Bond Films That Never Were

Is it Dalton in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond 17 in 1991/2 or Goldeneye? Is it Brosnan in The Living Daylights, or Casino Royale? Is it something else, completely different? No requisite fan art in this thread, but here's a visual for my Casino Royale, as I've drummed into many conversations.



This time, a more faithful adaptation of the book, beyond the basic plot points, though updated to reflect Britain's position in the world circa 2004. The DB5 replaces the Bentley, as it has become synonymous with the cinematic James Bond. But not too attached to that idea.  

Pierce Brosnan ................. James Bond
Catherine Zeta Jones ........ Vesper Lynd
Stellan Skarsgård ............. Le Chiffre
François Cluzet ................. Rene Mathis
Judi Dench ....................... M
Michael Kitchen ................. Bill Tanner
Samantha Bond ................ Miss Moneypenny

Not sure if it would be Felix Leiter or perhaps Jack Wade (who seems probably closest to Fleming's Leiter than many of the Felix's anyway). Less set on Cluzet and Skarsgård, but certainly closer to Fleming's vision.

It would look more like Goldeneye - moody, shadowy and more colourful. Similarly, the music would be more atmospheric, with tracks from Arnold like:



and this, maybe as Vesper's Theme

As for a director, if not Campbell (with a focus and understanding of the character he started in GE) perhaps Mendes? Perhaps Joe Wright or even Tarantino. Actually if it was Joe Wright, cinematography and music could be by frequent collaborators Seamus McGarvey and Dario Marianelli respectively...

I'll have to revisit this when I'm more awake but it's tantalising. I visualised Vincent Cassel as Le Chiffre but Skaarsgard is inspired.

Dalton's third, Lazenby's second (to sixth!)...the possibilities are endless.

A total aside, I was looking at some old films and always thought Michael Hordern would've been a good M in the 1950s, early 1960s. Just had that great feel about him as a figure of authority (closest you'd get I guess is him playing an admiral in Sink the Bismarck, Admiral Hovey no less). Or even Anthony Quayle -though 50s/60s Quayle would perhaps be a Tanner, even Bond and 70s Quayle M.

I did consider Vincent Cassel but thought a heavier actor would fit Fleming's description of Le Chiffre. Then thought of Cassel for Mathis...

Good suggestions, though I'm not sure one could easily dethrone Bernard Lee as the best M for the 60s/70s.

Well, no, no-one can dethrone Lee but as far as a 1950s Bond went I think Hordern might've worked. Even a 1950s Geoffrey Keen.

Wonder if Geoffrey Keen auditioned for M for DN?? Hordern might have too, actually.

Can't find anything at the moment. But I did some looking into bio's.

Hordern was three years younger than Lee and Keen was eight years younger. Unlike Lee and Keen, Hordern did serve in the navy during the war (rising to Lt. Cmdr), the others served with the Army. Not that the navy background is integral. I'd loved say a 1958 adaptation of perhaps Moonraker. Hordern as M, Kenneth More as Tanner, Gregory Peck as Bond or someone of that ilk. (American or not, to me Peck in the 50s had that element to do Fleming's Bond visually. He does technically play a New Zealander in Guns of Navarone if we want to be technical, chuckle).

But back to your CR. The cast is nailed on. CZJ I'm not 100% behind (so to speak) but nor am I against her (so to speak). Probably better than my choice of Thurman. (I still wished we had Michael Palin as a Q. I pushed him theoretically for my Sam Neill stories).

Even a Brosnan Skyfall intrigues me. Say CR was 2004, Skyfall could've been 2006 by which time Brosnan was old enough I suppose to leave but just beneath Sir Roger's final outing (56). Skyfall needn't be for Brozzer too much of a physical movie. Arnold score perhaps. Decent final scene with Dench's M. Michael Kitchen back.

