James Bond director Guy Hamilton dies at 93
GUY HAMILTON, most famous for directing four James Bond films, has died aged 93.
Guy Hamilton directing Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever
Guy Hamilton passed away yesterday at his home in Palma, Mallorca, where he lived at the Miramar Polyclinic.
The French-born English film-maker was director on 22 movies between the 1950s and 1980s, but it was his turn at Ian Fleming's 007 that he'll be most remembered for.
Behind the scenes on Goldfinger
Having at first turned down Dr. No, the first James Bond film, Hamilton went on to direct Sean Connery twice as the MI6 agent. Firstly in the cult classic, and fan favourite, Goldfinger (1964) as well as the camper Las Vegas-set Diamonds Are Forever (1971), which Connery returned for after George Lazenby's only outing in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
He continued with this more tongue-in-cheek feel taking on Roger Moore's first two turns as the famous spy, Live and Let Die (1973) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), adding more comic relief in the form of Clifton James' Sheriff J.W. Pepper: "You're that Secret Agent! That English secret agent! From England!"
Suspense as James Bond faces deadly laser in Goldfinger classic
Sir Roger Moore, the only English actor to play Bond until Daniel Craig picked up the license to kill, took to Twitter this morning to share his condolences.
He said: "Incredibly, incredibly saddened to hear the wonderful director Guy Hamilton has gone to the great cutting room in the sky. 2016 is horrid.”
Incredibly, incredibly saddened to hear the wonderful director Guy Hamilton has gone to the great cutting room in the sky. 2016 is horrid.
— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) April 21, 2016
Hamilton's other credits include being Assistant Director on The Third Man (1949), where he also acted as Orson Welles' double for a couple of long shots.
Despite turning down chances to direct Batman and Superman movies, he also had a run in the war genre with movies such as The Intruder (1953), The Colditz Story (1955) and Funeral in Berlin (1966), which starred Michael Caine.