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Old Films

I

Ian Sanders

kickbox
This post will test a good few memories.
Does anyone remember the film "King Solomon's Mines"?

This film was made from a book written by Henry Rider Haggard.

Does anyone know about this author? I remember as a young lad I listed this author as one of my favourites, along with Captain W. E. Johns, who wrote the "Biggles" stories. I think that these books would be classed as adventure stories for boys.

Another author who had his books succesfully made into a film or rather films was of course Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author of the "Tarzan" books.

As a young schoolboy I and the rest of the lads in my class had to list every book that we read, together with a synopsis. How I wish that I still had that list to-day.

What of the books written to-day. Are there any that could be turned into great movies? I am still waiting for my two current favourite authors works to be turned into films.

What books do forum members think would make great movies?
 
There are so many books I'd love to see made into films. A full version of Wuthering Heights - one that doesn't end half way through the book, for starters. Was Greystoke a decent Tarzan? Was it true to the book? I love watching old black and white films - they come on the ABC (similar to BBC) late at night or early morning- but I can't always stay awake! There'sa Cary Grant festival on at the moment and some of those have been entertaining- Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion was good.
More recently, I enjoyed The Talented Mr Ripley which was made a couple of years ago. This was, ofcourse, based on Patricia Highsmith's novel - with LOTS of alterations. She wrote 4 or 5 novels about Ripley and those I have managed to find are excellent. (No longer in print, ofcourse - except the recent film novel)
Patricia Highsmith also wrote the novel, Strangers on a Train, which was made into a Hitchcock classic, ofcourse. She wasw an amazing writer - way ahead of her time. The Ripley character is bi-sexual in her novels - not just in the film. I thought Matt Damon did an excellent job as Ripley but he got lousy reviews!:confused:
 
Going back now............................The Time Machine at work :) The H. Ryder Haggard book that sticks in my memory was "SHE". It was actually an excellent book concerning a beautiful woman who had achieved eternal youth. As far as I know they have only made one B Grade film from it and that starred (?) Ursula Andress and was absolutely AWFUL! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Now I wonder why? if anyone saw that movie though they would never read the book and miss something rather good.
 
As to the books that I would love to see made into films..................I thoroughly enjoyed the Daniel Day Lewis version of The Last Of The Mohicans. James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Series of novels are a very excellent and accurate accounting of early frontier life in America. I felt that this movie stayed very close to the original work from which it was adapted. I wish that Daniel Day Lewis would make films of all of the rest of the Cooper books in The Leatherstocking Series about the life of Hawkeye. I believe there are 5 in all. The books are a great series and so would be the films. :)
 
Originally posted by SilveryChris
The H. Ryder Haggard book that sticks in my memory was "SHE". It was actually an excellent book concerning a beautiful woman who had achieved eternal youth. As far as I know they have only made one B Grade film from it and that starred (?) Ursula Andress and was absolutely AWFUL!
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Well, it certainly is dated. I think cheese has its place, though. Still, it doesn't go well with the original flavour of the book, I'll give you that.

If you really want an insult to the original, you ought to seek out the modern re-make starring Sandahl Bergman (Valeria in the first Conan film). It must have been produced in the early eighties, and very much on the cheap. There's a post-apocalypse spin on the plot - which takes a hammering in many other ways too - but the mixture of swords n' leather with burnt out cars and blackened buildings works surprisingly well. Crucially, it knows it's not going to win any Oscars, and doesn't mind making an idiot of itself - which leads to a refreshingly unpretentious if bizarre piece of nonsense. If that's your cup of tea.

But if you're looking for a pure adaptation... get your crucifix ready.

Tobytook
 
I have a very lovely crucifix; and I really would love to see a faithful adaptation of the origianal "She" as envisioned by H. Ryder Haggard. It is actually a fine novel. The B-movies have so marred its image I doubt that serious readers would pick it up though. Pity. Hollywood ruins a lot of things for us.

Post-apocalyptic??? Wonder what idiot thought that one up?

