The Death Collector reminds me a lot of how Dalton's License to Kill was viewed after its release: too dark and gritty. I figured that it could have its supporters for being realistic and not campy (like Diamonds are Forever), it would had been interesting to see Craig in a darker Dalton-esque Bond adventure.
The Death Collectors: Bond Films that Never Were
- Thread starter LumineVonReuental
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- 007 blofeld eon ian fleming james bond
Thank you all for the comments!
It's already been a few years since I joined the site and I confess having experienced a sense of frustration at never being able to finish a project, so it feels rather good to have finally accomplished that with The Death Collectors. Also ended up writing more vignettes that I expected at the start, which is also a good sign.
Now, to answer a few questions and/or thoughts:
Absolutely! Happy to see people try their own take on a Bond multiverse, whether here or in a different thread. Even 25 entries in it's clear there's potential for far more scenarios to be explored. (curious to see which one you have in mind)
I did toy with including references to videogames here and there, but I didn't really know enough in terms of game development to make it a more detailed thing and, somehow, I kept forgotting to raise the issue in a few entries. Either Purefoy's Tomorrow Never Lies (1996) or Dalton's GoldenEye (1994) were meant to be the mirror, a highly successful game for the PS1 (a mix of the iconic GoldenEye 64 and the PS1 iterations on Tomorrow Never Lies/The World is Not Enough, which, while flawed, I enjoyed playing as a child) that takes the film into greater exposure. I suppose having a Bond movie in 1990-1991 (Gibson's YOLT and/or Dalton's 1991 GoldenEye) would also make for an interesting SNES Bond game. Other than the James Bond Jr. one - which I've never played - I don't think there was a Bond game for the Super Nintendo.
Another missed opportunity was to make one of the 60's or 70's movies remade into a PS2 game, like they did with From Russia with Love. Perhaps Connery's OHMSS could become that. And at least one out of Cavill's QOS/Worthington's Skyfall/Craig's Alt-Spectre had a probably poor adaptation for a more modern console. Brosnan seems to have been blessed with the most games - including some good entries -, perhaps Double Cross or Casino Royale get adapted for the PS2/GameCube with his likeness.
All in that, there's certainly material for a non-canon entry, or for someone else to explore the Bond multiverse via videogames (or novelizations?).
Depends on whether Purvis and Wade + Mendes are brought in or not. Given Alt-Spectre was seen as flawed, it's possible they'd be sent to overcorrect and either doom with film which much of what didn't work OTL, or actually take on a clearer angle at all. If so, C and Nine Eyes are probably the focus again, and one can even imagine much of the OTL Blofeld/Bond relationship being repeated there. Madeline Swann would have to be a different character, as "Kaja" (mentioned in the John Logan scripts) was the early version of that character. The same applies to Mr. Hinx, who started out as "Charlotte King" before being turned into a male and having the role substantially cut down.
Preaching to the choir on the surrogate brother angle. Really wanted to avoid it in this entry, alongside the whole "Blofeld was behind Quantum" (which to me is nonsense in narrative terms).
Interesting choices! Would certainly be fun to read which ones other people like best.
Not sure if I have a favorite one myself, but it does seem the ones that were more enjoyable to write were those in which was challenging myself to do something more creative, as opposed to those in which my personal bias showed more. In that sense, The Spy Who Loved Me, Licence Revoked and Octopussy quality. Perhaps You Only Live Twice and Per Fine Ounce, but they were early efforts and I fear the lesser quality shows. Perhaps a rewrite may be in order at a later time.
It's already been a few years since I joined the site and I confess having experienced a sense of frustration at never being able to finish a project, so it feels rather good to have finally accomplished that with The Death Collectors. Also ended up writing more vignettes that I expected at the start, which is also a good sign.
