Diamonds Are Forever / Characters

Main Character Index

Character sheet for the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.

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MI6

Bond's Allies

Felix Leiter

Tiffany Case

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x66161383360522590_3007.jpg

"I don't dress for the hired help. Let's see your passport, Franks."

Played by: Jill St. John

An American diamond smuggler and thief (the first American Bond Girl in the series, in fact) whom Bond blackmails into helping him. She frequently finds herself bewildered by the web of lies and oddities that 007 weaves around her,.

Adaptational Backstory Change: The film omits her backstory of being the daughter of a madame and her dislike of men as a result of being raped.
Adaptational Dumbass: She starts out as a sassy, professional smuggler like her book counterpart, then gets dumber as the film progresses.
Adaptation Dye-Job: She's blonde in the novel. To confuse the issue, the movie version really likes wigs.
Deadpan Snarker: Very sassy and wise-cracking.
The Ditz: Once she is kidnapped by Blofeld, she becomes inexplicably clumsy and stupid.
Does Not Like Men: In the novel, she was gang raped in her youth, causing her strong elements of resentment towards men.
Faux Action Girl: For all her resourcefulness in the beginning of the movie, poor Tiffany fails to display any of that whatsoever after the third act begins.
Fiery Redhead: When Bond first meets her, she's outspoken, quite rude to him, and has a bit of a temper. She changed wigs (from blonde to brunette), then appeared as a redhead.
James Bond: I don't care much for redheads. Terrible tempers. But somehow it seems to suit you.
Tiffany: It's my own.
Girl of the Week: The main Bond Girl of the film.
Go-Go Enslavement: Once she is kidnapped by Blofeld, she spends the climax in a bikini.
Heel–Face Turn: Averted. Tiffany is no better or worse for her switching sides than she is at the start of the story.
Kaleidoscope Hair: Emulated (in the movie), in that she really likes wigs and has a range of colours.
The Klutz: Somehow becomes very clumsy once she's on Bond's side and gets worse throughout the film.
Loveable Rogue: A lovely diamond smuggler.
Master of Disguise: She swaps into several different wigs in her first scene alone.
Meaningful Name: In the book, her father was so disgusted at having a daughter that he gave his wife $1,000 and a makeup compact from Tiffany's and walked out on both of them. Tiffany was named after the item. In the movie, her mother gave birth to her while shopping for a wedding ring at Tiffany's and named her for that event. Bond remarks that she was lucky it didn't happen at Van Cleef & Arpels.
Ms. Fanservice: "Such nice cheeks" indeed. Besides spending the entire climax in Go-Go Enslavement, Tiffany, in her very first scene, opens the door to Bond almost nude. Bond is obviously delighted and lampshades it.
[Tiffany opens the door almost nude]
James Bond: That's quite a nice little nothing you're almost wearing. I approve.
[later]
Tiffany: [...] I'll finish dressing.
James Bond: Oh, please don't, not on my account.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: A literal version; Tiffany changes to her natural red hair and puts on a Little Black Dress, but tells 'Franks' to back off from his attempts to flirt.
Rape as Backstory: In the novel, she was the daughter of a madame who stopped paying protection money to the mob, the mob chased out the hookers and gang raped Tiffany at a young age. It has left her distrustful of men, but she warms up to Bond.
Redemption Demotion: One of the most egregious examples when it comes to intelligence. As a criminal, she came across as a slick, competent pro with enough authority to have her own henchman. She even showed some cleverness escaping a squadron of CIA agents organized to arrest her. After her Heel–Face Turn, she blunders around so embarrassingly that both Bond and Blofeld make snide comments on what an idiot she is.
Slap-Slap-Kiss: She and Bond spend a lot of time bickering, but inevitably still end up together.

Willard Whyte

"Baja? I haven't got anything in Baja!"

