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HANDS ACROSS THE WATER - FELIX AND BOND

JB007LTKJB007LTK
edited November 2013 in Literary 007 Posts: 76
HANDS ACROSS THE WATER - FELIX AND BOND
November is traditionally the month of BOND....JAMES BOND in the USA.
Almost every BOND007 movie has always debuted in November since I saw "Dr. No" at the Royal Theatre in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1963.
Why did Ian Fleming invent the character of "Felix" ?
Felix is the CIA agent who seems to be an ally of Bond in his most dire need.
He is likened to an avenging angel who appears when we least expect it but are not surprised when he arrives.
Was it to add color to the story?
Was it to please the American audience he knew he would eventually gain ?
Was it a homage to the US who had come to the aid of Great Britain in her dire hour of need in 1941 ?
And who is "Felix" ?
Is he a main character ?
Is he merely Sancho Panza to Don Quixote ?
Is he Bassanio to Antonio in Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" ?
Is he Robin to Batman ?
Lois to Superman ?
Lewis to Martin?
Costello to Abbot ?
We report.
You decide.

Comments

  • Bradford4Bradford4 Banned
    Posts: 152
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back. Geoffrey Lewis from CR and QOS is a lame interpretation.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    He's a blonde, colorful, hawk-faced Texan, whose clothes hang upon him like those of Frank Sinatra. And we've yet to see him in a Bond film.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back.

    That's the problem with Felix I think. We always hear about he's Bonds best mate but he doesn't seem to be friends with Bond at all, they're just colleagues who bump into each other every now and again.

    That's one of the reasons I love LTK so much, you can actually tell they're friends.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,400
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back. Geoffrey Lewis from CR and QOS is a lame interpretation.

    Who the hell is "Geoffrey Lewis"?
  • SoundofthesinnersSoundofthesinners
    Posts: 3,236
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back.

    That's the problem with Felix I think. We always hear about he's Bonds best mate but he doesn't seem to be friends with Bond at all, they're just colleagues who bump into each other every now and again.

    That's one of the reasons I love LTK so much, you can actually tell they're friends.

    They have a good relationship in the Craig movies, too.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,400
    Soundofthesinners wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back.

    That's the problem with Felix I think. We always hear about he's Bonds best mate but he doesn't seem to be friends with Bond at all, they're just colleagues who bump into each other every now and again.

    That's one of the reasons I love LTK so much, you can actually tell they're friends.

    They have a good relationship in the Craig movies, too.

    The novels are much better at establishing a friendship. I'd like to see Felix in Bond 24. Craig and Wright have great chemistry.
  • SoundofthesinnersSoundofthesinners
    Posts: 3,236
    StirredNotShaken wrote:
    Soundofthesinners wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back.

    That's the problem with Felix I think. We always hear about he's Bonds best mate but he doesn't seem to be friends with Bond at all, they're just colleagues who bump into each other every now and again.

    That's one of the reasons I love LTK so much, you can actually tell they're friends.

    They have a good relationship in the Craig movies, too.

    The novels are much better at establishing a friendship. I'd like to see Felix in Bond 24. Craig and Wright have great chemistry.

    That they do. It might have something to do with the fact that Felix is given way more to do than in most of the other movies. Rik Van Nutter hardly has a challenging role in Thunderball, for example.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited November 2013 Posts: 12,837
    Soundofthesinners wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back.

    That's the problem with Felix I think. We always hear about he's Bonds best mate but he doesn't seem to be friends with Bond at all, they're just colleagues who bump into each other every now and again.

    That's one of the reasons I love LTK so much, you can actually tell they're friends.

    They have a good relationship in the Craig movies, too.

    I like Wright but again, they seem more like colleagues who have each others backs rather than friends to me. Same with Tanner. I'd like to see Bond and Felix actually having a laugh with each other and relaxing a bit.
  • SoundofthesinnersSoundofthesinners
    Posts: 3,236
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Soundofthesinners wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back.

