Posted on 04/02/2015 7:48:55 PM PDT by Perdogg
Fifty years ago today and eight months after Ian Fleming’s death, The Man with the Golden Gun was published. The birth of the final James Bond novel was difficult and its merits within the canon are still debated among aficionados.
Although Fleming had on many occasions claimed that he was finished with writing Bond books, he had completed the first draft of The Man with the Golden Gun by March 1964. After once again undertaking a Bond novel despite his rapidly deteriorating health, a word to his editor William Plomer at Jonathan Cape, rings with an eerie finality:
“This is, alas, the last Bond and, again alas, I mean it, for I really have run out of both puff and zest.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ianfleming.com ...
Still much better than the movie, despite it being incomplete.
The book was good, the movie awful, in fact one of the worst tho some did like it. It is probably the only Bond movie in which he simply commits murder. He murders the gunsmith who builds Scaramanga’s gun.
I am sure that comes from Broccoli and Saltzmans anti gun views.
My daughter gave me a bunch of dvds of the early Bond movies and there is a lot of other information. The more interesting one is a maaybe 15 minute B&W interview with Fleming.
It is clear there is a bit of Fleming in Bond. Also interesting to me that he said he simply did not put any four letter words in his novels because he just doesn’t like to see them in print. Also mentioned his Scottish forebears would not have liked it.
He did put a lot of sexual innuendos such as “Pussy Galore” in them.
He did not look real healthy during the interview.
Dramatically changed for the film. No Jamaica. No attempted assassination of M. The Japanese fisherman part worked into “You Only Live Twice” (but as a pretext to get into Blofeld’s Volcanic Lair, not afterwards).
While it wasn’t a bad film, it was perilously close to cartoonish as the ‘70s Bonds were (Herve Villechaize’s Nick-Nack, the ludicrous reappearance of Sheriff J.W. “We’re Democrats !” Pepper. Why would he be visiting Southeast Asia ? The most exotic place he’d likely ever go would be Shreveport). Christopher Lee’s excellent performance saved the film. Moore did OK. Connery would’ve done better, though no revelation.
Yes, I thought that Mary Goodnight was a sweetheart and not an empty headed blond. Also, the core plot was part of “License to Kill”.
I think you're confused. Bond pointed the rifle at Lazar (the gunsmith) and deliberately mis-aimed and pulled the trigger, which then motivated Lazar to give him the info he required. He did not shoot or kill him.
Eh, I thought she was a borderline ditz, especially when she got pushed into the trunk of the “flying” AMC Pacer.
Not long ago I found myself holding a copy of "Diamonds are Forever" that had fallen out of a box. I wound up re-reading it. It was an enjoyable quick read, it moved right along, but this time I was more aware that parts of the plot are very, very implausible.
No shite. The only explanation is the wife was into Asian culture and dragged him along. Or maybe the local police invited him to a conference on how to train their men to be incompetent. Or possibly he lost a bet or won the trip for free. All explanations a stretch.
IMO the car chase flip with the COMEDIC SLIDE WHISTLE was THE low point of the film franchise.
But Moore slapping around Maud Adams was great. I think it would have been very interesting if he had played a "harder" Bond. Those rare scenes where he was a more ruthless Bond were very good.
I just can’t imagine Pepper willfully visiting Hong Kong. He was insulting every Asian in sight (”You pointy-heads !”), I’d have thought he’d consider it hell.
The comedic “slide whistle” was NOT the low point. The low point was the double-taking pigeon in “Moonraker” (even worse than the ludicrous laser battle with the space shuttles). Even having one of France’s arguably best actors, Michel Lonsdale, couldn’t save that turkey. Had they stuck more to the books, these likely would’ve been better films (but, of course, they wanted to capitalize on fads of the time, such as Star Wars and Star Trek, the latter of which came out that same year as MR, in 1979).
Moore recalled he hated getting rough with Ms. Adams, especially when he bent her arm back. He wanted to play the role like his old character, Simon Templar (”The Saint”) and less like Connery, which was always his weak spot where Bond was concerned. That’s the problem when you have two totally different types of actors playing the same part (the Scot peasant-brawler Connery vs. upper crust Englishman Moore). I seemed to remember when Dalton took over from Moore that THAT was a breath of fresh air. Hopefully I’ll feel the same with the current Blonde hitman-thug’s successor (assuming it’s not a Black midget vegan transgender lesbian who speaks Swedish).
Interesting the gun is a Colt SAA of the Old West.
I don’t think I ever noticed the pigeon thing before.
Moonraker was a bad one, yes. Zero chemistry between Moore and Dr. Blow**b for one thing. Ludicrous plot.
I loved Dalton’s Bond, he’s on a par with early Connery to me. I wished he had done more movies, Goldeneye is one my favs anyway but I think it would have been awesome with Dalton.
Heh... Gee whiz, who does Bond look like ? ;-D
...and Scaramanga looks a bit like Vincent Price. Price would’ve made a great villain.
Well, field, old sport, the contract have been signed... 
and they are going in a different direction--
Let us have a drink. A WD-40-- Shaken... 
not stirred.
The name is Bot-- James... 
Bot
A cartoon ‘bot might be better than the direction some would like to take the franchise...
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