In Memoriam of supporting Bond actors who left us during 2019

By: Steve Oxenrider

Published:
2019-12-27

2019 saw the passing of some major Bond cast stars and crew. Who would have believed we’d see the deaths of British actor Albert Finney, Canadian actor Shane Rimmer, French actress Claudine Auger, American actor David Hedison, British editor Terry Rawlings, American actor Sid Haig and English actress/model Tania Mallet, among many others. 2019 lost a few minor, lesser-known stars as well. But they are always there for us on repeated viewings of our favorite Bond films. They had friends, family and fans that adored them and deserve to be recognized.

DAVID JALIL - Drax Boy in Moonraker (1979)

David Jalil was a French-Moroccan actor who was one of the 16 ‘beautiful people’, a supposed future generation of perfect physical specimens intended to take over Earth according to Hugo Drax’s plan. Aboard the Moonraker 6 shuttle Jalil is the companion of blonde beauty Irka Bochenko. Jalil made several films and television series in France and is perhaps best known for the 1988 Harrison Ford thriller Frantic.

David Jalil and Irka Bochenko in Moonraker

MORIS FARHI - Gypsy in From Russia with Love (1963) & Volcano Control Room Operator in You Only Live Twice (1967)

Moris Farhi was a famous Turkish author and strong advocate for freedom of speech and learning, especially support for persecuted or imprisoned writers of repressive regimes. He was noted for his novels Children of the Rainbow and Journey Through the Wilderness. In an earlier entertainment career he did uncredited script work on the BBC series Doctor Who and The Prisoner and had fleeting appearances as one of the gypsies in From Russia With Love and as a crater control technician in You Only Live Twice.
Farhi served as vice-president of International PEN, a worldwide association of writers, from 2001 to his death at age 84 in 2019. He passed away on 5th March.

PAUL DARROW - Doctor in Die Another Day (2002)

English actor Paul Darrow was best known for playing Kerr Avon in the BBC science fiction television series Blake’s 7 (between 1978 and 1981), The Saint and two appearances in Doctor Who. Darrow worked almost exclusively in British theater and television, except for film credits both as doctors in The Raging Moon and Die Another Day. In the later he is seen escorting Bond’s body after the prisoner exchange at the North/South Korea divide (filmed in Hampshire, England). Darrow appears very briefly in the next scene where 007 is taken aboard ship for medical observation and escapes MI6 custody. (So briefly, in fact, that Darrow and his wife weren’t aware of his appearance until I pointed it out!) Darrow recalls filming a longer scene with Judi Dench as “M” but sadly it was deleted from the final film. He passed away on June 3, 2019, at age 78.

Studio shot of Paul Darrow from Die Another Day.

BRYAN MARSHALL - Commander Talbot in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Bryan Marshall was a British actor best known for his portrayal of Commander Talbot of the submarine H.M.S Ranger in The Spy Who Loved Me. The character actor also got notice for his roles in Alfie (also directed by the late Lewis Gilbert), Quartermass and the Pit and The Long Good Friday. He emigrated to Australia in 1983 where he had success on the daytime soaps Neighbours and Home & Away. Marshall died aged 81 on 25th June 2019.

CARL BRADY - Musician with Byron Lee and The Dragonaires in Dr. No (1962)

Pussfeller’s restaurant nightclub scene with Bond, Leiter and Quarrel was shot over two days, filmed late evening, at Morgan’s Harbour open-air bar in Port Royale, Kingston, Jamaica in early 1962.The lively scene opens with a right to left panning shot of Dragonaire’s conga player Pat McGrath, vocalists Buddy Davidson and Keith Lyn, the latter belting out ‘Jump Up’, percussionist Carl Brady, guitarist Rupert Bent, bass guitarist and band leader Byron Lee in a yellow dinner jacket and further on in the crowd vocalist Tony Gregory. The Dragonaires band was originally formed around 1950 by Byron Lee and his friend Carl Brady and took its name from the St. George's College football team for which they played. Carl Brady was the only original member of the Dragonaires that continued to perform until shortly before his death.

Carl Brady in Doctor No. Copyright © 1962 Danjaq S.A. & United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved.

Tony Gregory, who also appeared in Dr. No with close friend of Carl Brady, said of his fellow band member, “Carl Brady was the corner stone of Byron Lee & The Dragonaires. One of the happiest human beings I’d ever met in my entire life. Never a dull moment.”

All text. Copyright © 2020 Steve Oxenrider. All rights reserved.

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