Emile Leopold Locque (Michael Gothard)

Datastream Actor: Michael Gothard Character: Emile Leopold Locque Movie: For Your Eyes Only Date of Birth: 24th June 1939 Height: 5' 11" (1.80 m) Appearance: Close-cropped, wavy blonde hair, harsh features with tailor-made octagonal-framed spectacles. Status: Terminated Organisations & Alliances: Aris Kristatos, Eric Kriegler, Hector Gonzales Profile A convicted criminal who escaped from prison by strangling his psychiatrist, Emile Leopold Locque is Kristatos' right hand man. The cold-blooded killer has been known to be involved in drug syndicates in Marseille and Hong Kong. His calling-card is a dove-shaped lapel pin which he normally punctures his victims skin or clothing with postmortem.

Personality
A sly and vicious killer, Locque is the perfect associate for the greasy but seemingly innocent Kristatos. Tasked with the more hands-on duties of the smuggler's intricate business, Locque delights in his work. His last post was as an enforcer in a prominent Brussels-based mafia, before going freelance and winding up with Kristatos. Little else is known of the killer. A man of very few words but when he does talk it is to the point and always about business. A presumed psychopath, the goon has grown somewhat controllable under the ever-vigilant watch of Aris Kristatos.

Involvement
Locque is first spied by James Bond when he delivers a payoff to Hector Gonzales, who had brutally gunned down Melina Havelock's parents (really agents for the British Government). Bond watches from his place in the undergrowth as Locque brings payment and when things turn heated, the goon kills one of Gonzales' guests. The villain is quick to react when Gonzales is murdered by the lovely, yet deadly, Melina Havelock - out for revenge. Locque takes the cash and escapes the scene with ease.

He pops up again in Cortina, where 007 is meeting with the local MI6 agent on the scene, Luigi Ferrara. He watches on as Eric Kriegler, the "boyfriend" of Bibi Dahl, attempt to assassinate 007 in a high-paced ski chase. Locque also organises the killing of Countess Lisl, with his team of dune buggy's.

After Kriegler fails to take care of 007 and his MI6 cohort, Locque takes matters into his own hands by killing Ferrara in cold blood. This angers the British spy and Bond has his revenge after he discovers who the assassin is working for. Locque is on the scene when Bond and Columbo raid Kristatos' warehouse. Bond gives chase as the villain escapes by planting a bomb.

Ultimately, Locque reaches a nasty end. He is shot several times by Bond whilst trying to flee. Later, 007 gives his vehicle the boot from a teetering cliff top. Before Locque dies, Bond "returns" the dove pin Locque left with Bond's ally, Ferrara.

Biography
Michael Gothard was born in London, UK, on 24th June 1939. It took this would-be actor some time to decide what he desired to do with his life. He toured Europe whilst he considered his options, performing various jobs as a builder. He had his first glimpse of showmanship when he took a job as a male model but he professed to feeling uncomfortable in this career and returned to his home city of London, aged 21.

He took roles in amateur theatre on returning to London and served a lot of his time behind the scenes at local performance houses, notably the New Arts Theatre in London. Meanwhile, he held down a day job and took night-classes in acting. Gothard volunteered to audition for a film his friend was making and was offered the lead. The acting bug had bitten.

His first TV role came aged 27 when he appeared in a token episode of "Out of the Unknown", a little-known sci-fi series. Two years later, he secured a regular role in TV's "The Further Adventures of the Musketeers", playing Mordaunt in 10 episodes of the '60s drama.

Gothard earned the lead role in "Herostratus" (1967) which focused on the life of a tormented poet. He went on to earn roles in "Fraud Squad", "Armchair Theatre", "Arthur of the Britons", and a lead in the miniseries "Arthur of the Britons".

Soon the actor was winning regular TV roles and carved out a career as a quirky character actor. He was reportedly described by director Curtis Harrington as the "most neurotic actor I have ever worked with". Harrington and Gothard worked together on obscure horror "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?"

After winning the role as the silent but deadly villain in John Glen's "For Your Eyes Only", Gothard continued his bit-part and guest starring career, largely in British television. In the 1980s he appeared in TV movies "Ivanhoe" and "The Serpent of Death" (1989). "Frankenstein" (1992) was his last production before mysteriously and tragically taking his own life at his Hampstead home in 1992.

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