Now, to answer a few questions and/or thoughts:
Absolutely! Happy to see people try their own take on a Bond multiverse, whether here or in a different thread. Even 25 entries in it's clear there's potential for far more scenarios to be explored. (curious to see which one you have in mind)
I did toy with including references to videogames here and there, but I didn't really know enough in terms of game development to make it a more detailed thing and, somehow, I kept forgotting to raise the issue in a few entries. Either Purefoy's Tomorrow Never Lies (1996) or Dalton's GoldenEye (1994) were meant to be the mirror, a highly successful game for the PS1 (a mix of the iconic GoldenEye 64 and the PS1 iterations on Tomorrow Never Lies/The World is Not Enough, which, while flawed, I enjoyed playing as a child) that takes the film into greater exposure. I suppose having a Bond movie in 1990-1991 (Gibson's YOLT and/or Dalton's 1991 GoldenEye) would also make for an interesting SNES Bond game. Other than the James Bond Jr. one - which I've never played - I don't think there was a Bond game for the Super Nintendo.
Another missed opportunity was to make one of the 60's or 70's movies remade into a PS2 game, like they did with From Russia with Love. Perhaps Connery's OHMSS could become that. And at least one out of Cavill's QOS/Worthington's Skyfall/Craig's Alt-Spectre had a probably poor adaptation for a more modern console. Brosnan seems to have been blessed with the most games - including some good entries -, perhaps Double Cross or Casino Royale get adapted for the PS2/GameCube with his likeness.
All in that, there's certainly material for a non-canon entry, or for someone else to explore the Bond multiverse via videogames (or novelizations?).
Depends on whether Purvis and Wade + Mendes are brought in or not. Given Alt-Spectre was seen as flawed, it's possible they'd be sent to overcorrect and either doom with film which much of what didn't work OTL, or actually take on a clearer angle at all. If so, C and Nine Eyes are probably the focus again, and one can even imagine much of the OTL Blofeld/Bond relationship being repeated there. Madeline Swann would have to be a different character, as "Kaja" (mentioned in the John Logan scripts) was the early version of that character. The same applies to Mr. Hinx, who started out as "Charlotte King" before being turned into a male and having the role substantially cut down.
A good note to end on. The Death Collector sounds like it would've been a solid entry. I'd certainly take it over OTL's Spectre (that film started off promising...then they decided to do THAT twist. You know, the one where when Austin Powers did the same thing, they were at least intentionally being silly).
Overall, a lot of fun with these entries. In no particular order, I'd say my four favorite entries were:
1. Lewis Collins's "A View To A Kill." Because the OTL AVTAK is one of my favorite "guilty pleasure" Bond films, and taking it, and making it even MORE '80s tickles me right in my sweet spot. And honestly, I think I'd love to see David Bowie as Max Zorin even more than Sean Connery's OHMSS.
2. Timothy Dalton's 1991 "Goldeneye." This legit sounds like an absolute blast of a Bond film with a very intriguing premise.
3. Tony Hamilton's "Licensed Revoked." REALLY poignant story about an actor I hadn't heard of. Poor guy. I got teary toward the end of the entry.
4. John Bingham's "The Spy Who Loved Me." Just...damn. DAMN!!!! Jesus H. Christ!!!
Preaching to the choir on the surrogate brother angle. Really wanted to avoid it in this entry, alongside the whole "Blofeld was behind Quantum" (which to me is nonsense in narrative terms).
Interesting choices! Would certainly be fun to read which ones other people like best.
Not sure if I have a favorite one myself, but it does seem the ones that were more enjoyable to write were those in which was challenging myself to do something more creative, as opposed to those in which my personal bias showed more. In that sense, The Spy Who Loved Me, Licence Revoked and Octopussy quality. Perhaps You Only Live Twice and Per Fine Ounce, but they were early efforts and I fear the lesser quality shows. Perhaps a rewrite may be in order at a later time.
Aren't we all? It will be a while, but when it comes, I'm very much looking forward to a less gloomy (not cartoonish like Moore, but not miserable for Bond either) solo outing, Bond in his prime. Really hoping they'll back away from another origin story.
