Willard White Speaking

[monkeysoulpoet]

Charles Gray played Henderson, Bond's British contact in Japan in You Only Live twice... some speculate that Blofeld took Henderson's identity. Makes about as much sense as anything else.

[TheRitchardgaleHater]

Telly Savalas was the best Blofeld

[zprodigy]

THEN WHO WAS PHONE?

[amcycletrans]

Willard Whyte speakin.... Yes Governor I got your message....No Governor I'm afraid a personal appearance is out of the question....Thank you Governor.

[Evilvillager1989]

Well, Charles Gray wasnt too bad as Blofeld, but somehow, he really didnt seem to be Blofeld. I think, Donald Pleasences Performance was the very best.

[Quex01]

@Evilvillager1989 Agreed, Pleasence had natural creepiness in him.

[TheRealJamDawg]

@Evilvillager1989 ...and he was great in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. ;-)

[jimmysherriff]

THis has confused me for years about the James Bond movie mythology....Wasn't it Donald Pleasance who played the definitive Earnst Stablo Blofeld?

I'm assuming that the character that Charles Grey played was really some creepy camp clone who masqueraded as Blofeld? Or was he the boss of SPECTRE/SMERSH?

[Music4Ever]

Personally I think that Telly Savalas' Blofeld was better than either and that the faceless Blofeld of From Russia With Love and Thunderball trumps all, but to answer your question, in the movies, SPECTRE was destroyed at the end of You Only Live Twice, and in OHMSS and DAF Blofeld organized the remnants into his own private army to carry out his plans. In the books, SPECTRE was destroyed in Thunderball, then came OHMSS, then Blofeld died in YOLT. Blofeld was never part of SMERSH.

[jimmysherriff]

Ah I see. I haven't read any of Ian Flemings Bond novels so thanks for the info!

[Music4Ever]

To answer your question about "the character that Charles Grey played was really some creepy camp clone who masqueraded as Blofeld", in the novels it's established that Blofeld is a master of disguise and would frequently undergo plastic surgery to change his appearance so that none could recognize him. The movies seem to reflect this notion, as Blofeld's voice changes frequently, and his appearance too. Actually, the white cat cliche was created for the movies, and was never in the books.

[Xelemachus]

That was pretty good.

[johnnymac1989]

See this clip reminded me how unique Charles Gray's take on Blofeld was.