Omnibus: The British Hero was a 1973 episode of the arts-based British documentary series Omnibus. The hour-long episode chronicled British actor Christopher Cazenove starring as famous fictional British heroes from classic and contemporary literature such as Bulldog Drummond and Richard Hannay. However, the special is perhaps best widely known for Cazenove's portrayal of famous literary spy James Bond in two segments representing adaptations of Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever. These were considered to be more faithful to the novels than some later film and TV productions.
Behind the Scenes[]
Ian Fleming's James Bond also makes appearance in the 1973 BBC documentary Omnibus: The British Hero where he was played by Christopher Cazenove. The character, in fact, was leaning more to Fleming's interpretation of the character than the one seen in the classic movie franchise. The documentary included Bond in dramatised scenes from Goldfinger —notably featuring 007 being threatened with the novel's circular saw, rather than the film's laser beam— and Diamonds Are Forever's climactic fight scenes aboard the Queen Elizabeth ocean liner. However, the documentary's exception was that it wasn't actually a full length movie dedicated to the Bond character as Cazenove also played other characters such as Bulldog Drummond or Richard Hannay. Both of those characters served as inspirations for Bond.
Cast and crew[]
- Narrator: T.P. McKenna
- Heroes: Christopher Cazenove
- Villains: Graham Crowden
- Heroines: Gabrielle Drake
- Vamps: Katya Wyeth
- Grand old men: Roger Milner
- Best friends: Hugh Walters, David Trevena
- Minor villains: Simon Walsh
- Film cameraman: Eugene Carr
- Film editor: Paul Carter
- Writers: Alan Coren and Lawrence Gordon Clark
- Producer: Lawrence Gordon Clark
Behind the Scenes[]
Alan Coren
- Graham Crowden would later play First Sea Lord in an Eon film.
- The script writer Alan Coren was a notable writer and British media personality for many years.
- Gabrielle Drake and Katya Wyeth made regular appearances on British TV and films at the time. Drake was known for UFO (also featuring Michael Billington) and Wyeth for a minor role in A Clockwork Orange, and for gracing the covers of numerous 1970s pop records.