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Similarities between the Gardner books and the Eon films (updated).


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#1 zencat

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Posted 13 June 2001 - 05:40 AM

I've been compiling a list of ideas that originated in the Gardner books, then later showed up in the Bond films. It's quite a list!

Click HERE for the UPDATED (2/29/04) main page article.

#2 Blue Eyes

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Posted 11 September 2001 - 10:59 AM

Good Lord! Can anyone get their hands on the interview? It would be a fantastic read and addition.

#3 Jacques Nexus

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Posted 12 September 2001 - 01:00 PM

Blue Eyes (11 Sep, 2001 08:40 a.m.):
I'd love to organise an interview with Purvis and Wade sometime. Though I don't think I'd be so direct with the questions :)

That would be fantastic. I think I'll try and dig out that old P & W interview and check that aircraft carrier info.

#4 Blue Eyes

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Posted 12 September 2001 - 11:56 PM

Please do Nexus :)

#5 zencat

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Posted 25 June 2001 - 01:00 AM

Seems like their must be SOMETHING in the contract that covers Eon's backside.

#6 Blue Eyes

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Posted 25 June 2001 - 01:46 AM

There would have to be! Can you imagine how much they would be liable for otherwise? Think, it would be a new Kevin McClory case but with heaps and heaps of evidence!

#7 Jacques Nexus

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Posted 10 September 2001 - 01:25 PM

zencat (14 Jun, 2001 03:09 p.m.):
...WIN, LOSE OR DIE (1989)
Book: Bond dogfights in a Harrier fighter jet.  
Film: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - Bond dogfights in a Mig fighter jet.

This is the first time I have peeked at the Gardner forums and I've got a doozy to add here. I remember in 1999 reading an interview with Purvis & Wade (I'm not sure which Bond site, but it may have been Kimberley Last's; in which case it may still exist in her TWINE archive) and the article let slip a big titbit which I didn't realise the significance of at the time. Apparently, P & W originally contemplated featuring an AIRCRAFT CARRIER ! instead of a submarine (presumably because large carriers have nuclear reactors on board). In WIN, LOSE OR DIE, Royal navy aircraft carrier HMS Invincible featured prominently. I reckon this is Gardner's best Bond novel...I really loved reading it at the time.

#8 Jacques Nexus

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Posted 10 September 2001 - 01:33 PM

zencat (13 Jun, 2001 06:42 a.m.):
...LICENSE RENEWED (1981):
Book: James Bond gets his first glimpse of villain industrialist Anton Murik at England’s famous Ascot race course...

And here's another...the plots of both LICENCE RENEWED & TWINE involve nuclear meltdown ! (LICENCE RENEWED is one of my favourite Gardner's).

#9 Blue Eyes

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Posted 11 September 2001 - 07:40 AM

I'd love to organise an interview with Purvis and Wade sometime. Though I don't think I'd be so direct with the questions :)

#10 Blue Eyes

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Posted 25 June 2001 - 12:57 AM

His lack of seeing Bond films may explain it.

But surely someone would still have mentioned it to him! Perhaps somewhere in his original contract there's a disclosure like:

"Should any of your work in the Bond films you're not open to compensation" or something. Or "EON has the rights to film any ideas or novels for a fee". Perhaps he has been payed and we don't know about it!

#11 zencat

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Posted 25 June 2001 - 12:18 AM

I was just reading a very good interview w/ John Gardner in 007 Magazine that Raymond Benson conducted in 1993. It seems clear that Gardner never made a deal with Eon (and seems frustrated by it). Benson writes:

..."(re the gardner books) I especially think they would make excellent bases for films, and am preplexed as to why their potential has never been exploited. ... Nevertheless, they are actually more 'filmable' than Flemings orginal works ('I wish you'd tell Mr. Broccoli that! John exclaims)...

As to why Gardber never noticed his ideas being used, well...

Gardner is quoted as saying; "I also made a resolve not to see any of the films. I have not watched a Bond movie since 1979."

#12 Blue Eyes

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Posted 13 June 2001 - 07:29 AM

Wow excellent list there Zencat. Isn't it funny how most of us simply go past such things.

No doubt the ideas from Gardner novels have filtered throught into the actual films. But I wonder if it was accidental? Perhaps Gardner did some work on the film that was never disclosed. Much like Robert Wade did work on GoldenEye but they couldn't credit him for legal reasons, instead Jack Wade was named after him.

#13 sainttemplar

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Posted 11 September 2001 - 09:41 AM

Blue Eyes (25 Jun, 2001 01:57 a.m.):
His lack of seeing Bond films may explain it.

But surely someone would still have mentioned it to him! Perhaps somewhere in his original contract there's a disclosure like:

"Should any of your work in the Bond films you're not open to compensation" or something. Or "EON has the rights to film any ideas or novels for a fee". Perhaps he has been payed and we don't know about it!


I remember an interview with gardner where he states that " he was aware of similarities between the books and the movies but didn't complain until the title of LICENCE REVOKED was used.Gardner's agent contacted EON and said,basically,that's TOO obvious.Gardner reveals he was offered the novelisation rights soon after with amusement.

#14 RossMan

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Posted 11 December 2001 - 03:23 AM

I suppose that we can all be thankful for EON's choice in Gardner elements to use/steal. I for one am glad that we're not waiting for the release Bond 20 seeing it as the latest adventure of Captain Bond from MicroGlobe One with his " stunning partner Flicka." :)

#15 Blofeld's Cat

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Posted 11 December 2001 - 04:32 AM

I can imagine the day when someone at EON says, "Right, let's film a Gardner novel."

Then later someone else realises,"Oh, we can't. We've already picked the books clean."

#16 White Persian

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Posted 20 June 2001 - 09:07 AM

I don't see how Gardner could have missed, say, the aircraft cargo hold battle from Licence Renewed turning up in L.D. or the airship from Role of Honour turning up in AVTAK, even if some of the others slip past him. I'll agree that EON wouldn't feel the need to buy Nobody Lives Forever just to give Pam Bouvier a stocking holster. Nevertheless studios do buy novels just so they can utilise single ideas, while abandoning characters, plot etc.
The two Die Hard movies are pretty far removed from the two (unrelated) novels that inspired them.
Possibly Gardner's deal to novelise LTK and GoldenEye included compensation for the other material of his that EON had used.

#17 zencat

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Posted 17 June 2001 - 02:24 PM

White Persian (17 Jun, 2001 05:32 a.m.):
In using the term "ripping off" we seem to be assuming that EON is using Gardner's ideas without financial compensation. It seems to me that, since Gardner hasn't complained or sued, some financial arrangement *has*
been made.

Unless Gardner hasn't noticed the extent of the similarities. Many Bond fans haven't. I suspect Eon only has to compensate Gardner if they flat out adapt a book, use the title, the names, the plot, etc.

#18 Blue Eyes

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Posted 17 June 2001 - 06:47 AM

zencat (14 Jun, 2001 03:02 p.m.):
From my understanding, EON has automatic rights to any of the Gardner/Benson books


It's completely true that they do. I asked Raymond Besnon once. They automatically have the rights to film any Bond novels. Why they don't? Well he doesn't know. I suspect it's because we would then all know the plot/ending etc... about the film and it would bring it too much critisism which is always bad at the box office.

#19 White Persian

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Posted 17 June 2001 - 04:32 AM

In using the term "ripping off" we seem to be assuming that EON is using Gardner's ideas without financial compensation. It seems to me that, since Gardner hasn't complained or sued, some financial arrangement *has*
been made.
Nevertheless the list of "similarities" is mighty convincing.

#20 White Persian

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Posted 14 June 2001 - 04:36 PM


Same place I saw it, and thought "what a great location for a Bond movie!" - a report on CNN.

#21 zencat

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Posted 14 June 2001 - 02:02 PM

From my understanding, EON has automatic rights to any of the Gardner/Benson books, but I suspect they'd have to pay a extra fee to the author if they did a flat out "adaptation" of, say, ICEBREAKER. Maybe this is a way of using ideas without having to pay? Seems silly. I mean, really, how much could that fee be?

#22 White Persian

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Posted 14 June 2001 - 05:57 AM

I'd noticed a few of these, but the number you've cited sets me back on my heels, Zencat.
Surely Gardner must've spotted them as well. The fact that he hasn't made a song and dance about it makes me suspect that EON may have optioned his books, but only to use isolated elements rather than (thank God) film them entire. Surely they'd get first refusal pre-publication through Glidrose.

#23 zencat

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Posted 13 June 2001 - 02:41 PM

Blue Eyes (13 Jun, 2001 08:29 a.m.):
Much like Robert Wade did work on GoldenEye but they couldn't credit him for legal reasons, instead Jack Wade was named after him.


Wow, really? This is a piece of info I've never heard. Interesting...

#24 General Koskov

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Posted 18 January 2003 - 06:33 AM

Since Eon has absolute rights to all Ian Fleming Publications novels, why don't they 'upgrade' the status of the novelisations and have the Broccolis collaborate with Benson on a plot, have him write the book (with changes as one finds between the Flemings and their films), then pop out the film a year later!

That way, we get top-notch literature in it's own right, but benefiting of the better plots of the films (my opinion is that the modern Bond films have much better plots than the modern Bond books).

PS. I think I've suggested this before, but with much Benson-bashing, so I was taken for a nut and disregarded. Anyway, this suggestion embraces Benson's writing. :)

#25 Roebuck

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Posted 18 January 2003 - 10:45 AM

I remember talking to a rep from Gardner's UK publisher (Coronet, I think) when 'Role of Honour' came out in paperback. We were discussing the use of the airship in the finale of both 'Role of Honour' and AVTAK. He mentioned the chapter where Holy challenges Bond to a war game similar to the ones Brad Whitaker would play in TLD. Gardner's original draft featured an elaborate 3D holographic video game, but he was pressured to drop it because of rumours that Connery would be playing a computer game in NSNA. In the end, the game Gardner described bore no relation to the high tec game of risk from NSNA.

#26 zencat

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Posted 18 January 2003 - 04:21 PM

Gardner talks a lot about this game he had to cut. It's too bad. It was supossed to be a highlight of the book--like the golf game in Goldfinger. Wouldn't it be great if they released a "restored" edition of ROH with the original game sequence intact? Yeah, like that will happen... :)

#27 zencat

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Posted 18 January 2003 - 04:28 PM

It's interesting. I wrote this post well before I knew anything about DAD. So what do we have in DAD from Gardner. Of course, there's the "Ice Palace" and the overall ice theme which is very Icebreaker-like...but what else? Isn't there a face changing element to one of the villians in the Gardner books? Brokenclaw Lee maybe? Or maybe I'm nuts.

#28 marktmurphy

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Posted 18 January 2003 - 04:40 PM

I've got to say, the car technology I think was a logical step onwards from Benson's colour-changing car. Indeed my friend recently reminded me that I had thought of that for a Bond car competition a couple of years ago (although not to the extent that Eon made it work). So perhaps Eon are moving on with the times? Or got a book token for Christmas?

#29 Roebuck

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Posted 18 January 2003 - 04:41 PM

Zencat, your idea for a 'special edition 'Role of Honour' appeals. Though I'd settle for them just re-releasing the books. Even if they stopped after the first half dozen (which in retrospect, maybe Gardner should of done).

#30 zencat

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Posted 18 January 2003 - 04:58 PM

There's also the line in DAD where Bond says to M that he understands there will be "No Deals" if captured. No Deals, Mr. Bond? I also think the "switch blades" were used in...Cold?

Of course, I think this might have been one of those intentional "winks" -- P&W giving Gardner some respect. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe ALL this is just a coincidence. After 20 films and some 36 or so books, ideas have to reappear. I mean, how many different ways can you destroy (and save) the world? :)