Williard Whyte is a major character in 007’s movie Diamonds are Forever, serving as a fictional reclusive American billionaire industrialist whose vast business empire and identity are subsequently stolen by criminal mastermind, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
He was played by the late Jimmy Dean.
History[]
Willard Whyte is an American business tycoon who has been selling explosives, oil, electronics, homes, hotels and aviation for five years. Three years before the events of the film, Whyte settled in the penthouse on the top floor of his hotel and casino, The Whyte House in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1971 he was kidnapped by Ernst Stavro Blofeld to impress him with a voice simulator, at the Whyte hotel, penthouse hotel, he built a laser satellite to blackmail all the governments of the world by auctioning nuclear supremacy to the highest bidder. To build his weapon he set up a diamond smuggling pipeline, which transported South African diamonds to the Willard Whyte Techtronics plant in California.
Blofeld still prefers to hold Whyte hostage in his house for the summer holidays as an insurance policy in case anyone wants to interfere with his plans. When James Bond is sent on a mission to save Whyte, Blofeld orders Bert Saxby to kill him. After Bond rescues Bambi and Thumper, he kills Whyte's former partner and friend, Saxby, right in front of Whyte's eyes and then Bond tells them "Tell him, he's 'fired'!", After which they return to the shelter of Blofeld and they discover his evil plan with all his gear, Bond asks Whyte if he knows anything about an oil rig in Mexico, and he replies that he has no stake in Baja California.
After discovering the deception, Whyte uses his contacts and funds to help destroy Blofeld's stock, Bond tells them to stay safe with Felix Leiter, while Whyte at the dock says goodbye to Bond and his love interest, [ [Tiffany Case]]. While they get on the ship, Whyte makes a last line to Bond "If you are having a good time, I will have the captain steer the ship in circles!".
