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Archive

• Archive 1: 2004
• Archive 2: Jan 2005 - July 2005

Daniel Craig

On April 6, 2005, news sources are reporting that Daniel Craig has been picked by EON productions to be the next James Bond. But this is still unofficial. Therefore, until further notice, all references to Craig will be reverted. Zzyzx11 21:26, 6 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Additionally, this is already noted at Casino Royale (2006 movie). All speculation, rumors, and confirmations by the tabloids and other sources that are not EON should be noted there, not here. EON stated today (see BBC article), it's not likely they'll announce the new Bond anytime soon. IMO we won't see an announcement for awhile. Just for reference GoldenEye came out Christmas 1995 and Brosnan was announced in June 1994. K1Bond007 21:35, Apr 6, 2005 (UTC)

He just signed. The ink is wet, and yes, we have a new bond...--Bond007 22:16, 6 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Until EON Productions officially announces it, speculation and rumor will not be listed here. The BBC report from today is not "old news". In it EON said officially that they haven't chosen anyone and that they won't announce anything anytime soon. K1Bond007 22:20, Apr 6, 2005 (UTC)

Update: Daniel Craig denies it. So there we go. K1Bond007 22:39, Apr 6, 2005 (UTC)

There was some other name mentioned as well. And the Calgary Sun just ran another story suggesting the Brosnan is coming back (though it's obvious they're just vamping based upon the IMDb rumor from a few days ago). According to EON, nothing will be decided until Martin Campbell finishes Legend of Zorro. I support the idea of reverting cast rumors in this article, since these are being handled in the Casino Royale 2006 movie article as K1Bond007 notes above. 23skidoo 17:20, 7 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Many news outlets are reporting it as fact. This fact... the reporting... is noteworthy enough to be included in this article so I have added it. Ben Arnold 05:04, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Well, I flat out disagree, but for one and a half days I'm not going to argue it. While it's 99% likely Craig will be named as Bond, the fact of the matter is that Eric Bana was confirmed as Bond in 2004 by a ton of major media outlets. So was Daniel Craig - in April and now again. We have an entire article devoted to this search with these mentions including the latest on Craig at Casino Royale (2006 film), which is even linked in the intro of this article (directly to the section too). Whatever though. Like I said in a day and a half we'll have the official confirmation for whichever way the wind blows. (Trivial fact: October 14 is Roger Moore's birthday) K1Bond007 05:13, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

I have reverted the latest edit as well. I agree with K1Bond007 that it's likely to be Craig (despite other media outlets "confirming" that Bond is supposed to be in his 20s in the film, not late 30s). It was also announced that Connery had filmed a role in Die Another Day and that turned out to be bogus. The fact media are reporting Craig as a front runner is already well-covered in the article on the movie. Let's be patient. The announcement is only hours away and if it ends up being someone other than Craig -- and there's plenty of speculation that Craig is just a red herring -- we'd have egg on our face if we crowned him prematurely. 23skidoo 05:25, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Well thank heavens all that is finally over. It's interesting to note that according to media coverage Daniel Craig wasn't formally offered the role until last Monday (October 10), so all the reports that he had the role prior to then were indeed premature as he could have said No. I'm still curious as to what effect this will have on Casino Royale's reported prequel concept. 23skidoo 12:25, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

They didn't really get into it being a prequel during the conference. They alluded to it being Bond's first mission, but that could have been taken as an acknwowledgment that it was the first as written by Ian Fleming. I'm also glad this long searching crap is done. It's interesting to note that Michael Wilson said at the press conference that they looked at "over 200" names, but "only offered the role to Daniel". So there went all the Owen and Jackman rumors of them turning it down. Then again, it could be taken that they never formally offered it. K1Bond007 13:05, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

To the editor who keeps reinstating the implication that Craig has already played Bond: If you're so keen to see him in the 007 list near the top of the page, I suggest you reword the introduction to the list. To present Craig's name in a list prefixed by "Bond has been portrayed in the official series by" is unambiguously wrong. jamesgibbon 21:55, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Hence the word "announced". I'm not saying he already has portrayed Bond. I'm saying he is Bond and will be in the next film. It's silly to leave him out of the list. All you had to do was reword the sentence if you had a problem. K1Bond007 22:21, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

