INT: Your first two Bonds, Sean [Sean Connery] left and then Roger Moore came aboard. What sort of difference did that make?
GH: Well, the difference was that I'd done, I said you know, "I don't want to do another Bond [James Bond]. I thoroughly enjoyed doing DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, but I want to go and do other things." "You signed up to do the one without Sean." I said, "Yeah, but Sean..." "You've signed up to do the one without Sean, and that's what you've got to do." So, Roger [Roger Moore]. First of all Roger, you're an intelligent man, whatever you do, we must not try and play Sean. I will help you in every way I can, and the Writer and I are taking out all this sort of Sean schtick: "Stirred not shaken, my name is bond," you know all the, you know have a free run at it. And Roger [Roger Moore] is a very bright human being and did not try and imitate Bond, and we start off in Jamaica. Incidentally, I took--This is franchise talk; it seemed to me that one of the joys about Bond, that was nothing unique about it, it's pretty girls, adventure, thrills, laughs, all the things that cinema has always been about. Except it's added the latest technology, whatever it was. The best car. Bond cannot use a lighter, it's got to be the latest Dunhill [luxury cigarettes], it's got to be, it lights two cigarettes at once. There's no lighter that does that, we'll let's make one. Anything. If he uses a pen, it's got to be, you've never seen it before. Watches, all the props have got to be, that was Harry Saltzman's department, always wanting the newest thing.

GH: It seemed to me that one of the joys of going to see a Bond [James Bond] movie, apart from all the things that we've mentioned, was you went to places that you were probably never going to go to in your life. You wouldn't be able to go to Jamaica. In the '60s [1960's], there were no tours. There were no, travel was hugely expensive. Going to Jamaica, it was only Virgin [may be referring to Virgin Islands] and things like that, so I'm going to take you to all places where you've never been to and your jolly lucky for the price of a ticket to also be going there. And I was very keen on where shall we take Bond this time? You have to think. You can't take Bond to Marseilles [France], because it's dirty, there are tarts, you don't meet Mr. Big I mean, there are no big yachts in Marseilles. Monte Carlo [France], is where Bond should go because that's where you meet Mr. Big who has got a huge yacht. On board, there are ample ladies. And, but so many pictures have been shot in Monte Carlo [France], that we've got to go somewhere else. Where should we take Bond this time? And we had long, serious talks. I'm in Paris. What about the Eiffel Tower? What could we do with the Eiffel Tower? I know, push the villain out and he gets stuck on the...that's not all that funny. Be marvelous if you blew the left leg of the Eiffel Tower and it went doooo-thud. No, people would be hurt, that's not Bondian. And you know very well, that Harry [Harry Saltzman] and Cubby [Albert R. Broccoli] always talk about, it's not Bondian. And they're right. There are things that are Bondian and there are things that aren't Bondian. All right, nothing. What's Paris got? Sewers. Oh they've done that in THIRD MAN [THE THIRD MAN]. Something else in Paris, we move on. And Cubby and I moved on to many locations and moved on. We had a look around Lebanon. Great casino. Skiing, which you don't expect. But nothing unique. Egypt I knew because I'd done it with Carol [Carol Reed], we'd been around there. But I fiddled around with the thought of Bond is told to be by the 29th kilometer post on the road, and he sits there in the middle of the night, and there's absolutely nothing, just desert, desert, desert. And he lights a cigarette, and behind him, a pyramid rises. And an old door opens and there's a light, you know? Mr. Bond. And the pyramid goes down. And Cubby said, "I like that." And Harry's [Harry Saltzman] much brighter, so he says, "What happens inside the pyramid?" I said, "I have no idea Harry, we haven't written the script." And this is all I could think of. The fourth Bond; Thailand. We invented Phuket [Thailand] which was an absolute no-no area, but I had seen, when I was in Indochina as it was then, some wonderful islands, north of Hanoi [Vietnam], which are very famous, and they grow out of the water, they're fabulous. And, but now they've been the Vietnam war and you can't go there, and I'm looking through National Geographic. And I see one of these wonderful islands. A sort of rocks come out of the sea. And it's in Thailand. I said oh, that's Bondian, you know. Where is it? And we got onto the embassy and they never knew where it was. And eventually we traced it down to Phuket [Thailand], and Cubby and I went down there, and that's a long story, but I mean that's how we set up shop and created what is now James Bond Island. And I regret we were responsible for the death of many, many people, because when the tsunami's came, they swept through Phuket [Thailand], and that area.

