One Man Too Many ( sounds like an U.N.C.L.E movie ! )

Contrary to his Eon / Danjaq partner , co-producer Harry Saltzman sometimes veered off the Bond canon towards other type of movies .

Such as this ' One Man Too Many ' ( word-for-word translation of the original French title ) which seems to be some kind of mix between the Dirty Dozen and...Unglorious Basterds !

Synopsis tells us this : in 1943 , a group of resistants managed to save twelve prisonners from death penalty . Problem : once they think they're safe at last they realized there's...One man too many amongst the group .

Released in 1967 and directed by no less than a young Costa Gavras , film boats an impressive line-up and is co-produced by Les Artistes Assoçiés ( french counterpart of United Artists ) , Sol Produzioni ( Italy ) and Compania Cinematographica Montoro ( Italy ) .

Title seems unfortunately not to be available on DvD . Sigh .

Liebegrusse aus dem Casino Royale in Karlovy Vary

In May 2006 a group of Members of the german James Bond Fan-club "Bondklub Deutschland" travelled for one Day to Karlovy Vary. At this time the First Unit of "Casino Royale" was in the City for filming Scenes around the Grand Hotel Pupp (alias Hotel Splendide in the Film) and the "Kaiserbad" (an old Bath (Cesars Bath), used in the Film as the Casino Royale).
The most interesting thing was, that everything was open, so we could go into the Hotel. We have been in the Foyer, have seen the Lift,  have been inside in an Resting Room and in the Restaurant of the Hotel We have also seen  the Area, where the Dinner was served between 007 and Vesper Lynd.

There was no fence around the Hotel (as f.e. in Bregenz at the filming of QofS). So we could see in the Restaurant Daniel Craig drinking Coffee (after Jogging) , Eva Green outside the Hotel walking with her dog, Lindy Hemming with her Assistant in the City and Martin Campbell walking between Hotel and the Kaiserbad.

When we arrived in Karlovy Vary we have been first to the Mühlbrunnenkolonade, which was seen in CR as the Train Station. After  a nice and long walk through the old City we have been to the Grand Hotel Pupp and have been surprised, that there was no Security or a Fence around the Hotel against Visitors or Fans. Interesting is that in the Film the driving from the Train Station to the Hotel is in Reality the vice versa direction, as they would drive from the Hotel to the Mühlbrunnenkolonaden.

And it was funny, that we heard from other Tourists that they thought the Hotel was really renamed ' Hotel Splendide ' . It was great to see that really each plate with the Name of the Hotel, or the Restaurant was changed. 
First we went into the Restaurant of the Hotel, which is also usable for guests who don`t stay in the Hotel.
We had a drink and met other friends. We were finally a group of 10 Persons. Then we saw a staircaise into the Hotel and we went into . There was a great Restroom, where we could have also a few drinks.
From there we had a view to the table, where 007 and Vesper had Dinner after the Victory over Le Chiffre at the Pokergame.
We had also a short glimpse of Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who rushed through the Restroom.
Then we went to the Foyer and we saw the lift, which is different to the lift in the Film.

When we went back to the Restaurant, we saw Daniel Craig drinking a Cup of Coffee in a small corner of the Restaurant.
A Member of our group asked him for a Photograph, but Daniel said no, because he didn`t wanted to be photographed in his Jogging Clothes.

Afterwards we walked along the Car Park of the Hotel, which was closed for Public Use and full of Security people, because there was standing the Aston Martin and the Bentley (used as the Hotel Transfer).
The we made a walk to the Kaiserbad, which was decorated as Casino Royale and prepared for a filming in the Evening. Later we saw a group of Extras, which filmed later in the Night a scene inside the Kaiserbad.
In the Evening, before we left Karlovy Vary, we saw the Preparation of the Street in Front of the Hotel. It was made wet, for filming a Night sequence as we heard (probably the Sequence when 007 follows the kidnapped Vesper and runs to his car)
It was a wonderful day ,which made great memories.

Wolfgang Thuerauf - January 2010 .

Text and pics copyrighted .
The Pictures are from Sascha Braun, Heiko Lorson (signed at the Pics) and from Alexander Stundner (not signed).