Played by: Jimmy Dean

Dubbed by: Francis Lax (European French)

A reclusive billionnaire kidnapped by Blofeld. The latter impersonates him with a voice changer in order to use his wealth and space research facility to build and launch a Kill Sat. Once the deception is uncovered by Bond, Whyte uses his contacts and funds to assist in the destruction of Blofeld's lair on an oil rig off the coast of Baja California.

Alliterative Name: Willard Whyte. Also doubles as a Punny Name when he names the hotel where he lives The Whyte House.
Deadpan Snarker: He delivers the one line that it's even too much for Bond himself, who slowly turns, glancing straight at the camera.
[when Bert Saxby tries to assassinate Willard Whyte, and is gunned down for his efforts]
Bond: Saxby!
White: Bert Saxby? Tell him he's fired!
Fiction 500: He's capable of funding space research, to the point a Bond villain like Blofeld kidnapped him to hijack his resources.
The Hermit: He's isolated himself from society, making it easy for Blofeld to kidnap and impersonate him.
Kidnapped Scientist: The space research centre he funds is the other reason that motivated Blofeld to kidnap him besides his wealth.
Mr. Exposition: After his rescue, Whyte is the one who figures out and explains Blofeld's plan to Bond and Felix.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: An overt Howard Hughes Homage, though he appears to have weathered his isolation a lot better than the real Hughes did.
Non-Idle Rich: He funded a space research facility and helps Bond and his allies after being released, using his contacts and funds to assist in the destruction of Blofeld's oil rig lair.

Villains

SPECTRE

Ernst Stavro Blofeld

Wint and Kidd

Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd

"If God had meant man to fly, Mr. Wint..." "...He would have given him wings, Mr. Kidd."

Played by: Bruce Glover (Wint) and Putter Smith (Kidd)

Two assassins on Blofeld's/the Spangs' employ, who're "cleaning" out the smuggling ring that leads to him using creative ways to dispose of Bond and the smugglers. They are very close to each other.

