The Property of a Lady (film)

"The Property of a Lady" was the rumored, but never confirmed, name of the third, but ultimately never made James Bond film starring Timothy Dalton. It would have been the 17th film in the series (following 1989's "Licence to Kill"), and scheduled for a late 1991 release.

Background

Although Dalton's second Bond film, "Licence to Kill" (following 1987's "The Living Daylights") was almost as successful than its predecessor in most international markets, it did not perform as well at the U.S. box office. This was in large part due to intense blockbuster competition and a lacklustre marketing campaign, remodelled after the title of the film was abruptly changed from 'License Revoked'.

Despite all of this, Dalton was still contracted to do another Bond movie as part of his thre--picture deal. [cite news | title = 60 Seconds: Timothy Dalton | date = 2007-02-15 | work=An interview in Metro Newspaper by Andrew Williams |url = http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=37497&in_page_id=11]

Official pre-production of his third film began in May 1990, in order to be released in late 1991. Generic promotional materials for 'Bond 17' were unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival at around the same time. A detailed story draft, widely available online and spread over 17 pages, was written by Alfonso Ruggiero Jr. and Michael G. Wilson. The 'Imagineering' division of Walt Disney Studios were also involved in the film's development at some point, specifically in the development of the high-tech robots prominent in that early treatment. [ http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_intro.php3]

However, the film was cancelled due to the complex legal issues between MGM/UA and EON, which lasted for four years. [ [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_elements.php3?t=&s= The third outing of Timothy Dalton as James Bond] ] In the same year that "Licence to Kill" was released, MGM/UA was sold to the Australian based broadcasting group Quintex, which wanted to merge the company with Pathé. Danjaq, the Swiss based parent company of EON, sued MGM/UA because the Bond back catalogue was being licensed to Pathé, who intended to broadcast the series on television in several countries worldwide without the approval of Danjaq.These legal disputes engendered a six-year hiatus in the series. [cite web | title=GoldenEye - The Road To Production | publisher=mi6.co.uk | url=http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/ge_roadtoproduction.php3 | date=2003-06-23 | accessdate=2007-01-04] Owing to the disputes, Dalton's third film's production was postponed up to 1994. [cite news |title = Interview with Dalton |work = The Daily Mail | date = 1993-08-06] In an interview in 1993, Timothy Dalton said that Michael France was writing the story for the film, which was due to begin production in January or February 1994. [cite news |title = Interview with Dalton |work = The Daily Mail | date = 1993-08-06] It never began and in April 1994, Dalton resigned from the role. [cite video|people = Michael G. Wilson, Martin Campbell, Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, Desmond Llewelyn |date2= |month2= |year2 = 1999
title = The Making of 'GoldenEye': A Video Journal| medium = DVD|publisher = MGM Home Entertainment
location= |accessdate = 2007-10-17 |time =
quote= ]

ynopsis

As previously mentioned, it was rumored that he would make "The Property of a Lady" (which is one of Ian Fleming's short stories and elements of which had been included in "Octopussy"), but this was never confirmed. What was confirmed is that the story would deal with the destruction of a chemical weapons laboratory in Scotland, and the events would take place in London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. The final two acts of the film were to be set in Japan and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the climatic sequence would have taken place deep in the sewer system beneath Hong Kong city.

Incidentally, "Licence to Kill" was originally going to be set in China or even possible Cambodia, but production difficulties became insurmountable. What happened was that the viability of the location fell through when the Chinese Government made a number restrictive demands such as veto rights over the script. Ideas for the film included a motorcycle chase along the Great Wall of China and a sequence in a recently discovered museum of ancient statues.

Vehicles

*Aston Martin DB5
**Twin ejector seats
**Rear bulletproof shield
**Mines
**Flares
*Lamborghini
*Stealth car
**Heat seeking missiles
**Machine guns
**Infrared tracking system
*Motorcycle with front mounted missile launcher

Gadgets

*A high-tech helmet with a Heads Up Display (HUD) that has several views: heat sensing, night vision, and more
*'Nan' - a female robot assassin: Walt Disney's Imagineering division was contracted to supply designs for the high-tech robots (whose forms were to follow function, and not necessarily be in humanoid form with the notable exception of the villainous 'Nan') that were featured in the early screenplays.

ee also

*
*World War III in popular culture
*
*
*
*London_in_film#Thrillers
*List of films set in Japan
*List of films set in Hong Kong

