Is Charles Gray's Blofeld in DAF based on a parody of Ian Fleming?

I've just been thinking about this lately. Hear me out on it.

To look at Charles Gray's portrayal of James Bond's arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) it's so very left-field that it really makes one wonder where the inspiration for the character came from. It obviously doesn't come from the James Bond novels, although the Blofeld of On Her Majesty's Secret Service looked superficially similar. This Blofeld dresses in drag, makes humorous comments, makes eloquent speeches; is in sum the perfect English gentleman - hardly the man who two years' earlier blasted Bond's wife, Tracy Bond to eternity. I have a theory that just as DAF is a parody, so Charles Gray's Blofeld is equally a parody of Ian Fleming himself, the creator of James Bond. The James Bond films were all lighter in tone than their 1960s predecessors or their 1980s successors, for that matter. Gray plays Blofeld as a silver fox - he is the classic English gentleman replete with tunic and cigarette holder (a la Fleming). His background would appear to be English upper class or Eton educated, just like Fleming. His Blofeld is the best mannered (an early version of Christopher Lee's Scaramanga in some ways) and most civilised of al;l the portrayals. It's also the least effective, but I have the sneaking suspicion that the Blofeld of DAF was based on Fleming by screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz as a little in-joke to refer to the light approach taken to the Fleming novels and stories from herre in in until about 1980 or so with a return to the gritty realism of For Your Eyes Only (1981), Roger Moore's finest and most Flemingesque portrayal of James Bond on film. Perhaps the key to understanding all of this is the fact that both Ian Fleming and his villainous creation Ernst Stavro Blofeld shared the same birthday: 28 May 1908. Both Fleming and Blofeld in DAF were accused of being poseurs, chocolate sailors and rather fey and theatrical and the below snapshots hopefully demonstrate. Both Fleming and Gray as Blofeld pose with cigarette holder and gun in some of the selected photos that have been added due to their similarity.

So what do we think of my recent theory on the Blofeld of DAF?

As alweays, I'd really love to hear your views on this one! :)

See these pretty pictures of Fleming and Gray as Blofeld:

























OT, but Charles Gray even has a Flemingesque look as the narrator character of The Criminologist in The Rocky Horror Show (1978)

That's an interesting theory. You could be on to something. The irony of Charles Gray's Blofeld is that he's the least iconic or recognized of the Blofelds, but he gives the best, most amusing, most interesting of the performances (well, Gray and Max Von Sydow). But people only remember the bald Blofeld with the scar down his face and his white cat.

Yes and Pleasance's Blofeld is a mere cypher, a caricature that Austin Powers went to work on. For me, Telly Savalas was the best, followed by Charles Gray who at least had asome character to them. I may do a write-up on this one on The Bondologist Blog.

It's certainly not out of the question. Your theory probably merits further investigation. But I'm curious about this statement: "Both Fleming and Blofeld in DAF were accused of being poseurs, chocolate sailors and rather fey and theatrical..."

By whom?

Well, that statement partly comes from me, partly from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - The Unofficial Guide to The James Bond Films (2001) by Masrcus Hearn et al. Fleming was called a chocolate sailor and a poseur. Gray is called a "fey and theatrical Blofeld" in the Marcus Hearn book. The poseur part fits with the photos of Gray. Chocolate sailor I'll have to come back to you on, I'm afraid.

Interesting, although I dont think Fleming ever went around in drag. Gray's Blofeld is a joke, as is the entire movie, but he always struck me as having been written as totally flaming in such a way as to place him in opposition with Connery's masculinity. Sort've like a campy, ineffectual version of Silva really. It seems like the goal was more to create an effete villain rather than a Fleming parody -- the only similarities I see are the upper class accent and the cigarette holder.

The most effective for my money Blofeld was the unseen Number One of FRWL/TB.

I think the closest to Flemings' Blofeld were yes the Blofelds that we didn't see, especially in TB, however Gray's Blofeld has always been my favourite.
He delights in the role and the repartee with Bond. Mankiewicz I'm sure had a lot of fun scripting their exchanges. Gray's Blofeld I do find quite campy deadly in the same way as Wint and Kidd. He fits perfectly with the nasty camp tone of the film.
He is a bit of a flamer but he also seems to quite appreciate Tiffany's cheeks as well.
But yes, I think you are on to something. Mankiewicz might very well have been influenced by those shots of Fleming. Fleming himself was also said to be a bit inclined towards the kink, not gay of course, but a bit kink and flamboyant maybe.
Mankiewicz stamp is all over this film. I think Hamilton must have liked his contribution so much, Mankiewicz was commissioned to pen LALD all by himself, with Maibaum given a time out.

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Yes, that's very true. I forgot about that. I seems that the English toff is one of his favourite characters, doesn't it? It seems that there's a theme here.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Yep, with the later based on Noël Coward.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Yep, with the later based on Noël Coward.

Interesting. I've not heard this theory before...

SILHOUETTE MAN wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Yes, that's very true. I forgot about that. I seems that the English toff is one of his favourite characters, doesn't it? It seems that there's a theme here.

Yeah, because he plays that character in everything I see him in, I think it's less likely it's an intentional throw at Fleming and more likely Gray's just a one-note actor.

Yes, even in The Rocky Horror Show (1978) he plays the same type of character as The Criminologist. Over on MI6 Community some posters are saying that Charles Gray based his Blofeld on actor and Fleming friend and neighbour Noel Coward.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

SILHOUETTE MAN wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Yes, that's very true. I forgot about that. I seems that the English toff is one of his favourite characters, doesn't it? It seems that there's a theme here.

Yeah, because he plays that character in everything I see him in, I think it's less likely it's an intentional throw at Fleming and more likely Gray's just a one-note actor.

The correct term is character actor.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

SILHOUETTE MAN wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Yes, that's very true. I forgot about that. I seems that the English toff is one of his favourite characters, doesn't it? It seems that there's a theme here.

Yeah, because he plays that character in everything I see him in, I think it's less likely it's an intentional throw at Fleming and more likely Gray's just a one-note actor.

The correct term is character actor.

Fair enough.

I sometimes imagine an alternate horrible universe where all of Fleming's friends were cast and the David Niven/Noel Coward Dr. No was a huge camp flop.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Largo's Shark wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

SILHOUETTE MAN wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Amusing to see Gray turn 'Dikko' Henderson from the in-the-novel garrulous Aussie to a upper-crust camp English gent in YOLT, too.

Yes, that's very true. I forgot about that. I seems that the English toff is one of his favourite characters, doesn't it? It seems that there's a theme here.

Yeah, because he plays that character in everything I see him in, I think it's less likely it's an intentional throw at Fleming and more likely Gray's just a one-note actor.

The correct term is character actor.

Fair enough.

Lots of fine actors have made a living perfecting the same part. Cyril Cusack comes to mind. What matters is the conviction and nuance in their performances.