Unless you're an uber film nerd or a gigantic fan of classic Bond movies, the name Guy Hamilton won't mean a whole lot to you.
You have, however, definitely seen some of his films. Hamilton was the director of Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live And Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun, successfully bringing James Bond further into the mainstream and blending action-adventure with sexual innuendo and black humour.
Incredibly, incredibly saddened to hear the wonderful director Guy Hamilton has gone to the great cutting room in the sky. 2016 is horrid.
— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) April 21, 2016
In fact, much of the tone and feel of Goldfinger was replicated over and over again in the proceeding films, all of which came from Hamilton's sharp eye and keen sense of direction. Outside of the Bond films, Hamilton also directed Force 10 From Navarone, which starred a young Harrison Ford and Robert Shaw and the Michael Caine-starring Funeral In Berlin. He also directed war epics such as The Battle of Britain and The Colditz Story.
His last credited film was Try This One For Size, a suitably daft adventure thriller about a Russian artifact that starred David Carradine. What's perhaps more interesting is that Hamilton was linked with more than a few interesting films that he passed on, one of them being the first Superman film.
The story has it that Guy Hamilton was, at the time during the '70s, a tax exile from England and could only spend 30 days in the country. The production was supposed to be taking place in Italy, however Marlon Brando refused to travel to Italy and insisted it take place in England. Brando's wishes were met and Hamilton dropped out, only to be replaced by Richard Donner. As well as Superman, Hamilton was also offered the chance to direct a Batman movie in the early '80s, but likewise, passed on it for perhaps similar reasons.
Hamilton passed away at the age of 93.
