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James Bond's 'Q' Dies
Pzykotic writes "The great actor Desmond Llewelyn, who played Q in all but 2 Bond films died in a head-on car crash in England today at age 85. I loved that guy, he will be sorely missed." Here's the BBC story. 72 readers submitted this news before we got it posted, so obviously Mr. Llewelyn was a bit of a geek icon, eh? Update: 12/19 07:51 by CT : I just watched Thunderball last night. God he was cool.
If you're driving a pickup truck, and they're driving a civic, you'll fair much better. In a head-on collision, the smaller car gets it worst.
I've actually seen it, but considering the way they have chopped and changed characters in the past, who knows what will happen!
John will probably make a good Q, but I can see other actors that would be quite good in the part, expecially those who already have scientific bent, and a possible comedy angle.
Possible scenario (whch could indeed start a whole new film) could have the science facility being destroyed by some terrorist group/whatever, and Bond goes out for revenge... "Q's Revenge".. who knows.. they've come out with some weirder stuff before! Anything is possible.
...that they introduced his successor in the latest film.
He will be missed.
That really stinks...I just Llewelyn in an interview with E just the other day about The World Is Not Enough.
Rather stinks that he died in a car accident on the way home after a book signing (right?). Bet the person who got into the crash with him feels like a piece of crap now.
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No co-incidence that he was in Chitty - since Ian Fleming wrote that book - and it had Cubby Brocoli in the production staff.
First they burn books, then they burn people.
It's sad, no doubt. But isn't it odd that they just introduced John Cleese as his successor? That, and the sly "getaway" as he descended from Bond's presence. Coincidence?
(Planting the conspiracy theory seed early)
'Now Bond, listen very carefully... this is the pen that goes "neee! neee! neee! ekkie ekkie ekkie ffffkang"'
Here's a CNN article on it as well
"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn
"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn out to fight for freedom and truth."
-Henrik Ib
I remember him from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Here's a listing of what he did.
The difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada healthcare is a right and gun ownership is a privilege.
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-- open source? sounds like the real book --
I hope Cleese will be able to stay on as long as Llewelyn did, and I also hope the other actors (like the one that plays M) stick around for a long time.
But not the Bond character - I like Brosnan as Bond, but I don't want another case of 'A View To A Kill', in which Roger Moore played Bond at a time when he was 58 (!).
We can second-guess ourselves too the max, but a chaotic universe where a butterfly's flight can influence a hurricane days later is just too damn complicated for us to bear responsibilities for such "If only"s.
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You cannot wash away blood with blood
Mr Showbiz has some more interesting background information, including Llewelyn's opinion on the actors playing Bond:
2 19/QDies121999.html
http://mrshowbiz.go.com/news/Todays_Stories/991
Well, admittedly no one can truely replace Desmond as Q, but John Cleese will make a wonderful successor. He has the wit, and the sarcasm to deal with the childish antics of 007. Oh well, Desmond is up in heaven right now...I can almost hear him saying "Now pay attention God. this here is standard mark 4 universe complete with the usuall refinements. Stars, planets, pulsars...DON'T TOUCH THAT! That's a black hole creator"
-- Wiccan Army, 13th Airborne Division "We will not fly silently into the night"
The films which have been done by United Artists (now MGM/UA) are considered the "Real" Bond series.
Please don't use "real" where "official" would be better.
The other Bond films have a character called James Bond and are substantially based on works by Ian Fleming, so they're as "real" as any other 007 movie. They just aren't part of the EON "official" continuity (such as it is).
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{Network engineer in Chicago--looking for work!}
Both howardpj and scudsucker are incorrect.
M was played consistantly by Bernard Lee from Dr. No through Moonraker (11 times); when Lee died in 1981, they filled in once (For Your Eyes Only) with a Minister of Defense (Geoffrey Keen), not an "M", then Robert Brown played M in Octopussy, View to a Kill, and Dalton's two (Living Daylights, License to Kill). Dame Judi Dench came aboard along with Brosnan (so she's been M less times than any one else who has been M, though she's been given more to do with the role than the others put together).