(EDIT- watching Around the World in 80 Days and I'm struck again, that Trevor Howard *should've* been in a Bond film. One of those actors you feel was in one, but of course, never was)

Hilly wrote:

Can't find anything at the moment. But I did some looking into bio's.

Hordern was three years younger than Lee and Keen was eight years younger. Unlike Lee and Keen, Hordern did serve in the navy during the war (rising to Lt. Cmdr), the others served with the Army. Not that the navy background is integral. I'd loved say a 1958 adaptation of perhaps Moonraker. Hordern as M, Kenneth More as Tanner, Gregory Peck as Bond or someone of that ilk. (American or not, to me Peck in the 50s had that element to do Fleming's Bond visually. He does technically play a New Zealander in Guns of Navarone if we want to be technical, chuckle).

I see what you mean with Peck. If he could do an English accent I'd be for it. Good call on a MR adaptation with Hordern and More. Imagine if MR (79) had been a faithful adaptation of the book with Lee's final outing sending Bond on a personal favour. Nice bit of character stuff we wouldn't have seen from Lee's M (though we do get a sense of that in their Venice scenes).

Hilly wrote:

But back to your CR. The cast is nailed on. CZJ I'm not 100% behind (so to speak) but nor am I against her (so to speak). Probably better than my choice of Thurman. (I still wished we had Michael Palin as a Q. I pushed him theoretically for my Sam Neill stories).

Even a Brosnan Skyfall intrigues me. Say CR was 2004, Skyfall could've been 2006 by which time Brosnan was old enough I suppose to leave but just beneath Sir Roger's final outing (56). Skyfall needn't be for Brozzer too much of a physical movie. Arnold score perhaps. Decent final scene with Dench's M. Michael Kitchen back.

Had Tarantino directed no doubt would Uma be at least considered for Vesper. Were to be a Q in Brosnan's CR I'd prefer Cleese for the sake of continuity though I do like the idea of Michael Palin. What is it about CZJ that you're not sold on? For me she's perfect because (aside from her incredible looks), she's British, has great talent and screen presence and would have fiery chemistry with Brosnan - that spark is sorely missing in the Craig version.

And there's also some semblance to this image of Vesper:



Indeed, as we discussed here, Brosnan would be at a perfect age to play an ageing Bond. The fact Skyfall isn't the most action packed adventure (like CR should have been) would work in Brosnan's favour and over the course of their films together, there would be such poignancy to the Bond/M scenes. And the idea of Wai Lin perhaps returning as Bond's contact in Macau (in place of Moneypenny, since there would be no origin story for her, and Samantha Bond would reprise her role) is too titillating to ignore. Just imagining that tracking shot in the casino when Bond arrives but replace Craig with Brosnan and his catlike walk and Michelle Yeoh in her evening wear in place of Naomie Harris as they flirt via earpiece.  

Hilly wrote:

(EDIT- watching Around the World in 80 Days and I'm struck again, that Trevor Howard *should've* been in a Bond film. One of those actors you feel was in one, but of course, never was)

Can't say I've seen enough of Trevor Howard's work to comment, but I'll take your word for it!

Sadly, a faithful adaptation of Moonraker in 1979 would've been unlikely. Had Star Wars not happened, maybe. But like CR06 it'd have to throw a bunch of stuff on top of things. As a review said of the book, "we want to be taken out of ourselves, not […] in Kent."

I forget when I posted, I edited my 'cast' for my Brosnan CR and slotted CZJ in as Vesper, ha!

A late 50s Kenny More had the potential for Tanner. His career was declining by 1960 and little roles like that would've worked.

What bothers me about CZJ is convince-ability but I think she'd do enough with Vesper. Looking back, Eva Green doesn't quite work for me nowadays. Good looking broad but meh.

Trevor Howard had at once a M quality in some work but also a typical ugly British bureaucrat. Depends on what you watch- Brief Encounter he's a doctor and slightly romantic, Von Ryan's Express he's the typical British officer PoW, Battle of Britain he's the man directing the defence of Britain...

