What a fiasco!

Well, having just finished re-reading the book (a book that we were made to read at school but never appreciated), I was very surprised at how much the film bore virtually no relationship to the original story, which is a pity as J. Meade Falkner’s story is a gripping tale of smugglers that deserves better. Maybe one day I will get to see the TV movie starring Ray Winstone which indicates from reviews that it is nearer the original story.

Why they felt the need to change it so much remains a mystery to me as the original story didn’t need to be carved up so much – why didn’t they just make up a completely different story and be done with it!?

For example, the characters of Jeremy Fox (Stewart Granger), Lord Ashwood (George Sanders), Lady Ashwood (Joan Greenwood), Mrs. Minton (Viveca Lindfors) and the Gypsy ( Liliane Montevecchi of the Ballet de Paris) were not in the original story at all, and John Mohune (Jon Whiteley) was NOT a Mohune descendant – he was John Trenchard who lived in Moonfleet with his Aunt, and not sent from his sick Mother who did not have an affair with Jeremy Fox ‘cos he didn’t exist in the original story!

Grace was the daughter of Magistrate Maskew, NOT his niece, and they lived together in the only house (The Manor)in the original story. Why change that fact when it made no difference to the story?

Two of the heroes of the book are changed completely into villains out to get John (Mohune) Trenchard.

Redbeard (WHY???) was Blackbeard, who was the last of the line of the Mohunes.

The Halberd Inn was called the Mohune Arms, nicknamed the Whynot?

Needless to say, the film ending bore absolutely no relationship to the book at all.

Nope sorry, I have seen films that follow the book to come extent but with this they have made a good ripping smuggling yarn into a mish-mash poor film.
Read the book – I’m sure you will enjoy this great tale.