And Lois Maxwell, not Dench, was Moneypenny through all the Connery's and Moore's (and the Lazenby); Caroline Bliss was in Dalton's two, and Samantha Bond has been in Brosnan's three.
When in doubt, check with imdb. I did.
Mashed potatoes can be your friends!
Unfortunate they didn't let Dame Dench's "M" show a little more of the resourcefulness and tradecraft that she must have had as an agent before she got promoted to "M".
It was established on her entrance in _Goldeneye_ that she was a "bean-counter", possibly even from outside the intelligence community. She certainly wasn't ever a field agent.
(I wish they'd give her a name; Benson's books call her Barbara Mawdsley.)
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lake effect weblog
{Network engineer in Chicago--looking for work!}
Somebody on alt.fan.james-bond said it best:
God had a mission and needed his help.
We'll miss you, Des. Without you, how will 007 ever grow up?
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lake effect weblog
{Network engineer in Chicago--looking for work!}
I actually consider Q a better job than 00? agent.
Less violence. More technology. More luxurious deadlines. shorter commute. More comfortable cloths.
The only downside is that you need to recreate female company while _foo_ duty ( as opposed to when Bond dose it ).
Did I mention that I want to be 'Q' ? I have a thing for the technical genius in the background. Scotty or Laforge on Star Track and Forge in the X Men. You didn't think my name was original now ?
--= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
The two James Bond films which aren't part of that series are Casino Royale (1967, Quite a number of people playing 007) and Never Say Never Again (1983, Sean Connery as 007).
Q appeared in all of the "real" series movies, except Doctor No (1962, Sean Connery as 007) and Live and Let Die (1973, Roger Moore as 007). He first appeared in From Russia with Love (1963, Sean Connery as 007).
Probably my favorite Q device was "Little Nellie", the tiny killer gyrocopter 007 flies in You Only Live Twice.
I mourn his passing greatly, and I extend sympathy to his family, friends and fans everywhere.
%SYSTEM-W-ABORT, abort
In ``Live and Let Die,'' they were trying to play down the gadgets, so they bumped him. They called him within days of the release for the next one since so many people complained. :)
-Chris
that they should have brough John De Lance in as his successor...
I'm sure he was nothing like he was in his film. Otherwise he would have had an ejection seat and rocket boosters on his car. Although the articles don't sepcifically say it *doesn't* have rocket boosters...
"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn
"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn out to fight for freedom and truth."
-Henrik Ib
It'll be interesting how the Bond series handles this. Desmond had previously stated that he wanted to do the part until he died, and had supposedly made remarks that if he died on-stage that it was to be used as footage if possible.
So will it just be that Q retires, or that something happens to him in the next film? Only time, and his family, will tell I guess.
It is of course possible that they filmed an ending scene for him already. Then of course there is all the technical trickery that can be done with computers and existing footage (some of which would probably be from the cutting room floor).
Of course, no one will ever truely replace Q, but it will be a sought after role for many actors. So who should be the next Q? Slashdot poll anyone?
Whatever happens, I think there should be some sort of dedication to him at the start of the next film, such as In the memory of Desmond Llewelyn, may he rest in peace.
This is *really* sad. Just today, in our local mall, I noticed that he was signing books tonight, so I guess that Mr. Llewellyn must have been on his way back from the signing when he crashed the car. I was going to go to the event, but ended up seeing the new Arnie flick with some friends instead. Now I know what I *should* have done. He'll be missed, that's for sure. :(
Chris.
Austin Martin, BMW, etc. Never, EVER french cars. Now we understand why. I think it's pretty odd.
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> You've helped make Slashdot a place for obituaries.
Well, If the person who died was of interest or relevance to Geeks and Nerds, why not? I doubt there would be an arguement to the Slashdot gang posting RMS's, ESR's, or Knuth's obit. if they happened to kick the bucket. I think the same should apply to Desmond Llewelyn, or DeForest Kelly.
