Things that go...Bond

This might be a city by the coast but occasionally there are Bond bits and pieces. Sadly Bond's little helper in NTTD, HMS Dragon has eluded any attempt by me to see her by virtue of coming and going when either at uni or in the city.

Anyway, figured for a light touch, share one of a few pics I took of her but:

HMS Westminster 'star' of Tomorrow Never Dies where in some shape or form she managed to portray the fictional trio of Chester, Devonshire and Bedford.



and this tickled, the Union Corse is up the road

Just a little bit but figured someone, somewhere might find it interesting.

One of the museums round here part of the Historic Dockyard opened a Coastal Forces exhibit recently. I've been interested since reading Douglas Reeman books a while ago. But a certain face cropped up who I knew served in RN but didn't expect to see.







Meryvn "Guy" Hamilton. Hamilton, long before Goldfinger, spent almost a month with the French Resistance after his MTB was sunk. He and his crew were rescued by another MTB who took him home safe and sound. This, to me, explains somewhat his annoyance with Adolf Galland during the making of Battle of Britain. Apparently Hamilton had a very thin patience and when Galland lost his shit during one take, so did Hamilton.

Aside from Hamilton the likes of Patrick Troughton and Patrick MacNee served in Coastal Forces. Indeed many great actors served in the navy during the war (ie Alec Guinness) but I figured some of you chaps might like this piece.

I happened across another copy of that MAKING OF book on TBoB recently and re-enjoyed it immensely.

I'm still thinking there might be a movie in the exploits of Terence Young and his tank forces, going by that story of his very reasonable agreement with some Nazi military commander about moving their battle away from a town so they wouldn't have to inflict needless destruction upon it. Always sounds too civilized to be true, which makes it even more brilliant if genuine.

I love Mosley's Battle of Britain book. I have two more recent books on the film.

Young's life is ripe for a film. It would've worked well in the 60s with Plummer playing him. Young was at Arnhem (or at least MARKET GARDEN). I'd imagine he had a few tales to tell. It might be true his exchange with a German commander. I recall reading as the battle neared its zenith, the Germans apparently going hell for leather and a British doctor haring out of a house shouting at a tank that the house was a red cross centre. There were a few interesting stories during Arnhem..

Some say Young was more Bond than anyone, I have every reason to believe that.

Agreed on all points. Without Young there wouldn't be the series as we know it nor the cinematic redefining of Fleming's prose the way it developed.

You can always hear it in his speaking voice-the inherent cavalier quality along with the inherent bemusement at certain things. Plus his spending of salary as soon as he got it always makes me think of Bond's similar musings in the novels. In regards to his directing style it's very much in the moment but with an edge much as the Bond character always chooses to "force the pace". While Hamilton is supremely underrated and could be considered a more reliable man at the helm in terms of preplanning and coverage he never did have the drive and energy Young had. Neither did anyone else have the same combination. Lastly and the most telling thing: Young was friends with and somewhat mentored by John Ford who suffered absolutely no fools. Young also followed the classic technique favored by Ford and Hitchcock (I don't know if there's anything in films that so closely adheres to yet builds on Hitchcock's suspense technique than Young in DN/FRWL) of cutting in the camera and having zero coverage so the film could only be cut one way.

I love all these heroes I never met dearly and always treasure any of their interviews. Hamilton had a wicked sense of humor and ingenuity that he doesn't get enough credit for. (That's why I adore Force 10 From Navarone so much.) But one can make the argument that no other director took it quite so seriously as Young did in terms of being engaging. Even Peter Hunt by the time he got the chance focused on proving himself, having a lavish atmosphere and setting OHMSS apart which he did.

I do think there was probably one other person who could have achieved elements of the Young style with perhaps some of Hamilton's methods making for a Bond film with a bit of each foot in the other's feeling. He was approached and apparently couldn't do Dr. No, but just think of what Val Guest would have done with a 60's Bond film. Quatermass II alone is almost part of the primordial Bond DNA in many ways especially ones highlighted by critics. That film combined with his WWII films for Hammer (Camp on Blood Island, Yesterday's Enemy) show just what he could have done with Bond had things gone differently.

Guest is very solid, and I also find that a lot of Basil Dearden's work is of interest (though his Connery film wasn't all that much, at least as I recall, not having seen it since my teens.)

I recall that they approached Asquith as well as Hitch early on (late 50s?), but I don't know too much of his work, outside of the outstanding THE BROWNING VERSION.

Has there ever been a thread on people who should have directed Bond films?

James Bond's vanquisher, HMS Dragon.

BOO! BOO, I say!

Superstructure seems underdetailed or smooth like a miniature, and very oddly shaped compared to what has gone before. I'm guessing this is an anti-radar or anti-detection measure? Because it is ugly as Hell.