MovieChat Forums > Quest of the Delta Knights (1994) Discussion > Another Robert A. Heinlein theft...

Another Robert A. Heinlein theft...

posted 16 years ago by ransom-elwin
3 replies | jump to latest

Pick up the Robert Heinlein book "Citizen of the Galaxy", read the first chapter and tell me that this film's premise isn't a direct theft.

The young slave boy with no recollection of his past, who is much more than he appears to be.
The beggar, who isn't really a beggar at all.
The auction for a humourously low purchase price.
The argument between the auctioneer, the beggar and the noblewoman.

Oh, please...
This isn't a "strong resemblance", or a homage.
They didn't even try to file off the serial numbers.
There should have been a lawsuit.

[–] gabrielframpton 16 years ago

Wow, good spot

I own (pretty much) all of the Heinlein novels, but it's been a loooong time since I read most of them. Guess I'm due to re-read this one & look for the blatant theft..

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[–] underdog777 16 years ago

Wow, what a good memory you must have to catch that, if you read that book as long ago as I did. I had to dig my old copy out to remember that part.
I'll grant you, there are indeed some similarities between that scene in the movie and a few pages of that book, but it's not exact plagarism.
For one, in the book there are actually a series of bids on the slave boy, which pushes up the price above its initial small amount.
In the movie the beggar bids one copper, and that's it.
And after the auction scene, the two stories are quite different.

But, I wouldn't be surprised if the screenwriter had read that Heinlein book when they were younger, and did perhaps borrow from it for that scene, whether it was intentional or subconscious.

[–] liutenantsalt 16 years ago

Sounds like you should get yourself a copy of Joseph Campbell's "The Hero's Journey".