SHORT TAKES : Globe Pays for Libeling Dalton

Timothy Dalton, star of the latest James Bond films, accepted libel damages at a London court today from the publishers of a North American movie magazine that suggested he was to be replaced in the role.

Dalton’s lawyer, Philip Conway, said the reports in Globe magazine that the actor could be dropped to save future James Bond films from financial disaster were untrue and had distressed and embarrassed him.

Conway said the producers of the films were very satisfied with Dalton’s performances as Bond in “The Living Daylights” and “Licence to Kill” and with the financial return from them.

The amount of damages paid by publishers Globe International was not disclosed. Their lawyer, Timothy Atkinson, told the court they welcomed the opportunity of setting the record straight.