Will you be starting another storyline with the bond films because I have a suggestion of a bond actor Anthony Hopkins
BONUS: Nobody Lives Forever (1991)
NOBODY LIVES FOREVER (1991)
Sam Neill IS James Bond
Sam Neill IS James Bond
Nobody Lives Forever is a 1991 spy film, the fourteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and the third film to star Sam Neill as MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Richard Marquand, and based on the John Gardner novel by the same title, it sees Bond being targeted for assassination by an old nemesis, resulting in a deadly "Head Hunt" across Europe and North America.
Following the generally negative reaction to Icebreaker (1989), EON Productions made a conscious decision to gamble on the future of the James Bond franchise. Aware that their most recent release had both relied too much on special effects and high-tech concepts, a decision was made to shift the franchise into a more intense and (somewhat) "realistic" tone, both in the hopes of assuaging concerns from main star Sam Neill - who, while popular with audiences, had threatened to step down from the role after only two outings - and to provide the franchise with a much needed jolt of energy. Finding strong - if surprising - backing from increasingly desperate UA/MGM executives, main producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson decided to adapt yet another of John Gardner's continuation Bond novels, deciding on Nobody Lives Forever (1986) on account of its intense, more personal plot as opposed to more "grandiose" alternatives.
Directed by Welsh filmmaker Richard Marquand, scored by John Barry, and filmed during 1990 in Italy, France, England and the United States, Nobody Lives Forever features James Bond (Sam Neill) being lured into the open after Miss Moneypenny (Kristin Scott Thomas) is kidnapped by the sinister freelance assassin Osten (Jürgen Prochnow), also known as "Der Haken". Surviving a number of apparent assassination attempts, Bond is submerged into deeper intrigue as he plays a deadly game of cat and mouse with Der Haken, traitorous MI6 agent Steve Quinn (Nick Brimble), dynamic Italian heiress Caterina Tempesta (Joanne Whalley) and her alluring bodyguard Nannie Norrich (Bridget Fonda). As Bond and his newfound allies and foes race across Western Europe, it soon becomes clear that an exorbitant price has been put on 007's capture, resulting in intense competition between various assassins and operatives to take him down in a so-called "Head Hunt".
As the plot develops, it is revealed that the "Head Hunt" is the brainchild of SPECTRE Chairman, Dr. Jay Autem Holy (Malcolm McDowell), revealed to have narrowly escaped death on his last encounter with Bond (seen in 1987's Role of Honour). His body wracked and broken, and with only a short time to live, Holy has personally plotted the Head Hunt as his final act of revenge, intending to have 007 killed in a carefully staged guillotine execution. Having rescued Moneypenny and dispatched both Quinn and Der Haken with help from his new female allies, an unexpected betrayal by Nannie delivers Bond into the hands of Dr. Holy, resulting in a memorable confrontation between both men at the SPECTRE stronghold at the Rocky Mountains. With Caterina's help, 007 is able to sabotage the planned execution, killing Holy and Nannie in the process while seeminly bringing down the nefarious organization for good. Leaving behind the wreckage of SPECTRE's final revenge plot, Bond and Caterina prepare to spend some time together.
Despite an initially uncertain reaction by critics, audiences responded strongly to the change in tone, resulting in the strongest performing Bond film of the past decade. Particular praise was directed at the plot, pacing and Neill's performance, with many observers noting a sense of confidence in the role absent from the previous entry. Despite concerns over his suitability in a plot meant to be less outlandish, McDowell's return to the franchise was also well recieved, with some critics noting that, in spite of limited screentime, his frantic interpretation of Dr. Holy - in itself a deliberate contrast to the more suave version of the villain he played in Role of Honour - almost stole the spotlight from Neill. The combination of excellent box office results and much greater satisfaction with the finished film would allow Neill to stay in place as 007 for much of the 90's, almost breaking Sean Connery's record of subsequent Bond movies.
