A vest-ed interest ..

The Sun won't let Bond actor Daniel Craig forget his life vest intro as 007 with another photo item headed On Her Majesty's Secret Ser-vest as "he wants to Live and Let DRY - taking to the water in a life vest. The tough guy actor, 40, on Saturday [ sorry Sunday ], donned the jacket for a river ride with girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell, 29 .. in Panama. Quantum's crew had planned to KIDNAP Craig as a birthday surprise, bundling him in a car, then a boat heading for a secret location. Chiefs vetoed the idea on "health and safety" grounds and Craig partied at a hotel instead." A insert photo of that Thames trip is seen. Happy returns DC ! ( 03/03).

No vest-ed interest ..

You know the saying: Give a dog a bone .., well it seems The Sun won't forget Dan's Thames ride as this 3 photo items headed QUANTUM LEAP, DAN opens ..
"Careful, James. You've not got your lifejacket. But Daniel Craig, 40, is happy to restore James Bond's macho image by leaping from a moving boat as he films in Panama for 007 movie Quantum Of Solace."
Along again with that Thames ride photo, a source is quoted praising his bravery without a stunt double and ends stating that "it'll have scared the Living Daylights out of the insurers."
All in a day's work for Dan with no broken bones .. we hope ( 15/03).

Hey will the real one stand up ..

The Sun has a small photo montage item titled THE REAL MISH MONEYPENNY shows posing Bond author Ian Fleming, his real-life secretary Jean Frampton, a note about the legal troubled book Thunderball and top cuddling movie one of Connery & Maxwell. I find it difficult to understand how "a humble typist has emerged as the real-life Miss Moneypenny who helped Ian Fleming create James Bond." Her role is "revealed in letters from the author which are up for sale. In one 1960 note he is working on a story called Thunderball and would like her help "to get the book into shape". She makes suggestions and sends a bill for £8 12s 6d." I wonder what Producer Kevin McClory thought too as he was the one who took Fleming to court over the book. Perhaps nearing the end of his career Fleming was having typewriter problems ( 26/03 ).

The next day a collection of movie characters inspired by real-life people following yesterday's Frampton/Moneypenny story with the real ... Indiana Jones, Clarice Starling, Rocky Balboa, Maverick (Top Gun) and ... James Bond compared to Sidney Reilly who was "dubbed the Ace Of Spies*, he was born in Russia in 1873 and worked for FOUR countries, including Britain. He was a king of disguise and a ladykiller. Executed in Russia in 1925." Sorry I don't think Fleming used Reilly as his inspiration for 007.
* There was a tv series of same name with Sam Neill ( of Jurassic Park fame ) as Reilly, the role helped him get an audition for 007 when TLD was being cast but lost out to Dalton ( 27/03 ).

James Bond News: Miscellaneous

1. Noticed the following Bond related items in The Sun ...

1. The paper's column The Whip has a smiling colour photo of former PM Tony Blair claiming "actor Mathieu Amalric who's set to play the baddie in new 007 outing Quantam ( sorry Quantum ) Of Solace will use none of these gimmicks [ metal teeth or prematurely white hair ]. Instead, he says, he will be borrowing Tony Blair's smile to convey the chilling sense of evil the part requires." Whatever works eh ( 03/03 ).
2. The paper's column The Whip again has a serious colour photo of Craig taken on Press Day stating that "Former Gucci designer Tom Ford has created all of Daniel Craig's snazzy suits for new James Bond film Quantum Of Solace. ... with all the stunts, he wrecks 30 to 40 of them during six months of filming." Fashion lover Dan is quoted: "It's really a crime - it makes me weep every time! They are great suits." Hey suits you sir everytime ( 04/03 ).


