Modesty Blaise is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by author Peter O'Donnell and illustrator Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick Willie Garvin. It was adapted into films in 1966, 1982, and 2003, and from 1965 onwards, 11 novels and two short-story collections were written.
Fictional character biography
[edit] |
In 1945, a nameless girl escapes from a displaced person (DP) camp in Kalyros, Greece. She remembers nothing from her short past and wanders through post-World War II Mediterranean, the Middle East, and regions of North Africa, where she learns to survive the hard way. She befriends Lob, another wandering refugee, who is a Jewish Hungarian scholar from Budapest. He gives her an education and a first name: Modesty. Sometime later, Modesty chooses her last name, Blaise, after Merlin's tutor from the Arthurian legends.[2]When Lob dies is unclear, other than it being prior to her going to Tangier. "The Xanadu Talisman" mentions that Modesty has left Lob at a village to recover from a wound; she goes alone to sell a car tyre. In 1953, she takes control of a criminal gang in Tangier from Henri Louche and expands it into an international organization called The Network.[3]
During the years that she runs The Network, she meets Willie Garvin. Despite his desperate lifestyle, she sees his potential and offers him a job. Inspired by her belief in him, he pulls through as her right-hand man in The Network and becomes Modesty's most trusted friend. Theirs is a strictly platonic relationship, based on mutual respect and shared interests. He always calls her "Princess", a form of address only he is allowed to use. Other members of The Network call Modesty "Mam'selle" (as in the French term "Mademoiselle" or "Miss"). Though their relationship has no sexual element, Modesty's various lovers invariably treat Willie with frustrated envy, as he is the only man who remains vital to her life, while lovers come and go. By the same token, some of Willie's girlfriends are initially jealous of Modesty, but later come to understand how the dynamic between them works (as in the case of Lady Janet).
She obtains British nationality by marrying for convenience and divorcing an Englishman in Beirut; the husband (James Turner) dies a year later of alcoholism. Having made a point of not dealing in secrets belonging to H.M. government, when she feels she has made enough money, she retires and moves to England and Willie Garvin follows suit. Bored by their new lives among the idle rich, they accept a request for assistance from Sir Gerald Tarrant, a high-ranking official of the British Secret Service. This is where the story really begins, although it is treated differently in the first comic strip and the first book. Modesty's fortune is estimated at £500,000 as of 1963 (over £8.84 million in 2020). She lives in a penthouse in London overlooking Hyde Park, and also owns a villa in Tangier and a cottage two miles from Benildon, Wiltshire. She is 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) tall and weighs 120 lb (54 kg) as revealed in La Machine.
Many of her adventures are based on capers in which Willie Garvin and she become involved as a result of their association with Tarrant. However, they may also help perfect strangers or fight various eccentric villains in exotic locations of their own volition if the cause fits their values; "ghosts" from their Network past also emerge to haunt them from time to time. Although Modesty and Willie do not hesitate to kill if necessary, they avoid deadly force whenever possible, often relying upon their extraordinary physical combat and weapons skills. There are many occasions in the comic strip and novels where the two decide ahead of time - with the final say up to Modesty - whether to use deadly force ("for keeps") or less-lethal methods ("for sleeps") depending on the level of the perceived threat. [citation needed]
In Willie and Modesty's fights, great emphasis is placed on unarmed combat and unusual weapons. Modesty's weapon of choice is a kongo or yawara stick (which she often disguises either tied up in her hair or as a detachable clasp on her handbag), and as for firearms she begins by preferring the Colt .32 revolver and Mab Brevete .32 ACP auto pistol, although in later books, she switches to carrying a Star PD .45 auto pistol. Willie's preferred weapon is the throwing knife, of which he usually carries two. Many other strange weapons (such as the quarterstaff, épée, blowgun, and sling) and unexpected fighting techniques are also featured.
In keeping with the "floating timeline" spirit of other long-running comic strip and literary characters, Modesty and Willie generally do not age over the decades, with Modesty always being depicted as being in her late 20s and Willie eight years older. The only exceptions to this rule occur in the comic strip origin story, "In the Beginning"; the 1996 short-story collection Cobra Trap, the final Modesty Blaise book, which contains five stories that take place where Modesty's age moves from 20 to 52 (approximately); and the 2003 film My Name Is Modesty, which is a prequel depicting Modesty in her late teens.
Comic strip
[edit]Having conceived the idea after a chance meeting with a girl during his wartime service in the Middle East,[4] O'Donnell elected to work with Jim Holdaway, with whom he had worked on the strip Romeo Brown, after a trial period of collaboration with Frank Hampson, creator of Dan Dare, left O'Donnell dissatisfied. Modesty Blaise debuted in the London Evening Standard on 13 May 1963.[3] The strip was syndicated among a large number of newspapers ranging from the Johannesburg Star to the Detroit Free Press, the Bombay Samachar, The Telegraph (Calcutta, India), The Star (Malaysia), The West Australian (Perth), The Evening Citizen (Glasgow, Scotland) and the Birmingham Evening Mail (Birmingham, England).
After Jim Holdaway's sudden death in 1970,[5] the art of the strip was provided by Spanish artist Enrique Badía Romero.[6][7]Eight years later, Romero quit to make time for his own comics projects, and after short attempts by John Burns[8] and Patrick Wright, Neville Colvin drew the strip until 1986.[9] Then Romero returned to the job and continued until the end of the strip.
The strip's circulation in the United States was erratic, in part because of the occasional nude scenes, which were much less acceptable in the US than elsewhere, resulting in a censored version of the strip being circulated. (Modesty occasionally used a tactic that she called the "Nailer," in which she appeared topless, distracting the bad guys long enough to give Willie or herself a chance to incapacitate them.) An example of this censorship appears in the introduction to the 2007 Titan Books reprint volume Death Trap, which illustrated two segments of the story arc, "The Junk Men" that were censored by the Detroit Free Press when it published the strip in 1977;[10] in both cases a screen was drawn over scantily clad images of Willie and Modesty. Reportedly, O'Donnell did not approve of the changes, although they were made by the artist, Romero.[11]
The final Modesty Blaise strip ran in the Evening Standard on 11 April 2001.[3] Some of the newspapers that carried the series, feeling that it had become a tradition for their readers, began running it again from the beginning. O'Donnell, to give Romero some additional work, gave the artist permission to adapt one of his short stories ("The Dark Angels") as a comic that was published in the Scandinavian anthology magazine Agent X9 in 2002, later being reprinted in the US in a special issue of Comics Revue.
From 1 December 2008, the Evening Standard, which had stopped including comic strips for some time, republished La Machine, using the original artwork. Following a change of ownership of the paper, they did not continue with subsequent stories.
Strip numbering
[edit]The ordinary strips are consecutive numbered from 1 to 10183. Outside this numbering are the two newspaper stories "In the Beginning" and "The Killing Ground" and the two comic-book stories "Modesty Blaise" and "The Dark Angels".
Outside the ordinary numbering is also a quantity of A-strips. An A-strip has the same number as the previous strip, but followed by an A. They were used on days when not all the newspapers running Modesty Blaise were published. An A-strip is not vital for the continuity of the story and is often just supplementing the previous strip.
The first A-strip was 194A and was published during Christmas 1963 in Scottish newspapers.
Since December 1974, The Evening Standard has not been published on Saturdays. So, since then, and the story "Cry Wolf", a sixth of the strips have been A-strips and have not had their premiere in The Evening Standard.
A single strip is numbered with an X suffix, strip number 3641X, and is similar to the A-strips.
Reprints and comic book adaptations
[edit]Many reprint editions of the comic strip have appeared over the years, of varying quality. Most reprint the earliest strips, with strips from the 1980s and 1990s being the least often reprinted.