A large part of Nobody Lives Forever's positive legacy is linked to its almost legendary adaptation for the Super Nintendo (SNES), an equal parts acton and intrigue videogame which expanded on the movie's plot, utilizing elements not adapted from the book and other Gardner Bond novels. Although, in recent years, more daring and/or audacious entries in the franchise have somewhat lessened Nobody Lives Forever's reputation as an innovative Bond film in its attempts to tell a more personal, intrigue-based story, it remains highly regarded as one of the best Bond films.
Author’s Notes: Although this TL is indeed over, I stumbled upon my notes for it a short while ago and still regretted the fact that I didn't manage to include a number of concepts previously alluded to (Neill, the Gardner books) or that I gave serious private consideration (McDowell would be glorious as a Bond villain). I wrote this small bonus episode as a result (much shorter than the usual entries), if only to explore a less realistic scenario. Consider it a scenario in which Cubby Broccoli died earlier, Neill came in c. 87 to save the franchise from a disastrous predecessor, and EON relented on adapting some of the Gardner books. It is not an entirely faithful adaptation of the actual novel (I removed actual villain Tahani to have McDowell, the ending takes place in the Rocky Mountains and not in the Florida Keys), but it preserves most of it. The quality of Gardner's novels varies significantly - some of what I've read is downright awful, some of it is a ton of fun - and I haven't read all of them, but Nobody Lives Forever is my favorite from those I have.
Following the generally negative reaction to Icebreaker (1989), EON Productions made a conscious decision to gamble on the future of the James Bond franchise. Aware that their most recent release had both relied too much on special effects and high-tech concepts, a decision was made to shift the franchise into a more intense and (somewhat) "realistic" tone, both in the hopes of assuaging concerns from main star Sam Neill - who, while popular with audiences, had threatened to step down from the role after only two outings - and to provide the franchise with a much needed jolt of energy. Finding strong - if surprising - backing from increasingly desperate UA/MGM executives, main producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson decided to adapt yet another of John Gardner's continuation Bond novels, deciding on Nobody Lives Forever (1986) on account of its intense, more personal plot as opposed to more "grandiose" alternatives.
Directed by Welsh filmmaker Richard Marquand, scored by John Barry, and filmed during 1990 in Italy, France, England and the United States, Nobody Lives Forever features James Bond (Sam Neill) being lured into the open after Miss Moneypenny (Kristin Scott Thomas) is kidnapped by the sinister freelance assassin Osten (Jürgen Prochnow), also known as "Der Haken". Surviving a number of apparent assassination attempts, Bond is submerged into deeper intrigue as he plays a deadly game of cat and mouse with Der Haken, traitorous MI6 agent Steve Quinn (Nick Brimble), dynamic Italian heiress Caterina Tempesta (Joanne Whalley) and her alluring bodyguard Nannie Norrich (Bridget Fonda). As Bond and his newfound allies and foes race across Western Europe, it soon becomes clear that an exorbitant price has been put on 007's capture, resulting in intense competition between various assassins and operatives to take him down in a so-called "Head Hunt".
As the plot develops, it is revealed that the "Head Hunt" is the brainchild of SPECTRE Chairman, Dr. Jay Autem Holy (Malcolm McDowell), revealed to have narrowly escaped death on his last encounter with Bond (seen in 1987's Role of Honour). His body wracked and broken, and with only a short time to live, Holy has personally plotted the Head Hunt as his final act of revenge, intending to have 007 killed in a carefully staged guillotine execution. Having rescued Moneypenny and dispatched both Quinn and Der Haken with help from his new female allies, an unexpected betrayal by Nannie delivers Bond into the hands of Dr. Holy, resulting in a memorable confrontation between both men at the SPECTRE stronghold at the Rocky Mountains. With Caterina's help, 007 is able to sabotage the planned execution, killing Holy and Nannie in the process while seeminly bringing down the nefarious organization for good. Leaving behind the wreckage of SPECTRE's final revenge plot, Bond and Caterina prepare to spend some time together.
