Bond News ...
This page will continue to update with any items that grab my attention in the UK Press and on UK tv.
Abbreviation used .. TWINE - The World Is Not Enough, TND - Tomorrow Never Dies & LALD - Live And Let Die.
Not long to wait for TWINE ?
Dateline: 22/10/99
Roger's Special ... the Beeb's new documentary series called Best of British ( BBC-1, Fri ) was screened at 10.20 pm with a feature on Roger Moore.
Another interesting and well researched documentary, following ITV's The James Bond Story, had a relaxed ( as always ) and seated Roger recollecting his career in tv & film.
The programme included all his work ( plus some interesting photos ) and of course clips from the Bond films.
The 1962 b&w clip from tv's The Saint showed a pre-Goldfinger Shirley Easton on a hotel bed.
Contributors included his pal Michael Caine, Robert M Brown who was on Roger's tv series Ivanhoe, Michael G. Wilson, John Glen, Jane LALD Seymour and Lois Moneypenny Maxwell who went to RADA with him. Moore commented that if he had continued as 007 the leading ladies would have to be near their pension age. For some reason Glen felt that Roger could have done 2 more of the series ... the subscription glasses are on the way John !
Dateline: 21/10/99
Motoring Moment ... a poll by NatWest car insurance ranked the appearance of 007's Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger as the 4th of this century's most momentous motoring moments. The small item appeared in The Sun under a heading of Fawlty is in poll position due to TWINE star John Cleese as his Basil Fawlty character ( beating up his broken-down car ) coming first. This pipped the Minis in Michael Caine's The Italian Job. The voters rated tv & film higher than actual events as the creation of the Model T Ford came sixth !
Four days later another poll by the readers of Film magazine voted Dr No's Ursula Andress the best Bond girl of all time. The Sun used a caption of ANDRESS TO KILL ( 25/10/99 ).
Dateline: 14/10/99
Den's a picture ... as a preview to the feature to appear in November's Esquire magazine, The Sun has a photo of TWINE girl Denise Richards on Page 3, usually reserved for the topless ladies ( hey I'm a big fan ), with a heading of The dame's Bond's. It mentions the usual TWINE facts with a quote from Ms Richards "There's a bad guy who's trying to destroy the world and Bond who's trying to save the world - and I try to help him!"
A photo of the magazine's cover is also featured with a standing Denise and stating that inside is a 33 page Bond special on "The Gadgets, The Girls, The Cars & The Villains".
I'll race you to the stores when it's issued on October 18 ( see review ).
Dateline: 11/10/99
Adam's Art ... under photos of the inner tank scene from The Spy Who Loved Me and a design photo for Star Wars, the Evening Standard has a heading of Galleries celebrate art of Bond and Star Wars. The item by the paper's Arts Correspondent Robin Stringer opens ...
"FOR ALL his arrogance, James Bond can hardly have dreamed that his celluloid fantasy world would one day become the subject of an exhibition at one of London's most avant-garde galleries."
He goes on to explain that the Serpentine Gallery will show "the work of the 'visionary' Ken Adam, designer of the Bond films of the Sixties & Seventies".
The "exhibition will open on 17 November and run through into January" and "on display will be some 200 original drawings alongside clips from films including
Dr Strangelove, Dr No, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Barry Lyndon and The Madness of King George to show how they were realised."
The Serpentine's curator, David Sylvester "regards 78-year-old Adam, winner of two Oscars and holder of an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art, as one of those rare production designers who has left a mark on the medium of film".
The College's Rector, Christopher Frayling echoes the views about Adam that "the man is far too modest and sensible to admit it, but he is a key contributor to 20th-century visual culture and a very influential one.
The film world and cinema-going public realised that years ago."
The Star Wars exhibition "will occupy the Barbican for 5 months next April."
Dateline: 09/10/99
TV Special ... before the tv premiere of TND on Wednesday ( the extended trailer called it The Movie Event of the Year ), ITV showed a 50 minute documentary called The James Bond Story.
Note for your diary ... the Beeb have a new series called Best of British about film / tv stars and the first subject is former Bond Roger tv Saint & Persuader Moore. It airs on BBC-1, Friday 22 October.
Dateline: 01/10/99
Missed Teri ... this photo of smiling TND star Teri Hatcher appeared in The Sun a few days ago with a footer heading of It's Teri Thatch-er due to a grass-like dress that she wore to a fashion bash.
Joking references are made to her tv Superman role, Lois Lane but we Bond fans have already seen the back of her thanks to 007 !
