James Bond Villain Richard Kiel Dies at 74

hollywoodreporter ^ | 09/10/2014 | Mike Barnes

[prisoner6]

He played Jaws, the towering bad guy with the steel teeth, in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'Moonraker'

Richard Kiel, the 7-foot-2 actor who played Jaws, the James Bond villain with the teeth of steel, died Wednesday. He was 74.

Kiel broke his leg last week and died in St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., according to several media reports.

Kiel's signature character appeared in the Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).

[Sans-Culotte]

Only 2 (or 2 1/2, if you count Doctor No, which was reasonably faithful to the novel) of the films were pretty scrupulous regarding their respective novels: "From Russia With Love" and "Goldfinger". The film "Thunderball" began the great diversion from the novels, and by the time of the atrocious "You Only Live Twice", said diversion was complete.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was fairly faithful as well. I never expect a movie to slavishly follow a novel. In light of how the later films turned out, I'd say the first 4 and OHMSS were pretty faithful. Too bad they abandoned the plots; Moonraker was my favorite novel. If they ever do another "reboot", I'd like to see the stories set in the 50's with a brylcreemed Bond who can smoke and drink and be sexist.

[Oratam]

He looked in pretty bad shape in Happy Gilmore. He either is leaning on a cane or on an extra in every one of his scenes. I was sad for him but thought Adam Sandler was a decent due for casting him and giving him a paycheck.

[driftless2]

"You Only Live Twice"

You mean the one where Sean Connery was the worst fake Japanese villager in movie history?

[Conan the Librarian]

“If the Bond movies were true to the Ian Fleming novels, there wouldn’t have even been a Jaws character”

He was in the book “The Spy Who Loved Me”. One of the henchmen sent to burn down the motel. Can’t remember his name in the book, but, he had a mouth full of metal teeth.

The other henchman had the disease that causes you to have no hair on your body.

Kiel was also Miguelito Loveless’ first henchman “Voltare” in the Wild Wild West.

[Red Badger]

I really liked him in Happy Gilmore......................

[TwelveOfTwenty]

He was memorable, and a Christian too. RIP.

[PATRIOT1876]

I heard that he died in an underground lair in a Rube Goldberg-type machine that had lots of laser beams.

[SAJ]

OK, I;'ll add OHMSS to the "half" list. The BW plot was thoroughly skirted in the film. Best thing about the OHMSS film was unquestionably Diana Rigg. Telly Savalas, whom I loved as an actor, was grotesquely miscast. Lazenby should have known better than to follow Connery as Bond.

Moonraker was a dandy novel. Problem with making it into a film in the 1970s was that the plot in the novel was so badly dated by then.

Agreed as to the time frame of any 'rebooted' film series. Probably why the early films (1962-1965) were easily the best. This Craig fellow is unwatchable, sorry.

[SAJ]

That was absolutely embarrassing. Donald Pleasance made an excellent Blofeld, I thought, though. That ridiculous helicopter-in-a-suitcase took the prize for pure jackassery.

[AlienandStranger]

The henchmen in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME were typical gangster thugs sent to burn down the motel- and the only thing resembling Jaws were Horror’s steel teeth.

Plus, if you remember the book, it was written by a “woman” named Vivienne Michel and had nothing to do with a Soviet spy (played by Barbara Bach in the movie) or a super villain.

[Oratam]

Yes and was set in NY’s Adirondack Mountains near Lake George. Fleming (through Bond) describes Troy, NY as a criminal suburb of Albany. Wonderful!

[West Texas Chuck]

Had to read through this thread twice to find a reference to Pale Rider.

Mucho garcias!

[lesko]

Pale Rider is a great show!