Adaptational Comic Relief: They're much campier and more jovial than they were in the novel.
Adaptational Sexuality: In the novel, the only reference to them being gay is a throw-away line from Felix Leiter. The film explicitly implies that they're gay.
Adaptation Dye-Job: Kidd has white hair in the book and sandy blonde in the film.
Affably Evil: They act very cheery during the film while committing increasingly cold-blooded murders. In the novel, they're portrayed as Faux Affably Evil, with them viciously taunting their victims before torturing them.
Affectionate Nickname: Inverted with Wint; members of the Spangled Mob call him "Windy" behind his back, but are too scared to do it to his face. Played straight with Kidd, whose friends call him "Boofy."
Alliterative Name: In the novel, while we never learn his full name, "Wint" is a contraction of "W. Winter".
Animal Assassin: They use a scorpion to kill Dr. Tynan.
Attack Pattern Alpha: In the book, they use code based on American Football signals when they decide to break the Mexican Standoff with Bond.
Bald of Evil: Mr. Kidd is the balding one out of this duo of assassins.
"Bang!" Flag Gun: In a Deleted Scene, Wint kills Shady Tree with a "Bang!" Flag Gun that shoots a real bullet.
Bantering Baddie Buddies: They have a strange habit of dispatching everyone else in the diamond smuggling ring and tried to off Bond three times: once by leaving him to meet a fiery end in an incinerator; again by leaving him to rot in a pipeline; and the third and final time by appearing to him in person disguised as the cruise ship's kitchen crew. Each time, they out-quip even Bond himself. For example, when they dispatch a guy by blowing up a helicopter:
Mr. Kidd: If God had wanted man to fly...
Mr. Wint: He would have given him wings, Mr. Kidd.
Beware the Silly Ones: Campy and goofy as they are in the movie, they still manage to rack up an impressive body count as they clean up the smuggling pipeline, and they come pretty damn close to actually killing off James Bond. In an impressively horrific fashion, to boot.
Bond One-Liner: They tend to joke about their victims' plight.
Kidd: If God had wanted man to fly, Mr. Wint...
Wint: ... He would have given them wings, Mr. Kidd.
- They drop a scorpion down someone's neck and explain his absence by saying he was "bitten by the bug."
Bond Villain Stupidity: They fail to kill an unconscious Bond twice. First, they put him in a coffin to be cremated (granted, this almost works and was only foiled by Shady Tree after realizing the diamonds were fake). Later, after Bond has been gassed by Blofeld, they leave him in a pipe to be buried alive. Bond escapes his fate in both instances.
Camp Gay: Mr. Wint is the one who acts the most campy in the film (Mr. Kidd only has his "For a lady" scene regarding Tiffany Case).
Chekhov's Gun: Mr. Wint's aftershave. Bond smells it when they put him in a pipe to be buried alive, then he smells it again when they pose as ocean liner room service to kill Bond and Tiffany in the finale.
Co-Dragons: To Blofeld in the film, sharing this position with Bert Saxby, Bambi, and Thumper. In the book, they are this to Jack and Seraffimo Spang.
Depraved Homosexual: They're depraved assassins who are heavily implied to be homosexual.
Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the novel, Bond shoots them and stages it to look like a murder-suicide. In the film, he sets Kidd on fire and throws Wint off a ship attached to a bomb.
The Dividual: They hang out together, they work together, they are always together.
Dragon Their Feet: Long after Blofeld is killed (maybe), they show up on Bond and Tiffany's cruise ship to finish them off. They fail.
Evil Duo: They're psychotic killers, probably lovers, and they each have their distinct personality and quirks.
Failed a Spot Check: In the movie Wint fails to notice his bottle of cologne has dropped out of his pocket as he's loading Bond into his trunk. This one mistake causes the failure of his last attempt to kill Bond and causes the death of himself and Kidd.
Finishing Each Other's Sentences: They finish each other's sentences.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Kidd in the film, Wint in the book.
Gayngster: They are vicious killers who are never apart and hold hands while walking away from helicopter explosions. Once, Kidd compliments Tiffany Case, and gets a glare from Wint before adding "...for a lady". Wint remains unimpressed.
