Bob Simmons

Bob Simmons

Born: March 31, 1922
Died: October 21, 1987
in Fulham, London, England
Bob Simmons (Fulham, London, England, 31 March 1923 – 21 October 1987) was an English actor and stunt man who worked in many British-made films, most notably the James Bond series.

Simmons was a former Army Physical Training Instructor at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst who had initially planned to be an actor but thought a career in performing stunts would be more lucrative and interesting. Simmons first worked for Albert R. Broccoli and Irving Allen's Warwick Films on the film The Red Beret, which included future Bond film regulars director Terence Young, screenwriter Richard Maibaum and cameraman, later director of photography Ted Moore. Simmons later worked in many other Warwick Films and worked for Allen in his The Long Ships and Genghis Khan, where he had his eye injured when kicked by a horse.

When Albert R. Broccoli began to produce the James Bond films, Simmons tested as an actor for the Bond role, but until his death in 1987, he became the stunt coordinator for every Bond film except From Russia with Love, which he joined later in the production, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Man with the Golden Gun. He appeared in the gun barrel sequence for Sean Connery in three James Bond films: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger. Simmons is the only person to officially perform the scene, while not starring in the main role of James Bond. Simmons was also Connery's stunt double. Simmons also had a role as SPECTRE agent Jacques Bouvar in the pre-title sequence of the fourth film, Thunderball.

Simmons developed a stunt technique involving trampolines, first used in You Only Live Twice, whereby stuntmen would bounce off a trampoline in concert with a triggered explosion so as to simulate being blown into the air. This was used in many other films, including by Simmons again in The Wild Geese, where Simmons also doubled for Richard Burton.

Upon retirement, Simmons wrote an autobiography entitled Nobody Does It Better titled after the theme song for the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. He died on 21 October 1987.

Movies for Bob Simmons...

James Bond in India
Title: James Bond in India
Released: January 25, 1983
Type: Movie
The making of the James Bond movie Octopussy (1983) in Udaipur, India during 1982.
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Montana Trap
Title: Montana Trap
Released: May 5, 1976
Type: Movie
Potato Fritz (Hardy Kruger) and his friends have moved from Germany to the American Wild West, settling eventually in the Rockies. They are besieged by what appear to them to be hostile Native Americans. Before too long, it becomes clear that the hostiles are in fact a gang of gold thieves. This movie is notable among German-made Westerns for its use of authentic period costumes and firearms.
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Murphy's War
Title: Murphy's War
Character: German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
Released: January 27, 1971
Type: Movie
Murphy is the sole survivor of his crew, that has been massacred by a German U-Boat in the closing days of World War II. He is rescued, and ends up at a forgotten mission station near the mouth of the Orinoco, and begins to plot his vengeance. He wishes to sink the U-Boat by means of any method imaginable to him, and sets about to make the courageous attempt, assisted by Louis, the administrator of the local oil company.
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Lesson #007: Close Quarters Combat
Title: Lesson #007: Close Quarters Combat
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1971
Type: Movie
Short documentary about the staging and filming of the elevator fight sequence from the James Bond movie "Diamonds are Forever".
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Thunderball
Title: Thunderball
Character: Colonel Jacques Bouvar - SPECTRE #6 (uncredited)
Released: December 11, 1965
Type: Movie
A criminal organization has obtained two nuclear bombs and are asking for a 100 million pound ransom in the form of diamonds in seven days or they will use the weapons. The secret service sends James Bond to the Bahamas to once again save the world.
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Thunderball
Title: Thunderball
Character: Jacques Bouvar - SPECTRE #6 (uncredited)
Released: December 11, 1965
Type: Movie
A criminal organization has obtained two nuclear bombs and are asking for a 100 million pound ransom in the form of diamonds in seven days or they will use the weapons. The secret service sends James Bond to the Bahamas to once again save the world.
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Goldfinger
Title: Goldfinger
Character: James Bond in Gunbarrel Sequence (uncredited)
Released: September 20, 1964
Type: Movie
Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he must outwit and outgun the powerful tycoon to prevent him from cashing in on a devious scheme to raid Fort Knox -- and obliterate the world's economy.
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From Russia with Love
Title: From Russia with Love
Character: James Bond in Gunbarrel Sequence (uncredited)
Released: October 10, 1963
Type: Movie
Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing Tatiana to lure Bond into helping them. Bond willingly travels to meet Tatiana in Istanbul, where he must rely on his wits to escape with his life in a series of deadly encounters with the enemy.
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The Road to Hong Kong
Title: The Road to Hong Kong
Character: Astronaut (uncredited)
Released: March 29, 1962
Type: Movie
When Chester accidentally memorises and destroys the only copy of a secret Russian formula for a new and improved rocket fuel, he and Harry are thrust into international intrigue, trying to stay alive while keeping the formula out of enemy hands.
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The Guns of Navarone
Title: The Guns of Navarone
Character: German Soldier on Navarone (uncredited)
Released: April 27, 1961
Type: Movie
A team of allied saboteurs are assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.
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The Great Van Robbery
Title: The Great Van Robbery
Character: Peters
Released: January 16, 1959
Type: Movie
Interpol detective Caesar Smith tracks robbers of the Royal Mint van. He travels to Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Paris and establishes the guilt of a London coffee importer.
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A Night to Remember
Title: A Night to Remember
Character: Stoker (uncredited)
Released: July 3, 1958
Type: Movie
The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.
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Tank Force!
Title: Tank Force!
Character: Mustapha
Released: April 22, 1958
Type: Movie
During World War II, members of a British tank unit in northern Africa are captured and held prisoners by Germans.
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The Sword and the Rose
Title: The Sword and the Rose
Character: French Champion
Released: July 23, 1953
Type: Movie
Tells the story of Mary Tudor and her troubled path to true love. Henry VIII, for political reasons, determines to wed her to the King of France. She tries to flee to America with her love but is captured when she is "un-hatted" on board ship. In return for her consent to the marriage with France, Henry agrees to let her choose her second husband. When King Louis of France dies, Mary is kidnaped by the Duke of Buckingham. He tries to force her to marry him but she is rescued by her love in an exciting battle on the beach.
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The Flanagan Boy
Title: The Flanagan Boy
Character: Booth Man
Released: April 10, 1953
Type: Movie
Johnny Flanagan did not have the privileges of a good education or wealthy background but the streets developed his natural talent to be a great fighter. His enormous potential to reach the top is born out of a string of spectacular successes. All of which is brought to a halt when he develops a physical relationship with his manager's wife, the beautiful but manipulative Lorna. His naive temperament is no match for her callous, dispassionate scheming and he unwittingly becomes a pawn in Lorna's ultimate plan... .to murder her husband.