Questions about LALD and TMWTGG

goldengun99

Not sure if this topic has been covered, I searched the forum but could not find anything - so apologies if I am repeating the topic. But here are my 2 questions:

1.) Who do you think sent the upside-down Queen of Cups tarot card to Bond after he arrived in San Monique? Do you think it was Solitaire sending the foreboding message of doom to Bond?

2.) Bond loses his gun while scaling underneath the fun house in TMWTGG - so what gun is used by Bond to take down Scaramanga at the end? I always thought that Bond remembered there was a mannequin with a gun - and how cool it would be that Scaramanga actually had fitted the mannequin with a loaded gun...

Thoughts?

thesecretagent

I've always thought it convenient for the Bond dummy to be fitted with a loaded weapon. I never really got why the dummy was there in the first place. After all, it was Scaramanga's woman who sent the bullet with 007 on it, and Scaramanga lets Bond know he's not interested in him and lets him go at the Thai-boxing match...

From Russia with Love

thesecretagent wrote:

I've always thought it convenient for the Bond dummy to be fitted with a loaded weapon. I never really got why the dummy was there in the first place. After all, it was Scaramanga's woman who sent the bullet with 007 on it, and Scaramanga lets Bond know he's not interested in him and lets him go at the Thai-boxing match...

I always assumed they cut a scene where Bond retrives his gun. Was the dummy holding a gun at the beginning?

As for why the dummy is there, I always took it as a further sign that Scaramanga sees Bond as a worthy opponent, if not an equal, and has a great, albeit gruesome, respect for the man and his ability. I guess he just keeps tributes to famous killers in his Fun House - like Al Capone, that sort of thing.

goldengun99

thesecretagent wrote:

I've always thought it convenient for the Bond dummy to be fitted with a loaded weapon. I never really got why the dummy was there in the first place. After all, it was Scaramanga's woman who sent the bullet with 007 on it, and Scaramanga lets Bond know he's not interested in him and lets him go at the Thai-boxing match...

Yes - that's because he's not hired to kill Bond - no one offered Scaramanga 1 million big ones.

But remember when Bond is talking to Miss Anders - she reveals that Scaramanga raves about Bond, about Bond's license to kill - and how Scaramanga even has a likeness for 007. TO which Bond replies "I'm flattered..."

That's where Miss Anders hatches the idea to somehow engage 007 and convince him to go after and kill Scaramanga so that she can be free of his clutches.

goldengun99

From Russia with Love wrote:

thesecretagent wrote:

I've always thought it convenient for the Bond dummy to be fitted with a loaded weapon. I never really got why the dummy was there in the first place. After all, it was Scaramanga's woman who sent the bullet with 007 on it, and Scaramanga lets Bond know he's not interested in him and lets him go at the Thai-boxing match...

I always assumed they cut a scene where Bond retrives his gun. Was the dummy holding a gun at the beginning?

As for why the dummy is there, I always took it as a further sign that Scaramanga sees Bond as a worthy opponent, if not an equal, and has a great, albeit gruesome, respect for the man and his ability. I guess he just keeps tributes to famous killers in his Fun House - like Al Capone, that sort of thing.

Yes there's a gun in hand for the dummy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpjDWZsLPJI

Napoleon Plural

Would have been interesting to have it so Scaramanga had a slight homo-erotic thing for Bond, but no designs on his life, which his somewhat jealous/frustrated mistress exploited.

Hardyboy

From Russia with Love wrote:

thesecretagent wrote:

I've always thought it convenient for the Bond dummy to be fitted with a loaded weapon. I never really got why the dummy was there in the first place. After all, it was Scaramanga's woman who sent the bullet with 007 on it, and Scaramanga lets Bond know he's not interested in him and lets him go at the Thai-boxing match...

I always assumed they cut a scene where Bond retrives his gun. Was the dummy holding a gun at the beginning?

As for why the dummy is there, I always took it as a further sign that Scaramanga sees Bond as a worthy opponent, if not an equal, and has a great, albeit gruesome, respect for the man and his ability. I guess he just keeps tributes to famous killers in his Fun House - like Al Capone, that sort of thing.

Yes, the dummy in the PTS is holding a gun. TMWTGG is my least favorite Bond film, but I'll cut it some slack and assume that all the dummies can fire actual weapons--such as the blinking Al Capone--to make the funhouse more than just a way to kill time.

goldengun99

Anyone have any thoughts on who sent the Tarot card to Bond in LALD?

Thunderpussy

I had always asumed the card was sent by Solitaire to warn Bond of Rosie his C.I.A. Contact.

hegottheboot

That's what I always thought. It ties in with her premonitions of Bond in the novel.

Fatsnbul

I always thought that the upside down card was a sign to Rosie to proceed with Bond to the designated picnic area where he was supposed to be killed.