Despite an initially uncertain reaction by critics, audiences responded strongly to the change in tone, resulting in the strongest performing Bond film of the past decade. Particular praise was directed at the plot, pacing and Neill's performance, with many observers noting a sense of confidence in the role absent from the previous entry. Despite concerns over his suitability in a plot meant to be less outlandish, McDowell's return to the franchise was also well recieved, with some critics noting that, in spite of limited screentime, his frantic interpretation of Dr. Holy - in itself a deliberate contrast to the more suave version of the villain he played in Role of Honour - almost stole the spotlight from Neill. The combination of excellent box office results and much greater satisfaction with the finished film would allow Neill to stay in place as 007 for much of the 90's, almost breaking Sean Connery's record of subsequent Bond movies.
A large part of Nobody Lives Forever's positive legacy is linked to its almost legendary adaptation for the Super Nintendo (SNES), an equal parts acton and intrigue videogame which expanded on the movie's plot, utilizing elements not adapted from the book and other Gardner Bond novels. Although, in recent years, more daring and/or audacious entries in the franchise have somewhat lessened Nobody Lives Forever's reputation as an innovative Bond film in its attempts to tell a more personal, intrigue-based story, it remains highly regarded as one of the best Bond films.
Author’s Notes: Although this TL is indeed over, I stumbled upon my notes for it a short while ago and still regretted the fact that I didn't manage to include a number of concepts previously alluded to (Neill, the Gardner books) or that I gave serious private consideration (McDowell would be glorious as a Bond villain). I wrote this small bonus episode as a result (much shorter than the usual entries), if only to explore a less realistic scenario. Consider it a scenario in which Cubby Broccoli died earlier, Neill came in c. 87 to save the franchise from a disastrous predecessor, and EON relented on adapting some of the Gardner books. It is not an entirely faithful adaptation of the actual novel (I removed actual villain Tahani to have McDowell, the ending takes place in the Rocky Mountains and not in the Florida Keys), but it preserves most of it. The quality of Gardner's novels varies significantly - some of what I've read is downright awful, some of it is a ton of fun - and I haven't read all of them, but Nobody Lives Forever is my favorite from those I have.
McDowell is an inspired choice for a Bond villain. Thrilled with this bonus chapter!
Absolutely love seeing this TL back, even for a smaller bonus entry. Sam Neil is someone who I wish had gotten the part honestly
Great, McDowell as a villain would be great
My favourites of these aternate timelines were:
-Lazenby in DAF
-Sam Worthington in Skyfall
-Terence Stamp in TMWTGG
-Ian Ogilvy in Octopussy
-James Purefoy in Tomorrow Never Lies
-Timothy Dalton in Goldeneye (1991)
-Brosnan in Casino Royale
-Connery in OHMSS
-Lewis Collins in AVTAK
Cool if you would release list of each actor's tenure in their timeline of the films they done
My favourites of these aternate timelines were:
-Lazenby in DAF
-Sam Worthington in Skyfall
-Terence Stamp in TMWTGG
-Ian Ogilvy in Octopussy
-James Purefoy in Tomorrow Never Lies
-Timothy Dalton in Goldeneye (1991)
-Brosnan in Casino Royale
-Connery in OHMSS
-Lewis Collins in AVTAK
Cool if you would release list of each actor's tenure in their timeline of the films they done
I think Kurt Russell would be Riggs instead of Gibson in this timeline
I guess the other films in Stamp's tenure as Bond include OHMSS (1971), YOLT (1973), Live and Let Die (1975) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1969)
Terence Stamp IS James Bond
“It changed my life, yes. Suffice to say, I haven’t been able
to forgive the producers. (Pause) And I don’t think I ever will.”
(Sean Connery, interview with the BBC, early 2000s)
In many ways, as he took part in the grueling shoot of Thunderball in the Bahamas, Sean Connery was on top of the world. From virtually unknown to world superstar in a matter of four years, courtesy of three smashing successes playing secret agent James Bond, and a career that promised to blossom and take him to the sky, provided, of course, he eventually got out of having to do one 007 film every year.
