Originally, I’d planned on a little Diana Rigg action this week, but the chosen film that once existed on YouTube now can only be viewed in some mis-framed abomination that I just will not allow on my #Bond_age_ broadcast network. Never fear, I’ve taken the opportunity to order a UK DVD of the movie and Diana will make her Ladies’ Night appearance at a later date. What this means for you more immediately is that Jill St. John got moved up to fill Emma Peel’s shoes. I realize that this is not a one-for-one swap, but I have faith that the film that we are scheduled to view this week will make up for the Jill St. John to Diana Rigg deficit.
Jill St. John’s most visible big screen role was of course Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever. But here are a few things about Jill St. John that you might not realize.
At age 11 in 1951, Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim) appeared in two episodes of the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. She signed her first motion picture contract with Universal at 16 and made her big-screen debut in Summer Love (1958) starring opposite John Saxon. She received a 1964 Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Come Blow Your Horn (which also featured a guy named Frank Sinatra). She also appeared in the first two episodes of the Batman television series as the Riddler’s moll Molly and appeared in “The Yada Yada” episode of Seinfeld withhusband Robert Wagner.
Our Jill St. John movie of the week is the Rod Taylor-starring semi-sincere spy thriller The Liquidator (1965). Dropped in the middle of the spy-crazed 60’s, The Liquidator features a title-track sung by Shirley Bassey and a Lalo Schifrin score. Schifrin claimed to have consciously distanced himself from the Barry-style scoring done for the Bond films. Taylor plays Sergeant “Boysie” Oakes, an agent that literally “oopses” himself into the employ of the British secret service to eliminate leaks within the agency. Off the record, of course. Things go well until Jill St. John enters the picture (Isn’t that always the case? Get it? CASE? TIFFANY CASE?) and Oakes finds himself in over his head.
Join #Bond_age_ for the Ladies’ Night live tweet of THE LIQUIDATOR on July 19th @ 9pm ET. Follow #Bond_age_ hashtag. An embed will appear on the Programming tab of this site.
April 23rd, 2014 – The Tournament of Bonds launches with the 16 seed: the DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER live tweet. We had a few thoughts. Not all of them were especially pleasant.
INITIATE THE DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER LIVE TWEET (before we change our minds)
Watching this video to prepare for tonight’s live tweet of #DAF (just to keep myself in check): http://t.co/ANurc4wyra
We’d endured the DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Live Tweet once before. Some of us were glutton for punishment. For others, it was their first time. #DAF had yet to pop their cherry. Jill St. John. Bambi and Thumper. The Moon Buggy. Oh how much fun #DAF could be with good #Bond_age_… so… so… awesomeful.
INITIATE the DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Live Tweet Digest
Hide yo’ kids. Hide yo’ wife. And hide yo husband ‘cuz we’re giving good #Bond_age_ to DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER! INITIATE MISSION! #DAF
Diamonds Are Forever: “Welcome to hell…” or Is It Just Las Vegas?
by Tom Wilcox
Diamonds Are Forever is by no means the best James Bond film, but it is certainly an idiosyncratic one. Blofeld clones? A moon buggy chase? Gay hitmen? Blofeld in drag? Country singer/future sausage king Jimmy Dean as a reclusive billionaire? Fitness-obsessed lesbians giving Bond an ass-kicking? You can only say you saw these in one movie. Diamonds Are Forever is nothing if not memorably off-the-wall.
When reviewing the strange case of Diamonds Are Forever, it’s important to consider a little historical context. 1971 was not exactly overflowing with movies you’d call “fun”. More like overflowing with “portraits of existential despair.” Bond shared the box office with films like The Last Picture Show and The French Connection. These are excellent films, but bleak, and lacking in that all important movie element – lasers. The return of Sean Connery and the promise of some honest-to-god entertainment (and lasers!) was enough for audiences to make the movie the third-highest grosser of 1971. (more…)
Oh it’s that time again. It’s time to deny the existence of Bond’s dead wife. It’s time to dump ooze on Blofeld and call it “revenge.” It’s time to visit Circus Circus, you know, for fun. It’s time to use a 2-hour movie to set up a five-second joke about Jill St. John’s bum. It’s time for Bambi. It’s time for Thumper. It’s time for DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Live Tweet. The first Diamonds Are Forever live tweet was a goddamn riot. I’m telling you now. DO. NOT. MISS. THIS. LIVE. TWEET. You’ve been warned. Join us Wednesday at 9pm EDT. Follow #DAF hashtag. And may Fleming have mercy on your followers.
