The James Bond Cinematic Universe is so broad that -- every now and then -- it's nice to shine a bit of extra light on the people, places, and events that make up one of cinema's oldest and most successful franchises. I'll christen these smaller featurettes under the heading of BOND(age) for those paying attention.
Today's highlight: the late actor Charles Gray.
For those unaware, Gray's big time in the Bond spotlight was, arguably, his turn as the villainous 'Ernst Starvo Blofeld' in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. (FYI: I'm not a huge fan of the film as I think this was one flick wherein it was clear that the wheels were starting to come off the franchise so far as the Connery Era was concerned.) While his screen time as one of Agent 007's biggest antagonists was grand, this was most certainly not Gray's only foray in this universe.
In fact, this wasn't even his first appearance.
Flash back to 1967: aboard You Only Live Twice, the actor appeared in the guise of Henderson in that Lewis Gilbert-directed spy thriller. While not a big role, it likely introduced the talented man to producers and perhaps secured his opportunity to return in a decidedly grander capacity.
But ... the two visits aside ... Gray wasn't quite done.
1977 would see the man return to the universe, albeit fans may not have recognized him. This is because he only returned in voice only: IMDB.com denotes that Gray provided the voiceover work for the guide to the pyramid that appears early in the flick.
Lastly, it's also interesting to note that -- per the Bond Wiki online -- Gray was one of the very few actors to play in this franchise with multiple appearances in entirely different roles.
How's that for her Majesty's secret service?
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
Today's highlight: the late actor Charles Gray.
For those unaware, Gray's big time in the Bond spotlight was, arguably, his turn as the villainous 'Ernst Starvo Blofeld' in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. (FYI: I'm not a huge fan of the film as I think this was one flick wherein it was clear that the wheels were starting to come off the franchise so far as the Connery Era was concerned.) While his screen time as one of Agent 007's biggest antagonists was grand, this was most certainly not Gray's only foray in this universe.
In fact, this wasn't even his first appearance.
Flash back to 1967: aboard You Only Live Twice, the actor appeared in the guise of Henderson in that Lewis Gilbert-directed spy thriller. While not a big role, it likely introduced the talented man to producers and perhaps secured his opportunity to return in a decidedly grander capacity.
But ... the two visits aside ... Gray wasn't quite done.
1977 would see the man return to the universe, albeit fans may not have recognized him. This is because he only returned in voice only: IMDB.com denotes that Gray provided the voiceover work for the guide to the pyramid that appears early in the flick.
Lastly, it's also interesting to note that -- per the Bond Wiki online -- Gray was one of the very few actors to play in this franchise with multiple appearances in entirely different roles.
How's that for her Majesty's secret service?
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
Addendum
- On this day in 1942 (in Germany), actor John Gottfried was born. Bond fans might know him best as 'Colonel Ourumov,' one of the several adversaries Agent 007 faced in the Pierce Brosnan-headlined GoldenEye (1995). According to IMDB.com, Gottfried passed away in 2014.
- On this day in 1979, the good people of Kenya were treated to the theatrical debut of Moonraker. Directed by Lewis Gilbert, the script shows credited to the original Ian Fleming novel with contributions coming from Christopher Wood, Gerry Anderson, and Tony Barwick. The film starred Roger Moore as Agent 007 along with Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel, and Corrine Clery.
-- EZ
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