Grass roots campaign for Rikki Lee Travolta

Prime Time Entertainment, the U.S.-based management office for actor Rikki Lee Travolta of the famed entertainment family, has been inundated with copies of the Fleming novel from fans. Thousands of copies of the book have swamped the offices of Travolta’s managers – each inscribed with the simple message "You’re the One." "It appears to be a rather well organized grass roots marketing push of some kind," observed a movie insider from an adjacent office building - reports Movies Online.

While Travolta fits the youthful qualifications of Ian Fleming’s original vision of Bond, he appears at first glance as an odd favorite for diehard fans to be placing their hopes on. Born on foreign soil to a Scottish father and Swiss mother, the character of James Bond is a secret service agent in United Kingdom’s external security agency known commonly as MI6 (derived from the original title Military Intelligence, Section Six).

Travolta, however, is American; born in Marlon Brando’s hometown of Libertyville, Illinois. The film series producers, Eon Productions, under the guidance of the late Albert R. Broccoli, late Harry Saltzman, Barbara Broccoli, and Michael G. Wilson have never shied away from the idea of an American actor playing Bond. Adam West was offered the role of Bond in "On Her Majesties Secret Service" but declined the offer. John Gavin was actually signed to play Bond in "Diamonds are Forever" before Sean Connery was ultimately lured back at the eleventh hour.

Burt Reynolds was offered the role of Bond in "Live and Let Die" but declined the offer. James Brolin was signed to play Bond in "Octopussy" and in preparations to begin filming when Roger Moore was lured back to reprise the role. Other American actors to have been offered the role and decline it include Patrick McGoohan and Robert Wagner. American Barry Nelson did in fact play Bond in a television adaptation of "Casino Royale" in 1954, but is not considered one of the official Bond actors (Connery, George Lazenby, Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Brosnan). Film producers are familiar with the Hollywood mindset. Their embrace of an American actor as one of Great Brittan’s most high profile characters is understandable; the concern is on worldwide box office return.

So the question is: why on earth literary purists seemingly committed to Fleming’s dark original Bond are so actively campaigning for this American-born actor to play the quintessential British icon? Bond ended up serving the Queen in the secret service and sporting a fine brogue from British schooling, but he was foreign born. According to "James Bond: The Official Biography of 007" by John Pearson under the commission of official Bond publisher Glidrose, the character was born near Essen, Germany. A recent reinvented young James Bond novel "SilverFin" by Charlie Higson puts the birthplace in Switzerland, but still far from Mother England. Travolta too was born on foreign soil. Like Mel Gibson, Travolta was born in the United States but did not stay long. His father Michael Salvatore Travolta, was an Australian resident.

Although capable of a convincing American accent, in truth Rikki Lee Travolta speaks with a voice seasoned by the lyrical flow of the Australian Outback. Toby Miller, Professor of Cultural Studies and Cultural Policy at New York University, who originally hails from Australia and has diligently researched the James Bond phenomena, reported that the character of James Bond can only be convincingly played in cinema by someone who appears to have roots outside of England.

Thanks to `Kyvan` for the alert.

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