Sophisticated Hollywood Judgement

So you're the owner of the hugely profitable James Bond franchise,  a series of hard-charging spy thrillers with a hero who never fails to beat up the bad guys, heroically withstand torture, and unfailingly bed a string of gorgeous women in every film...

As was said of Ian Fleming's books back in the Cold War 50s when they began, "sex, sadism and snobbery"....

Now James Bond, inimitably played by Sean Connery, announces he's quitting the role - wants to be taken seriously as an actor.

What can you possibly do to replace such a screen icon?  Well, if you're highly respected multi-millionaire Hollywood Producer Cubby Broccoli, you offer this, possibly the biggest role in popular cinema, to....

Wait for it....

Dick Van Dyke!

Yep, you'd have to be nuts, wouldn't you?

But Van Dyke himself tells the story in an amusing article here, about his interview on Kevin Pollock's chat show.

Quote:  `If Van Dyke had really wanted the role, he was in the right place at the right time. Broccoli produced "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," and Ian Fleming, who created James Bond in a series of novels, wrote the story that was the basis for "Chitty Chitty." But instead of the American funnyman, Broccoli cast Australian model George Lazenby as Bond in 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."'

`Daniel Craig is already committed to the next two James Bond movies, the first arriving in 2015. But after he's done, perhaps the current producers of the Bond might consider giving Van Dyke another chance. Judging from his recent work, at 87 years of age he's still sharp, he has great timing, and he can dance. And he's even nimble enough to escape from a burning car. Now if can just work on that accent.'

There's a long video of the entire TV interview here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RJiptMYGA4