The Landlady: Film Vs. Short Film

In the short story “The Landlady,” by Roald Dahl and the short film, “Tales of the Unexpected” series, Billy Weaver goes to Bath, England where he meets an old landlady. Screenwriters change an author's work because they want to expand their ideas from a book into a movie. In both the story and short film there are many similarities to be found. For example, the story and short film the characters motives are the same. In both the versions Billy goes to England for a job, “Find your lodgings he had said and then go along and report to the branch manager as soon as you go yourself settled” (1). This quote was said by Mr. Greenslade at the head office telling Billy to go to Bath, England, and then report to the branch manager.The screenwriter keeps this because Billy needs a place to stay and it sets up the scene for Billy to find the landlady. Another similarity in the stories is The landlady has taxidermied animals. For instance, in the versions Billy says how when he first saw the bird through the window he thought the stuffed bird was alive. “You know something? It had me completely fooled when I first saw it through the window. I could have sworn it was alive” (11).

One difference clearly shown is in the short film “Tales of the Unexpected” Billy reacts to the tea, however in the story he does not. In the film, Billy reacted very ferociously and crazily because of the poisonous tea, however in the story he did not react to it at all. I think the screenwriter alters the story to emphasize that the tea was poisonous. Another difference in the film is the screenwriter reveals Mulholland and Temple are in the house taxidermied. In the passage the ending is billy drinking the tea, however the film ends with the landlady revealing Mulholland and Temple are taxidermied and Billy is about to be. The screenwriter alters this ending because Billy’s death is not clearly stated or confirmed in the