1969 : 007 POSITION VACANT - REPLACEMENT NEEDED PRONTO

“It’s a slight problem if we have to get a new Bond ” Cubby Broccoli told me. “But there’s always somebody lurking out there that would be a good Bond. Or a bad ’un!” Right! Althougfh it was inconceivable that two producers who chose as correctly as Connery could have made the enormous error as Lazenby. He wasn’t the only guy in the frame... Roger Moore was set until shooting clashed with his Persuaders schedule. And so a new search began for - what else - “a young Connery.” Ian Ogilivy was approached (he became Roger's Saint successor in 1978). Also seen: Michael Billington (soon enough, an Eon house pet) and a certain Timothy Peter Dalton. Cubby was also was keen on Jeremy Brett, who became the ultimate Sherlock Holmes, 1984-94). Ironically, Ian Fleming’s own sketch of Bond greatly resembled Holmes. Broccoli’s most surprising idea was... Oliver Reed. An ex-Hammer Films werewolf (he once asked me if he should move to France, “where they like ugly men - look at Belmondo!”), Reed had too many problems: drinking, brawling, weight, etc.. Cubby decided that the need “to destroy his image and re-mould him” was too great. Two telly-Americans were tested - Adam Batman West, bordering on the plump, and Roy Thinnes from The Invaders, bordering on the boring. And a third ran: Tom Selleck. “I was asked to screentest but I turned it down. I’m sure that being between Roger and Sean wouldn’t be a good career move.” Finally, from an alleged 413 contenders, George Lazenby, beat the other finalists: Robert Campbell, Anthony Rogers, Hans De Vries (who immediately joined the Cubby’s dream team of Connery/Bardot in Shalako) and John Richardson, husband of double Bond Girl, Martine Beswick Soon as he became Bond, all his 32 minutes of Lazenby’s 1965 screen debut as “British Spy” suddenly disappeared from Spain’s Marc Mato, agent S.077/Espionage in Tangiers. “Cubby Broccoli will tell you that I was a failure and difficult to work with,” said Lazenby later “Unfortunately, he told a lot of people that and it meant that it was impossible to get employment.” What Cubby actually said was: “You’re only a star when the public says so.” Even after a further 59 roles in 34 years, the public never said that about George.

Tony Crawley Photos © Eon Productions, 1969 [Every 007 film has a page on Tony’s website, www.crawleyscasting calls.com]

The GoldenEye Pierce Brosnan signed cut storyboarded sequence

Back in 1995 , I supplied some colleagues of Canal +'s Journal du Cinéma some 007 merchandise to be presented to Pierce Brosnan during a Live TV interview ( notably a big 1965 German manufactured toy Aston Martin - the one operated with batteries -, which Pierce failed to correctly activated : he pushed buttons randomly until the ejector seat suddenly popped out and launched its passenger ...Much to the visible surprise of the Star , whose reaction wasn't faked ! )
To thank me for my participation , the TV crew then asked him to sign me that storyboard of an unused sequence of the movie ( was it ever shot ? I wonder ... )

Document property of Media Bis 1995 - Not to be reproduced .

The " Could someone please tell me what the heck is exactly happening ? " Affair

From the Sunday Times edition of 2010, January the 3rd

"Pre-production on ' Bond23 ' has been halted and filming postponed while the future of the Bond franchise hangs in the balance.

The 23rd Bond film was to have been bankrolled by MGM but the Hollywood studio is up for sale in a bid to clear mounting debts.

The 007 blockbusters are a lucrative franchise and could be sold off. “In the words of another great British hero, Antarctic explorer Captain Oates, the next James Bond movie may be some time,” said Terence Doyle, editor of British Film Magazine.

Michael G Wilson, who produces the Bond films with Barbara Broccoli, admitted: “We just don’t know enough about the situation to comment but we know it’s uncertain.”

The earliest a new film is likely to go into production is at the end of this year, for release in 2011, a full three years after the last Bond, Quantum Of Solace.

Pre-production work on the film, which will again star Daniel Craig, pictured above with Quantum love interest Olga Kurylenko, is on hold until next month.

The sale of MGM, which owns the Pink Panther franchise, comes after a year in which it released only the failed remake of Fame. Potential bidders include Time Warner, Lionsgate and other undisclosed parties ."

And then ,less than 24h later , all the Fan websites headlined ' Sam Mendes IS the Bond23 director ' ...While Variety ( the media from which originated the leak ) remains a triffle bit more cautious about said info .

Patience you must learn , Bond Fans from all over the World ...

The Year We Make Contact !

HAPPY NEW YEAR , EVERYONE !!!

Below the belt parodies...Literally ( part 1 )

Being the notoriously dedicated completist that I am, I felt obliged to post those, ahem, very subtile parodies (advertised at the Cannes International Film Market in the 90's ) ...
I hasten to say I've never watched any of them .
As Oscar Wilde would say " copying is the most sincere form of flattery "...Indeed !