While I enjoyed the Anderson adaptation, it failed to convey the essential part of the story which captured my imagination as a child: the idea presented at the very end of the story that everything the reader had read was real, true. That Henry Sugar had in fact existed, as a person, and Roald Dahl was contacted to tell his story and spread the word.
Ultimately, by stylizing the story as a play, tearing down the fourth wall constantly, it removes that essential bit of verisimilitude. Still enjoyable, amazing acting, charming plots, but less MAGICAL.
Excerpt:
“But how do I … happen to know all this? And how did I come to write the story in the first place? I will tell you. Soon after Henry's death, John Winston telephoned me from Switzerland. He introduced himself simply as the head of a company calling itself ORPHANAGES S.A., and asked me if I would come out to Lausanne to see him with a view to writing a brief history of the organization. I don't know how he got hold of my name. He probably had a list of writers and stuck a pin into it. He would pay me well, he said. And he added. "A remarkable man has died recently. His name was Henry Sugar. I think people ought to know a bit about what he has done."In my ignorance, I asked whether the story was really interesting enough to merit being put on paper. "All right," said the man who now controlled one hundred and forty-four million pounds. "Forget it. I'll ask someone else. There are plenty of writers around." That needled me. "No," I said. "Wait. Could you at least tell me who this Henry Sugar was and what he did? I've never even heard of him." In five minutes on the phone, John Winston told me something about Henry Sugar's secret career. It was secret no longer. Henry was dead and would never gamble again. I listened, enthralled. "I'll be on the next plane," I said.”
….
“ "One last question," I said. "You keep calling him Henry Sugar. And yet you tell me that wasn't his name. Don't you want me to say who he really was when I do the story?" "No," John Winston said. "Max and I promised never to reveal it. Oh, it'll probably leak out sooner or later. After all, he was from a fairly well-known English family. But I'd appreciate it if you don't try to find out. Just call him plain Mr Henry Sugar."
And that is what I have done.”
