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Blofeld of your choosing??

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  • ColdfingerColdfinger
    Posts: 317
    All I know is that I prefer Blofeld's face concealed. It adds so much mystery to the character.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    Blofeld in FRWL is the best of them all and it's a pity that the mystery of his face disappeard so soon and it is worst to have a comic portrayal of him.
    Telly Savalas made an amazing rendition of a criminal mastermind, evil but not clownish.
    I don't like Pleasence that much, specially because of his voice which is an antithesis of what we heard on FRWL and TB. Charles Gray was just the kind of Blofeld that DAF deserved. And the one in FYEO is nothing of a parody of what Blofeld really is.
    As many other times, the best Blofeld is the one in Fleming's books, no doubt.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 13,936
    I'd choose Savalas as the best revealed Blofeld, but I really prefer the hidden face Blofeld from FRWL. It would be surreal to see this version in a future film.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I can sign your list, @Birdleson.
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    Posts: 12,270
    Telly Savalas is my favorite. I also enjoyed Donald Pleasence and the unseen Blofelds in FRWL and TB. I admit FYEO one was a bit hokey, but I loved the PTS itself.
  • Ottofuse8Ottofuse8
    Posts: 832
    Donald Pleasence's blofeld is awesome and is by far the best, although savales was great also
  • XXXXXX Banned
    Posts: 132
    Ottofuse8 wrote:
    Donald Pleasence's blofeld is awesome and is by far the best, although savales was great also
    Same for me, Donald Pleasence has the scar the cat everything really, he's perfect.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,331
    zGiHZpN.png

    In all seriousness. My favorite Blofeld is Telly Savalas by far.
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    Posts: 12,270
    Murdock wrote:
    zGiHZpN.png

    In all seriousness. My favorite Blofeld is Telly Savalas by far.

    Woohoo fellow savalas fan!!!
  • dramaticscenesofQOSdramaticscenesofQOS
    Posts: 1,280
    Telly Savalas' Blofeld has a cool edge for a villain. He was the Dominic Toretto in the beginning of the film with his friendliness to Bond but on wedding day, he became Bond's worst enemy.
  • TrueMiracle85TrueMiracle85
    Posts: 300
    Great question. Like most in this thread as far as a fleshed out Blofeld I have to go with Telly Savalas. Although I really do like Blofeld's presence in From Russia With Love as well. Tough call.
  • mirandafrostmirandafrost
    Posts: 368
    My ranking:

    1. Donald Pleasence (YOLT) - imo definitly the best one!
    2. Anthony Dawson/Eric Pohlman (FRWL,TB) - the mystery around Blofeld is great
    3. Charles Grey (DAF) - not the best one but still ok
    4. Telly Savalas (OHMSS) - don't really like him.
    5. Max Von Sydow (NSNA) - he doesn't fit
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    edited May 2014 Posts: 5,080
    Telly Savalas

    He is my favourite villain behind Zorin. He has very quotable dialogue, and someone who you really wouldn't like to cross. Savalas is a fantastic actor, and this especially comes over in scenes such as revealing his master plan to Bond and shouting down Campbell after he is caught. He has great screen presence, and a much more hands on Blofeld incarnation: and the best.
  • dramaticscenesofQOSdramaticscenesofQOS
    edited May 2014 Posts: 1,280
    I remember when Telly Savalas' Blofeld found out who Bond was...he treated 007 much like Dominic Toretto did with Brian O'Connor in the first Fast&Furious. Making Bond work for him and not feeding a guy to sharks. Plus, Savalas had a charisma when giving dialogue that was relaxed and interested in the logic of the conversation instead of just saying what kind of person he aimed to be. Much like how Toretto shows his human side despite being a criminal himself. This is why villains like Sanchez from LTK don't get voted off as quickly in contests of the best villains.
  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    Posts: 1,595
    Hidden Blofeld for me. Slight preference for the Thunderball incarnation. I love that set design and how the whole room is under his command. Ominous, campy, and a feeling of power.

