The films and Fleming
Barbel
ScotlandPosts: 37,524Chief of Staff
We all know that the film series hasn't been totally faithful to Fleming's work, but I was interested to note that SPECTRE is the first time that Tanner's first name is mentioned and thought that I might expand on that.
M- the Bernard Lee version, anyway. Fleming gradually reveals that he is Admiral Sir Miles Messervy- we find out in MR that his first name is Miles, he's an Admiral, and his surname also begins with M, but the Messervy doesn't get mentioned till TMWTGG. In the films, we find out he's an Admiral in YOLT and that his first name is Miles in TSWLM- we're not told his surname at all, but it would be stretching credulity if it isn't Messervy.
Moneypenny- Fleming never tells her her first name- Bond calls her "Penny", casually, in both books and film. In Kate Westbrook (Samantha Weinberg)'s Moneypenny Diaries series she's given the name Jane, but they're not canon. Only in SF is she given a first name, Eve.
Q- Now pay attention, 007: in the novel DN we meet the armourer, Major Boothroyd. He's named after gun enthusiast Geoffrey Boothroyd, who'd written to Fleming to correct some errors. And in the film of that book and FRWL, the character is called Major Boothroyd. From the film GF onwards, he's referred to as Q by everyone except Anya in TSWLM, who calls him Major Boothroyd. Fleming never calls this character Q, although Q branch is mentioned frequently (and in CR Bond is told by M to "go see Q" for equipment, which could be taken to mean the character or the department). His first name's most likely Geoffrey, but that has never been confirmed.
John Cleese's character was never named (other than a jokey "R").
We haven't been told the new young Q's name... yet. My money's on "Boothroyd".
Tanner- as with M, Fleming revealed the name of the Chief Of Staff in stages- he's Colonel Bill Tanner. In the films, an unnamed Chief Of Staff first appears in TMWTGG. His name is confirmed as Tanner in FYEO. Tanner then appears in GE, TWINE, QoS and SF before the films confirm his first name is Bill in SP.
Andrew & Monique Bond- deceased before Bond's adventures start, their names are mentioned by Fleming in OHMSS and YOLT and in the films confirmed in SF.
M- the Bernard Lee version, anyway. Fleming gradually reveals that he is Admiral Sir Miles Messervy- we find out in MR that his first name is Miles, he's an Admiral, and his surname also begins with M, but the Messervy doesn't get mentioned till TMWTGG. In the films, we find out he's an Admiral in YOLT and that his first name is Miles in TSWLM- we're not told his surname at all, but it would be stretching credulity if it isn't Messervy.
Moneypenny- Fleming never tells her her first name- Bond calls her "Penny", casually, in both books and film. In Kate Westbrook (Samantha Weinberg)'s Moneypenny Diaries series she's given the name Jane, but they're not canon. Only in SF is she given a first name, Eve.
Q- Now pay attention, 007: in the novel DN we meet the armourer, Major Boothroyd. He's named after gun enthusiast Geoffrey Boothroyd, who'd written to Fleming to correct some errors. And in the film of that book and FRWL, the character is called Major Boothroyd. From the film GF onwards, he's referred to as Q by everyone except Anya in TSWLM, who calls him Major Boothroyd. Fleming never calls this character Q, although Q branch is mentioned frequently (and in CR Bond is told by M to "go see Q" for equipment, which could be taken to mean the character or the department). His first name's most likely Geoffrey, but that has never been confirmed.
John Cleese's character was never named (other than a jokey "R").
We haven't been told the new young Q's name... yet. My money's on "Boothroyd".
Tanner- as with M, Fleming revealed the name of the Chief Of Staff in stages- he's Colonel Bill Tanner. In the films, an unnamed Chief Of Staff first appears in TMWTGG. His name is confirmed as Tanner in FYEO. Tanner then appears in GE, TWINE, QoS and SF before the films confirm his first name is Bill in SP.
Andrew & Monique Bond- deceased before Bond's adventures start, their names are mentioned by Fleming in OHMSS and YOLT and in the films confirmed in SF.
Comments
It is nice to see that the creators are still aware and looking back at the Fleming Novels. (I mean some bits of CR (06) are taken straight from the novel.)
I think this also proves that the Producers are against the whole dreaded codename theory.
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
Rory Kinnear is a superb actor (as anyone who's seen Penny Dreadful knows), but I've yet to see anyone close to the tough ex-Sapper described by Fleming. I'm not sure I can see Bond and Tanner playing golf at the weekends as described by, I think, either by Fleming or Amis... I'd like to see a bit more warmth between the two men perhaps.
Interesting though that One of the key scenes in Colonel Sun appears in SP (I won't give away which to those who haven't seen it yet).