In Sweden the strip has been in continuous distribution since 1971 in a monthly comic adventure magazine called Agent X9(previously, Modesty had her own comic magazine Agent Modesty Blaise in Sweden from 1967 to 1970). Many of O'Donnell's stories premiered here (translated into Swedish), and the magazine continues to run a Modesty Blaise story every month, from the archives. When the daily strip was discontinued, artist Romero was given permission by O'Donnell to do a final Modesty Blaise story directly for Agent X9 magazine. The two-parter was published in 2002 and based on an unused script by O'Donnell entitled The Dark Angels, which O'Donnell had previously adapted for the short story collection Cobra Trap. Romero also contributed original painted covers for the Agent X9 magazine for many years.
In India[12] Modesty has acquired a huge fan base and the stories have been published in various magazines starting in 1971. Modesty was featured in Kalki Magazine (1971), Kumudam Magazine (1972), Muthu Comics (1975), Lion Comics (1984 to date), Rani Comics (1990–2002) & Comic World (1998) in the Tamil language. They were also published in English in Spectrum Comics (1985–1986). Though other magazines stopped/ceased publishing Modesty Blaise, Lion Comics continues to publish her stories regularly. Considering the medium, certain images from the stories were edited to make them suitable for child readers.
One of the earliest reprints in book form occurred in 1978 when Star Books—an imprint of WH Allen Limited—published two paperback-sized compilations of the Holdaway-era stories: 1) "In the Beginning", "The Black Pearl", and "The Vikings", and 2) "La Machine" and "The Long Lever". These reprints suffered from poor reproduction that rendered many panels illegible.
Between 1981 and 1986, Ken Pierce Books Inc. of the United States, in conjunction with Eclipse Comics, published eight volumes of comic book-sized reprints dubbed the First American Edition series. The first four books featured Holdaway-illustrated stories from the 1960s, while the last four featured strips from the early 1980s as illustrated by Neville Colvin. These books also suffered from reproduction problems that resulted in many panels being reprinted too light, making them difficult to read.
In 1994, DC Comics released a graphic novel adaptation of Modesty Blaise (the novel), with art by Dan Spiegle and Dick Giordano (ISBN 1-56389-178-6).[13]
Manuscript Press published two volumes of late-1980s Romero strips in 2003 (Live Bait and Lady in the Dark); it also published all of the stories not reprinted elsewhere in serialised form in its magazine publications Comics Revue and Modesty Blaise Quarterly, the former of which, as noted above, also published The Dark Angels for the first (and, to date, only) time in English. Comics Revue is continuing to reprint Modesty Blaise strips as of 2015, although a planned reprint of The Dark Angels in autumn 2014 was cancelled just before publication when the copyright holders withdrew permission.
The American magazine Comics Revue also continues to reprint the strip, and remains to date the only publisher to have released an English-language version of The Dark Angels.
Titan Books old series, 1985–1990
[edit]Between 1984 and 1990, Titan Books of England published eight volumes of reprints of strips featuring art by Holdaway and Romero, covering the period 1963 to 1974. All of the covers were drawn by John M. Burns.
| No. | Title | Published date | ISBN | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT1 | The Gabriel Set-Up | January 1985 | 978-0-907610-37-3 | Introduction by Peter O'Donnell |
| OT2 | Mister Sun | October 1985 | 978-0-907610-48-9 | "Modesty Blaise Bloopers" by Peter O'Donnell |
| OT3 | The Hell-Makers | August 1986 | 978-0-907610-58-8 | "Modesty Blaise The Film" by Peter O'Donnell |
| OT4 | The Warlords of Phoenix | March 1987 | 978-0-907610-74-8 | Introduction by Peter O'Donnell; photo of Jim Holdaway at work |
| OT5 | Death of a Jester | July 1987 | 978-0-907610-91-5 | Introduction by Peter O'Donnell; photo of Romero and "Dark Angels" script |
| OT6 | The Puppet Master | October 1987 | 978-1-85286-009-7 | Introduction by Peter O'Donnell and reminiscences about his early work |
| OT7 | The Iron God | November 1989 | 978-1-85286-026-4 | Introduction by Peter O'Donnell |
| OT8 | Uncle Happy | October 1990 | 978-1-85286-328-9 | Introduction by Peter O'Donnell |
Titan Books new series, 2004–2017
[edit]Beginning in March 2004, Titan launched a new series of reprint volumes. These new versions use larger images and reportedly come from better source material than the editions published between 1984 and 1990.
As well as an introduction to each story by Peter O'Donnell (books 1 to 16), Lawrence Blackmore (books 17 to 24), Simon Ward (book 25), Rick Norwood (book 26), Rebecca Chance (book 28), and Daphne Alexander and Kate McAll (book 30), most books include articles about the series. The individual story introductions are absent from books 27 and 29.
In October 2017, Titan completed its reprints of the entire newspaper strip run with the final stories from Romero's second tenure. It is not yet known if the company has the rights to reprint "The Dark Angels", a graphic novel-length story that was published in a European magazine after the retirement of the original strip, or the 1994 graphic novel adaptation of the first Modesty Blaise novel published by DC Comics.
| No. | Title | Year | ISBN | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | The Gabriel Set-Up | 2004 | 978-1-84023-658-3 | "Blaise of Glory" Pt 1 by Mike Paterson and "Girl Walking" by Peter O'Donnell |
| T2 | Mister Sun | 978-1-84023-721-4 | "Blaise of Glory" Pt 2 and "Modesty Maker" Pt 1, an interview with Peter O'Donnell | |
| T3 | Top Traitor | 978-1-84023-684-2 | "Blaise of Glory" Pt 3 and "Modesty Maker" Pt 2 | |
| T4 | The Black Pearl | 978-1-84023-842-6 | "Modesty's Sisters – The Madeleine Brent Novels" Pt 1 and "Modesty Maker" Pt 3; includes examples of Frank Hampson's rejected artwork. | |
| T5 | Bad Suki | 2005 | 978-1-84023-864-8 | "A Few Words about a Man I Never Met" about Jim Holdaway by Walter Simonson and "Modesty's Sisters" Pt 2 |
| T6 | The Hell Makers | 978-1-84023-865-5 | "Modesty Blaise Doesn't Go To America" by Max Allan Collins, "Jim and Enric" by Peter O'Donnell, Holdaway's illustrations for the "Pieces of Modesty" book, and Pt 1 of a 1973 Comic Media interview with Peter O'Donnell by Nick Landau and Richard Burton | |
| T7 | The Green-Eyed Monster | 978-1-84023-866-2 | A profile of Enric Badia Romero | |