Green Around the Gills: Wint falls victim to this in the novel, during the flight from London to New York. Leiter comments that Wint always gets sick whenever he travels and has to be paid a bonus for any jobs that require him to do so.
Groin Attack: Mr. Kidd suffers one of these from Bond, who proceeds to yank a bomb attached to Kidd's garrotte through his nads. Kidd even has a brief Instant Soprano moment.
Laughably Evil: In the film, they kill one person after another, but they're funny. In the book? Not so much.
Leitmotif: A very jazzy one.
Man on Fire: Bond sets Mr. Kidd on fire during the climactic confrontation, which leads to his death.
Minion Shipping: They're two minions who are... very close to each other.
Pet the Dog: Played with. After they kill Mrs. Whistler and dump her into the canal, Mr. Kidd takes some pictures out of rather morbid respect (she had wanted pictures of the canal for her students). Mr. Wint comments on it.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner: They come up with a few during their repeated attempts to kill James Bond.
- The first time, when they try to burn him alive:
Albert Wint: Very... moving.
Charles Kidd: Heartwarming, Mr. Wint.
[Wint and Kidd begin to leave Slumber, Inc. as the casket in which they had sealed James Bond inches closer to the retort]
Albert Wint: A glowing tribute, Mr. Kidd.
- Coming across Bond a second time, after he had been gassed inside of an elevator:
  Albert Wint: If at first you don't succeed, Mr. Kidd...
  Charles Kidd: Try, try again, Mr. Wint.
  [they remove his unconscious corpus from the elevator and load him into a trunk before taking off to leave him for dead in an unfinished pipeline]
- For their third and final attempt, there is of course the unforgettable Bombe Surprise.
- They also get one on Shady Tree, who they off more successfully.
  Shady Tree: Critics and material I don't need, I haven't changed my act in 40 years!
  Charles Kidd: [shows Tree a water gun flower] Ah, but this one's surefire.
  Shady Tree: That's the oldest Godda—
  Albert Wint: And this one... will kill you. [fires a "Bang!" Flag Gun at Tree]
  Shady Tree: [oblivious to their true intentions] Come on fellas, the popping gun and the squirting flower routine? You gotta be kidding me...
  [BANG! Mr. Wint fires a real bullet into Tree's brain, cutting him down almost instantly. Mr. Kidd proceeds to clean up the mess with the flower]
Psycho for Hire: They're clear psychos who are hired by Blofeld to eliminate the smuggling "pipeline" that leads to him.
Psychopathic Manchild: They're both very childlike, particularly Mr Wint, and ruthless assassins.
Psychotic Smirk: Given their Affably Evil status, they flash a lot of these during the course of the film.
Red Right Hand: In the book, Wynt has a distinctive wart on his thumb, while Kidd has white hair. In the film, Wint has his distinctive (i.e. godawful stinky) cologne.
Revolvers Are Just Better: In the book, Wynt wields a .38 Colt Police Positive, while Kidd wields a .45 revolver.
Room Disservice: They attempt to pull a Dragon Their Feet on Bond and Tiffany Case by posing as hotel room service on a cruise liner. They fail.
Simple Score of Sadness: Used whenever we see them.
Soft-Spoken Sadist: They always speak pleasantly of their murders, like when Mr. Kidd suggests to send some pictures of the corpse of one of their victims to her schoolchildren.
Sissy Villain: Mr. Wint in the film acts very sissy.
Stab the Salad: While pretending to be a waiter, Mr. Wint raises an icepick-like device high in the air next to James Bond. He then strikes down but not to stab Bond: he drives it into the cork of a wine bottle, then uses it to extract the cork.
Straight Gay: While Mr. Wint could be said to be vaguely swishy (though not really for the time), Mr. Kidd is so un-flamboyant, you'd never guess he's gay if not for the "For a lady" scene.
Those Two Bad Guys: One of the most famous examples out there. They're never seen apart and are extremely close.
Use Their Own Weapon Against Them: Mr. Kidd tries to kill Bond with flaming kebabs, only for Bond to splash wine on Mr. Kidd and ignite him instead. Mr. Wint then has his bomb tied to his groin and is blown up by it.
Verbal Tic: They regularly end sentences by using the other's name, even when unnecessary.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Wint hates flying so much that he has to be paid a special bonus by his employers if he has to do so and carries a card reading "My Blood Group is "F"".
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: They are sent by Blofeld to carry out this trope on the members of his diamond smuggling ring.