Cast and characters

*James Bond (Timothy Dalton)
*Q (Desmond Llewelyn) - MI6's "quartermaster" who supplies Bond with multi-purpose vehicles and gadgets useful in the latter's mission.
*M (Robert Brown) - Head of the British Secret Service.
*Nigel Yupland - Yupland has quickly ascended in rank to Minister of Defence at MI6. Meanwhile, he has the confidence of the British Prime Minster, and no love for the 00-section. In return, Yupland would like to see nothing more than the 00-section to shutdown. M is under pressure to produce positive results after coming under an internal review from Yupland. After a secret government lab in Scotland is mysteriously destroyed, Bond is dispatched by MI6 under the guidance of Yupland to assess the threat. see also|Sir Frederick Gray
*Connie Webb - A retired American Olympic skier and adventuress in her early 30s, she is the daughter of a world famous thief. She also takes after her father's line of work and is occasionally used by the CIA to steal unobtainable items. Following his only lead, Bond tracks down Connie and discovers her sinister dealings with Kohoni Industries.
*Twin Kohoni Brothers - Both large and well-built men are in charge of a vast Japanese industrial empire, and have no intention to sell their company. Meanwhile, the twins also have connections to the Japanese underworld and the Yakuza. After escaping from certain death at the hands of the Kohoni brothers, Bond pursues Connie to Hong Kong to meet with her buyers.
*Denholm Crisp - A veteran agent, who is on the verge of retirement, he currently resides in Japan and is old friends with Q.
*Otto Winkhart - Acting as Connie's middleman, this Swiss lawyer becomes handing for fencing highly priced commodities. see also|List_of_James_Bond_henchmen_in_The_World_Is_Not_Enough#Lachaise
*Sir Henry Lee Ching - Currently based in Hong Kong, this half Chinese-British computer genius/entrepreneur in his mid 30s has built his own large high tech computer chip empire. He has in the process, been supplying the world with industrially grade chips, which are used in everything form factory robots through to missiles. After witnessing the aftermath of a nuclear meltdown in China caused by Ching, Bond must stop him at all costs (before Ching risks causing global pandemonium and sparking World War III in the process) before he launches many more attacks. see also|Max Zorin|Elliot Carver
*Dr. Ronberdy - A research assistant working for Ching, who advises him on the computer chip Bond is selling.
*Mi Wai - A beautiful field operative for the Chinese Intelligence Service. see also|Wai Lin
*Quen Low - As section chief of the Chinese Intelligence Service, Quen Low serves as Mi Wai's immediate superior. He suspects the British may be planning to renege on a promise to hand back Hong Kong.
*Rodin - A Yakuza assassin, who is on Sir Henry's payroll. Equipped with an array of high tech weapons and gadgets, he is out to stop Bond and Connie at any cost. see also|List_of_James_Bond_henchmen_in_Octopussy#Yo-Yo_Killer

Production crew

*Producers:
**Michael G. Wilson
Barbara Broccoli
*Screenwriters:
**Alfonse M. Ruggiero Jr.
Michael G. Wilson
John Landis (rumoured)
Willard Huyck
Gloria Katz (in talks)
Richard Smith ("story")
Michael France ("story")
*Director:
**Ted Kotcheff (rumoured)
John Byrum (rumoured)
Michael Carton Jones (rumoured)
Martin Campbell

Thirteen-time Bond film screenwriter Richard Maibaum and director John Glen (who directed every James Bond film of the 1980s) weren't scheduled to work on the film. Both men offically left EON on "amicable" terms in August 1990. Shortly thereafter, the UK newspaper "The Daily Express" reported that "First Blood" director Ted Kotcheff was being sought by by Michael G. Wilson. Meanwhile, John Landis was also mentioned in the "Express". "Variety" later reported that year that Albert Broccoli (who was reportedly unhappy with the inital treatment) was in talks with writer/director John Byrum to helm the film. Along the way, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" screenwriters Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz were brought in to re-work the first draft.

As previously mentioned, by August 1993, Albert Broccoli confirmed to "Film Review" that Michael France was writing the script after two earlier, respective, full length screenplays by Will Osbourne and Will Davies were scrapped. By this time, Michael Caton-Jones was reported as directing the project. Meanwhile, locales such as Australia (which wasn't present in the initial screenplay) were rumoured to be in the screenplay. Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, was going to be featured as a major locale in place of Hong Kong in later versions. Basically, locations changed as different writers came on board. Unfortunately, by the time that the film (with a reported $42 million budget) was finally scheduled to be released in the summer of 1994, the James Bond styled film "True Lies" with Arnold Schwarzenegger soon undid any plans to fast track the film's production. That was because many of the action sequences in Michael France's script were deemed too similar. As a result, EON had to go back to square one (the end result was 1995's "GoldenEye"). It was at this time (April 1994 to be exact), that Timothy Dalton decided to step aside from the Bond role, leaving the door open for Pierce Brosnan to succeed him.

References

External links

* [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_intro.php3?t=&s=articles Bond 17 - Features]
** [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_intro.php3 History & Background]
** [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_elements.php3 Gadgets, Vehicles & Locations]
** [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_act1.php3 Act I Synopsis]
** [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_act2.php3 Act II Synopsis]
** [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_17_act3.php3 Act III Synopsis]
** [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/bond17.php3 Bond 17 - Movie Index]
* [http://debrief.commanderbond.net/index.php?showtopic=23731 Bond XVII, by Michael G. Wilson & Alphonse Ruggiero]
* [http://debrief.commanderbond.net/index.php?showtopic=32129&st=0&p=576605&#entry576605 Dalton's Departure, Was there hope for a third film around 1994?]