| T8 | The Puppet Master | 2006 | 978-1-84023-867-9 | "Two Genuine Originals" by Jan Burke and "The Secret Weapons of a Femme Fatale" by Rob van der Nol |
| T9 | The Gallows Bird | 978-1-84023-868-6 | "Blue Bird – The Censoring of The Gallows Bird" | |
| T10 | Cry Wolf | 978-1-84023-869-3 | "The Truth behind Modesty Plays" by Russell Mael and Pt 2 of the 1973 Comic Media interview with Peter O'Donnell | |
| T11 | The Inca Trail | 2007 | 978-1-84576-417-3 | Pt 3 of the 1973 Comic Media interview with Peter O'Donnell; includes examples of Frank Hampson's rejected artwork. |
| T12 | Death Trap | 978-1-84576-418-0 | "Preserving Modesty's Modesty" by Lawrence Blackmore | |
| T13 | Yellowstone Booty | 2008 | 978-1-84576-419-7 | "The Art of John Burns" by Lawrence Blackmore, including Burns' illustrations for the first Modesty Blaise novel |
| T14 | Green Cobra | 978-1-84576-420-3 | "Naked Truth" by Lawrence Blackmore and Burns' illustrations for "Pieces of Modesty" | |
| T15 | The Lady Killers | 2009 | 978-1-84856-106-9 | "Modesty McBlaise: The Glasgow Story" by Lawrence Blackmore (strips that only appeared in the Glasgow Evening Citizen) |
| T16 | The Scarlet Maiden | 978-1-84856-107-6 | "Modesty McBlaise" Pt 2 by Lawrence Blackmore. Final volume to feature introductions by O'Donnell. | |
| T17 | Death in Slow Motion | 2010 | 978-1-84856-108-3 | "Portrait of an Artist – Neville Colvin: An Appreciation" by Steve Epting |
| T18 | Sweet Caroline | 978-1-84856-673-6 | – no additional articles | |
| T19 | The Double Agent | 2011 | 978-1-84856-674-3 | "A Tribute to Peter O'Donnell" – short pieces by eleven writers and illustrators (first volume compiled since the death of O'Donnell in 2010); "A Modest Man" by Wallace Harrington, describing Neville Colvin |
| T20 | Million Dollar Game | 978-1-84856-675-0 | – no additional articles | |
| T21 | Live Bait | 2012 | 978-0-85768-668-8 | "O'Donnell's Circus" by Lawrence Blackmore |
| T22 | Lady in the Dark | 978-0-85768-693-0 | – no additional articles | |
| T23 | The Girl in the Iron Mask | 2013 | 978-0-85768-694-7 | – no additional articles |
| T24 | The Young Mistress | 2014 | 978-1-78116-709-0 | – no additional articles |
| T25 | The Grim Joker | 978-1-78116-711-3 | – no additional articles | |
| T26 | The Killing Distance | 2015 | 978-1-78116-712-0 | – no additional articles |
| T27 | Ripper Jax | 2016 | 978-1-78329-858-7 | "Modest Morality" by Simon Barnes |
| T28 | The Murder Frame | 978-1-78329-859-4 | "Meeting Modesty" by Rebecca Chance | |
| T29 | Children of Lucifer | 2017 | 978-1-78329-860-0 | "Modesty Blaise: An Icon For Our Time" by Stef Penney |
| T30 | The Killing Game | 978-1-78565-300-1 | "Modesty and Me" by Paul Michael and "All in the Mind" by Peter O'Donnell |
Story list
[edit]There were 99 storylines produced for the Modesty Blaise comic strip and all its printed forms over almost forty years, and every story was written solely by Peter O'Donnell. The strips and comic books were drawn by Jim Holdaway (JH), Enrique Badia Romero (ER), John M. Burns (JB), Patrick Wright (PW), Neville Colvin (NC), Dan Spiegle (DS) and Dick Giordano(DG).
Sources: A (Comics Revue Annual), C (Comics Revue), CM (Comic Media Vol 2, No. 2), CS (Comics Revue Special), F# (First American Edition Series, Ken Pierce), LB (Live Bait, Manuscript Press), LD (Lady in the Dark, Manuscript Press), MB (Comics Revue Presents Modesty Blaise), S# (Star Books paperback reprints, 1978), OT# (Titan Books, old series (1984–90)), T# (Titan Books, new series (2004–2017)).
| No. | Title | Artist | Strip No. | No. of strips | Dates | Reprinted in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Machine | Jim Holdaway | 1–114 | 114 | 1963-05-13 – 1963-09-21 | T1, OT1, C 189–191, 193, S2 |
| 2 | The Long Lever | 115–211 | 98 | 1963-09-23 – 1964-01-02 | T1, OT1, C 192–194, S2 | |
| 3 | The Gabriel Set-Up | 212–354 | 143 | 1964-01-03 – 1964-06-18 | T1, OT1, C 195–197 | |
| 4 | Mister Sun | 355–500 | 146 | 1964-06-19 – 1964-12-05 | T2, OT2, C 198–199 | |
| 5 | The Mind of Mrs. Drake | 501–612 | 113 (112+1A) | 1964-12-07 – 1965-04-19 | T2, OT2, F2, C 201–203 | |
| 6 | Uncle Happy | 613–743 | 131 | 1965-04-20 – 1965-09-18 | T2, OT8, F2, C 204–207 | |
| 7 | Top Traitor | 744–873 | 131 | 1965-09-20 – 1966-02-19 | T3, F1, C 208–210 | |
| 8 | The Vikings | 874–992 | 119 | 1966-02-21 – 1966-07-09 | T3, F1, S1 | |
| (1) | In the Beginning | 1–12 | 12 | 1966-07-11 – 1966-07-23 | T1, OT1, C 188, CM, S1 | |
| 9 | The Head Girls | 993–1124 | 132 | 1966-07-11 – 1966-12-10 | T3, F4 | |
| 10 | The Black Pearl | 1125–1235 | 112 (111+1A) | 1966-12-12 – 1967-04-22 | T4, F4, S1 | |
| 11 | The Magnified Man | 1236–1349 | 114 | 1967-04-24 – 1967-09-02 | T4, F4 | |
| 12 | The Jericho Caper | 1350–1461 | 113 (112+1A) | 1967-09-04 – 1968-01-13 | T4, F3 | |
| 13 | Bad Suki | 1462–1574 | 113 | 1968-01-15 – 1968-05-25 | T5, OT8, F3 | |
| 14 | The Galley Slaves | 1575–1629 1630A-1688 | 115 (114+1A) | 1968-05-27 – 1968-08-06 1968-09-11 – 1968-11-16 | T5, OT3, MB24 | |
| (2) | The Killing Ground | A1-A36 | 36 | 1968-10-07 – 1968-11-16 | T4, OT2, F3, C 207 | |
| 15 | The Red Gryphon | 1689–1794 | 107 (106+1A) | 1968-11-18 – 1969-03-22 | T5, OT3, C 211–213 | |
| 16 | The Hell Makers | 1795–1919 | 126 (125+1A) | 1969-03-24 – 1969-08-16 | T6, OT3, C 214–216 | |
| 17 | Take-Over | 1920–2043 | 125 (124+1A) | 1969-08-18 – 1970-01-10 | T6, OT4, C 217–219 | |
| 18 | The War-Lords of Phoenix[14] | 2044–2099 2099–2162 | 119 | 1970-01-12 – 1970-03-17 1970-03-17 – 1970-05-30 | T6, OT4, C 220–222 | |
| Enric Badía Romero | ||||||
| 19 | Willie the Djinn | 2163–2282 | 120 | 1970-06-01 – 1970-10-17 | T7, OT4, C 223–225 | |
| 20 | The Green-Eyed Monster | 2283–2388 | 107 (106+1A) | 1970-10-19 – 1971-02-20 | T7, OT5, C 226–228 | |
| 21 | Death of a Jester | 2389–2507 | 119 | 1971-02-22 – 1971-07-10 | T7, OT5, C 229–231 | |
| 22 | The Stone Age Caper | 2508–2627 | 120 | 1971-07-12 – 1971-11-27 | T8, OT5, C 232–234 | |
| 23 | The Puppet Master | 2628–2738 | 112 (111+1A) | 1971-11-29 – 1972-04-08 | T8, OT6, C 235–237 | |
| 24 | With Love from Rufus | 2739–2846 | 108 | 1972-04-10 – 1972-08-12 | T8, OT6 | |
| 25 | The Bluebeard Affair | 2847–2970 | 125 (124+1A) | 1972-08-14 – 1973-01-06 | T9, OT6 | |
| 26 | The Gallows Bird | 2971–3077 | 107 | 1973-01-08 – 1973-05-12 | T9, MB2 | |
| 27 | The Wicked Gnomes | 3078–3197 | 120 | 1973-05-14 – 1973-09-29 | T9, OT7 | |
| 28 | The Iron God | 3198–3309 | 111[15] | 1973-10-01 – 1974-02-09 | T9, OT7 | |
| 29 | "Take Me to Your Leader" | 3310–3428 | 120 (119+1A) | 1974-02-11 – 1974-07-01 | T10, MB3 | |
| 30 | Highland Witch | 3429–3548 | 120 | 1974-07-02 – 1974-11-16 | T10, MB4 | |
| 31 | Cry Wolf | 3549–3638A | 106 (90+16A) | 1974-11-18 – 1975-03-25 | T10, MB5 | |
