Vassallo: 007 Under the Microscope

Photo courtesy Facebook: Spectre

With the release of Bond 24 only days away with Daniel Craig’s Spectre, let’s look closely at some facts that may have fallen through the martini glass. Were you aware….?

Roger Moore who played 007 seven times suffers from hoplophobia: a fear of guns!

Sean Connery wore a toupee in every Bond film.

In Goldfinger, the pilots in Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus were actually men with blond wigs.

Stuntman Bill Cummings received a $450 bonus to jump into a shark-infested pool in Thunderball.

Author Ian Fleming wrote the Bond books on a gold-plated typewriter.

Approximately 30 percent of the world’s population has seen a Bond film!

And last but not least, Liam Neeson turned down the role of 007 after his wife, Natasha, said she would not marry him if he accepted the offer.

The rest of the story often focuses on the ladies of Bond. In some of the earlier films many women were models opposed to professional actresses. My personal favorite of all the Bond costars is Jane Seymour who played Solitaire in Live and Let Die (1973). She followed up the Bond character with a tremendous acting career including a 1988 Emmy.

Starting in 1962 with Dr. No the spy thrillers have only gotten better. Can you name all the primary Bond actors? I didn’t think so.

Here they are….Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

Connery starred in six films (and if you count Never Say Never Again it is seven). Lazenby acted in one: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). Moore was in seven films between 1973 and 1985. Dalton was in two, Brosnan in four and Craig in four starting in 2006 with Casino Royale.

Before concluding, not mentioning several of the evil empire villains would be without justice. The names Goldfinger, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Jaws, Le Chiffre and who could forget Oddjob? What began as a book series by famed author Fleming has evolved into a decades-long multibillion franchise that we never seem to tire from!

Special recognition to i-5 Publishing’s James Bond..The World’s Most Famous Spy.

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.