped in a favorable lie and grunting "Ah."

2.  Rosa Kleb - Lotte Lenya. From Russia With Love.  Kleb was the nasty SPECTRE operative who tried to kill Bond in the concluding action scene by kicking him with a poisoned blade at the end of her shoe. Lenya was a noted actress, winning a Tony Award in 1956 for her role in Three Penny Opera, the only off-Broadway performance ever to win a Tony.  She was also nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1961 for The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone. She also was in the original Broadway cast of Cabaret.  Note: After appearing in the Bond film, she said that when she met new people, the first thing they did was look at her shoes.

 3.  Jaws - Richard Kiel.  The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker.  The metal-mouth giant assassin appeared in two movies.  He was a menacing presence in The Spy Who Loved Me, then a misunderstood giant who would rather be a lover than a killer in Moonraker.  I liked him menacing. Kiel, who is 73, most recently appeared in the Disney animated film Tangled.

4.  Grant - Robert Shaw.  From Russia With Love.  Long before setting out in search of Jaws, Shaw played a psychotic killer groomed by SPECTRE  and sent to first protect Bond, then at the right moment to kill him.  As opposed to many henchmen in the Bond films, Grant was a developed character with extensive interaction with Bond.  The fight with Bond inside the train car on the Orient Express is one of the best action sequences in all of the Bond movies.  Noted line:  "Old man."

SPECTRE agent Fiona Volpe ( Luciana Paluzzi) surprises Bond in Thunderball

5.  Fiona Volpe - Luciana Paluzzi - Thunderball  Kills equally well with a motorcycle rocket or poison gas.  She captures Bond after a romp in the sack, only to succumb to his charms on the dance floor. "Do you mind if my partner sits this one out?  She's just dead." 

6.  Xenia Onnatopp - Famke Janssen. Goldeneye.  Orgasmic killer with the leg squeeze of death.


 7.  Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wendt  - Putter Smith and Ben Glover (yep, that's their real names). Diamonds Are Forever.  Polite to a fault, obviously gay, obviously lethal.  Memorable line:  "But that would spoil the supreeeze." 

8.  MayDay - Grace Jones.  View To A Kill.  Grace Jones was the best part of this movie.  From the dramatic opening scene on the Eiffel Tower to the conclusion where, realizing that she has been abandoned by her lover Zorin, she sacrifices herself to save Bond and the world as we know it. 

9.  Tee Hee Johnson - Julius Harris.  Live and Let Die. The man with the metal arm - a malicious looking contraption which we are told was required when he lost his original arm to an alligator.


 10. Bambi and Thumper - Lola Larson and Trina Parks. Diamonds Are Forever.  In one of the more bizarre combat scenes in any of the James Bond movies - or any movie for that matter - Bambi and Thumper try to do in 007 through death by gymnastics.  


11. Baron Samadi - Geoffrey Holder   Live and Let Die.  The actor from Trinidad plays the would-be VooDoo God controlling the population for Mr. Big.  But every time I hear his laugh, I want to buy a 7-Up. 

12. Nick Nack - Herve Villechaize.  Man With The Golden Gun.  The little guy who later gained fame by shouting "De Plane.  De Plane." on television's Fantasy Island, was a creepy little sidekick would-be assassin running the sideshow-like target range for tri-nippled Scaramanga.   

Bond at 50: Best Music from James Bond

From the iconic pounding guitar of the James Bond Theme, to Shirley Bassey's dynamic Goldfinger, to Adelle's soaring Skyfall theme, music has played a key role in the success of the James Bond movies.  

Monte Norman wrote The James Bond Theme for Dr. No, which has been heard in every Bond movie since.  

But composer John Barry was truly the man behind the music, writing the score and orchestrating 11 of the first 14 Bond movies, including all the Sean Connery classics. 

Winner of five Academy Awards, Barry was never nominated for his work on the Bond films.  But if you can find a copy of the soundtrack for From Russia With Love, Goldfinger  or Thunderball, give it a listen.  Or better yet, watch the movies and concentrate on how the music sets the stage for Bond's adventures.  Barry deserved an Academy Award for his work on those films. 

Here are my selections for the top music from the James Bond movies.

1. Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey belts out the iconic theme to John Barry's powerful orchestration. You just need to hear the first two notes to recognize the song (Click here for classic gun barrel opening followed by theme song sequence)
2. James Bond Theme - Monte Norman's classic riff. (Click here for John Barry conducting a symphony performance of the James Bond theme)
3. Skyfall - Adelle - Wonderful theme that captures the melancholy aloneness of Bond's existence. (Click here for a trailer of the newest Bond movie, opening November 9).
4. Thunderball - Tom Jones belts out a powerful opening to the sexy dynamic underwater opening credits that sets the scene for the entire movie.  (Click here for opening sequence)
5. Life and Let Die - Paul McCartney.  (Click here for opening sequence).
6. We Have All The Time In The World (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) - Louis Armstrong.  This song is certainly the most played of any song from a Bond movie, most without knowing its origin.  Written by John Barry with lyrics by Hal David, this song was the love theme for the "other fellow" Bond movie - George Lazenby's one & done Bond performance. It is played under the courtship of Bond and Tracy.  The title is directly from Ian Fleming's book and is repeated in the movie.  When an officer approaches after Tracy is shot, Bond says: "There's no hurry you see. We have all the time in the world." (Click here for the song over a fan edit credits) 
7. You Know My Name (Casino Royale) - Chris Cornell's hard rocking theme suits the new rougher-edged Daniel Craig version of Bond. (Click here for opening sequence)
8. Dance Into the Fire (View to a Kill) - Duran Duran captures the sound of the 80s. (Click here for opening sequence)  
9. Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey scores again. (Click here for opening sequence).
10. Moonraker - Shirley Bassey again in a wonderfully styled song that is often overlooked because it accompanies the worst of all the Bond movies. (Click here for opening sequence).
11. Surrender (Tomorrow Never Dies) - Like Matt Monroe's song, this was used over closing credits. Why it was not used instead of Sheryl Crow's incipid song that was used over opening credits is a mystery. (Click here for closing title)
12. From Russia With Love - Matt Munro smoothly croons over the closing credits.  (Click here for the song)
13. Nobody Does It Better (The Spy Who Loved Me) - Carly Simon (Click here for opening sequence)
14. You Only Live Twice - Nancy Sinatra sings perhaps the most haunting of the Bond theme, with a bit of a Japanese influence. (Click here for gun barrel opening followed by the opening credits)
15. Goldeneye - Tina Turner belts out a great song. (Click here for opening sequence) 
16. All Time High (Octopussy) - Rita Coolidge  (Click here for opening sequence) 
17. The World Is Not Enough - Garbage (Click here for opening sequence)
18.  For Your Eyes Only - Sheena Easton (Click here for opening sequence)
19. Another Way to Die (Quantum of Solace) - Alicia Keys and Jack White.  (Click here for opening sequence).
20.  OO7 Theme - Instrumental theme by John Barry in From Russia With Love, and has often been used during action sequences in many Bond movies.  (Click here for the version played in From Russia With Love)

WORST JAMES BOND MUSIC?  No competition here.  The disastrous 1967 production of Casino Royale staring Peter Sellers and Woody Allen produced this gawd-awful theme, although Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass turned it into a nice instrumental on one of their albums.  Click here if you dare for the original Casino Royale Theme Song.

Bond at 50: Top Dozen Bond Women

No James Bond book or movie would be complete without the sexy women characters - some with very interesting names.  Here's my picks for the top Bond women:

1.  Ursula Andress  (Honey Ryder). Dr. No - The first Bond girl set the standard and is still the best - Click here for the classic clip as Honey exits the water on Crab Key.
2.  Eva Green (Vesper Lynd) - With Casino Royale, the Bond series regenerated its original magic. Vesper Lynd is probably the most fully developed of all the Bond women - beautiful, smart and tragic -- and remarkably close to the original Ian Fleming book that started it all. Click here for the a clip (start at 2:10) showing why Eva Green rates 2d on my list - and arguably could be first.
3.  Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore). Goldfinger- The name says it all. Bond producers had to fight to keep the character's name. But the script did require changes. When Blackman says "I'm Pussy Galore", Bond's original response was "Of course you are, but what's your name."  Censors demanded it be changed  (Click here for the clip).   Note: Honor Blackman really was a judo expert.
4. Shirley Eaton (Jill Masterson). Goldfinger. Though her role was limited, Shirley Eaton's nude body painted gold became the iconic image of the Bond movies. Click here for the iconic scene.
5. Izabella Scorupco (Natiya Simonava) - Goldeneye. A Russian beauty and computer wiz, she displays brains, courage, and ingenuity - something missing from most Bond women.
6. Halle Barry (Jynx). To Die Another Day.  A CIA agent, her homage to Ursela Andress is almost as good as the original. 
7. Maude Adams (Octopussy). Octopussy - Commanding an army of women smugglers, she's beautiful, smart, and savvy - a near equal to Bond.
8. Daniela Biachi (Tatiana Romanova). From Russia With Love.  She's the girl whose photo draws Bond to Istanbul for love and the Lecter Decoder.
9. Martine Beswick and Aliza Gur - From Russia With Love. This pair played the sultry, sexy gypsies who cat-fight over a man in the classic Gypsy Camp scene.  Click here for clip of the fight scene.         NOTE:  Martine Beswick also appeared in Thunderball as CIA Agent Paula Caplan.  She is one of only 3 Bond girls (not counting Moneypenny) to appear in multiple Bond films.  The other two?  Eunice Gayson (see below) and Maud Adams was appeared in The Man With The Golden Gun nine years before her role as Octopussy.
10. Eunice Gayson (Sylvia Trench)  Dr. No and From Russia With Love.  The very first Bond girl, Bond's only girlfriend in the movies, and the only Bond girl to play the same character twice.  She first appears in the opening casino scene in Dr. No. and prompts the first time we here Sean Connery introduce himself as "Bond. James Bond."  Click here for the classic scene.  She reprized role in an early scene in From Russia With Love.
11.  Luciana Paluzzi (Fiona Volpe). Thunderball- With flaming red hair, she was No.3 in SPECTRE and the series first gorgeous assassin. (No, Kleb doesn't count.) 
12. Diana Rigg (Tracy Bond).  On Her Majesty's Secret Service.  Although I liked her better in the Avengers TV series, you can't leave off the only woman who got a ring on Mr. Bond's finger - even if it was short lived.    