    I also like Pleasance, Savalas, and Gray believe it or not. Each of them brings cool stuff to the table.

    Only Blofeld I dislike is FYEO.
  • JennyFlexJennyFlex
    Posts: 251
    I could be slightly biased because I just rewatched OHMSS the other day, but Telly Savalas would be my pick.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I think Donald Pleasance was the best one, at least the identity was revealed if nothing else, although From Russia With Love did add a bit of intrigue. Charles Gray's representation was poor, and too soon after his Dikko Henderson character. Savalas was OK, but didn't offer the menace of the others. As for the one from the pre titles sequence from For Your Eyes Only - the least said the better
  • dramaticscenesofQOSdramaticscenesofQOS
    Posts: 1,280
    Someone mentioned the way Telly's Blofeld held his cigarette was cool....yeah I couldn't take my eyes off that. Snoop Dogg holds it the same way in the movie Baby Boy. It's ominous.

    When will there be justice for OHMSS? FYEO doesn't count.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    MayDayDiVicenzo wrote:
    Telly Savalas

    He is my favourite villain behind Zorin. He has very quotable dialogue, and someone who you really wouldn't like to cross. Savalas is a fantastic actor, and this especially comes over in scenes such as revealing his master plan to Bond and shouting down Campbell after he is caught. He has great screen presence, and a much more hands on Blofeld incarnation: and the best.

    For a child, you are very kulturny.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Thunderfinger wrote:
    MayDayDiVicenzo wrote:
    Telly Savalas

    He is my favourite villain behind Zorin. He has very quotable dialogue, and someone who you really wouldn't like to cross. Savalas is a fantastic actor, and this especially comes over in scenes such as revealing his master plan to Bond and shouting down Campbell after he is caught. He has great screen presence, and a much more hands on Blofeld incarnation: and the best.

    For a child, you are very kulturny.

    Thank you. I'm sure Tania will approve.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I approve, and that is all that matters.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    1. TB Blofeld
    2. FRWL Blofeld
    3. Donald Pleasance Blofeld
    4. Charles Gray Blofeld
    5. Telly Savalas Blofeld
    6. Max von Sydow Blofeld
    7. John Hollis Blofeld
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,090
    there is only one Blofeld, Donald Pleasence. All the others are bad imitators. I like the unseen Blofeld, but it is not right to call that a character.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    OHMSS
    Blofeld gets screen-time and definitely the best Blofeld by far.
    The rest is forgettable to downright embarrassing.

    Of course I prefer not showing his face, so TB did this probably the best way.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Thought I'd bump this, as the release of SPECTRE is imminent. Of course I've moved my own brilliant observations to the fore.

    I rank the Blofelds as follows:

    1. Anthony Dawson/Eric Pohlman (FRWL,TB) - The unseen Blofeld is still the best. This version is decisive, ruthless and scary. The mystery adds so much to the inhuman threat that this character is. He is feared by all, his authority is never questioned. His voice is almost robotic, but underneath it one gets a sense that he takes a perverse enjoyment in the "punishments" he meets out to his underlings. There is even menace in the way he strokes the cat. The character was never so frightening as when he was unseen and unmoved.

    2. Telly Savalas (OHMSS) - To me, this is by far the coolest and most magnetic of the Blofelds that we fully see on screen. He was the first screen Bond villain to come across as an actual human being, not a caricature of villainy (which I don'y have any problem with either, by the way). Savalas seems to truly enjoy being a charming asshole. He's right in there when it comes to the action, he is as merciless as his predecessor, and just as willing to sacrifice the hired help. His speech about wiping out all forms of vegetation and love stalk forever is wicked cool. And I love the way he holds his cigarette!