| 32 | The Reluctant Chaperon | 3639–3737 | 120 (99+21A)[16] | 1975-03-26 – 1975-08-14 | T11, MB6 | |
| 33 | The Greenwood Maid | 3738–3829A | 111 (92+19A) | 1975-08-15 – 1976-01-02 | T11, MB7 | |
| 34 | Those About to Die | 3830–3931A | 123 (102+21A) | 1976-01-05 – 1976-05-28 | T11, MB8 | |
| 35 | The Inca Trail | 3932–4031A | 120 (100+20A) | 1976-06-01 – 1976-10-20 | T11, MB10 | |
| 36 | The Vanishing Dollybirds | 4032–4141A | 132 (110+22A) | 1976-10-21 – 1977-03-28 | T12, MB11 | |
| 37 | The Junk Men | 4142–4241A | 120 (100+20A) | 1977-03-29 – 1977-08-19 | T12, MB9 | |
| 38 | Death Trap | 4242–4341A | 120 (100+20A) | 1977-08-22 – 1978-01-20 | T12, MB12 | |
| 39 | Idaho George | 4342–4447A | 126 (106+20A) | 1978-01-23 – 1978-06-16 | T13, MB13 | |
| 40 | The Golden Frog | 4448–4542A | 114 (95+19A) | 1978-06-19 – 1978-10-31 | T13, MB14 | |
| 41 | Yellowstone Booty | John Burns | 4543–4647A | 126 (105+21A) | 1978-11-01 – 1979-03-30 | T13, MB16 |
| 42 | Green Cobra | 4648–4737A | 108 (90+18A) | 1979-04-02 – 1979-08-10 | T14, MB15 | |
| 43 | Eve and Adam | 4738-4767A 4768-4837A | 120 (100+20A) | 1979-08-13 – 1979-11-24 1979-11-25 – 1980-01-04 | T14, MB17 | |
| Patrick Wright | ||||||
| 44 | Brethren of Blaise | 4838–4932A | 114 (95+19A) | 1980-01-07 – 1980-05-23 | T14, MB18 | |
| 45 | Dossier on Pluto | Neville Colvin | 4933–5032A | 120 (100+20A) | 1980-05-27 – 1980-10-14 | T15, MB19 |
| 46 | The Lady Killers | 5033–5127A | 114 (95+19A) | 1980-10-15 – 1981-03-03 | T15, F5, C 238–240 | |
| 47 | Garvin's Travels | 5128–5229A | 120 (102+18A) | 1981-03-04 – 1981-07-27 | T15, F5, C 241–243 | |
| 48 | The Scarlet Maiden | 5230–5329A | 120 (100+20A) | 1981-07-28 – 1981-12-16 | T16, F5, C 244–246 | |
| 49 | The Moonman | 5330–5424A | 114 (95+19A) | 1981-12-17 – 1982-05-07 | T16, F6, C 247–249 | |
| 50 | A Few Flowers for the Colonel | 5425–5519A | 114 (95+19A) | 1982-05-10 – 1982-09-24 | T16, F6, C 250–252 | |
| 51 | The Balloonatic | 5520–5619A | 120 (100+20A) | 1982-09-27 – 1983-02-18 | T17, F6, C 253–255 | |
| 52 | Death in Slow Motion | 5620–5719A | 120 (100+20A) | 1983-02-21 – 1983-07-15 | T17, F7, C 256–258 | |
| 53 | The Alternative Man | 5720–5814A | 114 (95+19A) | 1983-07-18 – 1983-11-28 | T17, F7, C 259–261 | |
| 54 | Sweet Caroline | 5815–5914A | 120 (100+20A) | 1983-11-29 – 1984-04-19 | T18, F7, C 262–264 | |
| 55 | The Return of the Mammoth | 5915–6014A | 120 (100+20A) | 1984-04-24 – 1984-09-14 | T18, F8, C 265–267 | |
| 56 | Plato's Republic | 6015–6114A | 120 (100+20A) | 1984-09-17 – 1985-02-06 | T18, F8 | |
| 57 | The Sword of the Bruce | 6115–6214A | 120 (100+20A) | 1985-02-07 – 1985-07-02 | T18, F8 | |
| 58 | The Wild Boar | 6215–6314A | 120 (100+20A) | 1985-07-03 – 1985-11-20 | T19, MB20 | |
| 59 | Kali's Disciples | 6315–6414A | 120 (100+20A) | 1985-11-21 – 1986-05-16 | T19, MB21 | |
| 60 | The Double Agent | 6415–6519A | 126 (105+21A) | 1986-05-17 – 1986-09-15 | T19, MB22 | |
| 61 | Butch Cassidy Rides Again | Enric Badía Romero | 6520–6624A | 126 (105+21A) | 1986-09-16 – 1987-02-12 | T20, MB1, MB25 |
| 62 | Million Dollar Game | 6625–6724A | 120 (100+20A) | 1987-02-13 – 1987-07-08 | T20, C 26–29 | |
| 63 | The Vampire of Malvescu | 6725–6829A | 126 (105+21A) | 1987-07-09 – 1987-12-03 | T20, A2, MB23 | |
| 64 | Samantha and the Cherub | 6830–6934A | 126 (105+21A) | 1987-12-04 – 1988-05-06 | T21, C 31–36, LB | |
| 65 | Milord | 6935–7034A | 120 (100+20A) | 1988-05-09 – 1988-09-27 | T21, C 40–42, LB | |
| 66 | Live Bait | 7035–7134A | 120 (100+20A) | 1988-09-28 – 1989-02-17 | T21, C 44–46, LB | |
| 67 | The Girl from the Future | 7135–7239A | 126 (105+21A) | 1989-02-20 – 1989-07-21 | T22, C 47–49, LD | |
| 68 | The Big Mole | 7240–7339A | 120 (100+20A) | 1989-07-24 – 1989-12-11 | T22, C 50–52, LD | |
| 69 | Lady in the Dark | 7340–7439A | 120 (100+20A) | 1989-12-12 – 1990-05-08 | T22, C 53–56, LD | |
| 70 | Fiona | 7440–7544A | 126 (105+21A) | 1990-05-09 – 1990-10-09 | T23, C 57–60 | |
| 71 | Walkabout | 7545–7649A | 126 (105+21A) | 1990-10-10 – 1991-03-11 | T23, C 61–63 | |
| 72 | The Girl in the Iron Mask | 7650–7749A | 120 (100+20A) | 1991-03-12 – 1991-08-02 | T23, C 64–66 | |
| 73 | The Young Mistress | 7750–7854A | 126 (105+21A) | 1991-08-05 – 1992-01-06 | T24, C 67–73 | |
| 74 | Ivory Dancer | 7855–7959A | 126 (105+21A) | 1992-01-07 – 1992-06-05 | T24, C 73–77 | |
| 75 | Our Friend Maude | 7960–8064A | 126 (105+21A) | 1992-06-08 – 1992-11-02 | T24, C 78–83 | |
| 76 | A Present for the Princess | 8065–8174A | 132 (110+22A) | 1992-11-03 – 1993-04-08 | T25, C 84–88 | |
| 77 | Black Queen's Pawn | 8175–8279A | 126 (105+21A) | 1993-04-13 – 1993-09-10 | T25, C 89–93 | |
| 78 | The Grim Joker | 8280–8384A | 126 (105+21A) | 1993-09-13 – 1994-02-09 | T25, C 94–99 | |
| 79 | Guido the Jinx | 8385–8484A | 120 (100+20A) | 1994-02-10 – 1994-07-05 | T26, C 100–104 | |
| 80 | The Killing Distance | 8485–8589A | 126 (105+21A) | 1994-07-06 – 1994-11-30 | T26, C 105–109 | |
| 81 | The Aristo | 8590–8694A | 126 (105+21A) | 1994-12-01 – 1995-05-03 | T26, C 110–114 | |
| (3) | Modesty Blaise | Dan Spiegle & Dick Giordano | (141 pages) | 1994-12 | ||
| 82 | Ripper Jax | Enric Badía Romero | 8695–8799A | 126 (105+21A) | 1995-05-04 – 1995-10-02 | T27, C 115–119 |
| 83 | The Maori Contract | 8800–8904A | 126 (105+21A) | 1995-10-03 – 1996-03-01 | T27, C 120–124 | |
| 84 | Honeygun | 8905–9009A | 126 (105+21A) | 1996-03-04 – 1996-08-02 | T27, C 125–130 | |
| 85 | Durango | 9010–9114A | 126 (105+21A) | 1996-08-05 – 1997-01-03 | T27, CS, C 131–133 | |
| 86 | The Murder Frame | 9115–9219A | 126 (105+21A) | 1997-01-06 – 1997-06-06 | T28, C 134–138 | |
| 87 | Fraser's Story | 9220–9324A | 126 (105+21A) | 1997-06-09 – 1997-11-03 | T28, C 139–143 | |
| 88 | Tribute of the Pharaoh | 9325–9429A | 126 (105+21A) | 1997-11-04 – 1998-05-03 | T28, C 144–148 | |
| 89 | The Special Orders | 9430–9534A | 126 (105+21A) | 1998-05-06 – 1998-09-04 | T28, C 149–152 | |
| 90 | The Hanging Judge | 9535–9644A | 132 (110+22A) | 1998-09-07 – 1999-02-10 | T29 C 153–158 | |
| 91 | Children of Lucifer | 9645–9749A | 126 (105+21A) | 1999-02-11 – 1999-07-13 | T29, C 159–163 | |
| 92 | Death Symbol | 9750–9859A | 132 (110+22A) | 1999-07-14 – 1999-12-15 | T29 C 164–169 | |
| 93 | The Last Aristocrat | 9860–9964A | 126 (105+21A) | 1999-12-16 – 2000-05-19 | T30 C 170–175 | |
| 94 | The Killing Game | 9965–10069A | 126 (105+21A) | 2000-05-22 – 2000-10-17 | T30, C 176–181 | |
| 95 | The Zombie | 10070–10183 | 135 (114+21A) | 2000-10-18 – 2001-04-11 | T30 C 182–187 | |
| (4) | The Dark Angels | (46 pages) | 2002-06-13 – 2002-07-11 | C 200, 208 (cover), 217(cover) |
The special stories
[edit]- Numbered SP1 or more commonly 8a. An introduction to the history of Modesty Blaise.
