James Bond 007 News
Entries from August 2008
Former James Bond George Lazenby has struck back in his high profile, increasingly nasty divorce case with wife Pamela Shriver. The pair has been married six years and have three young children. In court filings, Shriver has sought total custody of the children, blaming Lazenby for everything from anger management problems to excessive drinking and even anti-Semitism. So far, the charges haven't included kidnapping the Lindberg baby, but that could come next week. Lazenby, who did not want the case to go public, has fought back with his own sordid allegations against Shriver, who has enlisted Lazenby's ex-wife in daughter in supporting her claims regarding his violent behavior. Lazenby categorically denies these charges and says he only neglected his daughter when she was 12 years old because he was pre-occupied with caring for his son who died years later of cancer. Curiously, Shriver, who first went public with the charges, is now asking the court to keep future sordid details secret - but the judge denied the request. To read the depressing full story click here
After decades of rumors and half-truths from the media, Sean Connery is finally speaking publicly about his brief affair with Lana Turner, with whom he co-starred with in Another Time, Another Place - and almost became a target of a mob hit when it was revealed that Turner was the kept woman of gangster Johnny Stampanato. Connery's recollection of the incident is refreshing in that he doesn't try to enhance his heroic image - he says that when he was warned to get out of town or face the mobsters, he complied immediately. The candid talk with Scotland on Sunday is one of the few media promotions he's doing for his new autobiographical book. Curiously, Connery insisted upon doing the interview in the coffee shop of the Edinburgh Zoo! To read click here
A mystery man has spread malicious and unfounded rumors about a British business firm to it's clients via E mails - resulting in a financial catastrophe for the company. The culprit -thought to be a disgruntled former employee- used the code name "Peter Franks" which James Bond fans will recognize as the name of a smuggler 007 battles with in an elevator in the 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever. The part was played by actor/stuntman Joe Robinson in the movie. Exactly who is playing the real-life villain Franks is a matter the police are looking into. For more on the bizarre story click here
In what has to be a disappointing development for the publishers of Sebastian Faulks' best-selling James Bond novel Devil May Care, the 007 film producers have passed on the notion of adapting the novel to the screen. Producer Barbara Broccoli spoke glowingly of the book's merits but said that because it is set in the Cold War, it would be out of synch with the latest Bond films which take place in contemporary times. Aside from the original works of Ian Fleming, no other Bond novel has been transferred to the screen including those written by John Gardner, Raymond Benson and now Sebastian Faulks. Beginning in the 1960s, many elements of Fleming's stories were completely discarded with only the titles used, as well as character names and certain specific scenarios. The publishers of Devil May Care will not be able to approach other film producers to adapt the novel to the screen, as Eon has exercised iron-clad legal rights that preclude alternate versions of the films being made outside the control of the company. The only exceptions pertained to Casino Royale and Thunderball. Royale was Fleming's first novel and he sold the screen rights before making the deal with Eon Productions for the screen rights to his other works that followed. That novel was made into a 1954 TV production and later a big budget comedy in 1967. The story rights to Thunderball were the subject of protracted lawsuits that extended for decades but did finally allow another company to remake the film as Never Say Never Again in 1983. Subsequent attempts to make alternate screen stories involving James Bond have been successfully thwarted by Eon, who has also now acquired the rights to both the original screen version of Casino Royale as well as Never Say Never Again. By doing so, the company has tightened their controls over one of the industry's most proiftable enterprises. - Lee Pfeiffer For more click here
The Daily Mail's continuing look at the early life of Sean Connery continues with the well-documented story about Connery's late 1950s affair with Lana Turner, with whom he starred in the soap opera feature film Another Time, Another Place. Connery's dalliance with Turner almost sealed his fate when it turned out Turner was considered to be the kept woman of a Mafia thug who made it clear he had Connery in his sites. For the story click here
It's not unusual for successful people who grew up in poverty to be tight with a dollar throughout their lives, and Sir Sean Connery is no exception. When it comes to matters of finance, Connery has proven to be obsessed with getting every penny that is owed to him. He routinely sued movie studios and financial advisors over the years,claiming they had cheated him out of his fair share of the profits. In some cases, he won, but regarding his suits against the James Bond producers, Connery was never able to prove he had been cheated. Nonetheless, the obsession continues to this day - and according to the Daily Mail, he refuses to give autographs because he learned that many fans end up selling his signature on the Internet. The in-depth article gives some interesting insights into the reasons for Connery's suspicious mind when it comes to finances, even though the piece gets the facts wrong about crediting director Terence Young for recommending Connery as the prime candidate for 007. In fact, it was producer Cubby Broccoli's wife Dana who came up with the idea of casting Connery after seeing him in Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Even Cubby admitted he didn't see star potential in brash young Scotsman. For the article click here
Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer was recently interviewed by ABC News film critic Bill Diehl about the legacy of James Bond during the year in which Ian Fleming would have celebrated his 100th birthday. For he masochists out there, you can listen to our illustrious editor-in-chief in his own melodious voice on the ABC News podcast. However, we don't recommend listening to him if you will be driving or operating any heavy machinery. To listen to the ABC News podcast, click here
George Lazenby, 68, and Pamela Shriver, 46, are heading to divorce court. Shriver, one-time international tennis pro, is citing "irreconcilable differences" as the cause. The couple was married six years ago and had three children together, including twins. Lazenby took over the role of James Bond in 1968 but starred in only one 007 movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, released in 1969. He then quit the series despite overtures to remain in the role. For more click here
Here's a terrific, home-grown concoction from You Tube that places Jerry Lewis in the midst of James Bond clips in a hilarious faux trailer. The bits are made up of clips from legit Bond trailers and interspersed with clips of Lewis in situations that are amazingly similar to spy movies (many of the scenes are culled from Lewis' London-based comedy Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River). The sad part of it all is that even the "over-the-top-Lewis-as-Bond" aspect still resonates with more legitimate drama than The Man with the Golden Gun! (Thanks to Cinema Retro subscriber "Pistols" Bob Collins for the tip). Click here to view
Writer John Latchem of the Agent DVD web site has a very in-depth article about the factors that have kept the James Bond franchise relevant through the years. The article includes interviews with Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer contributing writer Steve Rubin, both of whom wrote books relating to the Bond franchise. To read click here
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