Priscilla Barnes (Della Leiter in Licence to Kill) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter in Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace) are celebrating their 54th and 44th birthdays, respectively, today and all of us here at FelixLeiter.com would like to wish them a wonderful happy birthday!

Happy 54th Birthday, Priscilla Barnes!

Most people know Priscilla Barnes from her stint as Terri Alden on Three’s Company but Bond fans know her as Della Churchill, Felix Leiter’s bride in 1989′s Licence to Kill. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the International Sports and Entertainment Festival in Cleveland, Ohio in June 2006. She’s very nice and I’ll never forgot the joke she played on me.

After autographing a picture of her as Della for me, she asked, “Would you like a condom?” I was shocked, speechless and probably turned a little red. Is Priscilla Barnes advocating safe sex or does she want me to play the role of Felix in her hotel room later on? I thought. She then pulled out plastic protection in the form of a slipcase for the picture she had just signed! Make sure to visit her if she ever comes to a convention in your town because she’s awesome.

Happy 44th Birthday, Jeffrey Wright!

After being absent from the big screen for 17 years, Felix Leiter returned in 2006′s Casino Royale in the form of Jeffrey Wright. Before Jeffrey Wright was cast, I was against the notion of an African American actor playing Felix Leiter onscreen and had never liked Bernie Casey being cast in the role in Never Say Never Again (1983).

To my surprise, I was indifferent to Wright’s cast; I figured I’d give him a chance since Eon Productions had never let me down before. When I saw Casino Royale for the first time, I was blown away by Wright’s performance. Not since Jack Lord had the character been so cool! I enjoyed Wright’s portrayal and lines so much that he immediately became my favorite cinematic Felix Leiter. Leiter is supposed to be the United States’ version of James Bond and Wright’s portrayal definitely lives up to that expectation. I hope he stays in the role for many years to come (or at least as long as Daniel Craig plays 007).

On Wednesday, Rittenhouse Archives Ltd. released a new collection of James Bond trading cards called James Bond Archives. This set contains the following Felix Leiter cards:

New Autograph Cards

David Hedison as Felix Leiter in Live And Let Die (Limited)

John Terry as Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights (Very Limited)

Priscilla Barnes as Della Churchill in Licence to Kill (Limited)

Last December, FLc published an extensive article on the last release of Rittenhouse’s James Bond trading card series. Please consult that article for a list of the other Felix Leiter cards that have been released thus far.

The other day I purchased the David Hedison autograph card and today, I won the John Terry autograph card. This will be the first John Terry card in my personal Felix Leiter trading card collection.

It is important to note that these aren’t the first autograph cards for these specific actors from Rittenhouse Archives Ltd. A David Hedison card was released back when Eon Productions was celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the James Bond film series in 2002. The other two cards were released last year in the James Bond in Motion collection:

Older Autograph Cards

A16 – David Hedison as Felix Leiter in Licence to Kill (released on 8.28.2002)

A95 – Priscilla Barnes as Della Leiter in Licence to Kill (40th Anniversary Style) (Limited)

A116 – John Terry as Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights (40th Anniversary Style) (Very Limited)

Stay tuned to FLc for all the latest news on Rittenhouse Archives’ Felix Leiter trading cards. All of the aforementioned autograph cards are now available on eBay. Visit SciFiHobby.com for more information on all of Rittenhouse Archives’ James Bond trading card collections as well as checklists for each collection.

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New Leiter Trading Cards from Rittenhouse

Priscilla Barnes (Della Leiter in Licence to Kill) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter in Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace) are celebrating their 53rd and 43rd birthday, respectively, today and all of us here at FelixLeiter.com would like to wish them a wonderful happy birthday!

Happy 53rd Birthday, Priscilla Barnes!

Most people know Priscilla Barnes from her stint as Terri Alden on Three’s Company but Bond fans know her as Della Churchill, Felix Leiter’s bride in 1989′s Licence to Kill. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the International Sports and Entertainment Festival in June 2006. She’s very nice and I’ll never forgot the joke she played on me.

After autographing a picture of her as Della for me, she asked, “Would you like a condom?” I was shocked, speechless and probably turned a little red. Is Priscilla Barnes advocating safe sex or does she want me to play the role of Felix in her hotel room later on? I thought. She then pulled out plastic protection in the form of a slipcase for the picture she had just signed! Make sure to visit her if she ever comes to a convention in your town because she’s awesome.

Happy 43rd Birthday, Jeffrey Wright!

After being absent from the big screen for 17 years, Felix Leiter returned in 2006′s Casino Royale in the form of Jeffrey Wright. Before Jeffrey Wright was cast, I was against the notion of an African American actor playing Felix Leiter onscreen and had never liked Bernie Casey being cast in the role in Never Say Never Again (1983).

To my surprise, I was indifferent to Wright’s cast; I figured I’d give him a chance since Eon Productions had never let me down before. When I saw Casino Royale for the first time, I was blown away by Wright’s performance. Not since Jack Lord had the character been so cool! I enjoyed Wright’s portrayal and lines so much that he immediately became my favorite cinematic Felix Leiter. Leiter is supposed to be the United States’ version of James Bond and Wright’s portrayal definitely lives up to that expectation. I hope he stays in the role for many years to come (or at least as long as Daniel Craig plays 007).