- Numbered SP2 or more commonly 14a. Produced to Scottish newspapers after an industrial dispute in England.
- Numbered SP3 or more commonly not numbered. A graphic novel from DC Comics based on the first novel with Modesty Blaise.
- Numbered SP4 or more commonly 96. A comic book version of the short story in Cobra Trap. Originally published in the Swedish magazine Agent X9 #7–8, 2002.
Differences between comic strip and books
[edit]Although the books generally reflect the characters previously established in the comic strip, there are a number of detail differences. One example of this is how Modesty is initially recruited to work for Sir Gerald Tarrant – although the strip story La Machine (1963) and the book story Modesty Blaise (1965) have similarities, and in both Tarrant achieves his aim by putting her under an obligation, in the strip story this relates to the validity of her marriage (and therefore her right to British nationality and residence) while in the book he provides her with information that enables her to rescue Willie Garvin and save his life. The name of her husband is given in the strip, with the marriage taking place in 1960 and him dying in 1961; in the novel he is unnamed and the marriage took place in 1962. The novels also include a more overt fantasy element than the strip, with characters demonstrating clairvoyant abilities in several novels (including Willie's trademark ability to predict trouble when he feels his ears prickling, a trait also demonstrated in the comic), and a later story referencing the afterlife.
There are also cases where characters first appear in the books and then subsequently appear in the comic strip – Steve Collier first appears in I, Lucifer (1967) and his future wife Dinah in A Taste for Death (1969) but they do not appear in the strip until Lady in the Dark (1989).
Modesty Blaise Quarterly
[edit]Comics Revue presents Modesty Blaise was a small press magazine sized comic book published by Manuscript Press which reprinted Modesty Blaise comic strip stories by O'Donnell and illustrated by the artists Jim Holdaway (JH), Enrique Badia Romero (ER), John M. Burns (JB), Patrick Wright (PW), Neville Colvin (NC). It published 25 issues between 1995 and 2000. With issue 23, all the MB stories had been reprinted in either Comics Revue presents Modesty Blaise or Comics Revue, so the contents of the last two issues was decided by reader vote. Issue 24 carried "The Galley Slaves" and 25 reprinted "Butch Cassidy Rides Again".
| No. | Title | Story # | Artist | Strip numbers | Number of strips | Original publication dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Butch Cassidy Rides Again | 61 | ER | 6520-6624A | 126 (105+21A) | 1986-09-16 – 1987-02-12 |
| 2 | The Gallows Bird | 26 | ER | 2971-3077 | 107 | 1973-01-08 – 1973-05-12 |
| 3 | "Take Me to Your Leader" | 29 | ER | 3310-3428 | 119 | 1974-02-11 – 1974-07-01 |
| 4 | Highland Witch | 30 | ER | 3429-3548 | 120 | 1974-07-02 – 1974-11-16 |
| 5 | Cry Wolf | 31 | ER | 3549-3638A | 106 (90+16A) | 1974-11-18 – 1975-03-25 |
| 6 | The Reluctant Chaperon | 32 | ER | 3639-3737 | 120 (99+21A) | 1975-03-26 – 1975-08-14 |
| 7 | The Greenwood Maid | 33 | ER | 3738-3829A | 111 (92+19A) | 1975-08-15 – 1976-01-02 |
| 8 | Those About to Die | 34 | ER | 3830-3931A | 123 (102+21A) | 1976-01-05 – 1976-05-28 |
| 9 | The Junk Men | 37 | ER | 4142-4241A | 120 (100+20A) | 1977-03-29 – 1977-08-19 |
| 10 | The Inca Trail | 35 | ER | 3932-4031A | 120 (100+20A) | 1976-06-01 – 1976-10-20 |
| 11 | The Vanishing Dollybirds | 36 | ER | 4032-4141A | 132 (110+22A) | 1976-10-21 – 1977-03-28 |
| 12 | Death Trap | 38 | ER | 4242-4341A | 120 (100+20A) | 1977-08-22 – 1978-01-20 |
| 13 | Idaho George | 39 | ER | 4342-4447A | 126 (106+20A) | 1978-01-23 – 1978-06-16 |
| 14 | The Golden Frog | 40 | ER | 4448-4542A | 114 (95+19A) | 1978-06-19 – 1978-10-31 |
| 15 | Green Cobra | 42 | JB | 4648-4737A | 108 (90+18A) | 1979-04-02 – 1979-08-10 |
| 16 | Yellowstone Booty | 41 | JB | 4543-4647A | 126 (105+21A) | 1978-11-01 – 1979-03-30 |
| 17 | Eve and Adam | 43 | JB PW | 4738-4767A 4768-4837A | 120 (100+20A) | 1979-08-13 – 1979-11-24 1979-11-25 – 1980-01-04 |
| 18 | Brethren of Blaise | 44 | PW | 4838-4932A | 114 (95+19A) | 1980-01-07 – 1980-05-23 |
| 19 | Dossier on Pluto | 45 | NC | 4933-5032A | 120 (100+20A) | 1980-05-27 – 1980-10-14 |
| 20 | The Wild Boar | 58 | NC | 6215-6314A | 120 (100+20A) | 1985-07-03 – 1985-11-20 |
| 21 | Kali's Disciples | 59 | NC | 6315-6414A | 120 (100+20A) | 1985-11-21 – 1986-05-16 |
| 22 | The Double Agent | 60 | NC | 6515-6519A | 126 (105+21A) | 1986-05-17 – 1986-09-15 |
| 23 | The Vampire of Malvescu | 63 | ER | 6725-6829A | 126 (105+21A) | 1987-07-09 – 1987-12-03 |
| 24 | The Galley Slaves | 14 | JH | 1575-1629 1630A-1688 | 115 (114+1A) | 1968-05-27 – 1968-08-06 1968-09-11 – 1968-11-16 |
| 25 | Butch Cassidy Rides Again | 61 | ER | 6520-6624A | 126 (105+21A) | 1986-09-16 – 1987-02-12 |
In other media
[edit]Films
[edit]After the initial popularity of the comic strip British Lion Films announced a Modesty Blaise film to be written by Sidney Gilliatthat was never made.[17]
A film titled Modesty Blaise, loosely based on the comic strip, was filmed in 1966 as a comedy thriller. It was directed by Joseph Losey and starred Monica Vitti as Modesty, Terence Stamp as Willie Garvin, and Dirk Bogarde as Gabriel. Peter O'Donnell wrote the first draft of the screenplay for the film, but the script was heavily revised by others before shooting began, and the finished film bore very little resemblance to O'Donnell's vision in tone, theme, or characterisation. For example, a romance is established between Willie and Modesty, even though the comic strip firmly established only a platonic relationship between them. The film also incorporated several musical numbers. One sequence of the film establishes that the Modesty Blaise comic strip exists within the fictional universe of the film and is based upon the exploits of Vitti's character, who is seen dressing up as the illustrated version of herself. The film was unsuccessful.[citation needed]
In 1982, a one-hour pilot was made for a proposed Modesty Blaise television series, starring Ann Turkel as Modesty Blaise and Lewis Van Bergen as Willie Garvin. The film aired on the ABC Network to positive reviews, but no series resulted. This was a slightly more serious version of the stories than the campy 1966 comedy version. In this pilot the setting is moved from London to Hollywood, and both Willie and Tarrant are portrayed as Americans; Modesty's nationality is left unrevealed but Turkel also plays her with an American accent.
