Home › Bond Movies › Actors
Reporting For Duty
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Categories
Louis Jourdan aka Octopussy's Prince Kamal Kahn 1921-2015 RIP
For Bond fans, today is a sad day as we learn the news of the passing of Louis Jourdan. (Birth name,Louis Robert Gendre) Born in Marseille, France, to Yvonne and Henry Gendre on 19th June 1921.
He trained as an actor with René Simon at the École Dramatique. He debuted on-screen in 1939, going on to play cultivated, polished, dashing lead roles in a number of French romantic comedies and dramas. During World War 2, Louis' father was arrested by the Gestapo, and he joined the French resistance with his two brothers. His film career came to halt after he refused to act in Nazi propaganda movies. In 1948, David O. Selznick invited him to Hollywood to appear in The Paradine Case (1947); he remained in the USA and went on to star in a number of Hollywood films, in 1958 he appeared in what would be one of his most memorable roles Gigi in the role of Gaston Lachaille the multi Oscar winning romantic comedy, alongside co stars Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier and Eva Gabor.
His career was hampered by the limitations of the roles he was offered, most of which featured him as an old-fashioned Continental lover.
Married for 68 years to Berthe 'Quique' Frederique Jourdan a childhood sweetheart until her death in 2014, the couple had one son Louis Henry. Sadly his son committed suicide in 1981 from a drug overdose.
Notable film roles included, Three Coins In The Fountain, Letter from an Unknown Woman and the title role in the TV movie
Count Dracula (1977).
But it was the role of Prince Kamal Kahn, the exiled Afghan Prince in the 1983 movie Octopussy, that Bond fans will fondly remember him.
Louis Jourdan was a close friend of producer Cubby Broccoli. Having turned down the role of Hugo Drax in Moonraker, Jourdan finally gave into his friend, and took the villain role of Kamal.
For me Kamal was one of my first introductions to the 'Bond villain'. I have always loved the character. Sinister, utterly corrupted and evil. Yet with a charming streak. I've always found him to be a truly underrated villain. The infamous Sotheby's auction as Bond pushes the bidding for the Faberge Egg and then later using the loaded dice trick against him at the backgammon tables are two of my highlights of the entire series. And both Roger Moore and Louis Jourdan play it was such understated ease.
Octopussy also affords us one of the rare times when the villain not only challenges Bond to a game. And loses.
But also wines and dines OO7, before he will ultimately kill him. The image of Kamal Kahn enjoying sheeps eyes is well remembered by Bond fans.
So too is the jungle hunt that follows, as Bond must escape the sadistic hunt in which he is the prize. What could've been more tense and thrilling is let down by a gag. Though until this point, it's rather good.
Kahn who is cohorts with Octopussy and General Orlov, double crosses Octopussy to aid Orlov in his quest to detonate an atomic bomb in West Germany.
After retreating back to his palace in India, after Bond foils the plan, he is pursued by Bond as he flees in his private plane with Octopussy as his hostage.
After Bond hangs onto the exterior of the inflight plane, and causes the aircraft to lose one of it's engines and descend. Bond rescues Octopussy as the plane briefly lands, but plummets over a cliff killing Kamal in the process.
Octopussy is the film that made me a Bond fan, in no small part thanks to the wonderful performance by Louis Jourdan. His line delivery is joyful.
Louis Jourdan passed away on Saturday 14th February at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 93.
He trained as an actor with René Simon at the École Dramatique. He debuted on-screen in 1939, going on to play cultivated, polished, dashing lead roles in a number of French romantic comedies and dramas. During World War 2, Louis' father was arrested by the Gestapo, and he joined the French resistance with his two brothers. His film career came to halt after he refused to act in Nazi propaganda movies. In 1948, David O. Selznick invited him to Hollywood to appear in The Paradine Case (1947); he remained in the USA and went on to star in a number of Hollywood films, in 1958 he appeared in what would be one of his most memorable roles Gigi in the role of Gaston Lachaille the multi Oscar winning romantic comedy, alongside co stars Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier and Eva Gabor.
His career was hampered by the limitations of the roles he was offered, most of which featured him as an old-fashioned Continental lover.
Married for 68 years to Berthe 'Quique' Frederique Jourdan a childhood sweetheart until her death in 2014, the couple had one son Louis Henry. Sadly his son committed suicide in 1981 from a drug overdose.
Notable film roles included, Three Coins In The Fountain, Letter from an Unknown Woman and the title role in the TV movie
Count Dracula (1977).
But it was the role of Prince Kamal Kahn, the exiled Afghan Prince in the 1983 movie Octopussy, that Bond fans will fondly remember him.