Wai Linn in Macau intrigues but surely deflects from the remainder of the film. Like if Pam returned in a third or fourth Dalton. Not saying it's a bad idea, but you'd see her, remember TND and then...rest of film. But then I found myself drifting away from Silva as I watched Skyfall last week so who knows.

Interesting you say that about Peck in a late 50s Moonraker Hilly, what with Fleming being keen on one of his contemporaries (Cary Grant) for Bond in Doctor No.

Hilly wrote:

Sadly, a faithful adaptation of Moonraker in 1979 would've been unlikely. Had Star Wars not happened, maybe. But like CR06 it'd have to throw a bunch of stuff on top of things. As a review said of the book, "we want to be taken out of ourselves, not […] in Kent."

I forget when I posted, I edited my 'cast' for my Brosnan CR and slotted CZJ in as Vesper, ha!

...

What bothers me about CZJ is convince-ability but I think she'd do enough with Vesper. Looking back, Eva Green doesn't quite work for me nowadays. Good looking broad but meh.

...

Wai Linn in Macau intrigues but surely deflects from the remainder of the film. Like if Pam returned in a third or fourth Dalton. Not saying it's a bad idea, but you'd see her, remember TND and then...rest of film. But then I found myself drifting away from Silva as I watched Skyfall last week so who knows.

Indeed after TSWLM going from Egypt and Sardinia to... Kent... would have been a big change. But probably a better one!

There you have it. Perhaps that's where the idea of CZJ came from! Or good minds and all that.

I'd say an Oscar-winning actress in the role in one of the most intriguing Bond girls would be a recipe for brilliance, of course in a more faithful portrayal of the character and not Haggis' version.

Since the 'Moneypenny begins' angle would be dropped I'm sure there could be a reason for Wai Lin to stick around, though I like the idea of Bond making contact with her 'for old times' sake' and assists where she can in Macau. But contact would be made in Shanghai when Bond waits in the bar for Patrice's flight details.

I just had a thought, imagine if in DAD, he wades across the hotel lobby with the Bond theme and all, reaches the desk, turns his back and when he looks round Wai Lin's the Chinese agent.

"You've not caught me at my best."
"Looks like I've caught something else though..."

I always thought Broccoli missed a great opportunity to cast Laurence Harvey as 007. I think he would have been an excellent Bond.






http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2010/4/5/1270474408989/Laurence-Harvey-in-The-Ma-001.jpg

I have to admit I haven't seen Laurence Harvey in anything, but going by that first photograph, it's very, very close to how I picture Bond when reading the novels (and when not specifically picturing Connery, Lazenby or Brosnan in certain scenes).

Manchurian Candidate is probably one of your best bets, Fields.

Frankenheimer doing Bond is still even beautiful to think about.

Harvey could have done it very well and I've always loved him in a number of films even if they weren't so good. Anthony Mann didn't get to finish A Dandy in Aspic so if you'd like to see him in more of a direct spy role there's that.
The only trouble is that onscreen he had a tendency to seem distant which may or may not have worked for Bond.

If we are going for historical what ifs:
Hitchcock with either Cary Grant or David Niven in the early 50's. I still wish we had gotten to see Niv take a serious stab at the role. While I know Grant could have done it his screen persona was too strong to completely divorce it from the killing etc.
But Niven could have done it beautifully. He had the experience, panahche, charm and could do the darkness well if given the right direction. The non outright spoof bits in CR '67 have flashes and on the flipside there's his performance in Guns of Navarone.

But again there you're still dealing with established star personas. I think it is right to use less known faces or actors able to inflect their tendencies into the character-but this desire to get merely young ones is just asking for trouble.

Casino Royale, directed by Howard Hawks and scripted by Leigh Brackett, early 1960s.

https://web.archive.org/web/20130729085733/http://www.hmss.com/films/carygrant007/

Hawks was interested for a time. He lost interest after seeing Dr. No.