Bert Saxby

Albert R. "Bert" Saxby

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/daf_rifle1.jpg

Played by: Bruce Cabot

Saxby works for Willard Whyte until Blofeld takes over; Saxby then becomes Blofeld's right-hand man. He gets shot by CIA agents while attempting to assassinate Willard Whyte. As the dead Saxby tumbles down a hill, Whyte spouts one of the movie's best-remembered deadpan-lines: "Tell him he's fired!".

His name is a direct reference to the series' producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli.

The Dragon: To Blofeld.
The Mole: In Whyte's company.
Number Two: Was Whyte's before working for Blofeld.
You Are Too Late: Henchman to villain example. When he realizes Bond has fake diamonds, he tries to tell Wint and Kidd not to kill Shady Tree. Unfortunately, they had already done the deed.

Bambi and Thumper

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bambi_thumper_9049.jpg

"Is there something we can do for you?"

Played by: Lola Larson and Trina Parks

Two women who are keeping the real Willard Whyte prisoner in his house.

Bodyguard Babes: They're put to guard Willard Whyte from rescue or escape.
Dark Action Girl: Well, until they end up in the swimming pool. Up until that point, they're totally giving Bond the thrashing of his life.
Fluffy the Terrible: Guess where their names come from...
Groin Attack: While the camera cuts away a split second before the deed, Thumper clearly starts off the fight by kneeing Bond in the crotch.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Their speed and agility mean they have the edge against Bond for most of the fight... until they decide to drown him in the pool. This new close-range strategy allows Bond to overpower and turn the tables on them.
Know When to Fold 'Em: Thumper points to where Whyte is being held prisoner after being defeated by Bond, possibly to stop him from drowning Bambi, possibly because they're surrounded by cops anyway and possibly because of both.
Minion Shipping: They're implied to be the lesbian counterparts to Kidd and Wint.
Ms. Fanservice: Thumper's the one in a bikini in the picture. Bambi also gets a decent amount of attention directed towards her legs.
Murderous Thighs: Bambi puts Bond in a scissors hold to allow Thumper to attack him.
She-Fu: They do impractical backflips, Unnecessary Combat Rolls, gymnastic cartwheels, the whole thing.
Stripperiffic: Thumper is dressed only in a bikini.
Tag Team: They call out to each other to take over attacking Bond.
Walking Swimsuit Scene: Thumper is dressed only in a bikini.

Metz

Professor Dr. Metz

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_1524.PNG

"Our shields are fine, now get out!"

Played by: Joseph Fürst

A scientist specializing in light refraction, Blofeld hires him to build his diamond satellite.

Dirty Coward: The moment the US Army begins attacking the rig, Metz tries to convince Blofeld to surrender.
Mad Scientist: You have to be one to be able to build a laser satellite.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Metz believes that Blofeld's scheme is to force world peace by destroying nuclear arsenals. Whyte mentions that he's a committed idealist to peace.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Metz is last seen in the rig's command centre. It's not shown if he was killed or arrested by the CIA.

Diamond Smugglers

Shady Tree

"You dirty double-crossing limey fink! Those goddamn diamonds are phonies!"

Played by: Leonard Barr

A standup comic performing at the Whyte House in Las Vegas, Tree operates as part of the diamond smuggling network. He is killed by Wint and Kidd.

Abled in the Adaptation: He's a hunchback in the novel.
Adaptational Dye-Job: He's described as having bright red hair in the novel.
Adaptational Villainy: In the novel, he's part of the smuggling pipeline, but Bond actually quite likes him. Not so much in the film.
Adaptational Job Change: In the novel, he's a gangster. In the film, he's a stand-up comedian involved in the smuggling ring.
Can't Take Criticism: He mistakes Wint and Kidd for critics and grouchily rebuffs them, saying he has no intention to change his act.
Death by Adaptation: His fate is left unrevealed in the novel, and he's noted as one of the few gangsters Bond has encountered in the story and not had to kill. In the film, he's killed by Wint and Kidd with a gun disguised as a water pistol (albeit in a scene that was cut).
Dirty Old Man: Hinted at with how his act involves two much younger, scantily clad women.
Does This Remind You of Anything?: Shady Tree and his Acorns.
Grumpy Old Man: He sure is grumpy both on and offstage. His first impression upon meeting Wint and Kidd is assuming that they're critics, even after they tell him how much they enjoyed his performance.
Shady Tree: [after Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd enter into his dressing room] Critics and materials I don't need! I haven't changed my act in 40 years!
He Knows Too Much: He's killed by Wint and Kidd for being part of the diamond smuggling ring.
Perpetual Frowner: He's frowning all the time.
Punch-Clock Villain: He's simply doing a job he's getting paid for, even if that job just happens to be diamond smuggling.
Villainous Rescue: Tree and the mortician in on the scheme save Bond's life by stopping the cremation process when Wint and Kidd try to burn him alive.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He is killed by Wint and Kidd (with a "Bang!" Flag Gun that shoots a real bullet) in a invokeddeleted scene.

Peter Franks

Played by: Joe Robinson

A professional diamond smuggler based in Amsterdam.