Louis Jourdan was a close friend of producer Cubby Broccoli. Having turned down the role of Hugo Drax in Moonraker, Jourdan finally gave into his friend, and took the villain role of Kamal.
For me Kamal was one of my first introductions to the 'Bond villain'. I have always loved the character. Sinister, utterly corrupted and evil. Yet with a charming streak. I've always found him to be a truly underrated villain. The infamous Sotheby's auction as Bond pushes the bidding for the Faberge Egg and then later using the loaded dice trick against him at the backgammon tables are two of my highlights of the entire series. And both Roger Moore and Louis Jourdan play it was such understated ease.
Octopussy also affords us one of the rare times when the villain not only challenges Bond to a game. And loses.
But also wines and dines OO7, before he will ultimately kill him. The image of Kamal Kahn enjoying sheeps eyes is well remembered by Bond fans.
So too is the jungle hunt that follows, as Bond must escape the sadistic hunt in which he is the prize. What could've been more tense and thrilling is let down by a gag. Though until this point, it's rather good.
Kahn who is cohorts with Octopussy and General Orlov, double crosses Octopussy to aid Orlov in his quest to detonate an atomic bomb in West Germany.
After retreating back to his palace in India, after Bond foils the plan, he is pursued by Bond as he flees in his private plane with Octopussy as his hostage.
After Bond hangs onto the exterior of the inflight plane, and causes the aircraft to lose one of it's engines and descend. Bond rescues Octopussy as the plane briefly lands, but plummets over a cliff killing Kamal in the process.
Octopussy is the film that made me a Bond fan, in no small part thanks to the wonderful performance by Louis Jourdan. His line delivery is joyful.
Louis Jourdan passed away on Saturday 14th February at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 93.
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
Great tribute @Benny.
A pretty cool Dracula.
R.I.P.
A very charismatic actor. I loved him as Kamal Khan, and in a very interesting episode of Columbo.
He was one of the old school greats. Classy and refined.
Thank you for your contributions sir. RIP.
RIP Louis Jourdan.
Anyways, Jourdan played an excellent mix of charm and evil as Khan, yet remained an understated character. Which is what I always liked about the Khan character. Even if something seemed like it could be OTT, Jourdan had the ability to bring it back to Earth.
I didn't until just now that he turned down the Drax role. I think he could have easily transcended his Khan character into Drax's character. In also reading Jourdan's bio (thank you Benny for posting), he helped the French Resistance during WWII and refused to participate in Nazi entertainment. I salute you Mr. Jourdan.
RIP to a great contributor to the franchise and a contributor to helping France regain its freedom.
Requiescat in pace.
I will check this out.
RIP to the man. I'm glad he lived a long life.
Connery specialized in the "poo-shee"
A very memorable Bond villain!
He joins the list of other iconic Bond lead-baddies that have passed on.
Lotte Lenya 1981, age 83
Curt Jurgens 1982, age 66
Adolfo Celi 1986, age 63
Gert Frobe 1988, age 75
Telly Savalas 1994, age 72
Donald Pleasance 1995, age 75
Charles Gray 2000, age 71
Joseph Wiseman 2009, age 91
Louis Jourdan 2015, age 93
Jourdan is the second of the Rog-era leads to pass.
The longest serving living lead-villain remains Yaphet Kotto age 75. Christopher Lee is the oldest living at 92.
Wrong thread, sir.
Jean-Claude Michel dubbed Sean Connery from Marnie when he is not playing James Bond until 1971 and therafter becomes his main voice until his death just after Entrapment. Mr. Michel also dubbed George Lazenby only once as James Bond.
Bernard Dhéran took over for the last 2 films of Sean Connery: Finding Forrester and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
As Prince Kamal Kahn, he was the most elegant and regal of Bond villains.
Prince Kamal Kahn: "Go out, and get him."
Gobinda: "Out THERE?"
Prince Kamal Kahn: "GO!"
R.I.P
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo_(1961_film)
RIP man.
Jourdan's delivery was just great. There is a gentlemanly charm in the way he says his lines that makes Khan such a good villain for me.
He continued signing fanmail into his early 90s, and wasn't until the final year or two that his health prevented him from further signing given the volume of letters he received.
RIP Mr. Jourdan, your memory will live on and continue to provide us with joy and entertainment.
Forgive the sound and picture quality. But this is one of the series best 'game' scenes.
Perfectly shows off Kamal Kahn to be the cheat and slippery character that he is. The loaded dice that Bond uses against him, and using the Faberge egg as collateral is just the best ace up the sleeve I can think of.
Louis Jourdans face when first the egg is placed on the table, and then Bond using the dice as well. The double sixes line without looking down, is about the coolest Bond has been.
Just brilliant stuff. Top notch Bond versus villain.