That would've been some film. Quite fond of Hawks' work.

I'd say this exemplifies "Bond films that never were"......Thank Goodness...HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

Napoleon Solo wrote:

Casino Royale, directed by Howard Hawks and scripted by Leigh Brackett, early 1960s.

https://web.archive.org/web/20130729085733/http://www.hmss.com/films/carygrant007/

Hawks was interested for a time. He lost interest after seeing Dr. No.

Perhaps the best CR that never way (only rivalled by my version )... This is interesting:

Bill Koenig wrote:

Also, Hawks loved to put humor into his films, even when there were generally serious. In that regard, a Hawks version of Casino Royale would probably somewhat resemble the films that Eon produced in the '60s.

Just a matter of semantics: Is CR a "serious" story? At the very heart, it's about a spy who trumps evil by gambling with the villain before falling in love with a double agent. It's a sensational plot for a MI6 officer, and doesn't resemble anything serious. Similarly, FRWL is deemed a "serious" book/film, but you have such absurd, colourful characters, a honey trap, poster escape hatch, etc... I personally prefer the term 'focused'. Fleming's CR remains focused enough to not deviate into even more outlandish aspects. Whereas something like Eon's Octopussy could have been very focused as the very colour characters and throughline of the narrative is strong enough to maintain, but relents to sight gags which render it unfocused.

And this is where CR06 sets itself up for failure... It's a "serious" treatment of the book.

And somehow, it's very unfocused too.

You could make the argument that the cinematic Bond formulation as nailed down by Young and Hamilton contained or built upon the Hawksian style of inherent humor and I'd totally buy that. Hawks will always be a titan and more important than most realize in multiple genres.

Look at any scene from THE BIG SLEEP or TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT and the dark humor is there and the office comedy scenes of HIS GIRL FRIDAY are the best battle of the sexes in the office sequences ever filmed by anyone and thus had to inform M's office as it is the textbook for that type of witty repartee.
My favorite Hawks film ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS is extraordinarily Bondian in flavor, and shows Cary Grant in a very Bondian light being emotionally walled off from death and emotion in order to perform his duty.

But Hawks in the early 60's was an older man and a different director than he was in his prime. The industry itself was different and the overall film would have likely been closer in pace and tone to one of his later films than his earlier and more charged works.


I have a hard time picturing actors, but director choices is fun. Anthony Mann or Bob Aldrich pre-'62 could have been interesting.
What if Carol Reed had been convinced to do one?

I'll have to check out The Big Sleep or To Have or Have Not again. I have them both on DVD and seen them a few times each but never thought of them being a precursor to the Bond films in terms of humour and office repartee. Always thought of them as trying to enliven expositional scenes by layering some kind of dynamic (though Moneypenny usually has no function in terms of plot, but brings out a very welcome facet of Bond's character, now sorely missing from the current era).

It's more akin to the dark underlying humor of hard bitten working men who deal with death in their own way in most Hawks films which I can see being linked to Bond. Hawks always tried to keep things both real and relatable in his dramas and it was this that made them timeless.
Then in addition he preferred stronger female characters that were able to stand up to these said men and were thus more gutsy, more attractive and more realistic.

Again, I think Grant's performance in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS is unquestionably the one where he proved his dramatic chops and it is extremely Bondian in his cold handling of friend's deaths and women's affections.

One opportunity I'm most curious about has got to be the near deal Harry and Cubby struck with Feldman to co-produce Casino Royale like they did with McClory. I read about it somewhere, I think in that Some Kind of Hero book. IIRC it was 1965, and would've gone ahead with Connery after TB. There was an announcement in the press and everything.

How closely would they have adhered to the Brackett drafts? They were really in the mode of overcooking things so I'm guessing they'd dress it up in all manner of fantasy...but it's an amazing what-if.

Interesting ... am thinking the 'ball-beating' and it ending with Vesper's death would've been changed, given the tone that GF and TB had set.