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Tom Mankiewicz Appreciation Thread
MaxCasino
United States
There’s no denying that Tom Mankiewicz left a mark on James Bond, in more ways than one. Did he help or hurt Bond? We know that he help make Superman 1 & 2 classics and make superhero movies a valuable property. His Batman script was truly unique and could have been a effective movie, that should get a graphic novel adaptation one day. Did Guy Hamilton and his cynical direction hurt his writing reputation? Where does Mankiewicz rank on your Bond screenwriters list? I’d rank him in the middle. His campiness could be cringeworthy by today’s standards. He was a bit hypocritical about Superman’s original campy script, by Mario Puzo and the Newmans. His Bond work could be just as campy. So overall, what do you think? Was Tom Mankiewicz a truly great asset for Bond writing? I think we should be grateful for his openness on his Bond and Superman adventures!
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To be fair, Bond and Superman had very different objectives in terms of approach due to their directors. Guy Hamilton pushed for campiness, so Mankiewicz complied to that directive, just as Maibaum complied with his initial drafts (which included Blofeld being mauled by Persian cats).
When Donner was directing Superman, he wanted a sense of earnestness and verisimilitude which wasn’t apparent in the Newmans/Benton drafts (that’s where the infamous Telly Savalas cameo originated). In fact, if I’m correct, the Newmans/Benton drafts were actually under the purview of Guy Hamilton’s direction when he was still on board, so you can see why the previous draft was geared toward campiness.
I think if anyone's to 'blame' for the direction and some of the more noticeable faults of those 1971-74 Bond films, I'd look more towards Hamilton and the producers. Not to say any are terrible films incidentally, and they know what they're about.
Yes, please don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Tom Mankiewicz’s work on Bond and Superman. He definitely wrote some great lines for the villains. He should have gotten a screenplay credit for TSWLM. I think that Cubby and Harry’s tensions and Guy Hamilton’s quite often cynical with a mix of campy direction really shows in the early 70s movies. Also, Mankiewicz, Hamilton and the producers knew how to make a Bond. Unlike Richard Lester, the Salkinds and the Newmans. At least cinematic Bond has recovered. Superman hasn’t since Richard Donner’s firing. Mankiewicz’s Batman screenplay would have been interesting if made under the right director. Donner, Joe Dante and Ivan Reitman were apparently all looked at. They could have made some magic happen. The modern day Batman movie franchise started with Michael Uslan’s dream, and Tom Mankiewicz’s script. I will be forever grateful.
Oh I think I've read that Batman script (it's the one that starts with Batman as a kid and making a hologram or something). Very weird, not as good as Darren Aaronofsky's unused Batman script, but I can see why pre-Burton it was important.
Yes, I am grateful for Tom Mankiewicz writing an earlier Batman film screenplay. There are a few flaws in it, definitely. There were way too many characters in it, for one. I know The Penguin and Robin were surprise appearances who were cut, in later rewrites. They were originally setups for the sequel, I know. Also, NO WAY would The Joker be that faithful to a leader over him for that long! He would eventually kill his leader and takeover everything himself. So he was a bit out of character here, especially if Jack Nicholson was going to play him from the beginning. The script itself doesn't strike as something would direct in his style. It was basically a mix of Batman '66, Superman '78 and traces of TM's Bond writing style (even the Aston Martin makes an appearance)! As I said, it would take a unique director to adapt it properly. But, it is truly an interesting read, that isn't boring. I like his choice to play The Penguin: Peter O'Toole. Interesting choice. So all in all, TM actually did help Batman find his cinematic feet.
As for his contribution to the series. He had a way with dialogue and all his movies have some great, quotable dialogue. I love that he fought to keep the "Alimentary my Dear Dr Leiter." in the script. To me that encapsulates his screenplays. They never insulted the audiences intelligence and were full of word play that made sense.
I could quibble with his odd choices, the movie plot of LALD makes little to no sense with the free drug angle. But overall I think his pluses outweigh the negative.
According to Sir Roger Moore in his autobiography, he said that basically every page seemed to have TM trademarks on them. TM also said that he didn't receive screenplay credit because of British production tax cuts or something along those lines.
Yes, he did have a way with witty quotes. While a bit campy at times, he did help Bond writing out at a time that it needed it. Campy, but realistic villain plots. He could have helped a few of the Bond movies lightning up, after he left. Even though it was the easy way, he purposely left Bond he said because it was the easy route. Ironically, his dad was a bit disappointed after awhile because Tom became so focused on commercial movies. He left Superman after Richard Donner was fired, and didn't return out of pure loyalty to him. Same with future Bond editor Stuart Baird. Even when WB pleaded with them. That's respectable, in more ways than one. So, TM can say that he truly had a unique writing career.
True, DAF and LALD were hits, but that primarily because one was Connery's return and the other Moore's debut, but TMWTGG was regarded by everyone involved as a disappointment, and when he returned for TSWLM it was mostly to polish dialogue. I wouldn't have minded him returning just for that, so long as other people handled the other aspects of the scripts. In any case, I consider the Mankiewicz/Hamilton era a pretty mediocre one for Bond.
