LIFE.com's unseen James Bond auditions photographs

With December 2009 marking the 40th anniversary of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, LIFE.com has decided to mark the occasion by releasing a stunning collection of previously unseen audition photographs from the 1969 James Bond film.

‘He was a great looking guy and he moved along very well. I think if things had gone the other way, he would have gone on to be a very good Bond.’ – OHMSS‘s Peter Hunt on George Lazenby

30 photos in total, the snapshots chronicle the indepth audition process taken to find a successor to Sean Connery’s 007 after the actor called it quits following 1967’s You Only Live Twice.

Featured contenders include George Lazenby (obviously), John Richardson, Anthony Rogers, Robert Campbell and Hans de Vries alongside several Bond girl hopefuls. Bond fans will also spot OHMSS director Peter Hunt in a few of the shots as well.

Read on to check out the photographs…

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 frame—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.

LIFE.com: Unseen James Bond auditions

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Bonding with Britt Ekland

Swedish actress Britt Ekland doesn’t mind the overpowering effect of being a Bond girl according to a recent article posted at This is South Devon.

Ekland, who starred opposite Roger Moore in 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun, discusses her life’s work on the screen as well as the road she took to get there. Despite credits in more than 30 film features, it is her 007 role as Mary Goodnight that remains today her most recognized—and that’s just fine with her.

‘Bond was very important to me and still is today,’ she stated.

‘I think it is a huge complement to be called “a beautiful Bond girl” or whatever. Even at my age.’

She continued: ‘It is one of those things that say, if you were the star of The Matrix, people would say “she’s the Matrix star”. But with Bond, it is a very special and very exclusive club. And we all know who we are in this club, whether it is the Roger Moore Bond or [Daniel] Craig type Bond. We are all just “Bond”.’

‘And it is not just the women, it is all the men that have taken part too.’

‘That said, when it comes to the Bond girls of the present time, maybe they don’t feel as special as we did back then. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, that’s when the Bond films started something that has brought them to what they are today. We sort of built up what they are today. I love being a Bond girl.’

Visit This is South Devon for the complete article centering on Britt Ekland.

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Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman are fundraising champions

Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman have been named the top fundraising team in the history of the annual Gypsy of the Year competition on Broadway.

Daniel Craig

Playbill reports that the A Steady Rain duo were presented with the All-Time Top Fundraising Award at the 8 December Gypsy competition, held this year at the Palace Theatre in New York.

Together, the James Bond and X-Men star raised a phenomenal $1,549,952 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (overall, the 21st annual competition brought in an all-time record total of $4,630,695).

Specific cases of how Craig and Jackman managed this were cited:

• Autographed A Steady Rain posters sold for $300 apiece; signed Playbills for $60 each.
• Jackman and Craig’s T-shirts, which were worn during the show, fetched anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 nightly.

Since 1989 the 21 editions of Gypsy of the Year have raised a combined total of $40,360,000 to benefit BC/EFA, which distributes the money to more than 400 service organizations and charities.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Twitter feed for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

Up for auction: a picture of you with Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig

The London Evening Standard is kicking off their 2009 Christmas Charity Auction with a huge selection of prizes waiting to be won… including one specially geared for James Bond fans.

The current #1 ranked auction is a a portrait of yourself with 007 star Daniel Craig taken by leading artist Sam Taylor-Wood. The duration of the shoot will be a maximum of four hours and the timing will be at a mutually convenient time for all parties.

How to bid…

1. Decide from the list below on the lot or lots you want to bid for.
2. Click on the Bid Here link, which will take you straight to an eBay auction page. If you have not used eBay before you will have to register.
3. Place your bid. Return to the page regularly to see the highest bid—and better it!

Click here to place your bid for the Daniel Craig portrait on eBay.

Funds raised from the auctions will go towards making a difference to the underprivileged children helped by pioneering charity Kids Company.

