Friday, November 14, 2008

James Bond in New York

As you read here exclusively, the new James Bond movie opens today -- The Quantum of Solace...Which reminds me there has only been one Bond film with scenes in New York -- 1972's Let and Let Die, the first one starring Roger Moore. Which I've seen now, oh, 10,000 times. Well, it's not the best Bond film...and a little, uh, dated, in terms of diversity. Still.



Did Felix Leiter really just say "Get me a make on a white pimp mobile"?





The Live and Let Die novel by Ian Fleming was published in 1954. In that, Bond stays at the St. Regis; he tries to make himself seem more "American" to throw off the enemy.

Bonus excerpt!

First!

"He was reminded to ask for the 'check' rather than the 'bill,' to say 'cab' instead of 'taxi' and to avoid words of more than two syllables."

Later!

"He spent the morning on Fifth Avenue and on Broadway, wandering aimlesly, gazing into the shop windows and watching the passing crowds. He gradually assimilated the casual gait and manners of a visitor from out of town...[Bond] had a typical American meal at an eating house called 'Gloryfied Ham-N-Eggs' ('The Eggs We Serve Tomorrow Are Still in the Hens') on Lexington Avenue."

Here are a few screenshots from the movie, filmed in part in Harlem:





3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great!

esquared™ said...

I saw "Casino Royale" in theaters (Union Square) this year in February. Movie opened in November 0f 2006. For A James Bond flick (or any flicks), that was a pretty good run in the theaters. Nowadays, movies have a very short shelf life in the theaters. We'll see how "Solace" fares.

Anonymous said...

well done grieve, live and let die has a spot in my heart as well. first bond film i ever saw in a theater.

young jane seymour, mmmmm....

and of course, nyc's own clifton james AKA sheriff j w pepper.

hard to believe that the bondmobile in that flick was an AMC Matador...