Flashman and the Silver Screen: The Little-Known Hollywood Adventures of George MacDonald Fraser

Published: 20th August 2025 .The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

George MacDonald Fraser, widely celebrated for his Flashman novels, also carved a distinctive, if often underappreciated, path in Hollywood. While his literary fame rests on the twelve bestsellers chronicling the misadventures of Tom Brown’s Schooldays’ notorious bully, Flashman, Fraser’s screenwriting career reveals an equally inventive mind navigating the turbulent waters of 1970s and 1980s cinema. Despite a relatively modest list of film credits, his work demonstrated a singular combination of wit, adventure, and roguish charm, leaving a subtle but enduring mark on Hollywood storytelling.

Fraser’s literary breakthrough came after his military service, when he imagined the fate of Flashman after expulsion from Rugby School. The novels, published between 1969 and 2005, portrayed the character interacting, almost Zelig-like, with prominent Victorian figures, blending historical narrative with comic exaggeration. Though modern sensibilities often view some aspects of the books as politically outdated, their storytelling brilliance ensures their continued popularity among readers who appreciate sharp wit and adventurous plots.

In cinema, Fraser’s trajectory was more uneven, though no less fascinating. He infused his screenplays with humour and ingenuity, famously proposing ideas as daring as dressing James Bond in a gorilla suit. Yet many of his projects faced challenges, and few reached the acclaim his novels enjoyed. The 1985 sword-and-sorcery film Red Sonja, a long-delayed remake of one of Fraser’s lesser-known scripts, exemplifies this duality: commercially and critically underwhelming, yet testament to his unique voice. Featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Brigitte Nielsen, the film highlights Fraser’s inventive contributions even amid a troubled production, reminding audiences of the distinctive storytelling behind the source material.

Fraser’s first foray into film, an unproduced Flashman, saw the rights acquired by director Richard Lester, known for his Beatles films A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. Although the project never materialized, it paved the way for Fraser’s collaboration with Lester on The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974). Here, Fraser’s distinctive flair merged with Lester’s cinematic style, producing swashbuckling narratives rich in humour and adventure. Interestingly, Fraser’s intended single epic was split into two films by producers without forewarning the cast, illustrating early lessons in Hollywood’s unpredictable nature.

Fraser reunited with Lester for Royal Flash (1975), adapting the second Flashman novel. Despite a star-studded cast including Bob Hoskins, Malcolm McDowell, and David Jason, the film achieved limited success. Fraser then embarked on Prince and the Pauper, based on Mark Twain’s work, again encountering mixed results, though cementing his ties with producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind, who would later back Superman.

Indeed, Fraser’s contributions to Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), though largely uncredited, were substantial. While Mario Puzo, David and Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton are officially recognized, Fraser shaped key sequences, including insights into casting and inventive plot elements. He even conceptualized scenes such as Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor stealing Kryptonite by smashing a display case—ideas ultimately omitted but indicative of his imaginative approach.

In 1978, Fraser collaborated with Harrison Ford on Force Ten from Navarone, enjoying the actor’s quiet professionalism, even amid a difficult production environment dominated by Robert Shaw’s dissatisfaction. The 1980s brought Octopussy (1983), where Fraser’s playful suggestions for Bond met producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli’s scepticism, and Red Sonja (1985), where Fraser’s writing shaped much of Schwarzenegger’s scenes as Lord Kalidor. He remained pragmatic about the film’s reception, noting that critical dismissals did not undermine the originality of his contributions.

Fraser’s final Hollywood project was The Return of the Musketeers (1989), reuniting with Lester and much of the Musketeers ensemble. The tragic on-set death of Roy Kinnear profoundly impacted production, necessitating significant rewrites and voice-over replacements, underscoring the unpredictable nature of film-making.

Though his cinematic career was marked by setbacks and incomplete projects, Fraser’s influence on Hollywood, through wit, narrative inventiveness, and memorable ideas, remains undeniable. From ambitious adaptations of his own novels to collaborative contributions on iconic franchises, George MacDonald Fraser’s journey illuminates the challenges and triumphs of translating literary ingenuity to the silver screen, reminding audiences that behind every adventurous plot, there lies a creator willing to risk audacity for artistry.