Bidding ends at 12:00 noon on Monday, 14 December. For full details, visit this London Evening Standard page.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Twitter feed for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

The World is not Enough celebrates 10 years (Part II)

As The Countdown Begins For The New Millienum There Is Still One Number You Can Always Count On…

The World is not Enough – 10 Years On

PART II

Late November 2009 marked the 10th anniversary of Pierce Brosnan’s third James Bond film, 1999’s The World is not Enough. The nineteenth adventure in the official Eon-produced 007 series, the twisting and turning storyline concentrated on Bond overlooking the daughter of Sir Robert King, an oil tycoon and personal friend of ‘M’—but as 007 soon discovers, appearances can be deceiving.

The World is not Enough originally opened in the US on 19 November 1999 (following an 8 November premiere). The UK premiere was held on 22 November while the general release followed a few days later on the 26th.

The World is not Enough generated an opening weekend box-office gross of $35.5 million in the US and eventually grew to $126 million in total. Worldwide (including the US), the film eventually grossed $361 million, becoming the highest grossing film in the James Bond series until the release of Die Another Day three years later.

Despite the film’s general success at the box-office, reviews from fans and critics alike was and remains uneven. Reflecting the general split down the middle in opinion amongst film critics, The World is not Enough currently holds a 51% approval rating on the popular movie review website Rotten Tomatoes. The film also has the tendancy (or talent, perhaps?) of sparking heated reaction (both positive and negative) when it comes up for discussion on the CommanderBond.net Discussion Forums.

Taking into account the 10th anniversary of the film, CommanderBond.net asked our forum members to recall their first (or most memorable) time seeing The World is not Enough. To share your own remembrance, simply register here (it’s free and only takes a minute) on the CBn Forums.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… JimmyBond

I was a Bond fan before Brosnan was ever announced as 007. But I wasnt a hardcore fan, in fact I hadnt even seen all the Bond films until after GoldenEye came out. My dad had shown me all the Connery’s and then I searched out more: I went for the Moore films next, than I watched the two Dalton’s, then I finally went ahead and watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (that one took me a while to warm up to).

So flash forward to after Tomorrow Never Dies had come out. I (thought) I had a good idea of who Bond was and how the movie’s should be. And at that point I wasnt really warmed up to the Brosnan films yet. I felt they relied too much on long drawn out action scenes in favor of the slow steady build ups many of the old films had. So needless to say anything that was different from Tomorrow Never Dies would have been enjoyed by me.

So come opening day in 99 as I sat in the theater and watched The World is not Enough unfold before me I felt it was a pretty good film. Sure it still had the long drawn out action scenes but (at the time) I felt the film made up for it with interesting “dialogue” scenes. Marceau was good and Desmond’s exit was touching. And this being the third Brosnan film and feeling they werent really going to change course too drastic, I just accepted a lot of the silly stuff that happend in the film.

Of course my opinion of the film has thus changed, but that’s niether here nor there.

I went back and saw it two more times. Once with my brother and another time when it hit the dollar theater.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… The Ghost Who Walks

First watched it as a kid on a friend’s birthday party. Loved it. Thought the action was amazing, Pierce was really cool (it’s probably his best performance in the role as I see it), and I really wanted to marry Sophie Marceau.

I still like the film, though I recognize its many shortcomings, but among CBn members, I feel The World is not Enough is an underrated movie in many ways. It’s better than GoldenEye in my opinion.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… Turn

It’s not surprising that my least favorite Bond movie was accompanied by probably my least memorable experience of seeing a Bond film upon release.

I went, as is my custom, on the second day of release at the evening showing. My wife and I were to meet one of my best friends and his girlfriend for dinner and then on to the film. My friend showed up without the girlfriend, which automatically put my wife in a less than chipper mood.

It was the last time I saw a Bond in the biggest cinema in my town. It was crowded. One of the things that stood out was a guy named Jason Collier, who went on to play a couple of seasons in the NBA and died a tragic death a few years ago, was in his senior year of high school and in the audience with friends that night.