The word "announced" didn't really work, I'm afraid; clearly it hasn't been announced that he's portrayed Bond in the official series, but that he's going to. I see that the introductory sentence has been reworded; unfortunately the piece is worse for that, I think; while at least it's not actually obviously incorrect now, it's nonetheless a little awkward. A mention that he is due to play Bond in the next sentence after the list was to be preferred, I think. Anyway it's late now, I may sort it out again tomorrow. 04:37, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

How is it awkward and incorrect? What's awkward is making a list of all the people to officially be cast as Bond yet not list the latest one because the film won't be released till next year. Maybe we shouldn't list Casino Royale in the list of Bond films towards the bottom because it hasn't been released yet. I mean, it's not an official Bond film...yet. Isn't that your argument here? This is the same logic. If you think the wording is "awkward" then by all means reword it, but leave Craig in the list. K1Bond007 04:58, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Lazenby Trivia

The lazenby trivia i added was factual.

I have seen ALL of those instances where Lazenby played Bond.

I guess someone thought that didn't need to be mentioned.

That's nice, but what trivia are you referring to? I don't recall seeing any Lazenby trivia added recently that was removed. Also, please sign your comments. 23skidoo 03:22, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

Probably here George Lazenby. The lastest edit needs to be cleaned up a little and rewritten. Would be more suitable in the article as prose rather than a bulleted list under trivia. K1Bond007 03:50, July 29, 2005 (UTC)

Oh ... I'm a little puzzled as to why the anon would comment here rather than in the Lazenby article talk age. I don't dispute most of the trivia with the exception of the alleged appearance on the Nude Bomb. I hesitate to confess that I've seen that film a number of times over the years and I have no recollection of Lazenby appearing in it, as Bond or otherwise. 23skidoo 12:52, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

Film and Actor info

I changed OHMSS's gross to 87.4 million, because I was reading on here and noticed the gross of 82 million. I checked the sites listed, but they are wrong. This is because I have read in my book from 1985 The Fantastic World of Bond and slo in a 1983 book The Quintessential James Bond, that OHMSS made 87.4 million, roughly 22.8 million domestic, and 64.6 million international. The grosses listed in these books match for all films DN-OP of the grosses listed here so they must be right. Also one of the books, the 1985 one, has a quote from Broccoli stating that, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service just didn't do that well compared to Sean's films, it only made about $87.4 million worldwide, while You Only Live Twice made about $111.6 million, Diamonds Are Forever made about $116 million. Still, Secret Service did quite well looking at it in its own terms since we only spent about $7 million on its actual production." Hopefully someone else knows this too, but since all the other figures match, and since this adds up 22.8 and 64.6 which I see a lot. Anyway according to THE man himself it should be $87.4 million. Lords tracy 25 August 2005

Best known for his films

Please source the claim that Bond is better known fopr his films. You claim there are thousands so providing one or two should be easy, SqueakBox 18:36, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Please see your discussion page. In short, I don't feel it is necessary to site a source on this issue (same as it is unnecessary to cite a source to provide evidence that Marilyn Monroe was a sex symbol. On the contrary I challenge anyone to find a source that says he ISN'T best known from the films. That would be far more interesting. Cheers. 23skidoo 18:43, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Dude, I don't even think this is debatable. Yeah, Fleming's novels were popular in the late 50s early 60s, but since, probably 1964 he's best known for the films. Theres no question here. I love Fleming's novels, but I don't think theres any way someone could create a credible argument saying Bond is best known from the novels. You can say he was popularized by the novels, but best known today for the films, but that's it. Since 1953, if you add Fleming's Amis', Gardner's, Benson's and other misc 007 novels by other authors together, the number sold comes to approximately 100 million. Die Another Day, the last film, had about 80 million see the film in theaters. That's just theaters. Add in how many spoofs of James Bond films are out there, rentals, DVD/VHS purchases, promotional material - products associated with Bond (e.g. Aston Martin), books analyzing or whatever the James Bond films -- all of this in damn near every country. There's no question that hands down the films are by far more popular. You see a news story on the BBC.. something like "using James Bond like gadgets", etc they're referring to the films, not the novels - virtually 100% of the time. I'm with 23skidoo here. Find a source that says he isn't best known from the films. K1Bond007 21:48, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

