Supporting 007

On December 19, 1999, Desmond Llewelyn was driving to a book signing in East Sussex, England when he swung out to the opposite lane to pass another car. The world famous “Q” from the James Bond movie franchise collided with an oncoming vehicle and died shortly after the crash. I remember the news story and thought “why would an 85-year-old man drive so recklessly”. We still don’t have an answer but luckily, we can always turn on a James Bond movie and see Q, the eccentric gadget man.

The longest-recurring actor in the 007 franchise was born in South Wales In 1914. Llewelyn’s dreams of a law enforcement career were dashed when he failed the police exam. After considering a life in the clergy, he decided to try acting and was accepted to the Royal Academy for the Dramatic Arts. With the outbreak of World War II, he was commissioned as an officer in the British army and sent to France.  After a particularly savage battle, Llewelyn was captured by the Germans. He spent five years as a prisoner of war.

After the war, Llewelyn returned to London and revived his career, eventually being cast as Q in 1963’s “From Russia with Love”. He performed in every Bond movie until 1973’s “Live and Let Die”. The producers wanted to get away from the franchise’s gadget orientation, however the public made such a fuss that Q was brought back for 1974’s “The Man with The Golden Gun”.

In real life, Llewlyn was no Q, claiming: “I am hopeless with gadgets.  I can’t even get a ticket to work in one of those confounded machines on the London Underground. And I can hardly put on a kettle, let alone set a video”.

Moneypenny
Lois Maxwell’s brilliant portrayal as Miss Moneypenny made her a Bond fixture throughout the Sean Connery and Roger Moore eras. When she was fourteen, Lois left her home In Kitchener, Ontario and moved to England with the Canadian Army’s Entertainment Corps. She enrolled in The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she began a lifelong friendship with Roger Moore.
Maxwell is second only to Llewelyn for the number of Bond appearances. She appeared in fourteen of the films, although her total combined screen time is roughly only seventeen minutes. Llewelyn appeared in 17 Bond films, yet his on-screen time is just over 30 minutes.
And who does Lois think is the better Bond? “I always said I’d have Roger for a husband but Sean for a weekend lover”.

Odd Job.
Few would argue that “Odd Job” is the greatest henchman of the Bond series. Born in Hawaii of Japanese descent, Toshiyuki Sakata won a Silver Medal in weightlifting at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Sakata become a professional wrestler, appearing under the name “Tosh Togo”. He came to the attention of Bond producers when they were casting for the key role of the mute Asian villain. Despite having no acting experience, Sakata’s steely gaze and powerful physique made him perfect for the role.

Favorite Bond Girls
Urrsula Andress, the original “Bond Girl” left her home in Switzerland at age 17 and became a model in Rome. She began an affair with actor/director John Derek who left his family to marry the young beauty. He would eventually leave her for Linda Evens and then go on to marry Mary Cathleen Collins better known as Bo Derek. Andress’ only child was Dimitri, fathered by her longtime lover, Harry Hamlin. Dimitri’s godfather is Sean Connery.

When “Goldfinger” producers cast Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore at age 39, she became the oldest actress to play the main Bond girl. Honor had been an original star of “The Avengers” and honed her martial arts skills on that classic show. Her judo expertise helped Blackman land the iconic role.  After flipping Connery in “Goldfinger” she authored a self-defense guide for women.

Oh, in case you were wondering, ‘Q” is short for quartermaster.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year. If you need a great gift for your favorite trivia buff, you’ll find direct links to buy my book “Get Smarter- Be Amazed” at www.tedcurtinstories.com