Dr Kananga's First Name in Live and Let Die (1973)?

DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
edited July 2015 in Bond Movies Posts: 17,728
Something I've been wondering about for a while is why the main villain of Live and Let Die (1973) is never given a first name in the script or in any point in the film - he is simply known as Dr Kananga. Obviously, Bond fans know that the scriptwriter of LALD Tom Mankiewicz named the main villain Dr Kananga after the owner of the Jamaican crocodile and alligator farm seen in the film - a certain Ross Kananga. Ross Kananga was honoured in this way because he had done the very famous crocodile stepping stone stunt dressed up as James Bond and was nearly bitten in his attempts (see the LALD rushes for footage of this).

So if his name was not Dr Ross Kananga then what was it?

The only other main villain in the Bond films that I can think of is with no first name is Le Chiffre and he was called this as well in the Bond novel of the same name (he was a displaced person after WWII).

Does anyone know why Dr Kananga has no first name?

Would anyone care to give him a (sensible) first name?

If so, I'd love to hear from you. :)

Comments

  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    First names is for tombstones, beh-beh!
  • Posts: 159
    He has a first name but they didn't care to share it with us because there's no need for us to know it.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Kananga Kananga so good they named him twice. ;)
    Poor Felix so unlucky, that he sadly got maimed twice.
  • edited July 2015 Posts: 1,661
    Dr. Kananga was the leader of San Monique, an island in the Caribbean. I did an online search for Caribbean boys names.
    Agwe: from Haiti
    Ajay: from Jamaica
    Aldane: from Jamaica
    Alejandro: from the Dominican Republic
    Azacca: from Haiti
    Bembé: from Cuba
    Ché: from Cuba
    Emeterio: from Cuba
    Emilio: from the Dominican Republic
    Hennrick: from Haiti
    Homero: from Cuba
    Jaden: from Trinidad
    Jaheim: from Jamaica
    Javel: from Jamaica
    Keneil: from Jamaica
    Kosmo: from Cuba
    Mendo: from Cuba
    Odane: from Jamaica
    Omario: from Jamaica
    Paz: from Cuba
    Pirro: from Cuba
    Tajo: from Cuba
    Zidane: from Jamaica

    Take your pick!

    I quite like Javel Kananga. :)
  • Posts: 2,483
    doubleoego wrote: »
    First names is for tombstones, beh-beh!



    =P~
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Or Kosmo Kananga.

    I wish they had just called him Gallia. Going from Kananga to Scaramanga is a bit...odd. Why not call Stromberg Strombanga while we are at it?
  • Posts: 2,483
    fanbond123 wrote: »
    Dr. Kananga was the leader of San Monique, an island in the Caribbean. I did an online search for Caribbean boys names.
    Agwe: from Haiti
    Ajay: from Jamaica
    Aldane: from Jamaica
    Alejandro: from the Dominican Republic
    Azacca: from Haiti
    Bembé: from Cuba
    Ché: from Cuba
    Emeterio: from Cuba
    Emilio: from the Dominican Republic
    Hennrick: from Haiti
    Homero: from Cuba
    Jaden: from Trinidad
    Jaheim: from Jamaica
    Javel: from Jamaica
    Keneil: from Jamaica
    Kosmo: from Cuba
    Mendo: from Cuba
    Odane: from Jamaica
    Omario: from Jamaica
    Paz: from Cuba
    Pirro: from Cuba
    Tajo: from Cuba
    Zidane: from Jamaica

    Take your pick!

    I quite like Javel Kananga. :)

    Kosmo! Although in this day and age, Che is probably more appropriate.



  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Or Kosmo Kananga.

    I wish they had just called him Gallia. Going from Kananga to Scaramanga is a bit...odd. Why not call Stromberg Strombanga while we are at it?

    Yes, I always thought so too.
  • Posts: 4
    In the Live and let die's 1984 role playing game, he is named Dr Emman Kananga :-)
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Aubergine wrote: »
    In the Live and let die's 1984 role playing game, he is named Dr Emman Kananga :-)

    Thanks very much for that! And welcome to our community here, @Aubergine.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    His real name is Indianga Kananga.
  • Posts: 4
    Thanks
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Don t mention it.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Aubergine wrote: »
    Thanks

    Are you broadshoulder on AJB by any chance?
  • edited July 2015 Posts: 5,767
    You´re not getting the bigger picture. San Monique this or that, Kananga clearly had Arian roots, therefore his first name was Willibald.


    On another note, Willibald was probably his middle name, since the Dr in front of his name clearly is an abbreviation of Dieter.
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    Or Kosmo Kananga.

    I wish they had just called him Gallia. Going from Kananga to Scaramanga is a bit...odd. Why not call Stromberg Strombanga while we are at it?



    :)) ...nice Seinfeld reference
  • Posts: 4
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Aubergine wrote: »
    Thanks

    Are you broadshoulder on AJB by any chance?

    No, I'm not. why?
  • Posts: 669
    Since the character was named after Ross Kananga, who owned the crocodile farm where the infamous croc jump was shot (and, indeed, performed the jump himself), I always think of Dr. Kananga's first name as Ross.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Aubergine wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Aubergine wrote: »
    Thanks

    Are you broadshoulder on AJB by any chance?

    No, I'm not. why?

    Oh, it's just he gave the same answer! I thought perhaps you were him as a result. :)
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Kostas_P wrote: »
    He has a first name but they didn't care to share it with us because there's no need for us to know it.

    Well, perhaps but I'm just very curious you see as virtually every other Bond film villain (Le Chiffre aside, as noted in the OP) has a first name given except dear old Dr Kananga and I wondered why, hence the creation of this thread.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    Kwananga Kananga.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited July 2015 Posts: 17,728
    Kwananga Kananga.

    Point of Order from the noble lord, Lord Dragonpol:

    Thanks and all that, but the OP did say:

    Would anyone care to give him a (sensible) first name?
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    edited July 2015 Posts: 1,874
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Kwananga Kananga.

    Point of Order from the noble lord, Lord Dragonpol:

    Thanks and all that, but the OP did say:

    Would anyone care to give him a (sensible) first name?

    Sorry! Full name is Kwananga D Kananga. :))
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,328
    Galia Kanaga sounds cool.
  • Posts: 14,799
    Or Kosmo Kananga.

    I wish they had just called him Gallia. Going from Kananga to Scaramanga is a bit...odd. Why not call Stromberg Strombanga while we are at it?

    On the plus side it means both the name and the character can be used in future movies.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited August 2015 Posts: 17,728
    I suppose that if you think about it Tom Mankiewicz naming the main villain of Live and Let Die after Ross Kananga is like an early (albeit non-monetary) version of the "Insane Stunt Bonus" from Grand Theft Auto for jumping over the backs of the crocodiles so many times to get the shot for the film! :D
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