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.