:confused:

Chris
 
Toby,

I got this far:

Then She has to fight some knights in a warehouse.


That was enough. :rolleyes: May poor old H. Ryder never hear of THIS fiasco of his work where ever he may be.

GOOD GRIEF! :rolleyes:

Chris
 
Okay, spill

Originally posted by Ian Sanders
I am still waiting for my two current favourite authors works to be turned into films.
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Caught on the swell of the HR Haggard wave, we all sort of overlooked your implicit "please ask me what they are" request.

I for one would like to know, so get busy - the floor is yours.

Tobytook
 
Here again are my two favourite authors who's works I would love to see made into films. They would certainly be of interest to members of "The Book Forum" on both sides of the Atlantic.

Andy McNab and Chris Ryan wou are both ex SAS soldiers turned authors.

Does anyone remember the film "The Eagle has Landed" from the book by Jack Higgins, or the film "Storm Island" which is from a book called "The Eye of the Needle" written by Ken Follett?

Jack Higgins who's hero is Sean Dillon, an IRA enforcer turned British agent, and who is assisted by Blake Johnson a White House security insider. is a prolific writer of thrillers.

All these authors are worth considering if you like adventure stories.
 
Originally posted by Ian Sanders
Here again are my two favourite authors who's works I would love to see made into films...

Andy McNab and Chris Ryan wou are both ex SAS soldiers turned authors.
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I managed a book-signing session for Andy McNab at a Waterstone's branch in the east of England when Remote Control was released in hardback. Must have been late 1996, I reckon. Sadly, as "Andy McNab" is almost certainly a pseudonym, and the books are at least partly ghostwritten, the guy could have been anyone. He was really nice, though (whoever he was). Signed a copy of the book to my dad for me :)

Ian, you'll be pleased to hear that you don't have to wait for either his work or Chris Ryan's to be filmed:

The One That Got Away was released in 1996, starring Paul McGann as Ryan and David Morrissey as McNab. (The two actors had previously worked together on an atmospheric BBC adaptation of Our Mutual Friend.)

Bravo Two Zero came out a year later, with Sean Bean as McNab. As you know, the two books tell pretty much the same (true) story from different points of view. I gather there isn't much love lost between Ryan and McNab. Who do you side with (if either)?

Does anyone remember the film "The Eagle has Landed" from the book by Jack Higgins, or the film "Storm Island" which is from a book called "The Eye of the Needle" written by Ken Follett?
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I always get the first one mixed up with Where Eagles Dare, but I didn't realise that Eye of the Needle had a different title when filmed. I am thinking of the right one, aren't I: Donald Sutherland as a Nazi spy, exposed and forced to flee to a remote Scottish island to await rescue? Good film. If that's your bag, I am reliably informed that modern writer Robert Harris spins a good WW2 yarn. I saw the film version of his novel Enigma last week and it was indeed excellent - though not for the hard of thinking!

Tobytook
 
Finding time

Well I'm back again in this thread. The trouble is finding time to do all the things that I want to do. I have been meaning to reply to the above post for some time. I recently bought a book containing two books by the same author called "The Eagle has Landed" and "The Eagle Has Flown" but I'm danged if I can put my hands on it. "The Eagle Has Landed" is the one that was made into a film with Donald Sutherland as the German spy of Irish descent and starring Michael Caine. It is about a German plot to kidnap Churchill during WW II. "The Eagle Has Flown" is a sequel.

I am currently tied up with trying to get my ADSL Internet connection working so bear with me.

Ian
 
Do we grow wiser, or just older?

It's interesting how film-makers approach the war genre these days, when you compare the "adventuresome" epics of the late '60s and and '70s to films like Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line which concentrate less on the action and more upon the psychological pro/reactions of the soldiers involved.

Even the recent Enigma (mentioned by me earlier), though wholly cerebral, is very aware of individual emotional concerns over eventual historic outcome.

Does that mean we've learned psychological lessons from 20th Century war, or that we've just become a bit "up ourselves" (to use a vulgar phrase)?

Tobytook
 
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