22 replies to this topic

[Vargas]

If McClory's legal perameters to make NSNA were without EON elements, why was Blofeld allowed the white cat? That's an EON creation like the iris logo and the Bond theme.

[Blue Eyes]

I've spoken with "Kitty"'s agent. Yes that's him in Cats And Dogs. He was to have a starring role in Serendipity, however, his contract to McClory was yet to expire. But it now looks like he's headed for the big time.

[Blofeld's Cat]

I noticed that too.
I believe he has also written an autobiography called "Cat Revenge" using the pseudonym Claude Balls. :-D

[Blofeld's Cat]

Blofeld's cat (not me ) was seen in Thunderball, which was co-produced by McClory, so I suppose he can claim that the cat is part of Blofeld's 'look' as they were both first seen in this movie.
I can't remember if the cat featured in the novel or not, but the iris logo and Bond theme were created for Dr No and subsequent Bonds prior to Thunderball.
However, having said all that the cat appeared in the precredit sequence to FYEO.
Maybe EON and McClory share the pussy rites.
Nothing's PURfect

[Blue Eyes]

Very interesting point Vargas! Perhaps the answer lies with the fact that McClory co-produced Thunderball, perhaps that was his invention then?

[White Persian]

Has Blofeld's White Persian gone solo in "Cats and Dogs"? Due to the legal embargo on Blofeld, his acting career had stalled, so its nice to seem in a starring role, though he does seem a bit type cast.

[James Page]

White Persian (01 Oct, 2001 09:08 p.m.):

freemo (18 Sep, 2001 02:59 a.m.):
From ianfleming.org

If you listen closely, you can hear the man offer Bond "a delicatessen in stainless steel" to let him live. Cubby Broccoli came up with this line.

...which is why I'm glad he stuck to producing instead of screenwriting.

I can make better spaghetti too!

[James Page]

. .

[Blofeld's Cat]

White Persian (01 Oct, 2001 09:08 p.m.):

freemo (18 Sep, 2001 02:59 a.m.):
From ianfleming.org

If you listen closely, you can hear the man offer Bond "a delicatessen in stainless steel" to let him live. Cubby Broccoli came up with this line.

...which is why I'm glad he stuck to producing instead of screenwriting.

How silly that was.
Why would they agree to let Blofeld, a European, say such an esoteric gangsterism, and expect the general audience know what it was supposed to mean.

[White Persian]

freemo (18 Sep, 2001 02:59 a.m.):
From ianfleming.org

If you listen closely, you can hear the man offer Bond "a delicatessen in stainless steel" to let him live. Cubby Broccoli came up with this line.

...which is why I'm glad he stuck to producing instead of screenwriting.

[Blue Eyes]

blofelds_cat (17 Sep, 2001 11:44 p.m.):
....the wheelchair was Blofeld as far as I am concerned.

Well then you'd be wrong

[Blue Eyes]

People who actually care about James Bond you might find. Hence, this is a James Bond discussion board.

[Blue Eyes]

That's a great notion White Persian, I always forget about that script! Perhaps the element appears in there, perhaps it was genuinley a McClory element. He had to have some input into things, even Thunderball, so perhaps it's generally excepted 'inside' the circle that McClory came up with the pussy-cat!

[Blofeld's Cat]

Don't forget that the cat showed up in the pre-credit sequence to FYEO, and the guy in the wheelchair was Blofeld as far as I am concerned.
PS:"I'll buy you a delicatessen,...in stainless steel"
I'll defy anyone to logically (and coherently) explain that line! ???

[White Persian]

Quite right Blue Eyes! It's being able to discuss minutiae like this with others who know what you're talking about that makes these boards so good.
I'd wondered for years about the White Persian (not me either) turning up in NSNA.
Either EON let it slide (unlikely considering the lawsuits flying back and forth), or the cat derived from Fleming and McClory's co-written (with Jack Whittingham) "James Bond of the Secret Service" screenplay,
which became Thunderball via Fleming's novel. This is where SPECTRE originated, but since Fleming continued to use it beyond Thunderball (in OHMSS and YOLT), McClory's claim to have invented SPECTRE all by himself was clearly delusional. The cat gets no mention in the novels, but if it was part of the Blofeld/SPECTRE package from the original Thunderball treatment, maybe it was considered joint Fleming/McClory property.

[freemo]

From ianfleming.org

If you listen closely, you can hear the man offer Bond "a delicatessen in stainless steel" to let him live. Cubby Broccoli came up with this line. It was an old mafia promise in New York in the '30s to pay somebody off with a delicatessen, particularly one with stainless steel counter-tops, which were considered the best.

There you go.

[Blofeld's Cat]

freemo (18 Sep, 2001 02:59 a.m.):
It was an old mafia promise in New York in the '30s to pay somebody off with a delicatessen, particularly one with stainless steel counter-tops, which were considered the best.

Freemo, that did seem logical and coherent. Thanks

And, Blue Eyes, I can't believe that the producers tried to make us think that it was someone other than 'The Bald One' himself.

[Dr. Tynan]

What is the name of Blofeld's cat, or are we never told?

[Friedrich Baxter]

I like when they throw two persians in Diamonds Are Forever. And then, like Blofeld, the persians strike! They scream!

[Mister Asterix]

McClory claiming to have rights to the White Persian always seemed impossible to me.

blofelds_cat (11 Sep, 2001 01:58 p.m.):
Thunderball was going to be the 1st Bond to be made, but due to be legalities of that DN was made instead.
I can only assume that Blofeld and the cat were in the screen treatment from the beginning, so when FRWL was made EON just continued with the theme.
Who knows, but I get your point, Vargas.

It is true that Thunderball was to be the first EON film, however that script and the one they eventually filmed were based on the Fleming book not the McClory scripts. I doubt any one at EON saw any of the McClory script treatment until Thunderball went in to production, if even then. McClory wouldn't have shown them to EON. The only way they could have seen them is if Fleming showed them his copies, I doubt that happened. As I understand it EON didn't even know the screen treatments existed until after they had written one of there own. So since the cat was in From Russia With Love, it could not be a McClory creation.

My theories:
1. You can't copyright a cat -- If you have ever wondered why Batman has that yellow circle around the bat on logo, it's because DC Comics decided to copyright the simple bat logo that formerly occupied Batman's chest and they were told that they could not copyright an animal. The yellow circle was added to the logo to make copyrightable.

2. The rights to remake Thunderball gave McClory the rights to remake EON's script treatment, which included the character of a cat.

[Vargas]

blofelds_cat (07 Sep, 2001 02:55 a.m.):
Blofeld's cat (not me ) was seen in Thunderball, which was co-produced by McClory, so I suppose he can claim that the cat is part of Blofeld's 'look' as they were both first seen in this movie.
I can't remember if the cat featured in the novel or not, but the iris logo and Bond theme were created for Dr No and subsequent Bonds prior to Thunderball.
However, having said all that the cat appeared in the precredit sequence to FYEO.
Maybe EON and McClory share the pussy rites.
Nothing's PURfect

Blofeld and his cat first appeared in FRWL remember? Hatching the plot with Klebb and Kronsteen to lure oo7 to Turkey.
Not a whisker in the novels though.
See what I mean now?

[Blofeld's Cat]

Thunderball was going to be the 1st Bond to be made, but due to be legalities of that DN was made instead.
I can only assume that Blofeld and the cat were in the screen treatment from the beginning, so when FRWL was made EON just continued with the theme.
Who knows, but I get your point, Vargas.