I love TSWLM but "the story" wasn't that new or original.
Tend to agree, it's a bit of a low point for 007 I think. Without TSWLM reinvigorating the series I'm not sure it would have been going anywhere good. It was as crucial a turning point as CR.
The plot for DAF is terrible. It's confusing and full of holes. Plus it changes as it goes along from wanting to hold the world to ransom to having an auction for nuclear supremacy. The character of Tiffany Case goes through a similar transition from a tough and credible character to a joke of a character falling off an oil rig. DAF is a real low point of the series, only DAD is a worse film.
It has a lot of holes but the story is fine and It was original at the time.
Many Bond movies don't have that. LALD has a lame story for example. TSWLM is everything but original.
OP is confusing too but it's a fan favorite. Nobody cares about the holes if you like the movie.
That's true. Octopussy is one of my favourite Bond films but the plot is a bit of a head scratcher, especially the stuff about the real and fake Fabergé eggs. I think LALD does have a plot (monopolising heroin distribution) but it rather takes the back seat to all the chases, stunts, action and humour in the story. TSWLM is of course a remake of YOLT.
If one smells a rat, something is not right. Rotten in Denmark in a way....
And TMWTGG is a fine entry! A pox on those who feel differently!
DAF makes some sense in terms of plot, however I never could understand why Wint and Kidd had to kill the smuggling ring? It would only draw in the authorities. How does Mi6 know that these deaths are part of a ring?
LALD Kananga gives away heroin, that just makes those who are addicted more addicted. I don't see it creating the kind of customers he espouses. I don't get this plot at all in terms of making much logical sense. He'd only create more addicts for all who supply heroin.
TMWTGG has an interesting idea for a story but is poorly executed.
I think these three movies may be some of the most quoted by me and I truly enjoy the word play, and panache of them.
I don't agree with your assessment but understand that differences makes the world go around. How much do you put on TM and how much do you put on Guy Hamilton?
Was it entirely their fault? Perhaps not. But between OHMSS and TSWLM, Bond hit its lowest points for me.
Sadly, as a Bond fan, I find it very hard to disagree with any of that. Tom Mankiewicz ushered in some crass elements and characters. Query: Should James Bond films be full-blown comedies? I'm not so sure they should. Of the films he wrote or co-wrote LALD is the only one that stands up to much scrutiny for me. DAF and TMWTGG are pretty weak tea.
I couldn't agree more. Also, maybe the 70s needed more of Lewis Gilbert, since Hamilton lost his golden touch. Although, one can see that even in GF, Hamilton made Connery do a Moore-esque thing...the cell break, with Connery smiling and winking at the guard and all that. It seems Hamilton was someone with a natural love for goofy things, so with Mankiewicz, he found his better half. Plus, Moore wanting to go light with Bond, was the perfect opportunity for Hamilton and Mankiewicz to amp up their zaniness to notches too high and unnecessary even for Moore's lighter take on Bond.
Yes, he definitely peaked with Goldfinger. He never reached those heights ever again. DAF was an attempt at bringing back all the successful elements from GF but it didn't work as the story was poor and the budget wasn't big enough for the ambitions of the laster satellite weapon. A chemistry set puff of smoke didn't really do it and it looked ridiculous. I remember reading in an interview with Guy Hamilton in Adrian Turner's book on Goldfinger that he wished he hadn't done the two Bond films with Roger Moore. Three Bond films in a row was probably too much for him and he'd used up most of his creative ideas by TMWTGG. All three films had the tagged on henchman returns ending so they were getting quite repetitive by the time of TMWTGG.
I suspect Hamilton didn't have much eye for detail as a director unfortunately. Even with the lower budgets some of the filmmaking in DAF-TMWTGG is pretty atrocious, with DAF having the worst examples in the PTS alone - bad, slow fight choreography during the first Blofeld/Bond fight, the weird sped up 'Bond, James Bond', a close up of a man not saying anything and yet this requiring dubbing (all of which could have been fixed with alternative takes/some alternative editing or ADR presumably). There are many more examples. His humour and creative direction fitted GF, but I think only in tandem with a very good team behind him (by DAF no one like Hunt was there to put that much needed life into the editing/pace, and Mankiewicz obviously leaned much more into that cynical, darkly humorous and zany direction).
Just like we look at today's films, I don't think these scripts were ever written in a vacuum. Or on spec. I imagine they had plenty of script meetings, and the writers of this era delivered scripts based on discussions with their bosses (?).
DAF
LALD
TMWTGG
These are a few highlights in each film for me. They are a mixed bag overall and while not in my top 10 Bond films, they each hold a special place in my heart.
I'm of a very similar mind as you, @thedove . Thanks for those mini-thoughts on each. Not my favoBond films, but always entertaining and they give a little tickle to the gut.