Ascended Extra: He never actually appears in the novel, Bond merely assumes his identity.
Death by Adaptation: He never even meets Bond in the novel, never mind be killed by him.
Disney Villain Death: Bond blinds him by spraying a fire extinguisher into his face, then knocks over the railing of the hotel floor they're on, making him fall to his death.
Kill and Replace: Not initially as he was still alive when Bond began impersonating him, but when the real Franks showed up and nearly blew his cover, Bond was forced to take him out.
Offstage Villainy: Q mentions that Franks killed a guard when he escaped custody.

Morton Slumber

Played by: David Bauer

A mortician outside Las Vegas who is part of the diamond smuggling operation.

Fiery Cover-Up: He burns Franks's body to recover the diamonds inside, only to later find out the diamonds are fake.
Meaningful Name: His first name is Latin for "dead," and his surname is a euphemism for death.
What Happened to the Mouse?: He last appears when Bond is rescued from the crematorium, slamming the coffin shut in frustration after Bond just walks out. It's unclear if he was eventually killed by Wint and Kidd.

Joe

Played by: Ray Baker

A pilot who ferries the smuggled diamonds to the next link in the chain.

Disposable Pilot: He is killed off by Wint and Kidd in order to tie up loose ends.

Tynan

Played by: Henry Rowland

A dentist who secretly buys diamonds directly from miners and passes them on to Joe so they can be smuggled away. He is killed by Wint and Kidd to tie up loose ends.

Animal Assassin: He is killed by a scorpion dropped down the back of his shirt.

Other Characters

Plenty O'Toole

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/13-lana-wood_4599.jpg

"The name's Plenty. Plenty O'Toole!"

Played by: Lana Wood

An opportunistic would-be girlfriend who gets unceremoniously thrown out by thugs. She is killed by Wint and Kidd who mistook her for Tiffany.

Cartwright Curse: Though she didn't even have time to make love with Bond.
Cement Shoes: She is drowned in the hotel pool this way by Wint and Kidd.
Cheated Death, Died Anyway: Plenty survives being thrown out a window by landing in a pool that her assailant didn’t know was below the window. Later, she ends up being tossed into a different pool while wearing Cement Shoes after being mistaken for Tiffany Case, who the villains want to lethally silence. This doubles as a bit of Death by Irony, given the differing role swimming pools play in the two events.
Embarrassing First Name: Really? "Plenty"?
Gambler Groupies: She's introduced serving as one for a man who's gambling at the Whyte House. Unfortunately for him...
Gold Digger: ...he loses all his money, so she dumps him and latches on to James Bond after hearing the hefty sum Bond is gambling, giving this vibe.
Innocent Bystander: She doesn't have anything to do with the diamond-smuggling plot, but is killed by Wint and Kidd when they mistake her for Tiffany Case.
Meaningful Name:
Plenty: Hi, I'm Plenty.
Bond: But of course you are.
Ms. Fanservice: First a low cut purple dress, and then stripped down to nothing but transparent pink panties. Producer Albert R. Broccoli decided to cast Lana Wood after seeing her in Playboy.
Naked People Are Funny: Close enough. She is almost completely naked when she gets thrown out the window and lands in the pool, and before that with her arms folded protectively over her chest while she screamed in humiliated protest was clearly played for laughs.
One Head Taller: At 5'2", she's the shortest Bond girl in the franchise.
Punny Name: A big-breasted woman named Plenty O'Toole.
Sacrificial Lamb: Gets killed by Wint and Kidd to show that they're a dangereous act, just in case their murders in the opening didn't make it clear.
Shameful Strip: Though it wasn't the strip that shamed her, it was being caught by "the perverts convention" that shamed her, causing her to go from Shameless Fanservice Girl to Reluctant Fanservice Girl.
We Hardly Knew Ye: The audience gets to know next to nothing about her before her death.

Characters / Diamonds Are Forever

MI6

Bond's Allies