INT: Which Bond [James Bond] was that?
GH: That was THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. [INT: Right.] Locations are, locations for Bond important, for me. [INT: How did Roger [Roger Moore] refresh the franchise, do you think?] Well, he bought--There are things that Roger does extremely well. He is a good, light comedian. For me his shortcoming is that he is a pussycat. He's too nice to be Bond. When he hits somebody, you sort of feel, [LAUGHS] you know. Whereas, stunt men will tell you, Sean [Sean Connery] solemnly believes that stuntmen are there to be hit, you know, that's what they get paid for. And you, they try and rehearse with Sean, you know, I'll lead off with a left Sean you know, then you come with your right cross and so-and-so. And you give action, and Sean just goes bang! [Punches the air] And then, some poor man is reeling, and we haven't got the shot, and so Sean goes, "You were meant to start with a left." Oh, okay. [LAUGHS] And they're very careful because Sean would harass stuntmen. But when Sean hits, you feel that he's, he means it. Roger brought--We had to, you know, keep it light with Roger. Try and not do too much physical stuff. Yes, we can do some kung fu, because you can be taught how to do that sort of stuff.

INT: Looking ahead, looking at Dalton [Timothy Dalton], Brosnan [Pierce Brosnan], and Craig [Daniel Craig], do you think...? How have they refreshed the franchise?
GH: I always thought that Dalton was put in a very invidious position. He didn't know, I don't think the Bond [James Bond] people themselves quite knew what they were trying to do. I think there are a couple of very good Bond pictures, done after I left, and there are quite a few that I think are indifferent. But that's a matter of opinion. [INT: Did you think that the Brosnan and Craig thing had, you know, important effects on it?] Yes, but I think BOURNE IDENTITY has got an awful lot of--because I think that Barbara [Barbara Broccoli] and Michael [Michael Wilson] I think panicked a bit when they saw how successful THE BOURNE IDENTITY was and other things, and how, you know...And so Bond should not be so light hearted and we're living in different times, different audiences. You can't impress them with locations anymore, because they've been there on a coach tour. They've been there on a...There's a totally new ethos going on. [INT: Is that going to make it tough to keep it going?] It's gone on so long, because starting with [Albert R. Broccoli] Cubby and Harry [Harry Saltzman], they were passionate believers in Bond. They really worked hard, and they only cared about Bond [James Bond]. That was their baby and they were prepared to spend an awful lot of money, take a lot of risks. Once they were in the driving seat, they drove Bond. Harry left which was sad, because that was a big part of Bond that went. And basically, if the people who make Bond don't get fat, lazy, and rich and really care, and worry, and I think that Barbara [Barbara Broccoli] and Michael [Michael Wilson] do care desperately. Writers are their problem. And knowing in what direction they want to go. Which is difficult in this day and age, because all these tentpoles, which are nothing but bang-bangs and effects, and story's immaterial. The kids just want, I mean I think the editing of these films are hair raisingly...[SNAPS FINGERS] There's no cut. If there's any cut that's longer than three and a half seconds, they've lost interest. You got to...That I think is a big problem for them.

INT: Did you notice in your tenure, your four films, editing styles changing?
GH: Yes, I think so. And I don't think I kept up in the last one. [INT: What happened?] Well, I was not sufficiently conscious of the, my young audience having an attention span of demented fleas. [LAUGHS] You know, they wanted, get on with it. Where's the next bang coming from? [INT: And does that hurt Bond [James Bond], do you think?] For an old Bond fan, yes because I like to take the time, I like to look at the, I like the certain amount of elegance, and a bit of wit. [INT: Yeah, I was going to say, I mean, what you brought, you should tell me what you brought to Bond, but I think the faster these things go, the faster they're cut, there's no space for style and humor and--] I feel that, yes. [INT: So tell me, without being immodest, what, looking back on the four you did, and the franchise as a whole, what did you bring to the franchise?] I hope a little bit of humor, and a little bit of wit. Keep away from plot, because there's an awful tendency to get too much plot; people don't go and see a Bond film for plot. Or shouldn't. You should have lots of other things to entertain them with. [INT: And that's what you and the Writers moved towards?] Yeah.