I was as excited for The World is not Enough as I was for any new Bond film. But as it wore on I just could not get into it and it never clicked with me. I remember my friend and I talking about how flat it was afterward, him telling me there’s were no superlatives, but kept going on about Denise Richards in the submarine scenes.

That was as memorable as The World is not Enough got at that point and today is at the bottom of my Bond films list. That didn’t stop me from going home to scout out The World is not Enough items on eBay that night.

A bit more memorable was returning a week or so later on Thanksgiving weekend to the brand new state-of-the-art multiplex in a neighboring town. The film didn’t get any better. I recall going home and watching For Your Eyes Only on a TBS marathon upon returning home.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… The Richmond Spy

First Bond I saw in the theater and then there were some great marathons on that Christmas season on TV.

Both very key to my development as a fan.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… dinovelvet

Saw it on the Friday it was released, at the local ‘plex. It was pretty much full, and a woman with a baby sat right next to me, and I thought,mdash;there’s going to be crying and screaming for the next two hours.

As it turns out, the baby was completely silent throughout, and I was the one doing the crying and screaming.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… bond 16.05.72

I saw it on it’s opening Friday night, the pre-titles sequence was fine and Pierce Brosnan showed some real promise in the Swiss banker scene but then it was elongated to a ridiculous and somewhat tiresome boat chase around the Thames complete with the ludicrous tie straigtening scene.

It’s not a great surprise that Die Another Day was like it as the ground work had started with Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is not Enough‘s supposed attempt to be bit more grounded just rings hollow with all the other over the top moments in this film, It’s probably the most eneven of all Brozzer’s entries, make you mind up what you want to be. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service or The Spy Who Loved Me, you can’t be both. plus Robert Carlyle was completely wasted as Renard.

No, not one the best big screen Bond experiences.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… DR76

When I had first seen The World is not Enough, I walked out of the theater in the middle of the movie, to take a break. I just needed a break from the movie, because I disliked it that much.

Yet, seven years later, I watched my VHS copy of it and realized that it has become my second favorite Bond movie featuring Pierce Brosnan. I still dislike the ending on the sub, but I must admit that I have grown to really like the movie’s story. And I think it featured Brosnan’s best performance as Bond.

As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for neverending James Bond coverage. Be sure to check out our Twitter feed as well.

Dame Judi Dench lined up for Bond 23 filming in Spring 2011

Dame Judi Dench

Following Daniel Craig’s recent comments regarding the start-up date for his third James Bond film, Dame Judi Dench has now chimed in with some brief details as well.

In an interview with MTV News, Dame Judi mentioned that she would likely be filming her scenes for Bond 23 towards the beginning of 2011.

She said: ‘I think I’m going to be needed in Spring of 2011. That’s a message I got. It would mean I could do something at the end of next year, something else, maybe be in the theater.’

These comments, like Craig’s earlier statement that production is planned to kick off in late 2010, point to a late 2011 release for the 23rd Bond film.

There is still no official announcement regarding the release date of Bond 23. As always, CommanderBond.net will keep you updated with all of the latest news and details as they become available.

The World is not Enough celebrates 10 years (Part I)

As The Countdown Begins For The New Millienum There Is Still One Number You Can Always Count On…

The World is not Enough – 10 Years On

PART I

Late November 2009 marked the 10th anniversary of Pierce Brosnan’s third James Bond film, 1999’s The World is not Enough. The nineteenth adventure in the official Eon-produced 007 series, the twisting and turning storyline concentrated on Bond overlooking the daughter of Sir Robert King, an oil tycoon and personal friend of ‘M’—but as 007 soon discovers, appearances can be deceiving.

The World is not Enough originally opened in the US on 19 November 1999 (following an 8 November premiere). The UK premiere was held on 22 November while the general release followed a few days later on the 26th.

