Favorite Bond Movie: Moonraker Goldfinger The Spy Who Loved Me
Favorite Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Crazy For Christmas, The Empire Strikes Back, League of Gentlemen (1960's British film), Big Trouble in Little China, Police Academy 2, Carry On At Your Convenience, Commando, Halloween III: Season of the Witch,
Besides being an American, Gavin was also so unbearably wooden and boring in the two movies I actually saw him in (Spartacus, Psycho) that I didn't even remember him the first time around. Granted, it's tough to stand out in casts that include Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, Peter Ustinov, Anthony Perkins, Martin Balsam and Janet Leigh, but pinning the future hopes and dreams of the James Bond film series on an actor with NO charisma or any memorable screen presence AT ALL was only inviting disaster. And this was AFTER the debacle of casting an Unknown, Non-Professional, First-Timer in OHMSS (regardless of the latter-day reappraisal four decades after the initial box-office slump and critical disapproval that the producers had to face at THAT time).
So even with Sean Connery's ghastly physical appearance by the time he filmed Diamonds Are Forever at only age 40 (even at the same age as Gavin), I still would've taken him over that boring stiff. The United Artists' then-Chief David Picker absolutely made the right call to overrule Broccoli's decision to actually cast Gavin in DAF instead of bringing back Connery at all costs, just because Broccoli didn't want the hassle of having to deal with Connery again*. IF Broccoli had his way then, there wouldn't be any more James Bond movies for Roger Moore to have been cast in and sustain for another 12 years. And that's not an alternate reality I want to live in.
* - That's right, even the Elder Broccoli was capable of grave errors in judgement as Babs is now (she had to get it from somewhere, right?). But apparently, the studios were actually sharp enough to recognize them for the poor decisions they were and rightly used their power to quash them. Now, they've become so feeble or indifferent that they're just letting Babs and her ilk get away with her pretentious bull$#!+ she tries to pass off as her "New and Improved" *Bond*. Pitiful.
Favorite Bond Movie: The Living Daylights, Licence To Kill, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, From Russia With Love, Tomorrow Never Dies & For Your Eyes Only.
Favorite Movies: American Mary, Deadlier Than The Male, Dracula, Saved, The Big Sleep, The French Connection, Under The Sand
I'm not saying that Cubby was perfect, but you can't really compare them. He didn't want Connery back, and having seen DAF, and how bored and out of shape Connery was, I wish that he didn't bother returning. Whereas Babs is soley responsible for Craig being cast. She wanted him, she got him, we're stuck with him.
Favorite Bond Movie: The Dark Knight Trilogy, Mission: Impossible, Kingsman: The Secret Service and The November Man or any upcoming actioners starring Pierce Brosnan (no, it's not James Bond which is good since it will help him expand his reputation as an actor especially in the action realm)
Favorite Movies: Star Wars Indiana Jones Star Trek The Dark Knight Trilogy Harry Potter Middle-Earth The Matrix Mission: Impossible The Mummy Jurassic Park Godzilla
Gavin has the look, but I'm not sure he's got the acting ability. But at least he would LOOK like Bond. As awful as the Bourne-ripoffs are, they'd be a lot easier to swallow if the character they're calling Bond (for some reason) actually LOOKS the way he's supposed to.