In 2003, a direct-to-video film titled My Name Is Modesty was released under the "Quentin Tarantino Presents..." banner. The film was directed by Scott Spiegel and starred English actress Alexandra Staden as Modesty Blaise (to date the only British actress to play the role on screen). Although promoted as the first of a series, no others were made. One immediately noticeable difference between the film and the source material is that it is a prequel to Modesty's established backstory as a crime boss; as such, the character of Willie Garvin is omitted.
Quentin Tarantino has been interested in directing a Modesty Blaise film for many years, and at one point Neil Gaiman wrote a script treatment based upon O'Donnell's novel, I, Lucifer. So far, nothing has come of these plans. Tarantino "sponsored" the release of My Name Is Modesty by allowing it to be released under the label "Quentin Tarantino presents ..." In the Tarantino film Pulp Fiction, Vincent Vega is seen reading a copy of Modesty Blaise.[18] Nicole Kidman has also gone on record as being interested in making a Modesty Blaise film, and Jennifer Lopez was reported to be pitching for the part in 2003.[19]
Novels and short story collections
[edit]O'Donnell was invited to write a novelization of the 1966 film. The novel, released a year before the film itself and based on his original screenplay for the movie, fared considerably better than the film. During the following decades he would write a total of eleven Modesty Blaise novels and two collections of short stories. Several of the short stories either adapt comic strip stories, or would later be adapted into comic strip stories themselves. Characters cross over between the two media. Except for Pieces of Modesty, initially published as a Pan Books paperback, the books were originally issued in hardback (by Souvenir Press) and have subsequently gone through numerous paperback editions, with Pan the primary paperback publisher in the U.K. until the late 1970s.
| Year | Book title | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Modesty Blaise | ||||||
| 1966 | Sabre-Tooth | ||||||
| 1967 | I, Lucifer | ||||||
| 1969 | A Taste for Death | ||||||
| 1971 | The Impossible Virgin | ||||||
| 1972 | Pieces of Modesty (short stories)
| ||||||
| 1973 | The Silver Mistress | ||||||
| 1976 | Last Day in Limbo | ||||||
| 1978 | Dragon's Claw | ||||||
| 1981 | The Xanadu Talisman | ||||||
| 1982 | The Night of Morningstar | ||||||
| 1985 | Dead Man's Handle | ||||||
| 1996 | Cobra Trap (short stories)
|
O'Donnell's final book, Cobra Trap, is a short story collection. Intended by O'Donnell to be his literary finale, the final story depicts the deaths of Modesty and Willie (with an implied afterlife). O'Donnell, however, would continue to write the comic strip for several more years, and chose to end it on a more optimistic note, though the comic strip's finale does not contradict the prose version.
Beginning in the early 2000s (decade), Souvenir Press began a series of paperback reprints of the Modesty Blaise book series, using the first edition hardback covers, and originally concluding with a reprint of Cobra Trap in 2006. Souvenir subsequently gained the rights to the short story collection Pieces of Modesty and issued their reprint of that book in March 2010, with a new cover design based on the original hardback cover from the first Modesty novel, at which point all the Blaise books fell under the same UK publisher for the first time.
In 2008, Penguin Books of India reprinted the full series.[20]
The 2012 Charles Stross book The Apocalypse Codex is, according to the author, a tribute to Modesty Blaise.[21]
Audio formats
[edit]Last Day in Limbo was adapted as a BBC World Service six-part radio drama in 1978 with Barbara Kellerman as Modesty, James Bolam as Willie and Richard Vernon as Tarrant.
I Had a Date with Lady Janet (the short story from Pieces of Modesty) was published as an audio tape reading by Pickwick Talking Books in the early 1980s, featuring John Thaw as Willie (the story, uniquely to the canon, is a first-person tale told from Willie Garvin's point of view).
BBC Radio 4 has broadcast adaptations of three of the books in their "15 Minute Drama" slot, each in five fifteen-minute episodes, adapted by Stef Penney and produced/directed by Kate McAll, starring Daphne Alexander as Modesty, with music by Will Gregory, arranged by Ian Gardiner.
A Taste for Death was originally broadcast from 17 to 21 December 2012, featuring Carl Prekopp as Willie and Alun Armstrong as Tarrant, with Sam Dale (Simon Delicata), Geoffrey Streatfeild (Steve Collier), Samantha Dakin (Dinah Pilgrim), Alex Fearns (McWhirter), Jeff Mash (Skeet Lowery) and Nigel Anthony (Sir Howard Presteign).[22]
Modesty Blaise was originally broadcast from 16 to 20 June 2014, featuring Neil Maskell as Willie and Alun Armstrong as Tarrant, with Ewan Bailey (Gabriel), Alex Fearns (McWhirter), Matthew Gravelle, John Hollingworth and Hannah Pakeman.[23]
The Silver Mistress was originally broadcast from 13 to 17 February 2017, featuring Paul Bazely as Willie and Ian McNeiceas Tarrant, with Clare Grogan (Clare), Ewan Bailey (Sexton/Colonel Jim), Sara Markland (Lady Janet/Angel) and John Ramm(Quinn).[24]
References to Modesty Blaise in other popular culture
[edit]- The theme song "Modesty (Modesty Blaise Theme)" from the Losey movie was sung by David and Jonathan, with music composed by John Dankworth and lyrics by Benny Green. This appeared on the soundtrack album issued by 20th Century Fox (S 4182) and also as a single on the Fontana label. The album was released on CD by Harkit (HRKCD 8003) in 2001.