I’m such a big fan of Jeffrey Wright and his Leiter that I plan on naming my first son Jeffrey Wright (my last name is Wright, FYI). No joke.

Wright’s latest film, Cadillac Records, hit US theaters on Friday so I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a Yank!

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Happy 69th Birthday, Bernie Casey!

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Rik Van Nutter Born 79 Years Ago Today

Cec Linder Passed Away 16 Years Ago Today

From Bachelors to Widowers: A Tragic Bond

In a terrible stroke of tragic irony Teresa, known as Tracy by her beloved James, was murdered later that very afternoon by Blofeld, who had escaped from Piz Gloria unscathed. James had never been fortunate in love, and Tracy had seemed to him to be the one girl for whom he would finally be able to leave the life of spying and killing and settle down. The loss was utterly devastating, driving Bond into a man hell-bent on revenge. Though he would find the elusive Blofeld again two years later attempting to ransom the world governments with a diamond-powered laser, it would be years before he would finally have the satisfaction of killing Blofeld once and for all by dropping him out of a helicopter into a towering smokestack after narrowly avoiding Blofeld’s assassination attempt. By that time, it was somewhat of a hollow victory.

Bond’s faithful American ally and friend Felix Leiter had always been there for him over the years, and while having unfortunately missed Bond’s wedding, Felix had heard and been saddened by the news of Tracy’s death. Years later, Felix would find a love of his own in a beautiful young woman by the name of Della Churchill. Felix and Della had chosen to settle down and live in the Florida Keys, and had their wedding there with hundreds in attendance and James as Felix’ best man. Just before the ceremony, now-DEA agent Felix had been informed that a wanted drug lord named Franz Sanchez was in nearby Cray Key and was within the DEA’s jurisdiction, so Felix reluctantly took James “strictly as an observer” and captured Sanchez (with James’ necessary help).

On the very evening of the wedding day, James was the last guest to leave his beloved friends to the beginning of their honeymoon, and Della tossed him her garter on his way out. When James reacted with serious hesitance and a noticeable lack of amusement at the traditional gesture, a concerned Della looked to Felix for an explanation, and Felix replied that, “He was married once, but it was a long time ago.”

As they entered their bedroom they discovered Sanchez’ men waiting with guns, and after knocking Felix unconscious, they brutally raped and murdered Della there on the couple’s bed. Taking Felix to a fishery warehouse, the men handed him over to the escaped Sanchez, who had Felix fed to a great white shark as repayment for capturing him. His purpose was not to kill Felix, but to merely leave him crippled and forever knowing the price for attempting to trifle with the drug lord. Hearing of Sanchez’s escape the following morning at the airport, Bond immediately rushed back to Della and Felix’ house to warn his friend. There he found Della’s body and a barely alive Felix. He immediately called the authorities there to save Felix before he lost too much blood. The shark had taken Felix’ left leg below the knee and nearly his arm as well.

James and Felix had bonded over their many adventures over the years, and while James would be forever tormented by the memory of his beautiful wife of only a few short hours, he knew the kind of happiness that Felix had felt on that wedding day in Florida and hoped that at least his good friend would get to have the life he could not; a life away from death and darkness, away from the spy game, away from bachelorhood. But it would not be that way. There would be no fairy tale ending for Felix’ life and career, and no vicarious pleasure for James. The two brothers-The British Secret Service agent from London and the ex-CIA man from Texas, who had been through many harrowing adventures and had come out unscathed, who often lightheartedly and incessantly teased each other’s nationalities, who had been there for each other in good times and bad, now shared one more bond, a horrifically tragic bond…

James and Felix became widowers on their wedding days.

Of all the experiences that two good friends could ever share, of all the feelings to which each could relate with each other, could there ever be a crueler common fate to befall two such men as these? Perhaps it was a natural risk and consequence of their professions; perhaps it was a fateful retribution for all the men and women whose deaths they had been responsible for over the years; perhaps they knew in the deepest places that they could never have the peaceful mundane existence for which they had been destined not to have so long ago; perhaps there can be no life worth attaining without the possibility of pain; perhaps accidents merely happen.

How would men in their position cope with such a traumatic bond?

Doubtlessly feeling echoes of his own tragic loss and never having been satisfied with the demise of Tracy’s murderer, James once again became hell-bent on revenge. He would stop at nothing to see Felix and his wife avenged. There would be no searching for years upon years, nor would there be any waiting on approval from the Service to proceed because no man or woman anywhere would be able to stand in the way of his retribution. When inevitably confronted by the Service, James resigned and forfeited his license to kill. He then meticulously wove his way into Sanchez’ network and destroyed the man’s empire from within. He got as close as anyone could ever get to Sanchez and he finally killed him, incinerating him with the lighter he’d been given as a wedding present by Della and Felix as poetic justice.

James could only hope that the vengeful act would give both he and Felix a small quantum of solace regarding Della’s death. However, there would doubtlessly be years of emotional pain that Felix would never be able to escape: unlike James, Felix would be reminded of his loss every time he took a step. Even still, there was a spirit in the eyes of the man that remained undefeated. Like James, Felix would learn to live with himself and would ultimately survive the journey he had taken from bachelor to widower.