Emilio Largo

James Bond Character


bgcolor=#000
fgcolor=#fff
name=Emilio Largo
portrayed=Adolfo Celi
gender=Male
age=43
affiliation=SPECTRE
status=Deceased
role=Villain

Emilio Largo is a fictional character and the main antagonist from the James Bond novel "Thunderball". In the novel he is depicted according to the British stereotypes about Italians as a large, olive-skinned, powerful man exuding animal charm, with a profile of a Roman emperor and hairy hands which are likened to crawling tarantulas. He also appears in the 1965 film adaptation, with Italian actor Adolfo Celi filling the role.

Moreover, Largo is also the main antagonist in the 1983 unofficial James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again", a remake of "Thunderball". In "Never Say Never Again", the character's name, however, was changed to Maximillian Largo and he was portrayed by the Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer.

In Italian, "largo" means "wide".

Bio

Described in the novel as a ruthless Neapolitan black marketeer and fence who moved to riskier and more profitable ventures on the international crime scene Largo eventually became the second-in-command of the terrorist organization SPECTRE. In the film, Largo is "No. 2" and head of extortion operations. In the novel, Largo is "No. 1"; however the numbers are rotated every month as a security precaution, although Largo is the successor to Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the Supreme Commander of "Plan Omega".

Largo's two main headquarters are located in the Bahamas. The first was his estate, called Palmyra, which housed a giant swimming pool filled with sharks. Bond would later be thrown into this pool, but of course escaped. The second was Largo's private yacht, the "Disco Volante". The yacht was a hydrofoil craft purchased with SPECTRE funds for £200,000. The craft plays a pivotal role in the seizure and transportation of the two nuclear weapons.

To Largo, failure was a crime punishable by death. When Quist, one of Largo's henchmen, fails to kill Bond, Largo has him thrown into his pool of sharks. Largo also has little consideration even for those closest to him, going as far as to torture his own mistress, Domino, when he finds out she is betraying him.

But one of Largo's henchmen helps Domino get free and Domino gets to do what she wanted Bond to do: kill Largo. When Largo gets the upper hand by nearly shooting Bond, Domino shoots him in the back with a spear gun. Largo collapses dead onto the controls and jams them. Bond, Domino, and one of Largo's turncoat henchman evacuate the Disco Volante as it runs aground and explodes.

cheme

Largo's scheme in "Thunderball" was, at the time, unique and ingenious. It involved the theft of two nuclear weapons from NATO at sea to which he would then use to hold the world hostage by threatening to detonate the two devices in England or the United States unless they paid the ransom of £100 million British pounds. This scheme has been used countless times since "Thunderball" and is even a joke in the Austin Powers series of movies.

The basic concept of Largo's scheme in "Thunderball" is held over in "Never Say Never Again". Like "Thunderball" the scheme involved obtaining two nuclear warheads, this time stealing them directly from a United States Air Force base in the UK and holding the world hostage.

Henchmen

* Vargas
* Janni
* Count Lippe
* Fiona Volpe
* Colonel Jacques Bouvar
* Ladislav Kutze
* Angelo Palazzi
* Quist

ee also

*"Thunderball"
*"Never Say Never Again"
*Maximillian Largo
*List of James Bond villains