General Gogol, General Alexei / Anatoly Gogol (Russian; Алексей / Анатолий Гоголь), is a major character in 007’s films, Roger Moore’s era: The Spy Who Loved Me and went on to appear in Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985) and in Timothy Dalton's debut: The Living Daylights and in a video game James Bond 007 .
He was played by the late Walter Gotell.
History[]
The Spy Who Loved Me[]
Although he loves the cold war, Gogol never wants to fight and is a fearsome enemy to many enemies of peace.
In this film, he sends Anya Amasova to retrieve an important roll of microfilm.
Later in the film, he is seen allying himself with M, the superior of James Bond, which means that the beginning of the Anglo-Soviet relationship, after the research of Karl Stromberg.
Moonraker[]
He is seen talking on the phone with Colonel Scott of the USAF of the Hugo Drax space station, the information is that it is not a Soviet station after being intercepted. Colonel Scott apologizes for calling Gogol at a time when he was busy, but Gogol reassures him as there is nothing to apologize for and "problems in Russia keep him awake" then he is seen with a Russian woman in the bedroom.
For Your Eyes Only[]
Gogol wants to buy an ATAC communicator from Aristotle Kristatos, after the ship carrying him sank. Kristatos retrieves him and arranges a sale to his private headquarters, which Gogol arrives at just as Bond and his allies are looking for Kristatos for their murders and to recover the device.
Gogol then stops a guard who is about to shoot Bond, whom the latter makes a joke and Gogol, recognizing his loyalty, laughs about it. According to Gogol, the destruction of the machine requires their relatively peaceful status quo to remain there. At the end of the fil, Gogol's assistant Rubelvitch jokes about Moneypenny's name.
Octopussy[]
After General Orlov proposes to invade the West, Gogol is immediately aware of it and immediately warns MI6 of the nuclear war that could be created. His investigations for NATO to avoid war parallel those of Bond. With the killing of a Gogol spy, it is not very easy to solve the case, even if Bond eventually succeeds against him and then has to return the Romanov Star treasure stolen earlier.
A View to a Kill[]
Gogol has a much bigger role in this film.
The Living Daylights[]
It was revelated that he was retired from KGB and General Pushkin succeed him. He is just seen at the end of the film, as a diplomat in the Foreign Ministry.
Trivia[]
- Walter Gotell has been in seven James Bond films; in addition to his appearances as General Gogol, he appeared in From Russia with Love (1963) as Morzeny.
- Initially the character of Gogol was to play a larger role in The Living Daylights, being the Soviet diplomat who James Bond faked assassinating in Tangiers. Due to Gotell's health the scenes were passed to General Pushkin.
- The character's last name is perhaps a nod to the Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol. This is also supported by the fact he is succeeded by Pushkin, who also shares his name with a great Russian writer.