    That's the problem with Felix I think. We always hear about he's Bonds best mate but he doesn't seem to be friends with Bond at all, they're just colleagues who bump into each other every now and again.

    That's one of the reasons I love LTK so much, you can actually tell they're friends.

    They have a good relationship in the Craig movies, too.

    I like Wright but again, they seem more like colleagues who have each others backs rather than friends to me. Same with Tanner. I'd like to see Bond and Felix actually having a laugh with each other and relaxing a bit.

    That's partially due to the structure of the two movies. Bond doesn't get a lot of downtime in either movie, and, at least in Casino Royale, he spends almost all of it with Vesper.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    StirredNotShaken wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    He's a good close friend. They've shared a woman a few times, shared many meals, and always have each other's back. Geoffrey Lewis from CR and QOS is a lame interpretation.

    Who the hell is "Geoffrey Lewis"?

    Didn't he play Clint's best mate in Every Which Way But Loose? :-O
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited November 2013 Posts: 12,459
    I like Wright as Felix very much. I hope they can have a bit more of him, and show more of a friendship, in the next Bond film. I agree that the storylines in QOS and CR did not lend to showing a matey relationship; they were just helping each other.

    I sure don't want Felix to be in any way like Jack Wade. Ugh.
  • RevelatorRevelator
    Posts: 2,895
    Felix Leiter was named after an American couple that Fleming was friends with, Thomas and Marion "Oatsie" Leiter (she would later introduce Fleming to John F. Kennedy--you can read more about that here: http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/comment/288870#Comment_288870). Fleming described Leiter as a "subsidiary hero"--in other words, he's Bond's sidekick. The reference to "Marshall Aid" in Leiter's first appearance, when he supplies Bond with American dollars, is a reference to America's role in coming to Europe's rescue during and after WWII.
    That said, Leiter is always a second banana to his British super-agent friend (in Bond's world, American intelligence services are tops when it comes to money and good equipment, but not much else). He's Fleming's way of placing America second to the UK. He's also used to inject spontaneity and humor into the Bond novels. Leiter delivers far more wisecracks and witticisms than Bond--he's someone the reader would like to have drinks with, whereas Bond is serious and melancholy. So Felix is there to help Bond out and to liven up the books. None of the movies have really captured the true Leiter--onscreen the character is rendered colorless and bland. Wright's Leiter has been given more to do than other Leiters, but his personality is still under-developed.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 14,822
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    He's a blonde, colorful, hawk-faced Texan, whose clothes hang upon him like those of Frank Sinatra. And we've yet to see him in a Bond film.

    I thought we had a very close version in DN and TB.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    edited November 2013 Posts: 2,483
    Ludovico wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    He's a blonde, colorful, hawk-faced Texan, whose clothes hang upon him like those of Frank Sinatra. And we've yet to see him in a Bond film.

    I thought we had a very close version in DN and TB.

    Jack Lord probably came closest, but didn't really possess the literary Felix's humor. Van Nutter came closest in the looks department, but was far too much of a lightweight to mirror Fleming's creation.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again--with better acting chops, Jimmy Dean would have been perfect for the role.

  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 14,822
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    He's a blonde, colorful, hawk-faced Texan, whose clothes hang upon him like those of Frank Sinatra. And we've yet to see him in a Bond film.

    I thought we had a very close version in DN and TB.

    Jack Lord probably came closest, but didn't really possess the literary Felix's humor. Van Nutter came closest in the looks department, but was far too much of a lightweight to mirror Fleming's creation.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again--with better acting chops, Jimmy Dean would have been perfect for the role.

    I think maybe they tone down Felix's humour and personality so he wouldn't outshine Bond.
  • BeatlesSansEarmuffsBeatlesSansEarmuffs
    Posts: 3,564
    I'd recommend everyone interested in this topic take another look at the bar scene between Criag/Bond and Wright/Leiter in QoS. In just a few minutes, Leiter warns Bond that the CIA is very near to capturing or killing him...and the pair share some very pointed joshing on the topic of American foreign policy vs. British actions in the same arena. This scene goes a long way for me in terms of showing both their personal and their professional "bonds."
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    Ludovico wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    He's a blonde, colorful, hawk-faced Texan, whose clothes hang upon him like those of Frank Sinatra. And we've yet to see him in a Bond film.