>If this IS news for nerds (by some twisted definition)
While neither of them directly contributed to computing or the Open Source movement, they both had an impact on every Geek I know, and most that I don't know. I think the fact that 72 people sent this in before it was posted shows this. Hell, I'd go so far as to say Q has had as much of an influence on me being a Geek as Lego and computers. Just because this particular posting isn't interesting to *you*, it dosen't mean that it's irrelevant to *lots* of other people.
"News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters." is not restricted to "News on Open Source. Stuff about Computers."
Mike
I was looking at the filmograhpy that someone linked to above, and in one of his movies (From Russia with Love i think), he is listed as Q (Major Boothroyd). I've never heard this name - maybe it was mentioned once then dropped. Anyway, a little trivia for you...
Personally, I don't think he will ever be replaced - I respect Cleese's work, and think he is a piss-funny comedian, but that's just not what Q was.
"Oh, grow UP, 007!"
First of all, I know this is about as off-topic as they come, but hey, karma may be sacrificied to get Slashdot the help it needs.
Now, I'm writing this as around 60 comments have been posted... of which nearly a fifth have been complete troll trash... and all apart from one of them has been an anonymous coward post.
I like to read at -1 or 0 because then I can read the unmoderated comments that may not be abusive, but not good enough to be top rated.
However, it gets to me the amount of sheer abuse and crap there is in this story.
Sod the whole anonymous coward concept - make them register and then if they're abuse, report the ip and time/date to their isp... who have probably got stringent rules about such behaviour.
Shame... 'Q' was my fave from the Bond films.
Of course he matters to us. 'Q' is the geak of the Bond mythology. Monepeny is the "pretty but prudish" secretary ( a nice enough role model from a moral perspective, for young girls ) and Bond himself is a civilized "Conan". ( think about that last one. It'll come to you :).
Q will be surely missed. I will be wearing a black arm band to see "The world is not enough" in memory of him. If anyone else cares to pay his/her respects in this way go right ahead.
The whole Bond thing is woven into Jamaican culture since Ian Fleming lived here when he wrote the early stories. At least 2 of the movies were set here ( in part ). "James Bond" ( the name ) was the author of a book on Caribbean birds. Mr. Fleming stole his name because "It was the most boring name I could find". He was more than a little surprised when at the opening of one of the 1st 007 flicks Mr. Bond walked up to him and introduced himself just like the goy in the movie. Except with ID to prove it.
Q. Of course was a key character in all of this. Without him, there would be no way to know before hand what kind of arsenal 007 carried and that would just make his antics seam a little lame.
--= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
As others have said, Llewelyn was the constant in the series; everyone else has changed. I think the current M actress has had the part longer than any other, one Money Penny actress had a long run at it but there have been 3 different ones in the last four movies, and everbody knows how many different Bond actors we've had. Hell, Bond's friend in the CIA, Feilix Lighter (sp) even managed to change races between movies.
:-)
How fortunate (for the Bond fans anyway) that they set up Q's succession in The World Is Not Enough. Cleese is a good choice, not only because he's a good actor but because he wont try to be like Llewelyn's Q. He'll be geeky and techy, but it looks like he has a low opinion of Bond and I look forward to watching them quibble in furture movies.
I hope Cleese will be able to stay on as long as Llewelyn did, and I also hope the other actors (like the one that plays M) stick around for a long time. I think it adds a lot to a running series if you keep the same people or objects around, like Llewelyn as Q or the Tardis in Dr. Who. Now they just need to find some Sophia Loren type chick (one that still looks great in her 60's) at the age of 18 to play Money Penny.
Goodbye Desmond, thanks for helping to make Bond into what he his today. You will be missed as one of the great geek heroes of this century.
Not only did Q have the ultimate job, but he was a constant. Be it Brosnan, Connery, or Moore (argh...Moonraker!...twitch...scream...) playing Bond, there was always Q. Good old Q. Good old "You must be kidding about the third nipple, Bond" Q.
If you can't be a 00agent, Q is the next best job. Fake fingerprints, exploding pens, third nipples, grappling hook watches, laser rifles, explosive bolas....that's the life.
Well, Q, you've given us words to live by.
"Don't let them see you bleed.
Always have an escape route."
