OH DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING A LING A LING?

Contributed by: The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia by Steven Jay Rubin

Shelved Bondlike World War I film adventure from United Artists that was British author Roald Dahl‘s only screenwriting experience prior to accepting the assignment to write You Only Live Twice in 1966.

It was the story of a huge German zeppelin fortress located on a lake on the Swiss/German border, and the British Flying Corps’ plan to destroy it. Since the British lacked the range to bomb the factory from their bases in France, they instead dismantled their bombers and transported them under haywagons across Western Europe. Once they crossed into Swiss territory, the planes were reassembled for the final bombing run.

The wild caper of You Only Live Twice, with Blofeld‘s (DONALD PLEASENCE) rocket base hidden inside a dormant volcano and Bond (SEAN CONNERY) disguised as a Japanese who leads Ninja warriors in an all-out assault, owes more than a nod to this early film project from short-story master Dahl.

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