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Sean Connery had made it
clear he was returning for just one film, which despite its huge success
at the box-office had already begun to hammer the nails deeper into the
cinematic Bond’s credibility coffin, and in early 1972 the search was on
for a third Bond. Once more, Burt Reynolds and even Clint Eastwood’s names
were also thrown into the mix. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli felt he owed something to
John Gavin after his let-down in 1971, and he was briefly considered again
for the role of Bond in Live And Let Die, although nothing was
formally agreed. Roger Moore’s name had been linked with the Bond role for
some time, and he was formally announced as the next 007 at a press
conference at the Dorchester Hotel on August 1, 1972. |
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Gavin’s acting career
never really achieved the heights he dreamed of, and he gave several
more unmemorable performances in the early 1970s, before returning to
television with supporting roles in long-running popular shows such as
The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. During this time he
was also President of the Screen Actors Guild. In parallel with his
acting career Gavin had a brief foray into politics and a return to
his cultural roots. In June 1981 he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to
Mexico by President Ronald Reagan and served until June 12, 1986.
John Gavin remains
unique in that he is the only actor to ever have been offered the role
of James Bond and to sign a contract but never actually play
the character. His tenure was very brief – five weeks at the most, and
his signing was an interesting ‘what if?’ question, in the same way
many people now view George Lazenby. What if Lazenby had not quit as
007 when he did, and gone on to star in
Diamonds Are Forever as
was originally intended? The same speculation is also applied to Sean
Connery if he had made On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when
that film was originally announced following the success of
Goldfinger in 1964. The fact remains that neither actor did this,
but John Gavin was contracted to play James Bond, but through a
cruel twist of fate (which repeated itself when Pierce Brosnan
originally secured the role in 1986) was prevented from doing this.
His name has now probably usurped that of
Barry Nelson in James Bond
folklore as the ultimate trivia question for die-hard fans. |
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Sean Connery would return
to play James Bond one final time, in the ill-conceived
Never Say Never
Again in 1983, making his involvement with the character even more
fragmented. With the fifth and final Daniel Craig outing
No Time To Die
finally released in September 2021, the actor has become the
longest-serving James Bond with the smallest number of films to his
credit. Gavin was, and always will be, the shortest-serving James Bond
with no films to his credit. Gavin died at his home in Beverly Hills,
California on February 9, 2018 aged 86. |
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ACTOR AND AMBASSADOR
John Gavin (April 3, 1931 - February 9, 2018) |
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ABOVE: John Gavin in
his two most famous screen roles (left) as Sam Loomis with Janet
Leigh as the ill-fated Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's
Psycho (1960), and (right) as Julius Caesar in Stanley
Kubrick's Spartacus (1960).
BELOW: John Gavin was President of the Screen Actors Guild from
1971-1973, and was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in June
1981 by President Ronald Reagan and served until June 1986.
(bottom left) Gavin pictured with U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan
(1921-2016) as they visit Mexico City following the 1985
earthquake. (right) John Gavin with his second wife actress
Constance Towers. The couple married in 1974. |
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© 007 MAGAZINE 5 December
2021
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