Michael Billington

I was just reading Michael Billington did photo shoots to cast him as Bond for OHMSS. I wondered if these were ever made public and if anyone has them?

Comments

  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    This what you're after?

    AA_OLD_MAN_5.jpgaa_old_man_4.jpg
  • bainesy1usbainesy1us Posts: 42MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    This what you're after?

    AA_OLD_MAN_5.jpgaa_old_man_4.jpg

    Thanks Barbel.

    I presume they are from the shoot. He looks rather Bondian lol
  • IanFryerIanFryer Posts: 327MI6 Agent
    bainesy1us wrote:
    Barbel wrote:
    This what you're after?

    AA_OLD_MAN_5.jpgaa_old_man_4.jpg

    Thanks Barbel.

    I presume they are from the shoot. He looks rather Bondian lol
    He certainly does, but those pictures are rather later than OHMSS, more likely from the 1980s when Billington was in line for Bond if Moore failed to sign up for FYEO/Octopussy.

    In 1969 Michel Billington looked more like this:
    tumblr_mxxppa_HNw_F1rnogako3_1280.jpg
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    For those of you not old enough to remember ,Michael played the part of Colonel Paul Foster in the hit 1980s TV show UFO ,l
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • IanFryerIanFryer Posts: 327MI6 Agent
    Well it was set in the 1980s but actually filmed in 1969/70
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    IanFryer wrote:
    Well it was set in the 1980s but actually filmed in 1969/70
    no way , I didn't realise it was that old , but a good show all the same
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • IanFryerIanFryer Posts: 327MI6 Agent
    One of my favourites, and I've written an entire book about the Anderson shows. There was even an excellent convention about the show in Derby last month with guests including Shane Rimmer and Alan Harris. The latter was the man who fired Qs ghetto blaster in The Living Daylights!
  • Dirty PunkerDirty Punker ...Your Eyes Only, darling."Posts: 2,587MI6 Agent
    IanFryer wrote:
    One of my favourites, and I've written an entire book about the Anderson shows. There was even an excellent convention about the show in Derby last month with guests including Shane Rimmer and Alan Harris. The latter was the man who fired Qs ghetto blaster in The Living Daylights!
    Wasn't Shane Rimmer in Twice and Diamonds?
    a reasonable rate of return
  • Thunderbird 2Thunderbird 2 East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,774MI6 Agent
    He was indeed, and a certain Mr Ed Bishop is in YOLT too.
    There are a few names associated with Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's work peppered through Bond.
    This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
  • IanFryerIanFryer Posts: 327MI6 Agent
    Even Gerry himself was associated with the franchise at one point in the 1979s. He co-wrote with Tony Barwick a treatment of Moonraker for Harry Saltzman that he felt The Spy Who Loved Me took too many ideas from. The matter was eventually settled out of court, which unfortunately meant that Eon got to keep all copies of the script.
  • Thunderbird 2Thunderbird 2 East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,774MI6 Agent
    You say that as if it were a bad thing Ian!
    Its bad enough how the Kevin McClory situation complicated matters. By a clean resolution, it prevented any legal battles or bad publicity for either party.

    To be fair I was thinking of credited associations, actors like Jeremy Wilkin, David Healy, Vladek Shybel and of course, special effects wizard, Derek Meddings.
    This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Wasn't Shane Rimmer in Twice and Diamonds?

    And Spy, too. It's also possible that he dubbed the voice for Hamilton in LALD ("Whose funeral is it?").

    YOLT: AA_OLD_MAN_3.jpg

    DAF: AA_OLD_MAN_2.jpg

    TSWLM: AA_OLD_MAN_5.jpg
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    He even showed up in Batman Begins as a water plant controller, nice to see him
    still busy -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • IanFryerIanFryer Posts: 327MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    Wasn't Shane Rimmer in Twice and Diamonds?

    And Spy, too. It's also possible that he dubbed the voice for Hamilton in LALD ("Whose funeral is it?").

    YOLT: AA_OLD_MAN_3.jpg

    DAF: AA_OLD_MAN_2.jpg

    TSWLM: AA_OLD_MAN_5.jpg

    I did a long interview with Shane once and played him the LALD clip. He didn't remember doing it but agreed that it sounded like him. It sure isn't Robert Dix, the actor seen on screen.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Yes, it definitely sounds like Mr Rimmer! We had some debate here on whether or not it was him some years ago- I think it is.
  • IanFryerIanFryer Posts: 327MI6 Agent
    He even showed up in Batman Begins as a water plant controller, nice to see him
    still busy -{
    Shane's son worked on Batman Begins (location manager, I think), and Chris Nolan, a big Thunderbirds fan, asked if they were related. On learning they were father and son he cast Shane on the spot in the only role still available. That explains why Shane gets so many close-ups in the film!

    The last thing I saw him in was Tim Burton's Dark Shadows.
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,651MI6 Agent
    IanFryer wrote:
    One of my favourites, and I've written an entire book about the Anderson shows. There was even an excellent convention about the show in Derby last month with guests including Shane Rimmer and Alan Harris. The latter was the man who fired Qs ghetto blaster in The Living Daylights!

    Shane Rimmer also made an appearance last month in Paris for a Bond event commemorating TSWLM:
    http://007travelers.blogspot.com/2017/06/007-event-club-james-bond-007-france-20.html
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • IanFryerIanFryer Posts: 327MI6 Agent
    Wow, that sure beats where I last saw him, in Derby!
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    IanFryer wrote:
    Even Gerry himself was associated with the franchise at one point in the 1979s. He co-wrote with Tony Barwick a treatment of Moonraker for Harry Saltzman that he felt The Spy Who Loved Me took too many ideas from. The matter was eventually settled out of court, which unfortunately meant that Eon got to keep all copies of the script.
    Excellent! I'm going to look for it on Amazon.
  • ml94ml94 FinlandPosts: 79MI6 Agent
    I think he was too "lightweight" to carry a Bond film.
    "Bond, James Bond"
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