GH: Fleming [Ian Fleming] is obviously a key part of the franchise. His relationship to Bond [James Bond] is a long and very complex story, because for the first eight years or so, it as a total failure as far as with films, see? They were turned down, they were taken, they were optioned, they were never used. Bond hopped from place to place. Then, nothing happens until Cubby [Albert R. Broccoli] and Harry [Harry Saltzman] get together. Different personalities, but they brought different qualities to Bond. And...[INT: What were those?] Harry the circus man, he, just after the war, worked for a circus agent, called Mickey Golden who was a big, sort of a traveling circus. And circuses were always going broke. Not enough money to keep the elephants, and feed the elephants, or there's a problem where the elephants couldn't ride the truck on the train. And Harry was always sent to sort these things out, and he realized at a very early age, that once the elephants are gone, the life of that circus was over and done with. And to him, Bond is a show. Cubby was much more filmically minded; the casting, the ladies, the elegance. Spend any sort of money making it elegant. Harry wasn't interested in that, but together they made a tremendous double act. And they set the franchise rolling.

INT: And how important was the continuity of crew like? Would you say Ken Adam's and [INAUDIBLE] and Ted Moore did a lot of yours, and you know, these crucial crew, how important is that?
GH: I think they were because, when Writers came on, it was quite funny. They--Cubby [Albert R. Broccoli] would say, "Well yeah I read the scene, but it's not Bondian." And the poor man goes, "What does he mean? James Bond is talking to the girl." [LAUGHS] And then, I would find it quite difficult to explain what Bondian means in the terms of; if an Art Director came along--And so I found a wonderful place going, "You can shoot in this broom cupboard, and it'll look exactly like the Ritz, you know." "No, no, no, it's got to be a--Why a broom cupboard? Why not Harry [Harry Saltzman] making it bigger and bigger, the circus?" Props, everything. Bondian. Anything you had seen in another picture, we don't want it here because it isn't Bondian. We've got to create our own world. [INT: And there were people there who knew what that meant?] And the Cameramen knew that, the Art Directors knew that. Once they had done--And the tradition was passed on. I mean Ken [Ken Adam], when he left, all the draftsmen that worked there, and Ken had said, "No not one pillow, five pillows!" So, you know, a new boy comes along and says, "No, it's not Bondian," you know. Somebody explains to him, the tradition of Ken Adam. And how the lighting has got to be bright and see it. Because you can hear Cubby and Harry saying, "We spend all this bloody money and you can't see it, it's all in the dark? We paid the big money, put a light on them for God's sake!" [INT: I mean, I remember when, in script sessions I had, we'd suggest something and, you know, Barbara [Barbara Broccoli] and Michael [Michael Wilson] would say, "Well, Bond wouldn't do that." And I'd say, "Why not?" And they'd say, "He wouldn't do it." And it was end of story.] Yeah. [INT: Because you had to say, well I was doing Bond [James Bond] 19, and they must have got the hang of it. You just have to accept it, don't you?] Yeah, then you push them a little bit and say, "All right, what would he do? We have him kicking the can down the road, which I thought was rather nice, you know, because Bond is sad and he kicks his can. And, now, what can we replace the can with that is Bondian?" [INT: Right, right.]

