Being an ally in a James Bond movie is like wearing a red uniform shirt on the original STAR TREK TV series--you're not gonna last very long. 007's allies are usually comic relief and/or sacrificial lambs, and they are so expendable that for the most part they don't make much of an impact.
There is one ally that hasn't gotten killed off yet (even though he almost was in LICENCE TO KILL): CIA agent and Bond buddy Felix Leiter. Unfortunately throughout most of the official Bond series Leiter was played by a different actor, and he was never presented very well. Because of that the character hasn't become as important on the big screen as he was in Ian Fleming's novels. (I bet there's a ton of James Bond movie buffs who don't even know who Felix Leiter is.)
Let's not forget the classic triumvirate of Bernard Lee as M, Desmond Llewelyn as Q, and Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny. They were just as much allies to Bond as any gun-toting agent, and seeing them in a Bond film is always a highlight.
MY FAVORITE JAMES BOND ALLIES:
Bernard Lee as M (multiple films)
With all respect to Judi Dench, Bernard Lee was the true M. He totally defined the character with his commanding presence and sometimes sardonic manner. He was the perfect paternal-like opposite to 007.
Pedro Armendariz as Kerim Bey in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Armendariz set the template for all the overseas intelligence officers Bond would encounter throughout the series. It's hard to believe that Armendariz was dying of cancer during the making of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, because he's so full of life and energy.
Desmond Llewelyn as Q (multiple films)
Llewelyn wound up outlasting nearly everyone from the original Bond team, and whenever he would first show up in a 007 film, he always got an enthusiastic response from the audience. Yes, he was put in a number of silly situations, but the way he interpreted the role was perfect. He's the true Q. (John Cleese was terrible, and I haven't warmed up to Ben Wishaw's quirky millennial take on the role.)
Jack Lord as Felix Leiter in DR. NO
The best Felix Leiter (although that isn't saying much). The main reason I picked Lord as #1 Leiter as that he seems like the type of guy that would go drinking and carousing with 007. (I've never believed that Bond would hang out with the other many movie Leiters.)
MY LEAST FAVORITE JAMES BOND ALLIES:
John Cleese as Q in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and DIE ANOTHER DAY
The big reason why Desmond Llewelyn was great as Q was that he wasn't trying to be funny. Cleese is funny, but he doesn't belong in these films. One of the many bad casting decisions made during the Pierce Brosnan era.
Rik von Nutter as Felix Leiter in THUNDERBALL
Probably the worst movie Leiter. Nutter looked like a beach bum who decided to hang out with James Bond for a few days, and he had no effect on the plot whatsoever.
Clifton James as J.W. Pepper in LIVE AND LET DIE and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
James wasn't really an ally--he was more like annoying comic relief. The real question is....why does a slow-witted corpulent sheriff from the American South need to be in two James Bond movies??
Vijay Amritraj in OCTOPUSSY
"Hey, since we're making a James Bond movie in India....let's hire a pro tennis player who's a native of that country to appear in it--and let's have him use a tennis racket in a action scene! It'll be hilarious!!"
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