The World is not Enough generated an opening weekend box-office gross of $35.5 million in the US and eventually grew to $126 million in total. Worldwide (including the US), the film eventually grossed $361 million, becoming the highest grossing film in the James Bond series until the release of Die Another Day three years later.

Despite the film’s general success at the box-office, reviews from fans and critics alike was and remains uneven. Reflecting the general split down the middle in opinion amongst film critics, The World is not Enough currently holds a 51% approval rating on the popular movie review website Rotten Tomatoes. The film also has the tendancy (or talent, perhaps?) of sparking heated reaction (both positive and negative) when it comes up for discussion on the CommanderBond.net Discussion Forums.

Taking into account the 10th anniversary of the film, CommanderBond.net asked our forum members to recall their first (or most memorable) time seeing The World is not Enough. To share your own remembrance, simply register here (it’s free and only takes a minute) on the CBn Forums.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… DaveBond21

Whenever I think of the build-up to the release of The World is Not Enough, the first thing I always think of is the early rumours about the plot, way back in the January of 1999.

I was travelling around Australia and Asia, but keeping up to date with Bond happenings through the International Express newspaper (this was the olden days before CBn!). I remember one article where insiders stated that there was going to be an explosion at MI6 Headquarters, M was going to be kidnapped and Q was going to die! They apparently had proof that Q was definitely dead – an insider said “We’ve seen them filming the funeral, they had the coffin and everything!”. Not only that, Bond was going to need a psychiatrist. He needed to talk about his need to kill people!

Well, some of this turned out to be true, and some of it turned out to be nonsense, but it was great to see the finished movie in early December 1999. I went with my girlfriend at the time to see the movie in Slough. What an exotic location to see a 007 flick!

I always remember being blown away by the excellent Thames boat chase. There was some laughter when those famous traffic cops (The Clampers) from the BBC TV show got a good soaking by the boats! After that, there was the wonderful, moving Merlin-&-Arthur-like farewell to Q (made even more poignant three weeks later when Desmond Llewelyn had been killed in a car crash), the ski chase, Denise Richards in a tank top, and more stunts and explosions. M was indeed kidnapped but managed to escape turning an alarm clock into a beacon (Judi Dench’s husband, the late Michael Williams commented, “Oh God, the world’s in trouble if you’re using the gadgets!”), and an exciting if overlong finale.

All in all, it was an excellent movie, and Bond was back once again! All that was left was to find our favourite Italian restaurant and drink some lovely red wine to celebrate that 007 had saved the day again!

Remembering The World is not Enough by… PPK_19

The World is Not Enough was the first Bond film I saw in the cinema. I was 12 years old at the time, and as soon as I saw Bond press the detonator button on his glasses, and take out all the men in the room, I knew this was the franchise I had to get into!

The fact that he made a smooth and calculated escape through the window using the cord from the blinds was just the icing on the cake.

The boat chase on the Thames made my jaw drop, especially watching Brosnan fall on to the Millennium Dome and tumble down it… just perfect cinema for a young boy.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… Eric Stromberg

Saw it opening weekend and it was a memorable event, more so because I was seeing the film with my soon to be fiance! I remember feeling the movie was a bit flat and I did not like it as much as Tomorrow Never Dies.

Having watched Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is not Enough recently, Tomorrow Never Dies surprised me by its flatness and The World is not Enough surprised me by how good it is. It’s definitely not one of my top favorites, but I like it and the pre-titles sequence is possibly the best in the series. The banker’s office and Thames boat chase are damned cool. I particularly love the colorless freeze frame of Bond hanging from that wire as the titles sequence begins.

The film begins to lose me a bit with the over the top ski chase and I think Renard could be better written and developed. People seem to dislike the lighthouse lair but I thought it was perfect for his character. M’s kidnapping just has never worked for me. I don’t really like seeing her out in the field; that’s her operative Bond’s territory.