A note about how time passes:  Like all of the actors who have played Bond, all of the Bond women on this list are still living.  Ursula Andress is now 76, Eunice Gayson is 84, Martine Beswick is 71, Aliza Gur is 68, Daniela Biachi is 70, Diana Rigg is 74, Luciana Paluzzi is 75, and  Honor Blackman, Pussy Galore herself, is 85.

Shirley Eaton, the Golden Girl, retired from acting in 1969, but now, at age 75, is filming a movie for True Entertainment, her first film in 40 years. She is also active on Twitter.

Eunice Gayson, who is now 84, was first Bond girl

James Bond at 50: Q's Toybox - The Top 15 James Bond Gadgets

Ian Fleming's books did not include any gadgets, nor did the first Bond movie.  But starting with the attache case in From Russia With Love, Q's gadgets became more and more a part of the success of the Bond movies.

Desmond Llewelyn - Q

Here's my list of best gadgets from the Bond films:

1. Aston Marin DB5 complete with ejector seat (Goldfinger)
2. Disco Vilante hydrofoil / cacoon (Thunderball)
3. Oddjob's killer hat (Goldfinger)
4. Goldfinger's laser ("No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.") (Goldfinger)
5. Specter's poison-tipped knife in a shoe (From Russia With Love)
6. Jaw's metal teeth (The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker)
7. AcroStar Mini Jet, hidden in a horse trailer, in opening scene (Octopussy)
8. Lotus Esprit, the underwater car (The Spy Who Loved Me).
9. Underwater Jet Pack (Thunderball) 
10. Flying Car (an AMC Matador, no less) (Man With the Golden Gun) -- It was hard enough to get an AMC Matador to run, let along fly.
11. Aston Marin Vanquish, the disappearing car (Die Another Day)
12. Little Nelly gyrocopter (You Only Live Twice)
13. Pen - Five-minute underwater breather (Thunderball)
14. Attache case (From Russia With Love)
15. Ursala Andress Bikini (Dr. No) 

James Bond at 50: Who Was the 1st James Bond Seen On the Movie Screen?

October marks the 50th Anniversary of Dr. No, the first James Bond movie.  

James Bond played a big part in my young life.  It flamed my interest in movies and reading, and even kindled my interest in music and playing the piano.  So over the next few weeks I'll post some of my reflections on James Bond - both the books and the movies -- as well as the impact that fictional spy has had on me and others.

To begin I should start at the beginning . . .

Most true Bond fans know that the first adaptation of James Bond was a live television broadcast of Casino Royale staring American Barry Nelson miscast as "Jimmy" Bond. 

But who was the first James Bond to appear in a movie?  The answer may surprise.

Bob Simmons as James Bond in opening sequence.

Bob Simmons, a British stuntman, appeared in the opening gun barrel sequence for the first three James Bond films.  Sean Connery did not actually do the opening sequence until the fourth Bond film, Thunderball.

Since the opening image of Dr. No is the gun barrel scene, set against a soundtrack of computer beeping.  The iconic James Bond theme, written by Monte Norman for Dr. No, first is heard when Connery first introduces himself as "Bond.  James Bond."

Why was Simmons used and not Connery?  Don't know and so far have not found a reason.  After Simmons, every actor playing Bond also did the gun barrel sequence for the movie.

Simmons got an expanded role in Thunderball.  He did the extensive stunt work for the "widow" assassin's fight in the pre-credits scene.  Simmons is also credited with creating the use of trampolines to propel into the air, mimicking being blown up by explosions (see the fight in the volcano at the conclusion of You Only Live Twice).

He continued to do stunt work in the Bond films until 1985.  He died in 1987 at age 64.

WINCHESTER 400 WEEKEND - WINCHESTER SPEEDWAY

Sign at the entrance to Winchester Speedway pit area

Youngsters check out the challenge of the Winchester high banks during rain delay.

Helmet waiting for a driver

Tweaking the engine during down time

Pushing car toward inspection with high banked turn 1 in background.

Inspection

Crew waiting while 4 cylinder compact practices through turn 2

Betty Boop rides along as a passenger

Cars covered and waiting for rain

Heading into Turn 3 past the Winchester sign and gorgeous fall foliage.

Twilight on a rain-soaked Winchester Speedway

Night Racing at Winchester

Racing past colorful fall foliage that that surrounds the Winchester track

Checkered flag in qualifying

On the Farm - Photos of New-Born Calf

"Stormy" - that seems the most appropriate name for this black calf born during a torrential downpour last night. 

Momma and Big Sis looking on