Unpublished Bond Audition pictures from LIFE

http://www.life.com/gallery/37692/unpublished-james-bond-auditions#index/0

Who Would Be James Bond?
In the early '60s, movie producers adapting Ian Fleming's novels about a suave British spy named James Bond plucked a relative unknown, Sean Connery, out of obscurity and offered him the role of a lifetime. And when Connery left the franchise after five movies, the hunt for Bond was on again. LIFE sent photographer Loomis Dean to the final casting sessions for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (released 40 years ago this week), and the magazine published a handful of those photos. But some of the choicest frames — Bond wannabes suiting up, holding guns, drinking martinis, wooing women — have never been seen…until now. Meet each of the five top candidates (including ultimate choice George Lazenby, bottom right in this composite image), and check out their best moves

The Campbell fellow looks like the prototype for Brosnan's Bond. Judging from the photos, Lazenby was the right choice out of those five.

That photo makes John Richardson look like a pneumonia-ridden junkie.

No comment on Eddie Munster in the back row.

That Lazenby bloke wasn't so bad after all. ;)

Lazenby is definitely the only one there that jumps out and yells Bond at you. Maybe it's the tux and the confident look he's wearing. John Richardson looks alright in the other photos - a good sight meaner than Lazenby - but the hipster hair would have to go.

Dear Lord - were those really the best they could come up with?

http://life.time.com/culture/behind-the-scenes-at-james-bond-auditions/?iid=lf%7Cmostpop#1

Cool stuff!

Lazenby easily looks the most Bondian in that group.

Smug guy on the top right looks like a Brosnan prototype.

Louis Armstrong wrote:

Smug guy on the top right looks like a Brosnan prototype.

Or a newscaster. And WTF is up with the shady guy next to him? He looks like Sling Blade with hair.

Dude on the bottom left looks like a wimp.

Makeshift Python wrote:

Dude on the bottom left looks like a wimp.

He looks like he's hankering for a wooly sweater.

And what's with Eddie Munster in the back row...?

But this find in itself from SFX is extremely interesting.

To see the faces of the other auditions

http://life.time.com/culture/behind-the-scenes-at-james-bond-auditions/#end

Moved your post into this thread, Saint Mark. Sorry about any confusion.

Strangely this LIFE article about the OHMSS auditions has been re-posted a number times since last year.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Moved your post into this thread, Saint Mark. Sorry about any confusion.

Strangely this LIFE article about the OHMSS auditions has been re-posted a number times since last year.

Cheers I was confused andthought I made msitake while posting.

That said I really liked these alternate images of other 007 possibilities. Lazenby was the best option in my view.

As for the non-Lazenby contenders, I'd have to seen their screentests before making a decision although I'm perfectly happy with Lazenby for OHMSS. I'd love to see his tests with Agneta Eckemyr who later appeared in one of my favorite Disney films, The Island At The Top Of The World.

I like this guy, Robert Campbell. Assuming he could act, it looks like he might have been able to evoke Sean somewhat. But Laz was the best choice. I'm still torn that they didn't offer him the gig back, after Sean quit for good, post DAF, and yes I'm glad Laz didn't do DAF, but beyond that, what could have been..........sigh.



This bit about Hans de Vries is interesting.

"He also had a previous connection to the Bond franchise: He played "Control Room Technician" in You Only Live Twice." He looks like Ben Stiller.

Phew!

For all those who complain about George Lazenby just look at what we could of got!

James Bond wrote:

Phew!

For all those who complain about George Lazenby just look at what we could of got!

Yeah, we could have gotten the suave, debonair, good-looking Robert Campbell.

But I agree about the rest of them: fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugly. :affraid: