The other day I was watching "The making of The Spy Who Loved Me", from the new dvd, and they mentioned that the movie could not resemble the plot of the actual fleming book. The only fleming that I have read entirely so far is Casino Royale, so I can't really compare it to an official film. Anyway, I was never aware that the films were totally different from the books. Is this the case with all, most, or just TSWLM?
Fleming plots changed for films
Started by
philbowski
, Jan 20 2003 05:09 PM
2 replies to this topic
#2
General Koskov
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Posted 20 January 2003 - 07:40 PM
When reviewers started labelling TSWLM as sadistic and...er, evil, Fleming was embarassed enough to prevent Eon from using anything but it's title in a Bond film (it was written after Eon started making Bonds). Personally, I think it was a good, if short, book, and one ought to read it for a different perspective on Bond.
Before you read ahead, I suggest you read the books yourself, as they are, I think, the best series ever written. But if you want to spoil them, go on:
Casino Royale: was obviously never made into an official film.
Live, and Let Die: is somewhat similar, but looses a lot of talking bits from the book, leaving more room for action. (Thus the plot is not very developed.)
Moonraker: Aside from certain characters (Drax, Bond, and recurring ones) this is completely different, but some scenes are similar.)
Diamonds are Forever: Villains changed from Seraffimo and Jack Spang to Blofeld in the film. Ironically, the ghost-town of 'Spectreville' was never translated from the book.
From Russia, with Love: SMERSH was changed to SPECTRE for the film, and the action ends with Bond outwitting Grant and then dying from Klebb's tetrodotoxin-coated shoe-knife.
Doctor No: Whoops, Bond is only injured from the toxin, and No's guanerea (bird-****-factory) was changed to a bauxite mine in the film. The vents are actually an 'assault course' in the book (with a giant squid at the end) to test Bond's stamina (No is interested in pain thresholds).
Goldfinger: Goldfinger's robbery of Ft Knox is changed to irradiation of the gold for the film. Goldfinger's Manhattan warehouse is also changed to a stud farm for the film.
Buzz-saw changed to laser for film.
For Your Eyes Only: is a collection of 5 short stories, Risico, and FYEO are used to make the film FYEO. Judy Havelock becomes Melina Havelock who assassinates Gonzalves in Spain rather than Vermont. Columbo's part is from Risico.
Thunderball: was the first novelisation. Fleming adds in the US Submarine 'Manta' and removes Fiona.
TSWLM: Bond is still tracking SPECTRE members from Toronto to...somewhere, when the events of TSWLM happen.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Tracy is not kidnapped in the book, and she is shot by an uninjured Blofeld with a handgun while moving. The casino events happened before the beach events in the book.
You Only Live Twice: Bond is now '777' and is sent to persuade the head of Japan's SS to cooperate with MI6 (because the CIA are being![[censored]](https://debrief.commanderbond.net/topic/7910-fleming-plots-changed-for-films/style_emoticons/default/censored.gif)
). Tanaka strikes a deal whereby MI6 gets info if Bond kills a foreigner for the JSS; the foreigner is Blofeld and he has a much-used 'suicide garden'.
The Man with the Golden Gun: After a Soviet-brainwashed Bond tries to kill M., M. sends Bond on a last-chance mission to kill the world's best assassin (M. assumes that Bond will either get back his status by killing Scaramanga, or die on the battlefield).
Octopussy and The Living Daylights: The backstory from film Octopussy is the plot of the first short story (with Nazis in place of Chinese).
The defection of #272, a double agent with atomic secrets, is changed to Gen Koskov in the film of TLD. The short story only has events up to Bond's eponymous line (i.e. the first bit of the film after the titles).
Before you read ahead, I suggest you read the books yourself, as they are, I think, the best series ever written. But if you want to spoil them, go on:
Casino Royale: was obviously never made into an official film.
Live, and Let Die: is somewhat similar, but looses a lot of talking bits from the book, leaving more room for action. (Thus the plot is not very developed.)
Moonraker: Aside from certain characters (Drax, Bond, and recurring ones) this is completely different, but some scenes are similar.)
Diamonds are Forever: Villains changed from Seraffimo and Jack Spang to Blofeld in the film. Ironically, the ghost-town of 'Spectreville' was never translated from the book.
From Russia, with Love: SMERSH was changed to SPECTRE for the film, and the action ends with Bond outwitting Grant and then dying from Klebb's tetrodotoxin-coated shoe-knife.
Doctor No: Whoops, Bond is only injured from the toxin, and No's guanerea (bird-****-factory) was changed to a bauxite mine in the film. The vents are actually an 'assault course' in the book (with a giant squid at the end) to test Bond's stamina (No is interested in pain thresholds).
Goldfinger: Goldfinger's robbery of Ft Knox is changed to irradiation of the gold for the film. Goldfinger's Manhattan warehouse is also changed to a stud farm for the film.
Buzz-saw changed to laser for film.
For Your Eyes Only: is a collection of 5 short stories, Risico, and FYEO are used to make the film FYEO. Judy Havelock becomes Melina Havelock who assassinates Gonzalves in Spain rather than Vermont. Columbo's part is from Risico.
Thunderball: was the first novelisation. Fleming adds in the US Submarine 'Manta' and removes Fiona.
TSWLM: Bond is still tracking SPECTRE members from Toronto to...somewhere, when the events of TSWLM happen.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Tracy is not kidnapped in the book, and she is shot by an uninjured Blofeld with a handgun while moving. The casino events happened before the beach events in the book.
You Only Live Twice: Bond is now '777' and is sent to persuade the head of Japan's SS to cooperate with MI6 (because the CIA are being
). Tanaka strikes a deal whereby MI6 gets info if Bond kills a foreigner for the JSS; the foreigner is Blofeld and he has a much-used 'suicide garden'.The Man with the Golden Gun: After a Soviet-brainwashed Bond tries to kill M., M. sends Bond on a last-chance mission to kill the world's best assassin (M. assumes that Bond will either get back his status by killing Scaramanga, or die on the battlefield).
Octopussy and The Living Daylights: The backstory from film Octopussy is the plot of the first short story (with Nazis in place of Chinese).
The defection of #272, a double agent with atomic secrets, is changed to Gen Koskov in the film of TLD. The short story only has events up to Bond's eponymous line (i.e. the first bit of the film after the titles).
#3
philbowski
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Posted 21 January 2003 - 04:56 PM
Wow, great reply. Thanks.