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This is a list of James Bond allies in the 1956 novel and 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever.
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Recurring allies
Willard Whyte
| Willard Whyte | |
|---|---|
| Character from the James Bond franchise | |
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| Affiliation | Entrepreneur |
| Portrayed by | Jimmy Dean |
Willard Whyte is a fictional character from the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. He was played by American actor and singer Jimmy Dean.
Biography
James Bond traces suspicious activity back to the recluse Willard Whyte, who resides as a recluse in his penthouse apartment in the Whyte House in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to Felix Leiter, no one has seen him for years, yet he still apparently runs his multi-billion-dollar business empire single-handedly.
In reality, Whyte has been imprisoned in his own desert mansion by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is using a voice simulator to impersonate the billionaire over the phone. Blofeld has thus assumed control of Whyte's aerospace company and used it to develop a laser beam satellite. Once the deception is uncovered by Bond, who proceeds to rescue Whyte, the grateful billionaire uses his contacts and funds to assist in the destruction of Blofeld's lair on an oil rig off the coast of Baja California. Thus, the world is saved and Whyte regains control over his corporate empire.
Character basis
The character of Whyte takes several traits from eccentric industrialist Howard Hughes such as the similar name, his multi-billionaire status, the ownership of aerospace corporations and his reclusive behavior. Around the time of filming, Hughes too, was secluded at a Las Vegas hotel, similar to Whyte's character. The Hughes-owned Landmark Hotel and Casino, since been demolished, was used for the scene where Bond scales the hotel's outside elevators.
Hughes was a friend of Bond Producer Albert Broccoli, who created the Willard Whyte role after dreaming that Hughes had been kidnapped. In real life, Hughes was a great help to his friend in the production of Diamonds Are Forever; as he is known to have used his considerable influence in Las Vegas to facilitate the location film crew. Even so, the production team (especially Jimmy Dean, who was employed by Hughes as a casino entertainer at the time) was worried that that their publicity-shy patron might be offended by such a similar portrayal of himself in the movie. Reportedly, Hughes was pleased with the outcome when he saw the finished project.
Sir Donald Munger
| Sir Donald Munger | |
|---|---|
| Character from the James Bond franchise | |
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| Portrayed by | Laurence Naismith |
Sir Donald Munger is a fictional character from the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. He was played by British actor Laurence Naismith.
Munger is a diamond expert who appears near the beginning of the film to assist M in Bond's mission briefing. His special knowledge of diamond industry procedures and security precautions provide Bond with valuable information in his case against the diamond smugglers.
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