3. A page 3 item gets a quote heading of The name's Bond ... Mrs Bond with smiling photo of Daniel Craig & producer girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell ( she doesn't look like one of The Mitchell Girls - see tv Enders ! ) Congrats to the couple who "plan to tie the knot when hunky Daniel, 40, finishes new 007 movie Quantum Of Solace. A photo of that CR beach walk photo is seen with block caption TAKE A LAST LOOK, GIRLS. It states "the couple met in 2005 on the set of thriller The Jacket" but his "spokesman refused last night to comment on wedding plans". Dan will want to keep everything PRIVATE ( 05/03 ).
4. Ally Ross the paper's tv critic chose the "Stunned Silence Of The Week. The Weakest Link ( BBC-1, 17:15 ).
   Host Anne Robinson: "In the James Bond film Goldfinger the character played by Honor Blackman was called Pussy what ?"
   Contestant: "Finger."
   .. interesting .. and you thought my puzzlers were hard ( 07/03 ).
5. Two items:
   i) Actor Dwayne Johnson formerly The Rock gave the paper an interview to plug his new family movie The Game Plan and during the interview mentioned his desires to be a Bond villain and the family connection: "I would love to be a Bond baddie. I am a big fan of the films. In YOLT Sean Connery has a big fight with a henchman. That was my grandfather. He threw Sean over his shoulder !"
   ii) On the travel pages a small item headed GET A VIEW OF PERU LIKE 007 with head-shot of Craig taken from Bahamas CR beach shoot opens "Craggy Daniel Craig has been in Peru making the next James Bond film Quantum Of Solace. You can follow in his footsteps with a ten-day tour in the style 007 expects." I wonder if that includes the rain that called off filming in the country ? ( 08/03 ).
6. An item on the entertainment pages titled STAR GETS GYM ON SET OF NEW BOND which tells that Daniel Craig "the craggy-faced 007 has been given his own gym on the set of Quantum Of Solace to keep his body rippling with the firmly tuned muscles that had women drooling all over their popcorn while watching him in CR. Bosses have kitted out the area with rings" as shown with insert photo and serious Craig seen inside one of 2 plus a 7 ( geddit ). The items ends "Producers have abandoned shooting in Peru because the weather has been terrible, and are doing scenes in East London instead" ( 11/03 ).
7. A smiling photo of the late Princess Diana appears over column heading Di's plan to whisk boys on 007 trip reveals she "had arranged to take sons Wills and Harry to the Bond movie TND being filmed just before her death, it was revealed at her inquest yesterday. Her lover Dodi Fayed had fixed the visit to Pinewood Studios through his pal Barbara Broccoli.." Sorry I echo her sons' reported feelings that her untimely death should be left alone. This inquest has been a time & cost waste for a sorry father who won't let go of his son's memory, will anyone be charged ? Ms Broccoli sent a statement hinting "an engagement", that'll help. Let's move on .. ( 14/03 ).
8. On the paper's tv page, under heading of Art-breaking role for Gemma is small smiling photo of new "Bond girl Gemma Arterton [who] will add a dash of glamour to BBC-1's new version of Tess Of The D'Urbervilles. The beauty, Agent Fields in new Bond movie Quantum Of Solace, has been signed for the lead role in the drama based on Thomas Hardy's novel. Filming begins soon and the four hours of heart-wrenching drama will be broadcast in the autumn" ( 17/03 ).

9. Smiling colour photo of DAD actress Halle Berry over page 3 heading of Halle, 41, mum for first time. Congrats to Halle and partner Gabriel Aubry, 32. "The Oscar winner gave birth to a baby girl but has yet to decide on a name." Alas no breastfeeding suggestions from me ( 18/03 ).
   Update: Under smiling photo of Berry is heading of Halle girl is a real li'l honey reveaving she "has called her baby girl Nahla - meaning Honeybee in Arabic" and ending "Halle will bring up Nahla to speak French - like Canadian dad Gabriel - and English" ( 20/03 ).
10. Yes The Whip column again with a smiling colour photo of Bond "evergreen" actress "Honor GF Blackman, now in her eighties, [who] will be the envy of women everywhere with her admission that she is "only 2lb heavier than I was as a teenager", weighing just 9st. Slender Honor has no sympathy for fatties" ends "I don't know how people can bear to be obese, their thighs clanking together." So not an admirer of Oddjob or Cubby when making the 007 movie ? Sorry Honor my late father was around Cubby's weight-size too ( 19/03 ).
11. Bond's employers MI6 "are advertising for a FORGER to join Her Majesty's Secret Service. The applicant will support real-life James Bonds by whipping up fake documents and currency." The four paragraph item is headed MI6 post for forger tells that "the ad is on the Secret Intelligence Service website" and describes the role as "art-worker". Ends "Forged papers often save film spies like James Bond, currently played by Daniel Craig." For art's sake start applying ( 24/03 ).
12. At the end of a Kate Moss photo item is mentioned ".. Bond star Daniel Craig is best dressed in the GQ mag poll." That'll please fashion dresser Dan, wasn't he once connected to Ms Moss ? ( 31/03 ).


