Today we lost one of my favorite James Bond leading ladies.
Honor Blackman passed away at age 94. I still remember the first time I saw her, back in 1965, when GOLDFINGER opened in my hometown. Her first scene with Sean Connery featured this by now classic exchange:
-Bond: Who are you?
-Pussy: My name is Pussy Galore.
-Bond: [looks away and smiles] I must be dreaming.
Honor Blackman was also the star on THE AVENGERS TV show, playing Cathy Gale with Patrick Macnee (1922-2015) as John Steed. She was replaced by Diana Rigg when she signed to play Pussy Galore in GOLDFINGER.
After GOLDFINGER, she starred in many other features, including another one with Sean Connery : SHALAKO (1968).
The new James Bond movie will be released on April 8th, 2020 but the first trailer is already out!
I used to enjoy the Connery and Moore James Bond films because those guys were always super cool, no matter the circumstances. On the other hand, Daniel Craig is anything but cool. He's super intense. He's angry. He's dark. He's troubled. He has issues.
And I'm glad after this one, he'll be gone!
Born Archibald Alexander Leach, he was born in Horfield, Bristol on January 18, 1904 and passed away on November 29, 1986 at the age of 82.
His skill at playing comedy and dramatic roles with equal ease, was unparalleled in his time and as of today, there's still no other actor that can match his style or charismatic screen presence and charm.
I immensely enjoyed his early screwball comedies from the mid thirties through the forties like GUNGA DIN, THE AWFUL TRUTH, BRINGING UP BABY, PENNY SERENADE, HIS GIRL FRIDAY, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE, and I still watch them repeatedly whenever I can.
But my favorite films are the ones from his later career like TO CATCH A THIEF, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, OPERATION PETTICOAT and CHARADE, probably just because I was born in the fifties and I related to these more closely.
Anyway, Cary Grant was one of my very favorite actors and, like every male back in the day, I also wished I was more like Cary Grant.
Cary Grant and his fifth wife, Barbara Harris.
Cary Grant, like many celebrities, was the subject of many affectionate caricatures throughout his career.
By Al Hirschfeld
Hollywood Steps Out (Merrie Melodies) 1941
By Mort Drucker
It should be mentioned that Cary Grant was one of the names considered when Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli were about to cast the first James Bond film, DR. NO, back in 1962. Grant didn't want to sign for a multi-picture contract so he passed on the offer.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
