The story that brought Diamonds to the screen is clouded in numerous rewrites and a number of different plots.

The first draft, was originally going to start off very differently, and was to do something that seems a bit odd. The pre-title sequence was to be the wedding and death of Bond`s bride, (taken from OHMSS) and was to lead into a different story altogether, after that.

The original drafts also featured a new villian, the twin brother of Auric Goldfinger (who was to be played again by Gert Frobe), and the plot was revenge for his twin. Broccoli and Saltzman liked the idea at first, but later rejected it as being “too far off of the original premise of Fleming`s novels.” Also, his revenge was to done by killing Bond`s bride, (tying up loose ends, and such.) Dick Maibaum even had a fantastic line written for Bond`s first encounter with Goldfinger`s twin: “I think you knew my brother Auric. Mother always said he was a bit retarded.” The line got dropped when the whole storyline got jettisoned.

The villians from the book, the Spangled Mob, were considered, but not right for the time, so Blofeld returned. Also, many actors were considered for the role of 007, before Sean stepped back into it. Those considered included Burt Reynolds and Roger Moore but the producers flat out rejected Reynolds (because he was American). Reynolds was chosen by MGM/UA execs, trying to cash in on his status as one of the world`s biggest male movie stars (at the time) Well, we all know Moore got the role more than a year later in Live and Let Die.

Another interesting point stricken from the first few drafts was the climactic fight. Originally it was set to take place in a salt mine in Baja California and 007 was somehow supposed to grab hold of a weather balloon that was attached to a fleeing speed boat being driven by Blofeld. When the boat stops, Blofeld turns around to see Bond way up in the sky dangling from the balloon and says:

“Mary Poppins I presume?” He shoots Bond down and the fight begins.

Another draft of the film had the climactic showdown on Hoover Dam. A flottila of U.S. forces had surrounded Blofelds boat in an attempt to corner him and force him into surrender.

When Bond asks Felix for the real merchandise, an extremely sheepish Q is surrounded by customs officers. On the table in front of them is a large wooden leg with shoe and sock on it, open at one end.

FELIX (re: Q): Ask him to do his Long John Silver imitation for you someday. It`s a riot.

Sammy Davis Junior had a cameo in the film. This was cut during post-production:

SAXBY: Hey, I just got a call from Mr Whyte. Understand you haven`t signed your contract yet. What`s the problem?

DAVIS: The money, if you can believe it. Considering your boss is a billionaire, for God`s sake. Do me a favour, Bert. Trundle on up to that penthouse of his and talk to him for me.

SAXBY: You kidding? I run this place for him, and even I haven`t seen Willard Whyte for three years.

Then after Bond has entered the room, Davis says that you could eat off him!

Bond has drinks with Plenty. The waiter presents Bond with a wine. Bond shakes his head sadly in front of an impressed Plenty, and sends it back.

PLENTY: Hey! I didn`t think you could really do that. I bet they charge you for it.

BOND: I thought you were paying.

PLENTY: Well, it was still a very classy thing to do. (suspiciously) Say listen, you aren`t a knight or anything like that are you? I mean-

BOND: A mere commoner, I`m afraid.

PLENTY: (taking his hand) Don`t feel bad. Doesn`t make any difference to me. I`m a Democrat.

The following exchange occurs in bed with Tiffany Case:

TIFFANY: Peter? I think we`ve got a problem.

BOND: You forgot to take your pill.

TIFFANY: Nothing as trivial as that. (pause) You`re not going to tell me where the diamonds are, are you?

At the tail end of the circus sequence, the gorilla rushes out after the agents:

MAXWELL: Let us through! We`re agents!

GORILLA: Agents? (turns, yells off) Hey, wait! We need an agent!

GOONA (to Gorilla): I guess they didn`t dig the act.

When Bond uses the dart gun to sneak up to see Willard Whyte (and instead finds Blofeld), he mutters to himself, genuinely upset, “So help me, Q, if I fall I`ll kill you.”

After Whyte tells Bond “I`ll have him steam around in circles for you.”

BOND: If you`re ever in London-

WHYTE: After what I`ve seen of the world in the last couple of days? As soon as I get the kitty litter out of my john it`s back to the old-

The tag scene was different in the shooting script:

On board, Kidd and Wint bring the food. Kidd tells Bond that “Monsieur is wanted in the radio room. A telephone call from Mr Willard Whyte.”

Bond tells Tiffany that he won`t be a moment, hands money to Kidd and asks him to keep the dinner warm, will you?

Kidd replies, “But Monsieur does not have to pay us for what we are about to do.”

The Radio Operator tells Bond that somebody must have played a joke on him. “I could live five times over before Willard Whyte called this tub.”

Bond realizes that he`s been had.

Back in the cabin Tiffany is in short nighties, now spreadeagled, tied down to bed, gag in mouth. Hanging above her is the sizzling pot of boiling oil, attached by rope. Wint and Kidd have attached the rope to the handle. They open the door two inches. It tilts – a drop falls. It burns a smoking hole in the pillowcase next to Tiffany`s head.

Bond climbs outside boat, and using a long rope, he lowers himself over the side.

Meanwhile, a maid goes from door to door. Kidd and Wint wait patiently. When Bond – or the maid – comes back and opens the door, Tiffany will be burnt.

Just as the maid is about to open the door, Bond pushes off the side of the ship with his feet and sails through the porthole feet first. He sails in, makes a swipe at the oil pot and rope, misses, lands in a pile at the other side of bed. Kidd locks the maid out just as she`s about to push door open.

The oil pot teeters precariously back and forth.

Bond leaps for the top of the soup toureen, grabs it. Wint yells for Kidd to pull rope. Kidd ranks on rope and the oil pot turns over. Bond passes the upside-down tureen lid over Tiffany`s face, catches the oil, throws it into Wint`s face.

He screams – Bond pushes him hard to one side, impaling him on a sharp point of carved ice Cornucopia, killing him. Kidd has passed skewers through Sterno flame – they are now ablaze. He jumps Bond from rear. Bond twists away, grabs brandy bottle, breaks neck of it on table, and slings brandy at Kidd. Flames shoot up Kidd`s arms – his whole body is on fire. Bond yanks blanket from bed, wraps it around Kidd, smother flames. He picks up the bundle, stuffs it through and out of the porthole, looks down at Tiffany. She`s still bound and gagged, tied to bed, legs spread apart.