Reporting For Duty
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Categories
The Alternative Diamonds are Forever.
Thinking about DAF and the ending on the oil rig etc got me recollecting the other option that DAF was going to be,as explained here on Wikipedia,to save me time :
'The original plot had as a villain Auric Goldfinger's twin, seeking revenge for the death of his brother. The plot was later changed after Albert R. Broccoli had a dream, where his close friend Howard Hughes was replaced by an imposter. So the character of Willard Whyte was created, and Tom Mankiewicz was chosen to rework the script. The adaptation eliminated the main villains from the source Ian Fleming novel, mobsters called Jack and Seraffimo Spang, but used the henchmen Shady Tree, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd.
Richard Maibaum's original idea for the ending was a giant boat chase across Lake Mead with Blofeld being pursued by Bond and all the Las Vegas casino owners who would be sailing in their private yachts. Bond would rouse the allies into action with a spoof of Lord Nelson's famous cry, "Las Vegas expects every man to do his duty." Maibaum was misinformed; there were no Roman galleys or Chinese junks in Las Vegas, and the idea was too expensive to replicate, so it was dropped.
Maibaum may have thought the eventual oil rig finale a poor substitute, but it was originally intended to be much more spectacular. Armed frogmen would jump from the helicopters into the sea and attach limpet mines to the rig's legs (this explains why frogmen appear on the movie's poster). Blofeld would have escaped in his BathoSub and Bond would have pursued him hanging from a weather balloon.The chase would have then continued across a salt mine with the two mortal enemies scrambling over the pure white hills of salt before Blofeld would fall to his death in a salt granulator. Permission was not granted by the owners of the salt mine. It also made the sequence too long. Further problems followed when the explosives set up for the finale were set off too early; fortunately, a handful of cameras were ready and able to capture the footage'.
How do you feel about this DAF against the one filmed ?
Personally i think it would have had a more satisfying ending with the salt mine scene but the rest of the ideas seem to be worse !!
Or do you think of any other ideas that may have made DAF better in your opinion ?
'The original plot had as a villain Auric Goldfinger's twin, seeking revenge for the death of his brother. The plot was later changed after Albert R. Broccoli had a dream, where his close friend Howard Hughes was replaced by an imposter. So the character of Willard Whyte was created, and Tom Mankiewicz was chosen to rework the script. The adaptation eliminated the main villains from the source Ian Fleming novel, mobsters called Jack and Seraffimo Spang, but used the henchmen Shady Tree, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd.
Richard Maibaum's original idea for the ending was a giant boat chase across Lake Mead with Blofeld being pursued by Bond and all the Las Vegas casino owners who would be sailing in their private yachts. Bond would rouse the allies into action with a spoof of Lord Nelson's famous cry, "Las Vegas expects every man to do his duty." Maibaum was misinformed; there were no Roman galleys or Chinese junks in Las Vegas, and the idea was too expensive to replicate, so it was dropped.
Maibaum may have thought the eventual oil rig finale a poor substitute, but it was originally intended to be much more spectacular. Armed frogmen would jump from the helicopters into the sea and attach limpet mines to the rig's legs (this explains why frogmen appear on the movie's poster). Blofeld would have escaped in his BathoSub and Bond would have pursued him hanging from a weather balloon.The chase would have then continued across a salt mine with the two mortal enemies scrambling over the pure white hills of salt before Blofeld would fall to his death in a salt granulator. Permission was not granted by the owners of the salt mine. It also made the sequence too long. Further problems followed when the explosives set up for the finale were set off too early; fortunately, a handful of cameras were ready and able to capture the footage'.
How do you feel about this DAF against the one filmed ?
Personally i think it would have had a more satisfying ending with the salt mine scene but the rest of the ideas seem to be worse !!
Or do you think of any other ideas that may have made DAF better in your opinion ?
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
the film is what it is - it couldn't have really pushed itself much worse than it was, but it would've taken a lot more - A LOT more, to improve it..
I feel the same exact way - but about TMWTGG...
Basically anything would have been an improvement.
1. It is one brilliant, happy accident, quintessential Bondian experience
2. Had Lazenby been in it, it would have been a completely different film and probably the best of the series.
As it currently stands, revisionist history aside, DAF is fantastic. Given that Connery returns with Guy Hamilton directing and the overall campy feel of the film, I don't think it could have been made much better. I think the whole Goldfinger twin/Lake Meade boat chase/salt mine chase would have been a terrible idea for this adaptation.
I only have nit-picky things to add. I wouldn't have Tiffany firing that maching gun and falling over board, and perhaps Blofeld should have been dispatched in a more satisfying way. Also, all of the deleted scenes should have been left in to make that whole Plenty plot hole bit less confusing. Also why did they edit out Sammy Davis for crying out loud? He IS Vegas!
If DAF had been Lazenby's film, DAF should have followed the book, to include the Spang brothers. Also I would have incorporated the You Only Live Twice novel bits with Blofeld to end the Blofeld trilogy. The Salt Mine chase could have worked as Lazenby's revenge story. The Lazenby/Savalas finale was much more physical, and the Salt Mine scenes could have played up to this rivalry. Lastly, we couldn't leave out Irma Bundt, but they would need another actress, since Ilsa Steppat passed away shortly after OHMSS
That's all I'd say though. I'm certainly happy with the DAF we have.
;;)
With Connery and without the revenge plot, it would have played better as the follow-up to YOLT. Even the moon buggy might have worked. It wasn't that far a leap from YOLT.
With Lazenby and after OHMSS, they would have had to strip much of the campiness away. That wouldn't have been impossible, but it probably would have required recasting Blofeld (in drag!), Tiffany (falling off the rig!), Wint, and Kidd (murderous, humorous gays!), as all are played for camp value. The Willard Whyte storyline isn't terrible (because Howard Hughes was fascinating) but again the role would have to be recast, and in a tougher film, Blofeld would have killed him.
While we're championing the DAF opening scene...You forgot to mention one of the best deliveries of "Bond, James Bond" in the series, rivaled only by Connery himself in Dr. No, followed up by the two handed bikini-flip choke. Total awesomeness. Is there anything 1971 Connery Bond can't do? Truly legendary.
But Connery has such a towering presence, that even with the dubbing, makes for a great scene.