- The theme song appeared in instrumental form as a mambo by Latin jazz composer and vibist Cal Tjader and collaborator Eddie Palmieri on their 1966 album El Sonido Nuevo (The New Sound). [25]
- Rock group Sparks wrote and recorded a song intended as the theme tune for the aborted TV series. Using an amended title "Modesty Plays" to avoid trademark infringement, it was released originally in 1982 as a France-only single and subsequently in a new version on their 1986 album Music That You Can Dance To. Singer Russell Mael admits that he is actually singing "Blaise" not "Plays".[26]
- Closterkeller, a Polish Gothic band, recorded the song "Modesty Blaise" on their 1992 album Blue, based on the Modesty Blaise character.
- The concept of the 1992 album Modesty by the Yugoslav pop rock band Bel Tempo was inspired by the Modesty Blaise character.[27]
- Montt Mardié from Sweden opens his 2005 debut album Drama with a song entitled "Modesty Blaise".
- British group the Direct Hits released their 4-track EP The Modesty Blaise Sessions on The Forbidden Label in 1986. The first track, "Modesty Blaise", alludes to the character, especially in her comic-strip form.
- In the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction, hit-man Vincent Vega is twice seen reading the first US printing of the Modesty Blaise novel while seated on the toilet.
- A thinly disguised pair - Persephone Hazard (code-named "Bashful Incendiary") and her companion Johnny McTavish - are in some of Charlie Stross' Laundry series books. She is a witch, he calls her Duchess, they work as external assets of an occult department of the British secret services.[28]
Controversy
[edit]On 29 June 2020 strip no. 2548 drew controversy from readers of The West Australian newspaper for its dialogue, in which the villain in the story used offensive language to refer to Indigenous Australians.[29] Strip no. 2548 and the associated story "The Stone Age Caper", has a villain who makes racist statements. The story had previously been published by the newspaper in 2009. At that time, the only complaint about the story was that in one panel Modesty is shown topless.[30] On 30 June 2020 the newspaper made a decision that, after 48 years, it would cease publishing Modesty Blaise.[31]
Modesty Blaise is a 1966 British spy comedy film directed by Joseph Losey, produced by Joseph Janni and loosely based on the comic strip of the same name by Peter O'Donnell, who co-wrote the original story upon which Evan Jones and Harold Pinter based their screenplay. It stars Monica Vitti as "Modesty", opposite Terence Stamp as Willie Garvin and Dirk Bogarde as her nemesis Gabriel. The cast also includes Harry Andrews, Clive Revill (in a dual role), Michael Craig, Alexander Knox, Rossella Falk and Tina Aumont. The film's music was composed by Johnny Dankworth and the theme song, "Modesty", sung by pop duo David and Jonathan. It was Vitti's first English-speaking role.[5][6]
The film's production saw creative clashes between director Losey and Blaisecreator O'Donnell over the vision of the final film, Losey wanting to create a "pop art"-inspired spoof of the spy film craze prevalent at the time, in contrast to the relatively serious and grounded tone of the source material. As a result, the film heavily diverged from O'Donnell's comics and story outline in many ways, and includes a number of non sequitur elements including avant garde-inspiredediting and production design, musical numbers and deliberate continuity errors.
Modesty Blaise was entered into the 1966 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or. General critical reception was far more muted, with critics praising the visual style and off-beat tone, but criticising the divergences from the source material, convoluted plot, and perceived "style over substance" direction.[7] Critical reception continues to be mixed decades after release,[8] but the film has gained a cult following.[9]
Plot
[edit]
After the assassination of one of their agents in Amsterdam, British Secret Service chief Sir Gerald Tarrant recruits former criminal mastermind Modesty Blaise to protect a shipment of diamonds en route to Abu Tahir, the Sheikh of a small Middle Eastern kingdom. The shipment has also attracted Gabriel, the head of a criminal organisation that includes his accountant McWhirter and bodyguard Mrs Fothergill. Modesty believes that Gabriel, who maintains a compound in the Mediterranean, is dead, but he reveals himself to her.
In exchange for an exclusive discount on the kingdom's oil exports, the British government delivers periodic diamond shipments to the Sheikh. Modesty, who enjoys an ongoing love–hate relationship with law enforcement, is recruited not only for her competence, but because she is the Sheikh's adopted daughter and thus trusted by him implicitly. Modesty agrees to the arrangement, on the condition that she is given total immunity by the British government and complete freedom to deliver the diamonds how she sees fit.
With Tarrant monitoring her from afar, Modesty travels to Amsterdam, where she reunites with her former lover Paul Hagen, a Secret Service agent and aide to Tarrant. She calls upon her longtime partner, Willie Garvin, who is reuniting with an old flame, Nicole, who may have information on Gabriel through her employer, an illusionist associated with him. Modesty narrowly survives several attempts on her life by Gabriel's assassins, whose failure leads to their swift execution by the ruthless Mrs Fothergill. Modesty continually toys with Paul, first seducing him before stealing his gun and disappearing.
When Gabriel learns that Nicole is working with Modesty and Willie, he orders her assassinated. The illusionist sends thugs to have her killed, and they succeed when Modesty and Willie fail to intervene in time. Modesty and Willie set themselves up as live bait to draw Gabriel out, but find themselves pursued by Tarrant and a jilted Paul, being briefly arrested before quickly escaping with the help of some smoke bombs. When Modesty attempts to identify and infiltrate the boat being used by Gabriel for the planned diamond theft, she is lured into a trap and captured. Gabriel reveals his true plan, to use Modesty as leverage to force Willie to steal the diamonds for him.
Willie reluctantly agrees to the arrangement, successfully stealing the diamonds from under Tarrant and Paul's noses. He and Modesty are subsequently taken to Gabriel's island fortress, where they are promptly thrown into prison cells. Gabriel offers Modesty to join forces, but she refuses. Willie and Modesty escape and kill Mrs Fothergill, and signal their location to the Sheikh's forces. The Sheikh leads his army to the island, leading to an all-out battle with Gabriel's forces and ending in his capture and the diamonds reaching their intended owner.
In his desert camp, the Sheikh leaves Gabriel tied up outside to dehydrate. McWhirter suddenly appears in Highland dress to free his employer, though no one seems to notice or care. When the Sheikh asks Modesty what he can do for her, she asks for the diamonds. He responds by laughing boisterously and she seems to go along with it, but suddenly breaks the fourth wall by looking directly at the camera.
Cast
[edit]- Monica Vitti as Modesty Blaise, a criminal mastermind with a love–hate relationship with the British Secret Service, who occasionally employ her and grant her immunity due to her immense talents
- Terence Stamp as Willie Garvin, Modesty's loyal Cockney sidekick with whom she has a "will they or won't they"relationship that ends in mutual (possibly sarcastic) marriage proposals. Their relationship differs from the source material, where it is purely platonic.
- Dirk Bogarde as Gabriel, another criminal mastermind and Modesty's equal, defined by camp mannerisms and a sensitivity to violence in spite of his ruthlessness
- Harry Andrews as Sir Gerald Tarrant, the chief of the British Secret Service who has a begrudging respect for Modesty and acts as her liaison to the government
- Michael Craig as Paul Hagen, a straight-laced agent of the British Secret Service and former lover of Modesty's. He is an original character created for the film.
- Clive Revill as McWhirter and Sheik Abu Tahir; the former is Gabriel's loyal and dogged Scottish accountant, and the latter is the once-deposed ruler of a small Middle Eastern kingdom and the informal foster father of Modesty, whom he calls his "son". The latter character takes the role of Modesty's mentor "Lob" from the original comics, and is otherwise an original character.
- Alexander Knox as the Minister, an anxious government bureaucrat tasked with protecting the Sheikh's diamonds, a task is largely unsuited to and leaves to his subordinates
- Rossella Falk (credited as Rosella Falk) as Mrs Clara Fothergill, Gabriel's Amazonian bodyguard and chief of security, a psychopath who enjoys killing people to cure her boredom. She is loosely based on the more tough, muscular and thuggish character of the same name in O'Donnell's source novel.