In other ways, Connery also felt conflicted about the path he was being forced into. His marriage was in very difficult shape, the public attention he received due to Bond was quickly becoming both asphyxiating and unbearable, and to make matters worse, this movie had been the toughest to film yet, extending itself as the weeks went by with no end in sight. And now, as if he wasn’t doing enough, he had to get inside that pool and film awfully close to those vicious sharks. “Not bloody likely!” he told production designer Ken Adam. They already had had to pay additional hazard pay to a stuntman to jump in, and it had been absurdly dangerous. So Connery demanded Adam give him some protection, and the designer complied by building a series of plastic panels made out of Plexiglas. And so the actor jumped into the pool. Adam, of course, did not inform him that they only had so much Plexiglas, so there was a rather large gap in the panels. And the cameras started rolling.
To his merit, when the first shark got through Connery came close to getting out of the pool unscathed, but his nerves betrayed him. A single slip gave the shark time to throw himself at the actor and bite down, all while other members of production started to take action. By the time they got him out of the pool he was miraculously alive and whole, but profusely bleeding from a few bite marks. An infuriated Connery was rushed to the closest hospital in Nassau, and Thunderball entered into what can only be described as a production hell. For starters, Connery’s recovery took weeks, all while negative publicity and a media frenzy surrounded the film. Then the actor refused to return to the set, and only dragged himself to it with the outmost reluctance under threat of being sued. Not even the firing of Ken Adam – which further compromised the technical aspects of the production – calmed Connery down, who was of the firm opinion that the incident could have cost him his life. In the end, he carried on, filmed the bare minimum of scenes director Young needed to edit something vaguely coherent, and returned to his native Scotland.
Although the publicity – negative or not – still carried the film to a commercial success that was nonetheless a step back from Goldfinger, critics savaged Thunderball by describing it as both unfinished and overly long. To make matters worse, Connery not only steadfastly refused to say another word to Broccoli and Saltzman – let alone discuss returning to the role -, he sued the producers for the accident and started what would eventually become an important public debate on safety and security on film productions both in Britain and America. It was to be a traumatic period for EON the production duo, forced to eventually settle with Connery for a hefty sum, pressured by UA to get back on track, unable to weather the bad publicity, and ultimately forced to suspend their apparently unstoppable winning streak. They had to wait two years for things to settle – all while having to suffer through rival Charles K. Feldman’s successful Casino Royale, starring Laurence Harvey – before being able to resume production.
While initial plans called for an adaptation of You Only Live Twice or On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, they settled on Fleming’s last 007 novel: The Man with the Golden Gun, framing it as a symbolic attempt to show that both Bond (battling the fearsome assassin Scaramanga) and the franchise could rise above their problems and reassert their relevance. Finding a new Bond was difficult, partly due to disagreements on whether they would benefit from an inexperienced “clean slate” actor or whether they needed a better established face. The interview cycle went on and on, until Harry Saltzman dined with English actor Terence Stamp and asked him to audition. Stamp, by then 29, had only debuted on films six years ago, and yet he had already achieved an Academy Award nomination and some significant fame, only tempered by a couple of recent career setbacks. Saltzman took a liking to him quickly, pronouncing Stamp “really fit, really English”. For his part, the actor was thrilled to have the opportunity to bounce back, and while he had some strong opinions about how to best get audiences settled to Connery’s departure, he kept them to himself so as to win the role as painlessly as possible.
It paid off. Broccoli found him acceptable enough, he succeeded on his screen tests, and he was finally announced – alongside the film’s title – to the press in early 1968. Many of the journalists present expressed skepticism that the Bond series could recover. Some even asked Saltzman and Broccoli why they didn’t cast Laurence Harvey, or even further, why they didn’t just sell the rights to Feldman. Still, Stamp now had his chance to make his mark. With other directors also shunning the production duo – including the likes of Lewis Gilbert -, Peter Hunt was promoted to the director’s chair after doing extensive work on the previous films. Hunt, for his part, relied on a script by Richard Maibaum which salvaged what he could from the novel – seen by many as Fleming’s weakest – and combined it with other literary and original elements to craft a new plot, centered around the Bond-Scaramanga rivalry.