You won't be forgotten. As long as ballpoint pens sprout needles, speedboats navigate the streets of London, and wrist dart launchers blow out centrafuges, we'll remember you.
===
-Ravagin
Karma: T-rexcellent.
Although I'm indifferent, I do think there is some validity in the original posters argument. If 70 friends of mine and I get together and submit stories about who won the Superbowl, it doesn't mean /. should post it as news. I mean look at the physics involved in football, projectile motion, action/reaction forces, etc., etc. etc. The point the original commentor was making was the fact that as /.'s audience grows, its loosening its standards -- its integrity -- and coming up with extremely weak justifications (the mere fact that he attempted to justify is proof in itself of the merit of the story) for posting stories which really don't belong. Why you say is this happening? Why everything happens in our society? Money. Of course you can only prostitute yourself for so long. Prostitutes do loose their looks after a while, and no one wants to be with an ugly and old prostitute. As /. heads more towards the mainstream, its original audience -- the people who told their friends and reload 100 times a day -- are going to leave. Once there exodus is complete don't be surprised when slashdot looks more like zdnet.com than a geek/nerd/unix oriented site.. Of course at this point, they will just be another whore on the street, and eventually will be lost in the crowd... Going with the general ideas in my post and the fact that people don't like the truth, I expect this comment to be moderated into oblivion quite quickly. Moderators, don't let me down!
As a member of the Slashdot community, I would like to take the time to offer my condolences to Desmond Llewelyn's family. I and many others in the Slashdot community are fans of his work, and he has also earned our respect for his longevity in Bond movies. Actors for the role of James Bond come and go, but Desmond as 'Q' has been with us almost forever. It is tragic that he has been taken from us in the prime of his life (he would have insisted on that, I'm sure). He will be sadly missed by all who have grown to love his role as 'Q' in James Bond movies, as well as his other acting roles.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - Edmund Burke
This is not true. See this article for further information.
85 in a head on car crash. Looks like he didn't stop living 'til his heart stopped.
Barbra Bach's character calls Q Major Boothroyd in "The Spy Who Loved Me".
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If you have 70 friends, then what are you doing on Slashdot?
:b
Maybe we should have a requirement that people get a certain score on the nerd test in order to post.
I can remember seeing my first Bond flick in a theatre (Octopussy I belive, so this will date me pretty well.) I remember what an impression Q made on me during that film. I mean Bond can go out and risk his life and all that, but Q had the best job. Make cool gadgets, and being during the cold war, you can be sure he didn't have to worry about budgetary constraints. Add to this his disdain for Bond who invariably loses or breaks his cool gadgets and you can see the parallels with the hard working coders who must eventually release their much slaved over code and give it to ungrateful users who will then break it....
Hell, he even helps have the day in that movie and is swarmed over by a bunch of numble young circus performers....
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...But I was absolutely certain that I had read an obituary and/or article about the death of Desmond Llewelyn (complete with his amazing military history) shortly before Tomorrow Never Dies was released. I was surprised when it came out and there was no "in memory of..." for him. Then I saw a trailer for TWINE and he was in it. I figured, "gee, either some newspaper severely fucked up, or he's CG."
The fact that he actally DOES die after TWINE is released and in the movie he "retires" seems odd. Very odd.
Did anyone else see the obituary/article two years ago? Where was it? I seem to recall it being an NYT thing.
-Chris
Let me die a youngman's death
not a clean & in between
the sheets holy water death
not a famous-last-words
peaceful out of breath death
When I'm 73
& in constant good tumour
may I be mown down at dawn
by a bright red sports car
on my way home
from an all night party
Or when I'm 91
with silver hair
& sitting in a barber's chair
may rival gangsters
with ham fisted tommy guns burst in
& give me a short back and insides
Or when I'm 104
& banned from the Cavern
may my mistress
catch me in bed with her daughter
& fearing for her son
cut me up into little pieces
& throw away every piece but one
Let me die a youngman's death
not a free from sin tiptoe in
candle wax and waning death
not a curtains drawn by angels borne
what a nice way to go death
(Roger McGough)
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