- Scilla Gabel as Melina
- Michael Chow as Weng, Modesty's loyal Chinese butler
- Joe Melia as Crevier
- Saro Urzì as Basilio
- Tina Aumont (credited as Tina Marquand) as Nicole, Willie's old flame now working as a magician's assistant in Amsterdam. She becomes embroiled in her former lover's schemes due to her employer's connections to Gabriel. She is an original character created for the film.
- Oliver MacGreevy as tattooed man
- Jon Bluming as Hans
- Roberto Bisacco as Enrico
- John Karlsen as Oleg
- Silvan as Pacco, the illusionist
- Robin Hunter as pilot
- Denys Graham as co-pilot
- Robin Fox as Desmond (uncredited)
Production
[edit]In 1965, Mim Scala of the Scala Browne Agency saw O'Donnell's strip and acquired the film rights to the character. Scala had the idea of casting Barbara Steele as Modesty with Michael Caine as Willie and Sidney Gilliat directing, but he sold the production rights to Joseph Janni, who had Monica Vitti and Joseph Losey as his clients.[10] Caine would ultimately star in Alfie, a role intended for his friend and former flatmate Terence Stamp, who wound up playing Willie.
Modesty Blaise was released at the height of two cinematic trends: The popularity of James Bond had spawned a number of similarly themed films. Some were intended as serious spy adventures, others as parodies or pastiches of Bond and his genre. Director Joseph Losey and the screenwriters chose to follow the latter approach, by making Modesty Blaise a campy, sometimes surrealistic comedy-adventure. Playwright Harold Pinter made uncredited contributions to the final script.[11]
The film was shot on location in London, Amsterdam, and Naples. Interiors were filmed at Shepperton Studios. Gabriel's island fortress was filmed at Castello di Sant'Alessio Siculo in Sicily.
Joseph Losey found it difficult to work with Monica Vitti, as she would invariably be accompanied on the set by director Michelangelo Antonioni, in whose movies she had become famous. Antonioni would often whisper suggestions to her, and she would take direction from him rather than Losey. Eventually, Losey asked Antonioni, whom he greatly admired, to keep away from the studios during filming. Antonioni complied. Dirk Bogarde likewise disliked working with her, saying in a radio interview years later that she was the only one of his leading ladies whom he had actively disliked.[citation needed]
Modesty Blaise includes a metafictional element during one sequence where Blaise, while visiting a friend's apartment, comes across several newspapers with the Modesty Blaise comic strip, which are shown in close-up; artist Jim Holdaway's work is prominently shown, as is Peter O'Donnell's name. During the sequence, Vitti briefly dons a brunette wig and dresses up in a close approximation of how Holdaway depicted Modesty in the comic strips (images from this scene are often used to represent the film, including the cover of the first Pan Books paperback edition of O'Donnell's novelisation). Supporters of the film suggest this indicates that the film is not intended to take place in the same "universe" as the comic strip.
Comparison to source material
[edit]O'Donnell's original screenplay went through a large number of rewrites by other people, and he often later complained that the finished movie retained only one line of his original dialogue. O'Donnell states this in some of his introductions to reprints of his comic strip by Titan Books. As a result, although the basic plotline and characters are based on the comic strip, such as Willie killing a thug in an alley, many changes were made.[citation needed]
Some are cosmetic — Vitti appears as a blonde for most of the film, except for one sequence in which, as noted above, she actually dresses up like a real-life version of the comic strip character. The film also prominently focuses on a large leg tattoo the film version of the character sports; no such tattoo is ever referenced in the comic strip or later novels. Also, while the comic strip established early on that Modesty considered herself to be English, her actual ethnic background was left ambiguous beyond her being vaguely from the Middle East region; no attempt was made to disguise Vitti's strong Italian accent, making it apparent that her version of Blaise was from Italy.
Likewise, Stamp initially appears in a blond wig (giving him a similar appearance to the comic strip character) and subsequently reverts to his natural dark hair; in the film Modesty and Willie acknowledge the hair color change with each other. Other changes are more profound. For example, as the film progresses, Willie and Modesty fall in love and decide to get married, proclaiming the same during a sudden musical production number that pops up during a lull in the action. Even though the comic strip was only a few years old at this time and no novels had yet been published, this plot point nonetheless breaks a cardinal rule set out by O'Donnell when he created the characters: They would never have a romantic relationship in the traditional sense; the writer stayed true to this right up to the end of the comic strip in 2001.[citation needed]
The character of Sheikh Abu Tahir fills the function of Lob, Modesty's adoptee father and mentor, who gives her the name "Modesty Blaise". The Sheikh is otherwise an original character with no equivalent character in the source material. Other original characters include Paul Hagen, Mrs Fothergill, McWhirter, and Nicole, though O'Donnell would later incorporate several of these into later original novels.
Novelisation
[edit]Prior to the release of the film, O'Donnell novelised his version of the screenplay as a novel titled Modesty Blaise. This book was a critical and sales success, resulting in O'Donnell alternating between writing novels and writing the comic strip for the next 30 years. O'Donnell's version of the screenplay was also used as the basis for a late-1990s Modesty Blaise graphic novel published by DC Comics.[citation needed]
Critical reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]According to Fox records, the film needed to earn $5,800,000 in rentals to break even and made $4,825,000, meaning it lost money.[12]
Critical response
[edit]Modesty Blaise was a moderate success at the time of its original release,[13] Bosley Crowther, writing in The New York Times, characterised the film as "a weird film, all right. Maybe, if the whole thing were on a par with some of its flashier and wittier moments, or were up to its pictorial design, which is dazzling, it might be applauded as a first-rate satiric job." According to Crowther: "The scenery, a few pop-art settings and a gay, nonchalant musical score are indeed, about the only consistently amusing things about this whacky color film."[13]
Modesty Blaise was entered into the 1966 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or, but lost to A Man and a Woman and The Birds, the Bees and the Italians.[14]
Two more serious attempts at adapting the comic strip for the screen occurred in 1982 with a Modesty Blaise starring Ann Turkel as an apparently American version of Blaise, and again in 2003 with My Name Is Modesty, a prequel starring Alexandra Staden in the title role and omitting the Willie Garvin character entirely.
Retrospective appraisal
[edit]The film was conceived as a burlesque of the emerging James Bond sagas "with their male-chauvinistic ethic, their infatuation with gadgetry, their depersonalization, their evident and self-glorifying delight in violence, and their complicated story lines."[15]
Rather than emulating this formula, Losey creates "outlandish and bizarre settings" in a savage satire of the Bond movies. The "lurid Op art designs" are so excessive they approach the surreal and, as such, indict the "shallowness of the characters".[16][17][18] Modesty Blaise has none of the self-effacing irony of the Bond pictures. Rather, Losey offers a "visually sophisticated and bitter" social satire incorporating "violence, government hypocrisy, heroism", yet is "strangely asexual".[19][20]
20th Century Fox provided Losey with the largest budget of his career: $6 million.[21]
The studio sought to capitalise on the James Bond film phenomena, but with a female protagonist. Losey failed to satisfy studio box office expectations, though the film became a cult phenomenon on college campuses.[22] Film critic Foster Hirschcomments on the casting choices:
Hirsch asks rhetorically: "[D]id Losey use her deliberately, to undercut the pop thrust of the material...by offering us this most dour and accommodating of high thriller heroines?"[24]
Hirsch questions the choice of Terence Stamp to play opposite of Vitti, an actor praised for his work in Billy Budd (1962) and Teorema (1968):
| Modesty Blaise | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster by Bob Peak | |
| Directed by | Joseph Losey |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by |
|
| Based on | Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell Jim Holdaway |
| Produced by | Joseph Janni |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jack Hildyard |
| Edited by | Reginald Beck |
| Music by | John Dankworth |
Production company | Modesty Blaise Ltd. |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £1 million[1] or $3 million[2] |
| Box office | $2.2 million (US/Canada rentals)[3] or $3 million[4] |
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