INT: I mean, did you...? I think I've asked you this, but I'll just ask it to you again. When it got to action sequences, I found that kind of, you know, that you just had to be fresh, and I think I repeated one of your scenes. Did you have a ski sequence?
GH: Did I have a... [INT: A skiing sequence?] No. [INT: No, but I had one, and I know someone else had done it. Did you feel the pressure of having to be original about these action sequences? I mean, how many things could you do?] Yes. I was--There was a program on the BBC, that was sort of 6:30 after the news or something. And it had odd bits, and it had a car, driving around an airfield strip, and it went up on two wheels and drove on. I thought, now that's Bondian? [LAUGHS] And it was a French stunt driver, who had gone up on two wheels. Gotta have it in the film. Now why in God's name would you want to go up on two wheels? Oh I know, I mean you're chased and here comes an alley, and it's too narrow to, you know, so you go up on two wheels and you go through the alley. Yeah, okay fine. And, so that's how all that saga... [INT: Did you use that?] Oh yes, yes. We got into a lot of trouble. It went on bloody endlessly, because of course, this had to be in Las Vegas. I mean it's a Director story. Ah, no. American Stunt Union [International Stunt Association]. Why don't we get the Frenchman who does it? No, no, we can't. 'Cause he's not a member of the stunt union [International Stunt Association]. Can you go up on two wheels? Sure, I mean sure, no problem. And I said, well you know, any time somebody says no problem, and I never shoot any stunt, without seeing it first, and so we had this alley. And I know something's wrong, because we have two mustangs and on the car park at the hotel, there's one all smashed up on one side, so I know they've been practicing. [LAUGHS] Eventually, they failed to do it. Shooting in Vegas night, they failed to get up this ramp and they get up and they're not up, and they...Cut, forget it. And we go back to UK [United Kingdom], and I say, "Cubby [Albert R. Broccoli], that's your thing to sort out." He said, "Oh no, we'll take care of it." I get a second unit, and they shot it, now they've found an alley, which they've built universal, sort of did the thing. And have been shooting x number of weeks, and Cubby comes, "We got that bloody wheelie shot." So I go to rushes and see it, and I say, "Cubby, you've got to do it again." He says, "What do you mean I got to do it again, we built the fucking thing!" I said, "The shot we've got, is the car goes up this way. And now, the shot we needed was them coming out of the alley, and it comes out that way". So, somehow [LAUGHS] the wheelie...so investigation. The stunt man couldn't do it wheelie side up but he could do it wheelie side down. And so they said, you know, to hell with it. And I said, "Well they've got to do it again Cubby." And he said no way. You know a Calabrese [an Italian from Calabria] when he says no way? He said, "You cut your way out of it, I don't care what the fuck it scenes in the picture." We put the car on a cradle, sorted the mustang on a cradle, and got it to go that way, and then the cradle, got to get the prop man. And sitting out there, and I say sure, I mean I'm sorry, this is the most idiot thing you ever said. You're sitting in there, and you're up like that and all you say is, hang on darling, and do this, and then...So the car goes in that way, and it comes out that way. Very good. [INT: So?] Yes. Never do a car chase. New Orleans, the pre-credits, working with Tom Mankiewicz. Where shall we take Bond [James Bond] this time? And he says, "New Orleans, you're a jazz freak guy." I said, "Oh for God's sake no, not the Mardi Gras, you know, with all the crowds and things." And Terence Young did that in Jamaica, the Junkanoo [street parade in the Bahamas]. What else is in? Jazz funerals...I said, "Oh you work that out in three minutes flat." And I went and saw Cubby and Harry [Harry Saltzman] and said, "You know, we've got this idea about jazz funeral and so-and-so. And a guy, the CIA man says, whose funeral is it, and they guy says yours, and the coffin takes him off. And they go into double time." And, "Yeah," says Cubby. "I like that, yeah that's good." Harry [Harry Saltzman] says, "But you'd have to shoot it in New Orleans". I said, "Yeah I suppose you're right Harry [Harry Saltzman], I mean a lot on Pinewood, not the same thing. Yeah, you'd have to go to New Orleans." And Tom [Tom Mankiewicz] in the pub afterwards says, "You cunning bugger, you played that beautifully". And I said, "Tom what else is in New Orleans, 'cause they're going to work out that we're going for a 30 second shoot [LAUGHS] in New Orleans with a full Bond [James Bond] unit." Well, he says, "There are bayous." "What's a bayou?" He says, "Well they're like Venetian canals and things." And I said, "Oh no, I hate all the stuff in motorboats, because if it's on a lake, you never know the relationship between one to another and where you are, and it's boring." "Yeah, but I had a look at them." And I said, "Yeah that's it." Now, I was a fan of Esther Williams films, where they shot down Cypress Gardens and the motorboats leapt in the air. And that's it, Bond's going to have a motorboat, and his leaps in the air and gets over whatever obstacle we got. Okay, we've now got a location in New Orleans. So we invented a boat chase, always adding different things to it. [INT: That's a good story, that's a good one.]