The Property of a Lady

I believe that Timothy Dalton's proposed third film should be mentioned within the movie section, whether it got beyond the proposal stage or not, as it is relevant with regards to the legal wranglings of the early 1990s. I have included this within the table of films, with a note explaining the occurences of why it was not made. I believe it is clear and explicit that the film was not made. Hammersfan 09:25 25 October 2005

I'm leaving it be until I see more opinions on it, but my opinion is the film should not be included on the chart. For one thing I know of only one source that has ever suggested the Property of a Lady title and that's the book "The Bond Files" by Andy Lane. And even it states that the title was pure speculation. There was -- to my knowledge -- never an official announcement regarding the title of Dalton's third Bond film. I have no objection to it being mentioned in the film section and elsewhere as a point of trivia, but unless someone can find additional sources (preferably official such as a press release) to suggest the title was ever in any way official, I oppose it being included in the table. 23skidoo 14:29, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

No. Theres absolutely no reason to list it as an official film. The script was never completed and it was never made. If you include this in the list then at what point do we draw the line on anything? Just because there were plans to make a third Dalton movie, does not mean we should add it to a list of official movies that were made. The information on The Property of a Lady is already at the book article, Dalton's article, and LTK's article - and most of it is (unfortunately) unfounded considering there has never been any official aknowledgment of it (especially the title). This is redundant and trivial. Should we list Thunderball as the first James Bond film? No. What about all the other times Casino Royale was attempted at being made into a film? No. This is minor trivia that doesn't belong in the list. K1Bond007 18:23, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

I would go as far to say that a lot of people today are being introduced to the novels because of the films. That's how it worked for me. Rowlan 20:28, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Vittorio Vidali

It is interesting to read of Vittorio Vidali, an adroit and prolific killer always in the company of beautiful women, and surely a personage that Fleming was familiar with or had been briefed on. El Jigüe 12/06/05

I had to remove this piece of information, unfortunately, because it was speculation. If you can provide a source that indicates Fleming was aware of Vidali, then please feel free to add this information again (but please cite the source). 23skidoo 01:12, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I doubt theres a credible source out there. A lot of news sites once in while come up with a so-and-so was a model for Bond, but they're always totally unfounded except that person A was a supposed secret agent. All of it is really unfounded. Fleming has never stated whom he modeled Bond after, if anyone at all. Just going from Fleming's history with everything else, IMHO, if he didn't know the person personally then they weren't the model for anything. Everyone that Fleming wanted for the films were people he knew personally; Noel Coward, David Niven - models like Erno Goldfinger, possibly Godfrey (M) etc. Theres a long list of examples like this. K1Bond007 01:55, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Making things even more confusing is the existence of the semi-fictional biopics of Fleming that have been produced. For example, there was the one with Jason Connery that was in many ways just a Bond movie in disguise, complete with a Moneypenny-like character. Someone seeing that might think Fleming based Moneypenny on a real secretary he knew. Maybe he did -- but you'd need to source that sort of info before making a blind statement. In any event the Vidali statement had to be deleted as it was worded as clear speculation anyway. 23skidoo 05:19, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps, my knowledge of Italian stinks. A site: http://www.pioxii.150m.com/articoli.htm

does mention both:

"Donovan ha già un suo uomo al Vaticano, il frate domenicano Felix Morlion, fondatore della «Pro Deo», da lui spostato nel ’41 da Lisbona, un covo di spie britanniche destinate a divenire illustri, dal diplomatico Kim Philby, una «talpa» sovietica, ai romanzieri Graham Greene e Ian Fleming (il padre di James Bond)." (my links to Misplaced Pages sites)/

What the heck is a: "una «talpa» sovietica" is sounds to me like a soviet agent and Vittorio Vidale was one, fresh from Spain and just about in Mexico at roughly that time. I do not think the phrase refers to Philby, since this is a list separated by commas ......

and

"Il rapporto Houck, che cita di nuovo Montini, propone anche per la prima volta che la strategia del contenimento dell’Urss venga estesa al Sud America con la creazione di un «Ufficio latino» dell’Oss. «Il Papa desidera formare un blocco dei Paesi latini, dall’Italia alla Spagna, al Messico e all’Argentina. Nei Paesi sudamericani è attiva l’Alleanza internazionale Garibaldi, di comunisti e socialisti, creata da Mario Montagnana, il cognato di Togliatti, da Vittorio Vidali e da altri»"

Thus Fleming's knowledge of Vidali perhaps as "Comandante Carlos Contreras" is probable.

