A Script Reveals a lot about the movie-DAF and the unfilmed scenes

Hank_Scorpio

Article about the Diamonds Are Forever script and others:

http://www.hmss.com/films/bondscripts/index.html

Thanks, there some stuff in there that I don't remember reading in the copy of the script I have.

Virage

Article about the Diamonds Are Forever script and others:

http://www.hmss.com/films/bondscripts/index.html

Thank you sir.

Samuel001

Moonraker could have been so good, or at least a marked improvement on what we got, as could Diamonds.

timmer

....BUT on the other hand, there is a definite suspicion in Blofeld's voice and in his his eyes when he is talking to Bond over the phone in Saxby's voice. It's kind of like, how does Irma Bundt know Bond is sneaking around with all the ladies in Piz Gloria? Sure, we find out later that Bond slipped up with his geneology details to Blofeld, but I have a feeling they both a had a suspicion earlier on. The same conclusion I think can be drawn for Blofeld and Saxby in Diamonds. It even creates an element of surprise to have Saxby to show up, and most of all, set's up the great Willard Whyte line...you know the one.

I tend to not be bothered by the "plotholes" either. The movie as cut, was already over 2 hrs. It was already at the perfect Bond length, just slightly over two hours.
I think we can allow that Blofeld was slightly suspicious and called Saxby to confirm, or that the two simply encountered each other and realized they had been played, which is what the missing script suggests. These potential scenarios, I think were enough to explain why Saxby showed up after the fact, even if it wasn't spelled out. In fact I think the scene worked quite well, with the audience not knowing that Saxby and Blofeld were on to Bond. Bond had his hand's full anyway with Bambi and Thumper, and then when Saxby suddenly appeared, we got a fresh surprise.
Tree's death really didn't need to be shown. I can see why that cut was made.
Plenty looking for Tiffany though was a bit confusing at first, but I simply put it down to an angry Plenty wanting to challenge Tiff on what the hell she knew, about her being thrown out of a window. I left it to Plenty's Vegas-smarts to figure out that Tiff was upstairs with Bond and then figure out where to find her, which is basically what the missing scenes spell out.
I also figured that Bond had simply made alternative arrangement for the shipment of the real diamonds, and that they were safely with his Mi6/CIA associates, to be used if needed.