Alongside Stamp and returning MI6 cast Lee, Maxwell and Llewellyn, extensive efforts were invested in trying to enlist a heavyweight actor to play the villain. After briefly toying with the concept of changing Scaramanga’s ethnicity to cast veteran Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, a stroke of luck led them to American actor Jack Palance. As luck would have it, Palace was in England at the time doing a couple of minor films, and although he wasn’t particularly impressed with Maibaum’s script, he eventually signed on to the project. Rounding up the cast were a mixture of British and American actors, including Gayle Hunnicut, Barbara Steele, Charles Gray and Alex Cord. Having enticed John Barry to return again to the franchise – resulting in a dramatic, tense score -, the movie scored a major coup after Cubby Broccoli persuaded Frank Sinatra himself (one of his friends) to sing the film’s main title, “Golden Gun”. Having done extensive preparation to film in Cambodia as the main Far East location, Hunt and the producers’ efforts were derailed by the rising Khmer Rouge insurgency, forcing them to switch locations. In the end, filming took place in late 1968 in England, Hong Kong, Thailand and Jamaica.
The Man with the Golden Gun’s pre-title sequence is set on Hong Kong, on a Fan-Tan parlour. James Bond (Terence Stamp), currently on the hunt for SPECTRE, believes he has successfully seduced Li (Jacqui Chan), an enemy agent. To his surprise, SPECTRE assassins spring an ambush on him, and Bond is seemingly shot dead.
Back in London, several months have passed since 007’s disappearance, leading to the agent being presumed dead. A disheveled Bond makes a sudden appearance at the MI6 HQ demanding to see M (Bernard Lee), and in spite of Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) and Chief of Staff Tanner’s (Alan Dobie) misgivings, the head of MI6 insists on receiving him. A clearly unsettled Bond unsuccessfully tries to kill M with a poison gun, and is taken into custody. Sometime after, MI6 psychologist Sir James Molony (Charles Gray) has rehabilitated and deprogrammed Bond, who reunites with M at the Blades Club. It is revealed SPECTRE had kidnapped 007 and brainwashed him as punishment from his earlier efforts, a matter which causes Bond great anger and pain. M offers him a chance to prove himself again, pointing out that MI6 has received a golden bullet and a message claiming that the next time, M and Bond will perish for good. The golden bullet is associated with the near mythical assassin Francisco Scaramanga, known as “the Man with the Golden Gun”, and responsible for gunning down a number of Western agents across the world. With Scaramanga now presumed to be working for SPECTRE, Bond is assigned the seemingly impossible mission of taking him out.
Informed that Scaramanga had most recently killed agent 005 in Jamaica and after being supplied by Q (Desmond Llewellyn), Bond flies to Kingston and enters the red light district to meet with an exotic dancer, who was alongside 005 when he died. After romancing her, Bond dispatches a SPECTRE assassin ambushing him and recaptures one of Scaramanga’s golden bullets. 007 traces the bullet all the way back to Hong Kong, where he experiences memories of his brainwashing. Finding the armorer who made the bullets dead, he then finds a single golden bullet engraved with his codename, which Q is able to trace to Thailand. Meanwhile, in a private island near the Chinese cost, Scaramanga (Jack Palance) showcases his innate ability by battling rival gunslinger Hazard (Patrick O’Neal) and successfully killing him on a duel. After winning, Scaramanga’s mistress Maria Freudenstein (Barbara Steele) hands him a package containing a single golden bullet also marked “007” and an invitation to Thailand, which she interprets as a challenge to a duel from James Bond. Scaramanga, well aware of his reputation, accepts said challenge.