2. If you live in or near to London and you want the chance to see again the Bond movies on the big screen check out the Best of Bond ( chance to vote for fav movie and free tickets ) at The Barbican where early filming of Quantum Of Solace was done ( 18/03 ).
3. Read on BBC's text pages that Quantum Of Solace's release date has been brought forward from Nov 7 to Oct 31 - Hallowe'en. As said on the blog, a bit scary or what ! Must be keen to beat Potter to the box-office ( 19/03 ).
4. BIRTHDAYS: Mar 02: 007 actor Daniel Craig ( 40 ), Mar 03: Bond girl Lana Wood ( 62 ), Mar 19: Bond girl Ursula Andress ( 72 ), Mar 21: 007 actor Timothy Dalton ( 62 ) & Mar 30: GE/TWINE actor Robbie Coltrane ( 58 ).


5. Bond Cast/Related TV Spots:
1. Caught a three year-old edition of Friday Night With Jonathan Ross ( Dave, Tues 21:00 ) with final guest actor Clive Owen. The discussion included the next Bond. He praised Pierce for revitalising the franchise and dismissed as "rumours" if he had been asked to play the role especially as Brosnan still held the role at the time. Ross told him that he would make a good Bond .. he also told that to the later recipient Craig. The host played around with mock-up photos of the next 007 including Owen & himself ! ( 04/03 ).

2. Saw the highlights of the Empire Movie Awards 2008 ( ITV2, Mon 21:00 ) which is a less formal Sunday night affair as run by the UK film mag for the industry and held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel - shame about the table layout as it took ages for presenters/award winners to get to the stage. Anyway hosted by comic/actor Rob Brydon who mentioned Bond composer David Arnold's presence ( who raised his hand like a school-kid ) before the Soundtrack award and then he bellowed out to him his suggested lyrics for a possible Quantum Of Solace song which included "Wallace & Gromit" !
   New Bond Girl Gemma Arterton presented the first award and mentioned to The Sun's entertainment pages about her Solace role: "It was scary at first but it turned out great." So doesn't sound like a big part ? ( 10/03 ). The following day the same pages mentioned that "Down-to-earth Gemma even took an extra goodie bag back for her mum." It's the thought that counts ( 11/03 ).
3. Listened to part of host Martin Collins' 6o6 interview on my local radio Smooth FM ( 18:00 ) as Friday guest was Bond actress Honor GF Blackman. She was surprised when Martin pointed out Joanna Lumley was in a Bond film ( OHMSS ) while talking about The Avengers/Bond link with her & Diana Rigg appearing - they didn't mention that Patrick Macnee was in AVTAK. She still describes with "a twinkle in her eye" Sean Connery as "the sexiest man alive." and thinks Daniel Craig is "terrific". Among the 6 songs chosen were by Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli & Edith Piaf ( 14/03 ).
4. Following the third series of Numb3rs ( ITV3, Mon 22:00 ) and this episode introduced a University head for Maths genius Charlie called Millie who seems to be a 007 fan by rolling off her opinions of each Bond actor while trying to convert him to the Sean Connery of the Maths Division. The story ends with Millie going out with his father to the cinema but shocked Charlie guesses "to see the new Bond movie". Still 007 is appropriate topic for the series title ( 24/03 ).
5. Knowing about 007 comes in handy for the detectives in Law And Order ( five, Sat 22:05 ) this 2003 episode had them discovering the vehicle that hit a victim was an Aston Martin Vanquish. Younger Green remembered that was the car "used in the last Bond movie DAD". Alas older Briscoe hadn't seen a "Bond movie since Sean Connery hung up his rug !" The trail in search of a Penton Green Vanquish led to a brief visit to a New York Aston Martin showroom with the silver version in the background ( 29/03 ).