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Tom Mankiewicz On Writing James Bond Films

'...the greatest phone call I ever got in my life was from Cubby, "Keep going."'

Interesting little tit bits by Wankerwicz.

How should one look at Tom's 'era'?

One of most loathed ones? The funniest? Loathed because it was too funny? Witty? Hollow? Least interesting?

I'd imagine some of all parts would apply to his 70's mix.

I found it interesting that TM said it was a "consience" (sp) decision to make Bond more comedic and that "Sean liked it that way". How often has the press criticized Roger Moore and his "Bond" take for being too comedic? As many should realize now, that was the course that the producers decided to take....a road that Connery himself wanted. Moore excelled at the light touch. Maybe that was not what the cultural elite wanted but, the producers proved that they had the pulse of the movie-going public. And in Roger Moore, they had someone who could carry out the game plan well....very well, indeed.

I must have missed that seventh Connery flick that came before LALD.

Read the whole thing at the other site, and it's a fascinating article! Had no idea that American John Gavin was that close to playing Bond. That would have been it. THE END. Good stories on different pieces of dialogue, and story development, and convincing Cubby to use Wings' LALD tune, and trying to talk Sean back into playing Bond.

Great find!

it's interesting reading all these articles and constantly finding out how much Cubby often really didn't necessarily 'get' Bond. Not to say he didn't make a lot of Bond what he is now.... but it's amazing how screwed up the franchise would be if he had had full reign... if it would even be going anymore..

Ugh.... Tom Manki, Manka, ugh "Wankerwichz" is a horrible screenwriter, most of his lines are so lame! it's terrible, i just wish that he made DAF in a serious tone instead of a Pathetic, hate the franchise, not avenge your wife, tone. He's basically another Tamahori but straight and not begging undercover cops for oral sex kinda way (actually, i wouldn't put it past him, after his failed career and all ).

Lovely.

Get on with your revision.

Great interview, Panavision.

Nice interview. He's a great screenwriter!

Hilarious, mharkin.

I wasn't meaning to be 'Hilarious' Q, i was just stating my Opinion.

It isn't really an opinion when you state someone had a "failed career" when in fact he wrote a string of blockbusters in the 70s, from Bond to Superman to The Eagle has landed and more. I'm sure 99% of screenwriters out there wouldn't mind "failing" like that.

Problem is that it is his name that is attached to DAF and TMWTGG.

Take a survey of Bond fans and then cross reference it with inflation adjusted box office returns for those movies and you end up with an average that would rank those two 007 flicks at or near the bottom of the pile of 21.

It is likely pure coincidence that Wankerwicz just happened to be the writer at a time when the Broccoli/Saltzman combo was at the receding ebb of their creative and corporate partnership.