The Man Of Bronze

[Dave]

A 75th anniversary re-reading.

Striking are

--- what is there right from the start

-- what is so different

--= what fell into the movie

RIGHT FROM THE START -- DOC is the way he is, the five are the way
they are. The two-hour routine, the fortress of solitude, the 86th
floor offices (both organization and furnishings), state-of-the-art
aircraft, knock-out gas, the NYC-travel someplace plot.

DIFFERENT: DOC talks. A lot, compared with later books. He uses
slang. And exclamation points!

Johnny doesn't use big words. Renny is rather the first lieutenant.
The Monk-Ham fued doesn't dominate.

No pig. No crime college. No Hidalgo Trading Company (DOC keeps his
planes out on Long Island. Superfirers with rams' horn magazines, but
know mercy bullets.

DOC takes lives, but not really on purpose -- usually only when he has
to.

No gadgets -- emphasis is on building something to get you out of
trouble.

THE MOVIE: Amazed how much of the book worked into the movie. Line
after line of dialogue. The structure of the plot.

And truth be told, there are superior points to the movie -- the
fortress of solitude scenes, the girder battle on the skyscraper as
opposed to a fight in an abandoned house, gold knives are way cooler
than black obsidian, green ghost snakes more fun than dumping a gallon
fruit jar of poison in the creek, and introducing Captain Seas made
for an interesting strong bad guy (a real weakness in the novel).

Dave

[TBerk]

Post by Dave
A 75th anniversary re-reading.
Striking are
--- what is there right from the start
-- what is so different
--= what fell into the movie
RIGHT FROM THE START -- DOC is the way he is, the five are the way
they are. The two-hour routine, the fortress of solitude, the 86th
floor offices (both organization and furnishings), state-of-the-art
aircraft, knock-out gas, the NYC-travel someplace plot.
DIFFERENT: DOC talks. A lot, compared with later books. He uses
slang. And exclamation points!
Johnny doesn't use big words. Renny is rather the first lieutenant.
The Monk-Ham fued doesn't dominate.
No pig. No crime college. No Hidalgo Trading Company (DOC keeps his
planes out on Long Island. Superfirers with rams' horn magazines, but
know mercy bullets.
DOC takes lives, but not really on purpose -- usually only when he has
to.
No gadgets -- emphasis is on building something to get you out of
trouble.
THE MOVIE: Amazed how much of the book worked into the movie. Line
after line of dialogue. The structure of the plot.
And truth be told, there are superior points to the movie -- the
fortress of solitude scenes, the girder battle on the skyscraper as
opposed to a fight in an abandoned house, gold knives are way cooler
than black obsidian, green ghost snakes more fun than dumping a gallon
fruit jar of poison in the creek, and introducing Captain Seas made
for an interesting strong bad guy (a real weakness in the novel).
Dave

You make some interesting observations.

I really look forward to an other whack at a film, even if it has to
be done via animation of some sort or another.

With the new Indiana Jones film coming out there might have a been a
slight hope of resurgence of 30s & 40s era nostalgia, but I understand
the time frame has been updated to post WWII so thats out.

Still, there is hope, and hope endures.


TBerk