Do you consider the (early) James Bond movies part of the Golden Era?

[Two Types]

I don't like the whole notion of 'Golden Era'. Even with that in mind, i wouldn't consider the early Bond films to fit into it. After all, even in the books, Bond is a 'modernist' rather than a traditional gentleman: this is a man whose underwear is made from man-made fabrics (yuck!).
As for discussions about who made the best Bond, or who should have played him, my vote is that the role should have gone to Stanley Baker:

Baker was an actor i could have believed as a hard-hearted killer.

Here's a link to my blog on the subject of who should have been cast if Casino Royale had been made in the mid-fifties.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Off-book, but when were the films ever really loyal to the source materials?

Many liberties were taken with the screenplays, of course, but in general the early films were true to the book's plot.

Another interesting tidbit along these lines...Never Say Never Again is a remake of Thunderball, and it's the only one not in the Broccoli/Eon pantheon. The reason is, the original Thunderball film is based on the novel, but the novel is based on the orginal screenplay, which was not written by Fleming. The original screenplay author, Kevin McClory, sued for the rights to Thunderball, and won. He was then free to make his own version. He also owned the rights to Casino Royale, but never did make his own film of it.

 

[Matt Crunk]

In answer to the original question: . . . In my mind, the Golden Age officially ended when the Space Age/Race began.

As to my favorite Bond, Roger Moore was my to introduction Bond in the Mid-'70s, when I discovered the series. So by default he will always be the initial Bond in my mind. However Connery soon became my favorite when I discovered the earlier films, and remains so to this day. Regardless of how he was in the books, I still find the suave, wise-cracking, gadget-heavy model of Bond more appealing. My favorites in order of most to least are Connery, Moore, Brosnan, Craig, Dalton, and Lazenby.

 

[Stearmen]

Many liberties were taken with the screenplays, of course, but in general the early films were true to the book's plot.

Another interesting tidbit along these lines...Never Say Never Again is a remake of Thunderball, and it's the only one not in the Broccoli/Eon pantheon. The reason is, the original Thunderball film is based on the novel, but the novel is based on the orginal screenplay, which was not written by Fleming. The original screenplay author, Kevin McClory, sued for the rights to Thunderball, and won. He was then free to make his own version. He also owned the rights to Casino Royale, but never did make his own film of it.

Connery said Thunderball was his favorite!

 

[Stearmen]

I hate to tell you, but, I remember that the early Bond movies were used as proof of the decline of civilization. His amoral behavior towards sex, killing, gambling, liqueur, and a bunch of other vices. He was not considered the poster boy for virtue!

 

[HudsonHawk]

Connery said Thunderball was his favorite!

It's my favorite too, though I really like Casino Royale with Craig. I also really like Goldeneye, though I'm not a big fan of Brosnan as Bond.

 

[Edward]

Actors aside, I'd love to see Tarrantino get hold of a go at a Bond film. As the master of genre pastiche, I think he would do something very interesting with it. Cast Tim Roth as bond, and Christoph Waltz as the lead villain....

I hate to tell you, but, I remember that the early Bond movies were used as proof of the decline of civilization. His amoral behavior towards sex, killing, gambling, liqueur, and a bunch of other vices. He was not considered the poster boy for virtue!

Oh, ain't that the truth! I remember my parents taking us (then aged ten and eight, I think) to see A View to A Kill, and even then it had a real air of being a bit risque. I remember my mother saying that back in the day, in mid-sixties Northern Ireland, you didn't always admit to having gone to see a Bond in polite company. Next door to porn, in a lot of folks' eyes.

Many liberties were taken with the screenplays, of course, but in general the early films were true to the book's plot.

Another interesting tidbit along these lines...Never Say Never Again is a remake of Thunderball, and it's the only one not in the Broccoli/Eon pantheon. The reason is, the original Thunderball film is based on the novel, but the novel is based on the orginal screenplay, which was not written by Fleming. The original screenplay author, Kevin McClory, sued for the rights to Thunderball, and won. He was then free to make his own version. He also owned the rights to Casino Royale, but never did make his own film of it.

I rememer reading about that. Makes for interesting comparisons. Of course, all films (all art, really) reflect in some way the times in which they are made, which means this sort of "remake" is doubly interesting.

 

[vintage68]

The earliest Bond movies are so dated now that they certainly do remind me of the Golden Era movies, at least in sensibility.

 

[Heather]

Interesting thread! I was just watching a documentary on Bond/Fleming earlier today.


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[Hemingway Jones]

Actors aside, I'd love to see Tarrantino get hold of a go at a Bond film. As the master of genre pastiche, I think he would do something very interesting with it. Cast Tim Roth as bond, and Christoph Waltz as the lead villain....

And you must have read by now that Christopher Waltz IS the new Bond villain.

 

[skydog757]

I don't know that the Bond films were akin to porn back in the day, but I do remember that the opening credits, with all of the silhouettes of naked women cavorting about, were pretty hot stuff for their time in a mainstream movie.

 

[Edward]

And you must have read by now that Christopher Waltz IS the new Bond villain.

Oh! No, I hadn't heard. Excellent choice on their part. Is Mendes still to direct?

 

[MikeKardec]

We definitely should remember that these various actors were hired to do a job and perform a pre-existing script. With the exception of Connery in the last of his Bond films I doubt they had much creative input. The choice to make the Bond films from the early 1970s until Casino Royale into cartoons was not a choice of any of the actors.

I sat next to Brosnan at the opening night of a play on Broadway (I was a young man who was getting an amazing chance to rub elbows with a lot of my heroes that night) and remember overhearing him talk about a direction he'd like to go with the character which sounded a lot like what has been done with Daniel Craig. In an interview just the other day with NPR Roger Moore said something like 'Craig's Bond is the best' considering the source material and that Connery was the most iconic (no arguments there). But, seriously, there are few bigger pros than Roger Moore. You can just hear him thinking "you're going to make me do that? In a submarine and then a spaceship? Alright, just hold my whiskey soda, then." You can hardly imagine someone who seemed like a better sport.

My hero, when it comes to the James Bond series, is director Martin Campbell who directed both pre and post re-boot Bonds with equal aplomb.