Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence)

## Ernst Stavro Blofeld

**Ernst Stavro Blofeld** is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is head of the global criminal organisation SPECTRE.

He was played on screen by Donald Pleasence in the 1967 film You Only Live Twice.

## Shared background

Beginning in 1962, the EON series of Bond films placed a far greater emphasis on the SPECTRE organisation, which effectively replaced SMERSH as the primary antagonists of the early movies. As a result of this move, SPECTRE's leader, Blofeld, also plays a more prominent role than he had in the novels.

## Film biography

Blofeld attempts to ignite a war between the United States and the Soviet Union by hijacking their respective space capsules, to spark conflict. He does so using a large facility located inside a dormant volcano on an island in the Sea of Japan. With Chinese financers he plotted to have the super powers destroy each other so that SPECTRE may rule supreme over what survives.

James Bond discovers the plot and Blofeld's rocket base. However, he is caught before stopping the final phase of the plan, and is taken before Blofeld. Meanwhile, Tanaka and his ninja forces forced entry into the base. Blofeld orders them shot with the crater's sentry guns.

Bond manages to open the crater hatch, allowing Tanaka's troops' entry in force to the rocket base. Bloefeld points a gun at Bond and, just when he was about to kill him, Tanaka threw a shuriken into his arm, causing him to miss. Bond enters the rocket launch control room and destroys the SPECTRE spacecraft. Driving off in a shuttle, Blofeld then pulls a self destruct switch before escaping.

## Behind the scenes

Czech actor Jan Werich was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman to play Blofeld in *You Only Live Twice*. Upon his arrival at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli and director Lewis Gilbert felt that he was a poor choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus". Nonetheless, in an attempt to make the casting work, Gilbert continued filming. After several days, both Gilbert and Broccoli determined that Werich was not menacing enough, and recast Blofeld with Donald Pleasence in the role – the official excuse being that Werich was ill. Pleasence's ideas for Blofeld's appearance included a hump, a limp, a beard, and a lame hand, before he settled on the scar. He found it uncomfortable, though, because of the glue that attached it to his eye.

## Henchmen

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## Trivia

* Czech actor Jan Werich was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman to play Blofeld in You Only Live Twice. Upon arriving at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli and director Lewis Gilbert felt that he was a bad choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus". Nonetheless, in an attempt to make the casting work, Gilbert continued filming. After five days, both Gilbert and Broccoli determined that Werich was not menacing enough, and recast Donald Pleasence in the role – the official excuse being that Werich was ill.

## See also

* Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Literary)
* Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Anthony Dawson)
* Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas)
* Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Charles Gray)
* Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Hollis/Rietty)
* Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Max von Sydow)
* SPECTRE