With a couple of minor creative changes and a better casting of the December Jones role I think this could have been one of the best 007 films. Of the Brosnan films it is has the most satisfying plot (you have to work to keep up with this one). Bond has some skin in the game with regard to his relationship to Elektra and I liked that he didn’t just breeze through unscathed.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… Zorin Industries

I saw it on a Sunday morning at an Eon screening. I saw it in the best screen possible to see a film in (Screen One, Empire, Leicester Square), but it wasn’t the best film.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… jrcjohnny99

I saw it at the Odeon, Leicester Square, the week I returned from living in KSA for two years; I had really high expectations given the third outings from Sean and Roger, the great Robert Carlyle was in it and I was in love with Denise Richards at the time (Wild Things anyone!). However, I found it a real disappointment and I still do to this day. In fact, if anything, it’s one of the Bond movies that I like less with every viewing.

The pre-titles sequence was great, Arnold’s score was solid and the plotting had promise; but… Marceau was mis-cast, Carlyle was wasted, the role for Richards was horribly written and she was clearly out of her depth, the title song is bland and there’s way too much of Dench…

Remembering The World is not Enough by… Safari Suit

Come to think of it I have more nostalgic memories of The World is not Enough‘s release than I realised.

It was the first Bond movie to be released after I say I’d become a fan. I was very aware of Tomorrow Never Dies‘ release and had a certain amount of interest, but I wouldn’t say I was a fan at the time, plus it was rated 12 and I totally never blagged my way into 12 films so I didn’t see it. The World is not Enough was the first Bond movie in my lifetime for which I was eligible for admission, bar the PG Living Daylights when I was about six months old.

I had acquainted myself, much as most kids who had an N64, with the GoldenEye game, and the summer of 99 saw ITV’s “Double-o-heaven” season including the Licence to Kill airing I trace my fandom back to today. For my 13th Birthday, about a week after The World is not Enough hit UK cinemas, I recieved a copy of the Moonraker novel and I think a couple of videos too.

I remember the rumours this would be Desmond Llewelyn’s last film and that John Cleese’s charcater introduced here would be his successor. I remember hearing of Llewelyn’s passing on the radio in my grandad’s car.

I remember my then neighbour’s dad asking me if I planned to see the new Bond movie. I said I wasn’t sure as I didn’t think it would be as good as some of the older ones, to which he replied “What! It’s supposed to be the best one ever!” Who his source was on that one is anybody’s guess.

Having rambled all that off I should perhaps now mention I didn’t see The World is not Enough in cinemas.

My first viewing? On TV. I fell asleep.

Remembering The World is not Enough by… Bryce (003)

It was the first Bond party I had in my new home. August of that year.

While the movie lacked a bit, it was still Bond and the pre-titles sequence had everyone cheering. The evening rounded out with all of us back at the new Casa Bryce and chowing down on Indian food.

Fun night.

*thinks*

*digs through computer*

HA!

Me and few ladies from that night.

Yeah, I know, the Hell that is my life.

As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for neverending James Bond coverage. Be sure to check out our Twitter feed as well.

Quantum of Solace Blu-ray discounted at Amazon.com

Quantum of Solace

The shopping savings of Black Friday may be over, but Amazon.com is still getting into the spirit with 250+ discounted Blu-ray and DVDs available on their website.

One particularly good deal for James Bond fans is the Quantum of Solace Blu-ray, which has been marked down a whopping 75% from the $39.99 list price to just $9.99.

Click here to access all of Amazon’s Blu-ray and DVD deals of the week.

• Order Quantum of Solace on Blu-ray from Amazon.com

Quantum of Solace Blu-ray/DVD Overview
Complete CommanderBond.net Coverage
Latest news, cover artwork, ordering details, worldwide release dates, special features, original announcements, exclusives and promotional deals and more.

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Timothy Dalton and David Tennant bond on Dr. Who set

David Tennant said he and former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton showed their mutual respect by breaking into a singsong of each other’s theme tunes.

