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MI6 collates James Bond's use of pseudonyms and
falsified identities over the 21-film legacy... |
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The Name's... Bond?
12th February 2008
Over the cinematic legacy of Secret Agent 007,
Bond can be witnessed utilizing a variety of original and hi-tech
solutions for infiltrating an enemy's estate - however the
best methods are often the simplest. In over half of his on-screen
missions to date, Bond has been assigned a legend, alias or has
falsified identification papers to protect his identity and used
this to successfully get close to a target and sometimes even escape
undetected.
From Russia With Love
In the 1963 outing, Bond and Tatiana are
arranged passports with the alias of Mr. and Mrs. David Somerset, thanks to
the resourceful Kerim Bay. With this pseudonym,
Bond is able to transport the Russian Lektor device across the Turkish
border and eventually home to England. The operation would have come off a
complete success if not for the brutal efficiency of assassin Red Grant -
who shows no mercy when executing SPECTRE's master plan.
Right: Bond and Tatiana
escape Turkey aboard the Orient Express. |
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You Only Live Twice
Bond travels to Japan under the guise of Mr. Fisher in "You
Only Live Twice". This alias is the newly appointed
director of the slightly shady Empire Chemicals and Bond takes
the opportunity to snoop around Mr.
Osato's
stronghold.
"Smoking is very bad for your health, Mr. Fisher."
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On Her
Majesty's Secret Service
Bond is on the trail
of Blofeld after
his escape from Japan, yet he appears to have dropped completely
off the radar. MI6 traces him through London's College
of Arms when are hermit-like scientist in the Swiss Alps
is claiming title to the Comte de Bleauchamp.
Bond takes
the place of Sir Hillary -
the College's most respected heraldic authority. In these
scenes, George Baker (who plays the real Sir Hillary
Bray) lends his voice to Lazenby in order for 007's character
to match the same accent of this respected English gentleman. |
"I hope you are not afraid of heights, Sir Hillary."
In the Alps, Bond convincingly carries off the
persona of Sir Hillary, but with tad more flair than the real
Bray might have expected. It is not until Bond is caught slipping
into one of the patient's bedrooms in the dead of night that
suspicion is aroused.
Diamonds Are Forever
Bond, with a little help from MI6, switches ID with this
rogue diamond smuggler, Peter Franks, in order to infiltrate
the shady ring of diamond-runners. When the real Franks
escapes holding in the Netherlands and tries to rendezvous
with Tiffany Case,
Bond has only one option - kill James Bond.
After
a grueling lift-shaft battle, and with Miss. Case watching,
Bond disposes of the body, appearing to retrieve his
own ID from the corpse. Franks proves doubly useful
as his body makes a snug vessel for $100,000 worth of diamonds. |
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Above: Tiffany Case (Jill
St. John) is the contact who is expecting "Peter Franks" |
Later in the adventure, Bond and Tiffany - who
is "one
of the good guys now" - check into the Whyte House hotel
as Mr. and Mr. Jones, and thanks to the resourcefulness of Felix
Leiter, they manage to claim the bridal sweet.
When snooping around Willard Whyte's technical complex Bond takes on the alias of Klaus Hergescheimer, a radiation specialist he met in the hallway. His plan is foiled by happenstance when the real Hergescheimer makes an appearance.
The Man With The Golden Gun
Bond poses as the man himself, Francisco
Scaramanga, when meeting with corrupt Chinese businessman
Hai Fat - one of the marksman's best clients. As nobody knew
what the man looked like, Bond assumed he was safe. Alias Scaramanga
proves a gutsy and foolish guise as Hai Fat and Scaramanga had
been working together on a business deal. 007 is invited back
that evening, for dinner and death.
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The Spy Who Loved Me
In order to infiltrate Stromberg's
laboratory, a great sea-bound aqua-city in the Mediterranean
Bond and Anya pose
as Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sterling, marine biologists.
Bond has done his homework this time and
is able to discuss Stromberg's favourite topic with aplomb.
The plot is foiled by the toothy-killer Jaws,
who had run in to 007 once before. "James Bond.
And the woman is Major Amasova, a Russian agent. Let
them get to shore... and then kill them." |
Octopussy
In an unidentified Central American country, Bond poses as the Colonel Louis Toro in order to infiltrate and destroy the Colonel's Air Base. Although he's stopped short by the real Toro, Bond is able to make his escape in the jet-set Acrostar and coax the guided missile meant for him into the airbase for an almighty explosion. Another successful mission.
"You're Toro too...?"
M arranges a
second identification for Bond on the "Octopussy" mission
- Mr. Charles Morton - a furniture manufacturers representative
on a business trip in East Berlin. In reality, 007 is tracking
forged Russian gems and a nuclear bomb.
A View To A Kill
James Bond wines and dines at Max
Zorin's exclusive stud auction as James St John Smythe,
a rich playboy with some inheritance to flutter. While his
cover is solid, Mayday and
Zorin remain suspicious of this over-zealous English flirt.
Later, 007 poses as a reporter, James Stock for the London Financial Times while interviewing Howe, a Geologist at the San Francisco City Hall. Stacy Sutton, Howe's second in command falls completely for Bond's alias and simply cannot believe Stock is a British agent.
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"Hello. My name is James St. John Smythe. I'm English."
The World Is Not Enough
When joining Renard's landing party at a nuclear facility in Kazakhstan, Bond poses as Dr. Mikhail Arkov of the Russian Atomic Energy Commission. Dr. Christmas Jones, the prettiest of the scientists at this facility, is certainly not convinced by Bond's cover, but 007 protests that his accent is thanks to studying at Oxford.
Above: Moon and Zao are suspicious of 007 from his chopper's
touchdown... |
Die Another Day
Bond rendezvous with diamond smuggler Van Bierk and apprehends the arms dealer
before he can make his drop with Colonel Moon at
his outpost just north of Korea's Demilitarized Zone. Bond maintains his cover
by attempting to sell the diamond's to the corrupt Moon, but Zao
identifies Bond for who he really is. Sensing it safer to make a run for it,
Bond escapes on hovercraft - not before setting off the diamond-based
explosives.
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Casino Royale
Bond and Vesper are
assigned aliases by MI6 for their mission in Montenegro.
Mr. Arlington Beech and Miss Stephanie Broadchest, professional
gamblers set to take on Le
Chiffre at high-stakes Texas Hold'em Poker. Vesper
resents her cover and Bond soon dispenses with it.
"My name is James Bond, you'll find the reservation under Beech." |
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