Billy Bunter Does His Best by Frank Richards.

First Published September 1954 by Charles Skilton and illustrated by R. J. MacDonald.

Quiller version published September 1982 and illustrated by Victor Ambrus.

Okay, let's start off at the most fitting part of the story…the beginning! Now both Richards and King begin in the very same place, the Famous Five's study, only they do very different things! Forexample, in the original version, Wharton is revising the footbal llist and simply asks Bob if his knee could perchance be better in time for him to play in the upcoming match and ribs him good-naturedly when answered in the negative. In the rewrite however the story begins right in the middle of a (amusing) row, which makes the scene a little longer.  Bunter turns up whereas he didn't appear until Smithy and Redwing's study in the original. Maybe King felt that he needed an early introduction for any readers who'd never read a Greyfriars book before? Oh and plus, minor difference though it is, the Courtfield team are never referred to as `the townies' in King's edition. Again, I still laugh at the argument in the rewrite  ("You shouldn't have shoved your knee in front of his boot!" "Thoughtless of me.") but that's just my opinion. Anyway in both versions the opening-scene ends with Smithy entering and dropping the bombshell that he's not playing in the match even though he's really needed.

Right, the scene in Smithy and Redwing's study is both changed and added to! For instance, when Quelch drops in for the Bounder's lines and catches him smoking the esteemed educator orders him to his study to receive punishment whereas in the original he simply canes Smithy on the spot…why this was changed I don't know. Oh, and the rewrite has him ordering Redwing to hand over the rest of Smithy's cigarettes – again, why exactly this was done I don't know but I have to say that it does seem more likely that Quelch would demand them if he'd caught Smithy smoking rather than just letting it go with a caning & warning. Finally, Skinner gives Smithy a look-in (whereas he doesn't turn up, in the original, until Wharton is struggling to plug up the holes in the Eleven) and leaves again pretty quickly when threatened with the Bounder's Latin Dictionary of Doom! (lol…) Like Bunter, I think that Skinner is given an early introduction because he's the bad guy in this story. Oh, one last detail; when copped smoking, Smithy gasps, "Hells Bells!" in the rewrite…do any of the original stories feature the H word??

In the scene where Bob encounters Bunter setting up his flour-above-the-door booby-trap in Smithy's study, Bunter suggests that Bob distract Redwing (this ensuring that Smithy receives the flour on his head) by telling him that his Father's navy boat has just gone down with all hands lost. ("You could say afterwards that it was just a joke!") Umm, isn't Reddy's dad a fisherman in the original stories?? Anyway, in the original Bob simply refuses to help Bunter pursue vengeance…though he isn't as surly as he is in the rewrite, it must be said.

The rewrite of the scene where Bunter rats Smithy out like a dog, about leaving the Eleven in the lurch for the sake of Pon's excursion, resulting in the Bounder being ducked runs just as it does in the original…until after the part where Wharton and Smithy have a little confrontation. In the rewrite, the scene continues after Smithy storms into the house – among those he encounters on his way are Wingate, (who gives him a dressing down about his dripping-wet state and a chance to show  hat he's not an utter rotter because he refuses to give those responsible away) Skinner, (who taunts the Bounder and does get whacked this time) and finally Redwing. (Who coldly tells his friend that he's gotten exactly what he deserves for letting down his school) It's the last addition in this scene that has impact I think, since the fact that his chum is going to abandon him shows Smithy that he really is in the wrong. It's this, the fact that he realises his mistake and is prepared to make up for it, I think that makes me take his side over the upcoming Removites vs. Wharton dispute…whereas in the original he changes his mind because he's been ducked and is unpopular, making him a lot less easier to sympathise with. However, there's something coming up further on in this list that gives me mixed feelings towards him…

Like the last scene, the part where Wharton publicly rejects Smithy's offer to rejoin the Eleven is extended though just a touch in this case. In the rewrite, Bob and Nugent follow Wharton who tells them that if he lets the Bounder get away with this then he'll think he can get away with anything. This also leads to me taking Smithy's side in the rewrite since it kind of makes Wharton seem pettier about it than in the original where I believe he has a valid reason for doing as he does, which the Removites overlook.