INT: So after Bond [James Bond], I mean, you famously took over from Mackendrick [Alexander Mackendrick], did you, on DEVIL'S DISCIPLE [THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE]?
GH: I was a newborn Director, and MCA, Music Corporation of Africa, were my agents, and they said, they want you to take over from...I said, "No way am I taking over from Sandy Mackendrick [Alexander Mackendrick], you're joking." And they said, "You've gotta start Monday." And then today's Friday. And they said, "Look, we can't get you a job in America, you're a limey, you know, you've only worked with limey Actors and so-and-so. If you don't do it, somebody else will, so you might as well get your ass in there." So I had a quick talk to Sandy who said, "Yeah, you know, no skin off my nose." And off to work with Burt [Burt Lancaster] and Kirk [Kirk Douglas]. I would never take over a picture again, because this was pure...Making sure that they didn't bump into the scenery, you know, by numbers. I had one lucky break, in that inevitably there was a great professional jealousy between Burt and Kirk. I mean friendly, they're good friends, but this awful thing of where are you cutting? Kirk always, where are you cutting, because he puts his lifts on, he's got enormous lifts [LAUGHS] And the refusal of either of them, to play lines off. That's the continuity girl's job, they'd say. But one day, Kirk...I think it's Burt who feels that too much attention is being paid to Kirk, because Kirk held the flashy part, until the end when there's a reversal. And he says, "You know I think it would be a terrific idea if I stood on the table and danced around and what have you." And I could see Burt, you know, who was one of the co-producers [LAUGHS], it is not a good idea. It's meant to be his scene and Kirk dancing around on the table is not really going to help. "Okay, so what do you think, Guy [Guy Hamilton]? Great Idea, huh?" I said, "Look fellas, if it were my picture, you'd be playing his part and Burt would be playing your part. But it's not my picture, so look." And I walked away, and there's a big silence and for the rest of the day I could see them in corners, reading each others scripts. And never again was I asked, you know, in front of one or the other, saying, "What do you think Guy [Guy Hamilton]?" [LAUGHS] Because I knew I'd be murdered if I came down on one side or the other. And so I sailed through the picture and end of story.

INT: Did you enjoy working in America?
GH: No, it's all done in England. [INT: Why was all done in England? But did you make many American movies?] No, I did lots of locations in America. [INT: But every other movie was English based?] All English based, yeah. [INT: Why was that?] I did one picture in America, which we shot in New York, and Mexico. I don't know, it never sort of...

INT: What's, I mean, what's been the most rewarding part of what you've done?
GH: I mean, let's face it. It's a very enjoyable life. You meet an awful lot of nice people. You meet some terrible ones, but that's neither here nor there. You have a chance to travel the world. It's not a nine to five job. If you've wanted to do it from a very early age and have been able to do it, God was kind to you.

INT: Do you have any regrets about your career, looking back?
GH: Oh yes, I mean the number of pictures that I turned down that I should have done. Number of pictures that I would have liked to have done, but everybody else turned down, that goes with the territory. I always remember, I directed my first B picture, and I'm now under contract to Alexander Korda, London Films. And wait--Now, that was a B picture to get an A picture, that was the thing. And television had just, just started, and I saw a play on Sunday night called DIAL M FOR MURDER, which I thought could make a very, very good picture. And I went to see Bill O'Brian, who was the Director there, and I said, "There was a repeat on Wednesday, you can see it and get Alex [Alexandar Korda] to buy it, because I can make this, open it out and make a very good picture". And he says, "Yes, very good." And he bought it, Alex bought it. Oh good. They bought it for about 1500 quid, including Freddy Knott [Fredrick Knott], the author. And he and I settled down and we got on terribly well, and we were openin up his play, into a movie script. And I'm two thirds of the way through the script, when I hear on the tom tom, that Alex has sold it to Hitchcock [Alfred Hitchcock]. Well I said, "Has he sold it for 50,000 quid or something?" [LAUGHS] And I thought, oh my God, well I know what I'll do. I'll--I threatened to jump off the roof of 1P9 Piccadilly and made such a fuss that eventually, Alex [Alexander Korda] got to hear this, and I was sent for by Alex. And I walked in, and my data was prepared, you know, it was perfect, walked in, you know dignified, so and so." No, sorry Alex, I quite understand, you know". And Alex sees me come in and he looks over his glasses, and he sees my act immediately. And he says, "Oh, come in dear boy." He says, "In the years to come, you're going to have so many bloody disappointments, that I do not know why you are making such a fucking fuss now? [LAUGHS] Now come in and see me any time." About turn and nowhere to go. [INT: And did Hitchcock do a good job, do you think?] No. I didn't like the picture. [LAUGHS] I would have done a much better one.