After arriving in Bangkok, Bond establishes contact with Mary Goodnight (Gayle Hunnicutt), a fellow MI6 agent operating on the area, and they quickly establish a witty rapport with each other. With help from his old friend and CIA agent Felix Leiter (Alex Cord), Bond follows Scaramanga’s trail all the way to Maria, and after spending the night together, she both confesses to Bond that the assassin has sworn a vow to end Bond’s life. Maria begs him to take Scaramanga out so she can be free, and Bond agrees. Maria takes 007 all the way to the jungle, where she is able to pit the agent and the assassin against each other. Bond is quickly outmatched by his competition, and he is only able to escape with Goodnights’ help after the provokes an elephant stampede. After Leiter unmasks Freudenstein as a SPECTRE operative, it becomes clear the organization has been trying to manipulate both Bond and Scaramanga so the latter can take the former out. However, Goodnight is kidnapped by Scaramanga before they can unveil the conspiracy. Using a homing beacon, Bond reaches Scaramanga’s isle and successfully infiltrates his luxurious fortress, revealing the truth in time.
An irate Scaramanga shoots and kills Freudestein before she can do the same to him, but the assassin insists the matter is not over. Challenging Bond to a duel to the death to prove who is the better killer (and calling Bond a “limey punk”), both men have a tense gunfight in a swamp outside the fortress, in which 007 ultimately prevails by outwitting his rival. With Scaramanga dead, Bond and Goodnight destroy the fortress and escape on a Chinese junk. Feeling that he has proved himself as still capable, Bond leaves his troubles behind as he romances Goodnight.
The Man with the Golden Gun premiered in June 1969 following a marketing campaign which trumpeted “James Bond’s return”, but which was not very successful in building up hype and public interest before the release of the film. Thus, it was initially feared that TMWTGG would underperform at the box office, something which might have dire consequences. As it was, word of mouth praising several elements on the film and Stamp’s performance as a worthy – if not comparable – heir to Connery soon encouraged audiences, helping the film become a clear commercial success which, while no Goldfinger, still outpaced other predecessors and suggested the franchise was very much alive. Critics were generally complimentary of Stamp, of Palance’s Scaramanga and of the film’s more serious and grounded tone, but described the film as “convoluted” and felt it was not cohesive enough. Others felt Stamp’s youth wasn’t quite coherent with the story of a brainwashed Bond having to put himself back again, while others felt his tortured demeanor made up for it. In spite of the flaws, it seemed as if the franchise was saved from disaster.
Broccoli, Saltzman and Stamp all basked in the glory – or at least in the success – in different manners, the producers by having proved they could still succeed with their flagship, and the actor giving himself a second chance after fearing his relevance was slipping away. Although the Saltzman-Broccoli partnership would eventually collapse, Stamp surpassed Connery’s four outings by staying on the role all the way to 1977, delivering five entries on the franchise that, although showing increasing signs of commercial fatigue – leading to a strong push for a campier tone in the later part of his tenure -, still cemented the Englishman as a popular Bond. To this day, The Man with the Golden Gun is seen as an unconventional yet strong Bond film, though fans continue to debate about the film’s perceived shortcomings and whether it being far more modest than Goldfinger and Thunderball works in its favor. Palance is also consistently favored as one of the better earlier Bond villains, with a vocal minority also believing Steele’s Maria Freudenstein to be underused.
Highlights of the film include the pre-title sequence, the assassination attempt on M, Bond’s Hong Kong sequences, Jack Palance’s performance, and the final Bond-Scaramanga duel.
Author’s Notes: This was going to be Roger Moore’s TMWTGG before I decided him being on a serious Casino Royale was too good to resist. Indeed, I wasn’t expecting to make this entry, until I found out about Terence Stamp (who allegedly botched a dinner with Saltzman with some unconventional ideas) and decided to mix it up with the Connery shark incident in Thunderball, another noteworthy What If? The result is a more serious and grounded TMWTGG which saves the franchise from bad publicity, but which is still a flawed film (so not one of the truly great ones). All we know about this project is that it would have been filmed on Cambodia, but that wasn’t going to happen. Thus, the plot is made up by mixing the novel, film, some of Mankiewicz and Maibaum’s unused ideas for the 1974 film, and a couple of extra ideas.
THE DEATH COLLECTORS will return in
“QUANTUM OF SOLACE”