In the rewritten scene where Redwing quits the team in protest,  Wharton correctly guesses that Smithy persuaded him to do it – in the original; Reddy does so of his own accord. Also in the second half of the scene, where Wharton returns to his study and is followed by Squiff, Morgan, Ogilvy and Toddy (Side Note: Are any of those four ever on the right side whenever there's a division in the Remove??) all of whom also quit in protest, Bunter wedges into the study-tea whereas in the original he's nowhere to be scene. The first change makes Smithy seem a lot more nasty and manipulative towards his best chum (damaging his character somewhat) whereas the addition of Bunter is pretty funny. ("You stick to your guns Wharton old chap, don't let them push you into putting Smithy back in…he ain't got any right to chuck dictionaries at people!")

The scene where Wharton struggles to replace the players who've all dropped out is also added to, with Wharton sassing Bull when he challenges the course he's taking as well as a little bit with the protesting drop-outs hoping that Wharton will change his mind.

The football-match/Wharton's resignation scene is also pretty untouched but for a little bit in the rewrite where the other members of the FF try to talk Wharton out of facing the angry Removites after their defeat. There's something I've always wondered about the bit where Squiff and the other abdicators confront Wharton – why doesn't Harry just say, "Well, what do you care  bout the team Squiff? Note much apparently, considering you weren't prepared to do your best for the Remove instead of quitting for Smithy's sake."

After Bunter have unsuccessfully tried to persuade the other members of the Famous Five (sans Wharton) to join the Smithy Party,  the rewrite has him encounter Bob in the corridor. After unsuccessfully trying to secure his vote, Bunter first makes sure that Cherry still can't run with his damaged knee and then punches him, which he gets away with! Hmm, reminds me of a story where Coker has a gammy leg and Bunter takes advantage…

During the Form Election, Smithy is simply sardonically amused when Wharton declines to vote – in the rewrite, he's really seething and paranoid over whether or not Harry's going to mess this up for him. Kind of damages his character again, since he rarely ever loses control in the original stories…

After Smithy becomes Captain of the Form, the original has Bunter coming straight to his study and trying to wedge into supper only to find that he's no longer needed now that the Bounder's been elected. In the rewrite, Bunter first calls in at his own study to sneer at the meagre fare there and Dutton tells him that he should be ashamed at having voted against his study-mate…something that isn't addressed at all in the original. Later, after Smithy has shattered his illusions of unlimited tuck as a reward for his support, Bunter returns with his tail between his legs…only to find that Toddy and Dutton have finished supper without him. Toddy also plays a trick on Bunter, which made me  laugh a lot when I first read and still does… though one thing I must point out is that when I first read I didn't know that Dutton is deaf! I just thought he was messing with Bunter's head when he was really mistaking what Bunter was saying to him… ("Smithy will make a first-class Skipper!" "Eh? Where's the kipper?")

In the rewritten version of the scene where Smithy enjoys rubbing his new status in the faces of the Famous Five, Skinner and co, (who'd expected to be allowed to slack-off as a reward for having voted for him) and Bunter, he also acts like a jerk towards Fishy and Mauly. One difference this makes is that Fishy actually appears in this story whereas he's nowhere to be seen in the original…though why King included him I don't know since he then disappears again.

Okay, now that Smithy's been elected we get into the second half of the story – the Flour Hurling Saga! The scene where Skinner decides to wreak his revenge on Smithy by shipping the Bounder's study now begins with him trying to rope in Stott and Snoop who turn down this excellent chance to stick their heads in the lion's den whereas he just goes by himself in the original. I guess that King was trying to make Skinner more obviously the creepy and cowardly weasel that he is…

In the scene where Redwing stops Smithy from chucking the bag of flour at Quelch, the Bounder says that he'll `do what the Hell he likes'…another spotting of the H-word!

