31 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Trempo

The London Daily Express reported that Broccoli was looking at Ted Kotcheff and John Landis as possible directors for the film. Kotcheff directed Rambo:First Blood and John Landis had filmed, among many projects, Animal House and the ill-fated 1982 Twilight Zone: The Movie, which resulted in the death of actor Vic Morrow and two children.  

Kotcheff (director of FIRST BLOOD; there is no such film as RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD) would have been a great choice at the time. He really fitted Eon's profile for directors down to a T: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0467646/. I remember Landis being rumoured for directing duties on THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, too (and I believe he did some uncredited writing work on THE SPY WHO LOVED ME).

As for this treatment, well, it doesn't seem all that bad to me; in fact, from the point of view of great locations and exciting action scenes it seems pretty good. There is no mention of Whoopi Goldberg (I highly doubt that the role of Connie Webb would have gone to her; as ray t points out in another thread, Goldberg just wasn't Bond girl material), and so what if Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (not William and Gloria Huyck, actually) wrote HOWARD THE DUCK? They also wrote AMERICAN GRAFFITI and INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM; and, anyway, their involvement in this third Dalton Bond project was only considered. Heck, Roger Spottiswoode was the director of STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOT, and he was actually hired (and did a good job, IMO), so let's squash all this prejudice, shall we?

Originally posted by Trempo

Early indications were that "the plot involved terrorists who want to stage a nuclear meltdown and industrialists who want to keep Hong Kong a capitalist stronghold" ... The main point to Wilson and Ruggiero`s treatment for Bond 17 is that Sir Henry wants Britain to withdraw from Hong Kong; his high tech empire has manufactured critical components for all navigation, communication, weapon and missile guidance systems in the world. With his expertise in electronics, Sir Henry plots to unleash a computer virus that can paralyze every military and commercial unit in the world. This power will be directed against Britain if his demands are not met.

Hang on. He wants to keep Hong Kong a capitalist stronghold, but he wants Britain to withdraw from Hong Kong? And why go to elaborate means to compel Britain to do something it had committed itself to doing anyway, only a few years down the line?

[Jaelle]

Have I gone cuckoo or something? Why are there two running threads about this subject going on at the same time? Here's the post I just sent to the other thread with this same topic heading!
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This thread not only has a discussion of the third Dalton script but also much of the entire treatment, posted by Donovan:

http://forums.comman...30&pagenumber=1

Donovan closes out with:

It is certainly well-deserved recognition for France that he got a story credit for the film. What he provided is a fresh, new story in script form. The producers and subsequent writers took this, as if it were a Fleming novel, and adapted it. I like his version of Trevelyan a bit better than the film. An older, one-time superior of Bonds holds more weight than a younger less-than-equal (we know 007 is the best agent, 006 can only be second-best or less). I like Sean Bean, and his character, but again, this somehow had more substance. His plan for New York makes more practical sense than London, even though it is part of personal revenge. Anthony Hopkins would not be ideal based on what I read. I pictured Trevelyan to be a big, fit man. Hopkins is short and stocky. I like some of the name changes that happened for the final film. The name Marina sounds like a water dock. Xenia was certainly improved for the film. I like the final Tempest explosion--more satisfying than a fire started by a small exploding pen. I am not sure why this script is called "Goldeneye". I may have missed something. So for the Tempest to be renamed GoldenEye is an improvement. For the lesser roles, I think the film was more successful in creating a wider range of personalities. This script lists one Russian name after the other, so it is harder to keep everyone straight. It was nice to see Pushkin. This script, a first draft, mind you, was a very positive step in bringing back Bond. I did read it with Dalton in mind, and it would have been interesing to see this realised.>

The treatment that he posted then developed to an actual script in its initial drafts, which Tim had in his hands on the set of Scarlett (from which he formally announced the end of his Bond tenure).

As to Whoopi, at the time she and Tim were looking for a vehicle in which to work together. There was never any serious consideration of her participation in the Bond film, just jokes made by Tim, Whoopi and the hosts of a couple of talk shows they appeared on (Arsenio Hall in particular) made in passing about how great a villain Whoopi would make in a Bond film. You have to remember that Whoopi made a big splash at the time in the wake of the success of Spielberg's The Color Purple, which is the film Tim first saw her in and became interested in meeting her. She was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in that film.

They finally did find something to work together in, but not a film (tho they did both appear in Scorcese's Naked in New York, just not in the same scenes). The Hollywood Canteen was having another one of their charity theatrical programs in the summer of 1991. That year they were doing multiple versions of the classic two-person play "Love Letters" performed by a variety of famous Hollywood couples. Tim and Whoopi were both invited to perform but with different partners (they wanted Isabella Rosselini paired with Tim and Danny Glover paired with Whoopi). But Tim and Whoopi insisted on doing the piece together, which the sponsors were very nervous about. No one had ever done an interracial version of the play before. In the end, Tim and Whoopi won out and their production was the most sold out performance, such that it was extended another week.

I don't know what it is about Whoopi -- Dolph Lungren, Tim, Ted Danson, Frank Langella... all these handsome caucasian men do seem to fall under her spell...