MovieChat Forums > The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) Discussion > Anyone else think Lee would have been mo...

Anyone else think Lee would have been more fitting with Sean Connnery?


Don't get me wrong, I do like Roger Moore. However, given how the dynamic is set up between Bond and Scaramanga in this film with a "dark mirror" angle and that's cool. And I do think playing up a darker and more edgy Bond makes sense for this kind of story because Scaramanga does play up the two sides of the same coin card when they meet, talking about how alike they were and trying to get Bond to admit it. And having that edgier Bond helps get this across more, because it adds the greater possibility of Bond being more like or having the potential to become more like Scaramanga. However, Moore's greatest strengths were in his charm and humor. And he just cannot pull off the darker things in my opinion like hurting Andrea for information or threatening the bullet manufacturer the way he does like Sean Connery could. Probably given that he (at least early on) played it with a great deal more intensity than Moore and it just came more naturally to him. With that, and how they (Sean Connery and Christopher Lee) look and act seem like a better fit for the two sides of the same coin angle. And I do think that type of story and some of the darker material that made it into this film would have felt more natural and worked better in a more serious piece. Like say if it had a tone more along the lines of "Dr. No", "From Russia With Love", or perhaps "Goldfinger". Some parts just felt a bit too silly and don't completely gel with the darker/edgier material IMO. That's not to say this film isn't entertaining at all, it's just I feel like there's a much better film buried in here somewhere.

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Scaramanga would have thrived as a villain against Connery's Bond. Connery had a more ruthless edge to him as Bond. You could buy his Bond more as being a mirror version of someone like Scaramanga's assassin than Moore's more lighter Bond was supposed to be.

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I'll add that Scaramanga vs. Lazenby's Bond would have been the most interesting IMO. If he had done Diamonds & LALD he would have matured nicely in the role as Bond. He seemed to have a no nonsense attitude when it came to fighting and getting the job done. Also with him still bitter from his wife being murdered a couple of films prior maybe Scaramanga could have made some low blow remark to rile him up. I will end this with stating that I firmly believe Diamonds, LALD & TMWTGG all would have been elevated with the presence of tge young and dangerous Lazenby Bond. Too bad he listened to his agent.

Lazenby, Dalton & Craig ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!

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"I'll add that Scaramanga vs. Lazenby's Bond would have been the most interesting"


I was thinking the same thing.

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I could've seen TMWTGG as a George Lazenby Bond movie too. Maybe because Lazenby is a legitimate martial artist in real life (he was good friends w/ Bruce Lee and was scheduled to have dinner w/ him the day that he died), which would go hand in hand w/ the Enter the Dragon influenced setting.

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That would have been awesome. But only if they made it sooner, like before YOLT. Someone on a different board suggested Ricardo Montalban as Scaramanga that would have been cool too. Tho Christopher Lee was awesome. He was definitely the highlight of that movie

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Scaramanga was sometimes dressed like Ricardo Montalban in Fantasy Island with that white suit.

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Where I think Ricardo Montalban would of made a interesting Scaramanga. Don't know how that would work in the long run. Would that have made or broke the following history of TV? What would of happened to Fantasy Island? No doubt Mr. Montalban does play a great bad guy when given a good script.

There is more Gravy about you then the Grave. Scrooge.

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It would have been interesting to see. It probably wouldnt have been as hated as this movie seems to be. I never got the hate. It was the second moore one i saw and christopher lee definitely made the movie.

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Moore was totally miscast as oo7. Connery would have nailed it alongside lee or even jack pallance

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no

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All that is fine folks but ur all missing one thing here starting with DAF the films overall were going for a lighter touch, more humor etc (everyone blames Roger)
but DAF had some pretty funny lightweight stuff. More so then ever before

One thing sadly missing here that was in the book Bond's brain washing and his trying to kill M

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"One thing sadly missing here that was in the book Bond's brain washing and his trying to kill M"


I agree. More in tone with the book.

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It's coming folks a special 007 slide show(s) (for youtube) I started working on last night.

I won't say too much now but I'm sure you'll love it.

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Lazenby would have been great in Diamonds up to Moonraker. Then have Dalton from For Your Eyes Only to Licence to Kill.

Moore did fine in a few of the Bond pictures, but he just didn't suit 007.

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