    I thought we had a very close version in DN and TB.

    Jack Lord probably came closest, but didn't really possess the literary Felix's humor. Van Nutter came closest in the looks department, but was far too much of a lightweight to mirror Fleming's creation.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again--with better acting chops, Jimmy Dean would have been perfect for the role.

    I think maybe they tone down Felix's humour and personality so he wouldn't outshine Bond.

    Entirely possible. Reading Fleming, there are times when I do think that Leiter is the dominant character. Not always, but sometimes.

  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
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  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited December 2013 Posts: 14,822
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    He's a blonde, colorful, hawk-faced Texan, whose clothes hang upon him like those of Frank Sinatra. And we've yet to see him in a Bond film.

    I thought we had a very close version in DN and TB.

    Jack Lord probably came closest, but didn't really possess the literary Felix's humor. Van Nutter came closest in the looks department, but was far too much of a lightweight to mirror Fleming's creation.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again--with better acting chops, Jimmy Dean would have been perfect for the role.

    I think maybe they tone down Felix's humour and personality so he wouldn't outshine Bond.

    Entirely possible. Reading Fleming, there are times when I do think that Leiter is the dominant character. Not always, but sometimes.

    I think it may be partially why Felix got crippled very early on in the novels.

    It has also become a cliché by the time of the shooting of the first movie. I mean the wisecracking American and the stiffed upper lips Brit. It works in the novels, but not sure it would have worked while establishing a Brit as the hero.

    Ironically enough, I think today it may be the other way round: British is seen as much cooler.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited December 2013 Posts: 9,117
    Bradford4 wrote:
    They've shared a woman a few times

    Pray tell - when did this happen?

    Personally I'm not a big fan. I like things best when Bond is utterly alone. I can stomach Felix saving Bond out of the blue in CR but the cavalry coming to Bond's aid in GF after the rather unconvincing 'taping a letter with REWARD written on it' plot device is somewhat lame.

    I don't mind the scenes where they eat and have a big of banter but he should stay on the periphery. For all those saying they want to see more of Jeffrey Wright (or indeed Lewis??!?) I'm afraid I don't. He's good in the role and I don't mind a few scenes but the idea of Felix and Bond going after the villain like Danny Glover and Mel Gibson fills me with horror.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,799
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    They've shared a woman a few times

    Pray tell - when did this happen?

    Personally I'm not a big fan. I like things best when Bond is utterly alone. I can stomach Felix saving Bond out of the blue in CR but the cavalry coming to Bond's aid in GF after the rather unconvincing 'taping a letter with REWARD written on it' plot device is somewhat lame.

    I don't mind the scenes where they eat and have a big of banter but he should stay on the periphery. For all those saying they want to see more of Jeffrey Wright (or indeed Lewis??!?) I'm afraid I don't. He's good in the role and I don't mind a few scenes but the idea of Felix and Bond going after the villain like Danny Glover and Mel Gibson fills me with horror.

    That shared women idea sounds like something from a Raymond Benson Bond continuation novel, but I could be wrong.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 14,822
    I haven't seen them acting like buddy cops so far.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    Bradford4 wrote:
    They've shared a woman a few times

    Pray tell - when did this happen?

    Personally I'm not a big fan. I like things best when Bond is utterly alone. I can stomach Felix saving Bond out of the blue in CR but the cavalry coming to Bond's aid in GF after the rather unconvincing 'taping a letter with REWARD written on it' plot device is somewhat lame.

    I don't mind the scenes where they eat and have a big of banter but he should stay on the periphery. For all those saying they want to see more of Jeffrey Wright (or indeed Lewis??!?) I'm afraid I don't. He's good in the role and I don't mind a few scenes but the idea of Felix and Bond going after the villain like Danny Glover and Mel Gibson fills me with horror.

    Here, Here.
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