John Gavin (1932-2018)

John Gavin, who was signed to play James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever before Sean Connery's unexpected return, has died aged 86.

After the farce of OHMSS, United Artist was calling the shots and demanded an American James Bond. Interesting to think of how much this might have changed things. Gavin wasn't much of an actor as his performance in Psycho testifies but he had the looks and the physicality so it might have worked. Certainly Gavin would have given us a much more heterosexual portrayal of Bond than Pierce Brosnan did 20 years later. His accent would have been less transatlantic as well.

John Gavin was married to Samuel Fuller muse (and Ambler favourite) Constance Towers.

http://variety.com/2018/film/obituaries-people-news/john-gavin-dead-dies-psycho-spartacus-1202694312/

R.I.P.

R.I.P.

This has reminded me that James Brolin and Burt Reynolds were amongst the names under consideration for Bond at one time. And of course, that first-ever adaptation of Casino Royale has him as a C.I.A. agent.

Sad news. It's interesting to wonder what the Gavin Bond would have been like.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

R.I.P.

This has reminded me that James Brolin and Burt Reynolds were amongst the names under consideration for Bond at one time. And of course, that first-ever adaptation of Casino Royale has him as a C.I.A. agent.  

So was Adam West at one point.

A great loss in Gavin, that generation has shrunk somewhat of late. From Spartacus, you virtually have just Kirk Douglas left.

RIP

If you look at Psycho and past the cardboard character you can see a bit of what Cubby was seeing in Gavin and despite it likely working fine the resulting DAF wouldn't have drawn in audiences very much.

Still a far better actor than he ever was credited as being.