    3. Charles Grey (DAF) - I know a lot of people see this guy as too campy (I say take a look at my # 4 for that), but I dig his charm and just barely understated humor in all of his actions and words. I don't even mind him dressing in drag to get-away. It must have been a smart idea if so many fans think that it was way out of character. Who would suspect? I'm not crazy about the film, and I definitely think that the ending was disappointing, and the plot was fairly silly, but I think Grey gave us a solid interpretation of the character; confident, sophisticated, witty and ruthless.

    4. Donald Pleasence (YOLT) - I admit that when I first saw him in 1968 at the drive-in, at the age of six, I thought that Pleasence's Blofeld was frightening. But that was basically because of his facial deformities. As the years go by I think increasing less of this version. He's a joke. He is not threatening in a physical sense as at all, and I don't just mean because of his physical stature (though that is a factor, he looks like a joke standing next to Connery). It's the way he carries himself, his wide-eyed, permanent look of fear. Where as all of the Blofelds listed above kept their cool in (almost) all situations, this guy is constantly wired and on edge. He looses how shit and never seems to know how to handle any unexpected development. Even in the earlier scenes where he is unseen, he seems to be thrown way too easily and exposes his panic to those under his authority, "Kill Bond,now!" , in a whiny fashion that my #1 pick never did. Even the way he handles the cat is unimpressive. He clutches it to his chest like a shield or a security blanket. I cannot take this guy seriously. No sense of menace.

    5. Max Von Sydow (NSNA) - What a waste of one of the most talented actors of the past 60 years.

    6. John Hollis/Robert Rietty (FYEO) - If you saw it, you know why it's here. This could have been great. Still, an excellent set up at the grave stone, though.

    This would be my view, for the reasons outlined above. The Dawson/Pohlman incarnate is way out in front for me.
  • RC7RC7
    edited October 2015 Posts: 10,512
    Birdleson wrote: »
    None of them seem to genuinely evoke Fleming's depiction(s). Maybe the unseen Blofeld is the closest in temperament, at least in relation to the character's debut in THUNDERBALL.

    This is it. I was going to say in my previous post, no one has yet nailed it and (to ref the above) Pleasance was the furthest wide of the mark. Not only does he lack physical stature, he lacks screen presence, which next to Connery is a double fault. The scenes in the control room look like Connery is school prefect, come in to mock the diminutive new starter who's acting up. If they'd bolstered the idea of him as a super-intelligent being it would've elevated it slightly, but he appears to be a bumbling, deformed dwarf. Pohlman's voice is perfect by comparison.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,090
    Birdleson wrote: »
    None of them seem to genuinely evoke Fleming's depiction(s). Maybe the unseen Blofeld is the closest in temperament, at least in relation to the character's debut in THUNDERBALL.

    First off, Donald Pleasence is the definitive Blofeld for the same reason that Connery is the definitive Bond.
    Secondly, I'm sorry but the Fleming Blofeld is a dog turd. I mean compared to the cinematic character. Fleming had started to loss the knack by that point. Thunderball and Goldfinger are two of the worst novels I've ever read, and I love Fleming. Early Fleming, that is.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,090
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Who could argue with such sharp reasoning?

    Ta, pet.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,331
    So far for me currently Telly Savalas is the best Blofeld. he had Bond suavness to his personality and was genuinely menacing. He looked like a good physical match for Bond too.

    I pretend Pleasence's Blofeld is a decoy running the Japan operation and Grey's Blofeld is Henderson turned traitor working as Blofeld's new Number 2.
  • AntiLocqueBrakesAntiLocqueBrakes The edge
    Posts: 538
    1. The unseen Bond (Frightful. No. 1 should never have been revealed).
    2. Pleasance (Iconic. Owns the look. Failure to shoot Bond at the end made him comedic unfortunately).
    3. Savalas (Brings the pain in a physical way. Real cool. Still looks and acts like a detective though).
    4. Grey (Henderson? Please.)
    5. "I'll buy you a delicatessen." (Hilarious. Wish he could have been the bad guy in OP.)
    6. Did I miss one? Nope. Not at all.
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