Had the director or the principal actors (Rod Taylor and Theodore Bikel) bothered to read the novel(s) before the script, it would have been vastly improved. However, Travis McGee with an Australian accent, played by an actor whose skills are in playing himself in every role? Theodore Bikel was slightly better, but he took his cues from Mr. Taylor's performance unfortunately.
The plot line made it worth watching despite the best efforts of the lead actors and director. Either John D. MacDonald was drunk or given points in the production to give it the review he did. The names were the same and some of the settings, but the Travis McGee novels are character driven and the tone is crucial to the story. This movie, and I use the term lightly, had none of the tone or character that makes McGee beloved and a long-lived mystery/action series. It followed the plot line and had a brutal fight scene, but is really, thankfully, eminently forgettable.
After watching the movie, the changes and director's method showed no concept of the story and I got a clear vision of the director, a.d., and studio execs responding over and over "What's the diff?" When queried about Taylor's Aussie accent, Travis McGee wearing coat and tie readily, Bikel's eastern European accent, killing off the Alabama Tiger to cameo Jane Russell, and wiping Trav's repugnance and distaste at shopworn hooker Vangie's attempts at seduction, etc. etc. etc.
All in all a very poor movie, unworthy of the plot line and story. If you watch it, you'll realize what a superior story teller John D. MacDonald was and how untalented this crew of filmmakers were in telling a story. It's no wonder during the 60's and 70's most of the films rewrote the basic story totally. You can see how badly they did with filming a good story and plot line in this effort.
It doesn't even come near the original story.
The plot line made it worth watching despite the best efforts of the lead actors and director. Either John D. MacDonald was drunk or given points in the production to give it the review he did. The names were the same and some of the settings, but the Travis McGee novels are character driven and the tone is crucial to the story. This movie, and I use the term lightly, had none of the tone or character that makes McGee beloved and a long-lived mystery/action series. It followed the plot line and had a brutal fight scene, but is really, thankfully, eminently forgettable.
After watching the movie, the changes and director's method showed no concept of the story and I got a clear vision of the director, a.d., and studio execs responding over and over "What's the diff?" When queried about Taylor's Aussie accent, Travis McGee wearing coat and tie readily, Bikel's eastern European accent, killing off the Alabama Tiger to cameo Jane Russell, and wiping Trav's repugnance and distaste at shopworn hooker Vangie's attempts at seduction, etc. etc. etc.
All in all a very poor movie, unworthy of the plot line and story. If you watch it, you'll realize what a superior story teller John D. MacDonald was and how untalented this crew of filmmakers were in telling a story. It's no wonder during the 60's and 70's most of the films rewrote the basic story totally. You can see how badly they did with filming a good story and plot line in this effort.
It doesn't even come near the original story.