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Whatever happened to the first - i.e. pre OHMSS - James Bond?

posted 6 years ago by FootOfDavros (8712)
12 replies | jump to latest

You know how at the start of OHMSS George Lazenby goes "that never happened to the other fella". Well that is official canon right there that "James Bond" itself (never mind this 007 nonsense) is a code name.

Therefore the Daniel Craig's "James Bond" (ino) is a reboot of the original James Bond as seen played by Sean Connery in the original film series up to YOLT.

However did we ever get a clue as to what happened to that original James Bond in the original timeline after George Lazenby's James Bond II took over?

[–] LordBAElish (2015) 6 years ago

Bond 1962-2002 is the same guy. The Code name theory is not true.

[–] FootOfDavros (8712) 6 years ago

But George Lazenby's Bond literally says "this never happened to the OTHER GUY" and Blofeld doesn't recognize him even though he encountered Connery's Bond in the previous film. I think that pretty much excludes it as being a theory - it's literally confirmed in film.

[–] LordBAElish (2015) 6 years ago

In the spy who loved me, Agent XXX speaks about Bond's background, eventually it leads to "many lady friends, married only once. Wife killed..." before she is interrupted by Roger Moore. In For Your Eyes Only Roger Moore visits Tracy's grave. In Licence to Kill, Felix Leiter says "He was married once, it was a long time ago" when Timothy Dalton gave a cold response to Leiter's new bride.

Back in 1969, the producers didn't know how to handle switching from Connery to Lazenby. "This never happened to the other fellow" was probably just a comment to make the audience smirk.

[–] FootOfDavros (8712) 6 years ago

Yes, Bond II's wife Tracy dies in OHMSS, Roger Moore is playing the same Bond II character as Lazenby down the line. So that continuity you've mentioned is absolutely fine. Ditto with Dalton and we can accept on to Brosnan as well (can't remember if there's a specific reference?).

However Connery's Bond I (not mistaking that Connery also played Bond II and was recognised as such by Blofeld in DAF) isn't tied into that continuity as far as I can recall in any of the films and Lazenby's Bond II is utterly explicit that he isn't the same guy...

[–] LordBAElish (2015) 6 years ago

Continuity doesn't really matter in Bond series. Thats how he can be 40 in a 1965 mission and still be 40 in a 1995 mission. Trust me James Bond isn't a code name, its one secret agent the whole time, continuity be damned.

Daniel Craig's Bond, since it was rebooted, is a different James Bond in a different cinematic universe.

[–] TreeShaman (806) 6 years ago

Lol wow, I can't believe we are still going on about this codename theory nonsense that has been debunked over and over and over again.

Bond and Blofeld don't recognize each other because the films were made out of order from the novels, and Eon decided to make a faithful adaptation of OHMSS rather than changing it to follow the film version of YOLT.

There are no different James Bonds. I don't even agree with the common belief that Daniel Craig is a 'different' James Bond from the others. Continuity is stupid, destroys series, and retroactively makes every previous film/episode worse, just like Game of Thrones.

[–] FootOfDavros (8712) 6 years ago

I understand and get your comments re continuity and your take on it. However I don't think we can say it's a theory which can ever truly be "debunked" - the man literally says he's not the same guy IN the film.

We can talk about what we think they were trying to do - i.e. play a little joke with the audience - however years later and with today's "everything needs to be connected" crowd you simply cannot dismiss without any reason what is shown in the film.

[–] Ace_Spade (9658) 6 years ago

In that moment, he also breaks the fourth wall, which is unique to that scene in the Bond franchise as well. If your argument is that that scene's logic tone should be considered Gospel for the rest of the series, then James Bond should also be aware that he's in movies.

[–] FootOfDavros (8712) 6 years ago

Not necessarily. It's perfectly possible and therefore plausible to watch that scene in the context that he's just woefully saying that to himself as he watches Tracy, jumping into her car and speeding off, from a distance.

There's no big wink and cheesy grin at the camera as he says it.

[–] Ace_Spade (9658) 6 years ago

It looks to me like he flicks his eyes to the camera right at the end, and it definitely plays like a fourth wall break regardless of Lazenby's eyeline.

Either way, because of the references to the dead wife in the other films, it seems clear to me that he's supposed to be the same person. M refers to him as a relic from the Cold War in GoldenEye.

Of course, that makes him, what? Sixty-five.

I think the ultimate truth is that Bond is a series that knows no continuity or consistency other than the man himself (which is why I think people are so annoyed by the 007 swap controversy going on right now).

[–] TheHungryHippo (821) 6 years ago

It was a break the fourth wall joke, Lazenby , Connery, Moore, dalton, and Brosnan all play the same character in the same universe

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

It's just the cast and crew having fun with the audience. I wouldn't read anything else into it. If the codename theory were true, they would probably show the new actor being sworn in at the beginning of his first film. Or even the previous actor handing the reigns over and wishing them well, saying goodbye to M and Moneypenny, etc, or even getting killed off and then replaced by the new actor.