Okay, is it me or does the Kay King edition's illustration of the scene where Quelch and Wingate jump out of the explosion of the dropped bag of flour make the Captain of the School look like he's a member of the Second Form?? `Nuff said I think…

Hmm, more language issues! There's an addition, with the other Removites calling Smithy a rat for chucking the flour as he's led away by Loder – this shows that the Bounder is condemned by the rest of the Form whereas, in the original, their attitude towards him is never shown.

After Smithy has been found guilty of the flour-hurling incident,  there's a scene where Wharton and co see him looking down in the Rag and discuss whether or not he really did it – the other members of the co think so but Wharton says that he believes in Smithy's innocence and that he now realises that he was wrong to keep him out of the team, something he never ever does in the original. (Where he was right to do so…) Squiff and the Abdicators come and try to persuade Wharton to take over as Captain again but Harry tells them to give Smithy a chance – Smithy hears this and has it out with Wharton who tells him that perhaps the fellow who framed him will own up. This scene doesn't exist at all in the original version – it effects Wharton's position, whether or not he was right on the issue of keeping Smithy out, and gives Smithy to idea of using Bunter to
 et himself out of detention…a plan that he devises all by himself in the original.

Okay, after Bunter has `confessed' and gotten Smithy out of his jam, Redwing threatens to punch him for what he 'did'…doesn't happen in the original! There's a one-liner that strikes me as funny but isn't one of the all-time greats I guess… ("I say you fellows; do you think that Quelch might go easy on a fellow?" "I wouldn't bank on it old porpoise…you know teachers, they're unreasonable. Seem to think it a bit insulting, having bags of flour bursting over their heads.")

Okay, here's the other big issue for me…other than the `Was Wharton right or Wrong?' debate. Just as in the original, Smithy gets his revenge on Wharton by pushing him out of the Eleven – but in the rewrite he does this AFTER he's heard Wharton standing up for him when the others think that he should quit as Captain for what he `did'! This really hurts Smithy's character, I think, by making him seem like an ungrateful scumbag…also, shouldn't Redwing now refuse to play unless he puts Wharton back in?? Why do the team just take it, why don't they do something regardless of Wharton telling them to do the best they can?? Because Smithy doesn't hear Wharton sticking up for him in the original!! Whew…bit of a plot-hole there,  King!! I'd thoroughly jumped over to Wharton's side when I first read the rewrite…whereas I'm now on it right from the start while reading the original!! Funny, what a little bad editing can do isn't it??

In the scene where Quelch hears Bunter babbling out the truth, Wharton is at first brooding over the fact that - because he refused to sink to Smithy's level and damage the team out of spite – he has been left out of the Rookwood match. In the rewrite, he's simply feeling down about not playing…a subtle but significant difference. Why did King change this?? In the original, I think that we admire Wharton more because he's prepared to do the right thing even if it costs him a great deal personally to do it…because  it's right damn it!! (Sorry…gettin' a little worked up there!!) This is the first change that really upsets when in the rewrite. Also, minor difference, when copped Bunter moans, "Oh hamburgers!" Did those even exist back then…?

When Mr. Dalton tells Smithy that his trickery has been discovered and that he must return to Greyfriars, the rewrite has the Bounder flying into a rage and yelling that he'll be damned if he will!! Whew, lots of moments with the air turning (well nearly) blue in this version!! In the original, he's furious but manages to keep a grip.

The second thing that upsets me about the rewrite now that I know better…the scene where Dr. Locke hears Smithy out is totally missing!! I really wish that this had been in the rewrite since it'd have been Smithy's redemption, making up for his total ingratitude towards Wharton as he makes sure that Bunter is not held to blame for his deception!

Finally – the rewritten version of the closing scene has a lot more Bunter-Fun! I know, minor but I just love the longer conversation with the Famous Five…

Well, that's it! I've got really mixed feelings now that I've compared the two versions so closely…last things I'll mention are the fact that much of the dialogue is rewritten throughout, which may be the main thing that upsets hard core fans. Also, Inky (Hurree-Singh)  is done totally wrong…he sounds like an English boy at times, his dialogue is so mishandled