INT: You've done a lot of genres of films. I mean, genres of films. What's your preference?
GH: Basically, the next one. When I've done a picture with sweaty soldiers and you're sitting on top of a mountain in the middle of the night In Yugoslavia, and you know, and everything's...You know, you think a nice drawing room comedy where the most difficult thing is opening the champagne. I tend to like a change. [INT: I know the feeling.] I mean, this is joke time, but I think, I often wonder Hitchcock [Alfred Hitchcock] going to make the same picture, 50 times, you know, got to be, comes a time when it must be, you think, I'd love to do something different, but they'll shoot me if I do. [INT: Were you compelled to work? Did you always need to be working?] No. I tend to be lazy. [INT: So you wouldn't describe yourself as a workaholic?] No.

INT: And you stopped? I mean, you were in your very late 60's when you stopped.I think. If my sums are right.
GH: Well, I'm 89 next month. [INT: Yeah, so that's right you stopped about 20...] I stopped about 65, yeah. [INT: Why, why did you stop?] I mean truly, the subjects that interested me seemed to interest nobody else. I mean, when you get to that age, I started to--I never wanted to do war stories, because I'd been in the war and so-and-so. Yes, I did THE COLDITZ STORY. That was for a particular reason, because as a small boy I loved POW [Prisoner of War] escape stories of the first World War [WWI, World War One]. And then in the second World War [WW2, Second World War], in the Navy, I was landing some agents, in France and got left behind by accident and I had to run around. So I've always- And I managed to pick up the resistance and da-da-da and got back to UK [United Kingdom]. So I'm an escapee, which is quite different from being a POW [Prisoner of War]. And I loved THE COLDITZ STORY, where it the most distinguished club, where you had to have a number of failed escapes, before you qualified to be sent to Colditz, where the Germans made this crass mistake of thinking that if you put all the naughty boys in one place, in a castle, they can't escape from it. But of course if you put all the best of the naughty boys in one place, they escape like mad. I read--I found time to read, I enjoy life. [INT: But you just felt out of touch with the audience?] I felt that, I felt out of touch with the audience. I fell out of love with the heads of the studios, that changed automatically every Thursday. And they were working in a totally different, I mean there's a true Zinnemann [Fred Zinneman] story that I always love. He's got this script, which was actually never made, but it was on the point of going, and he was called in to whatever studio it was, and the new boy is there, and he says "Fred, I'll call you Fred, great to see you, looking great. Now, about this, tell me a bit about the pictures that you've made." And Fred leans in and says, "No, you first." [LAUGHS] And walked out. [INT: Wow.] I mean that, who needs it?

INT: So, and what advice would you give to someone, starting out now? Someone who loved films like you loved them.
GH: Well I think you've got to be very careful, you'll get an old fart. I'm telling you, what happened in my day, which isn't this day. I think in my day, it was quite tough to get a break as a Director, because you had to go through--Nobody just leapt in to be a Director. Even if you were a Writer, you weren't allowed to direct your own script. I mean, Terence Rattigan would have liked to, but no way. We all did a long apprenticeship, and I think it was during those apprenticeships that you learned a great, great deal. Now, in my day, under 40 you couldn't be a Director. You were determined to be a Director by 30, but that was, you know, really squeezing it. Now, 28 and you're past it, if you haven't done your first picture by 28, forget it. You're too old. It's terrible.