BTW And there are some who consider Graham Greene to have far too much "sympathy" with the left.

I hope that some will read Vittorio Vidali piece and perhaps something with "click" El Jigüe 12/07/05

I'd rather see an English language source cited, preferably a biography of Fleming. What does John Pearson's book say, or instance? 23skidoo 02:02, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't recall. If Pearson mentions anybody as a model, the comparison would probably be Fleming's quote about a high-romanticised version of William Stephenson; see Inspirations for James Bond. K1Bond007 02:20, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

A single article in a language you cannot read mentions Ian Fleming briefly in passing, and then a thousand words later mentions Vidali briefly in passing, with a dozen names mentioned in between, and you are claiming this as "probable" grounds for believing that Fleming not only knew of Vidali but also knew of his undercover identity? What an interesting game, maybe I can play too. I did a search for "Ian Fleming" + "Lee Harvey Oswald" and got a bunch of hits, one of which is this German article which I can't read. Thus Fleming's knowledge of Oswald as the future assassin of Kennedy is probable.

Please, this is nonsense. You cite a reference in support of something you wrote which turns out not to support it at all... I hope this doesn't apply to the references you cite in your other contributions elsewhere. If you are doing scholarly writing you have to aim for a high standard and not take careless shortcuts like this. -- Curps 10:05, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Curps It would be most rude of me to question why are following me around on the web, postulating theories about my input without reading the citations and then lambasting my input in the harshest possible way, and when ever possible deleting my entries on the most spurious of grounds. So I will not raise that question. El Jigüe 13-8-05

I did not mean to imply that I could not read Italian (Germanic languages are a completely different kettle of fish) what i said is that I read it with difficulty. All that is besides the point, I suggest followers of this thread read the Vittorio Vidali article and see if it brings James Bond to mind as a man judged handsome by women, who themselves to him, even though he is a ready killer who does not suffer remorse. One may also note that while Italian men as a group are not commonly looked at favorably by English men, English women frequently differ on this point. Let me assure you that others, some Italians by the way, see certain parallels, as has occurred to me and others. We will need to wait to see if there is any link. Meanwhile, as is appropriate one should be to be able to hold several competing ideas in ones mind, before making any judgement. However, my bias is that I dislike assassins, and I have had the misfortune to know a few. El Jigüe 13-8-05

I'm sure there are plenty of parallels to be seen. The point is that it's pure speculation whether or not Fleming based any of the character upon the man, just as, say, the suggestion that Marlow from Heart of Darkness might have inspired the character. I can speculate this, but that's not the same as having proof that Fleming was so inspired. 23skidoo 01:40, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

"Pure speculation" is where an investigation starts. However, I find it difficult for Fleming to be in "next door" in Portugal just a few years later, without knowing of how dangerous "Comandante Carlos Contreras" (Vittorio Vidali) was both as an ally and as possible opposition depending on whether it was before or after the infamous Stalin-Hitler pact was ruptures. Besides reading on Vidale gives great insight into spy tactics of the time, it is said that Vidale killed as much ast 400 "accidentally" in Spain. Just keep Vidale in mind, because he as part of the mileu in which Fleming "swam" in those days when the water was full of sharks. El Jigüe 13-9-0

Misplaced Pages:No original research. All we're asking for is a good credible citation. Personally, I'd throw this under the "pure speculation" section too. I've read a lot of biographys on Fleming and who he possibly modeled Bond after, from very credible sources like John Pearson, Raymond Benson (people that either knew Fleming personally or know the world of Bond). This is the first time I've ever heard of Vidali. K1Bond007 16:29, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

K1 You make an interesting point when you say "This is the first time I've ever heard of Vidali." You are correct, all this was over half a century past, I only heard of Vidale myself perhaps two months ago. And yet if one reads about Vittorio Vidali and his activities including his vast notoriety that extended to inclusion in Diego Rivera's mural the Arsenal, and his well known love affair with the beautiful talented Tina Modotti who some say was also a spy or agent, apparently inherited from one of Vidali's victims, one could readily presume (given the chronology of events) that Ian Fleming must, by the necessities of his employment, have heard of Vidali. Thus perhaps we should await the emergence of a non-Italian source before including this matter in the James Bond article, and yet still keep the matter alive in our minds. El Jigüe 23-9-05

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