Timothy Dalton

Dashing Dalton, who starred as 007 in films The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill, will play The Narrator in Doctor Who over Christmas, as David makes his final journey.

As CommanderBond.net readers will recall, news that Dalton would be making an appearance on the hugely popular show was first announced in May of this year.

Full details of Dalton’s character are being kept under wraps, but there has been speculation that he will be a “baddie”.

Praising Dalton’s down-to-earth attitude to the Radio Times, David said: ‘He was lovely.’

He continued: ‘He had the panache and the skill of a movie star, without any of the alarming eccentricities or peculiar demands.

‘At one point, he was singing the Doctor Who theme tune to me as I sang the James Bond theme tune to him!’

The grand finale, titled The End Of Time, will be shown in two parts and see David bow out as the 10th Doctor, before regenerating into actor Matt Smith.

The episodes will see the Doctor’s psychotic nemesis the Master, played by Life On Mars actor John Simm, re-born.

Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate and June Whitfield will also make appearances.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Twitter feed for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

Dana and Albert R. Broccoli endowed Faculty Chair unveiled at USC

When James Bond producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and his wife Dana first invested in USC (Univerisity of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, the film program did not have a single endowed professor’s chair.

Dana and Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli

On the centennial of Broccoli’s birth, his family, friends and fans gathered to celebrate the installation of professor John Watson in the Dana and Albert “Cubby” Broccoli Endowed Chair in Producing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Several of the individuals who have brought Bond to the screen—including actor Timothy Dalton and director Marc Forster—attended the ceremony.

The reception took place on Nov. 9 in the school’s newly christened Broccoli Theatre, following a James Bond film festival presented by USC’s arts and humanities initiative Visions and Voices.

“We’re here tonight to celebrate the legacy of one of the most significant producing teams in the history of cinema, Dana and Cubby Broccoli,” said dean Elizabeth M. Daley. “What can you say? There’s never been another team like it. As the creators of the Bond film franchise, they gave us a unique and endearing screen character that has thrilled millions of people around the world.”

Cubby Broccoli’s stepson Michael G. Wilson, who serves as franchise producer with his half-sister Barbara Broccoli, spoke on behalf of his family and the Broccoli Foundation. He recalled how his stepfather left the Long Island farm where he grew up and headed to Hollywood, where he landed jobs as an assistant director, agent and producer.

“What made Cubby such a fantastic producer?” asked Wilson. “In part, it was the same qualities that made him a wonderful man. He loved entertaining the public. He loved his work. He loved his cast and crews. And they in turn rewarded him with their loyalty.”

Dalton, who starred in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, affirmed that Cubby and Dana Broccoli earned his admiration. “There are many producers you work with, but there are not many you learn from, and there aren’t many you respect and admire,” he said. “Cubby and his wife Dana, I respected and learned from, which is rare.”

After a short tribute film, Daley, Watson, Wilson and Barbara Broccoli ascended the stage and unveiled the newly endowed chair.

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson

Watson, who produced Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Backdraft and more than 300 hours of television, acknowledged the iconic status of the franchise and its producers.

“By my calculations, it’s going to be 50 years from when they shot the first Bond film in 1961 to when the next one comes out, which is just extraordinary,” he said. “Thank you, Barbara and Michael, for this honor. I really appreciate you choosing me. I’m humbled by it.”

The installment of the new chair reflects a long relationship between the School of Cinematic Arts and the legendary producing family.

“Cubby was convinced that what we were doing down here was important to the future and that ultimately the people we were training would work on his franchise, and they have,” said professor Rick Jewell, who teaches a class on James Bond. “Bob Elswit, for example, who’s one of our top cinematography graduates, was the director of photography on Tomorrow Never Dies. So it all came true. It’s just so wonderful to be here tonight to see this all come to fruition.”

Be sure to keep checking the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest James Bond-related news.