How would you improve this movie?

I'm in an odd position WRT this particular Bond movie. I acknowledge its flaws and its goofiness, but I still enjoy watching it. Part of this is because it's often rather entertainingly goofy, part of it's because somewhere in here is a really great Bond movie fighting to get out.

I remember reading that the original conception of this movie was Bond versus his darker opposite, his evil counterpart. (That necessitated a change in Scaramanga's character from the rather stereotypical American thug in the novel.) That, and the twist of Scaramanga's mistress being the one to send the bullet, were the hooks on which the plot hung. They added in the solex agitator business to flesh it out into a longer spy adventure.

But in the process, they also added in a lot of unnecessary goofiness and mishandled a lot of plot points.

So to bring out the good Bond movie I know is in there, I might have done the following:

Have Christopher Lee play Scaramanga as more menacing. He seemed a bit too likable in some areas. I know Sir Christopher, of all people, could have done it. Play up the "Bond's shadow archetype" business, give it more than lip service. Keep the "suave and debonair" business that shows his similarities to Bond, but also play up some of the ruthless, disturbing aspects of his character.

To that end...show more of the twisted, abusive relationship between Scaramanga and Andrea. All we really see is her toweling him off in the beginning (and looking unhappy), a brief pre-sex scene, the scene with him caressing her with the gun (which seems a little too perfunctory and not as violent as it should have been to make us sympathize with Andrea) and the brief dialogue when she returns to the junk. After that, she's dead. I would give them more dialogue, put an undertone of physical and mental violence in their scenes, maybe have him go so far as to hit her at one point. That would make him look much darker and increase our sympathy for Andrea.

Furthermore...I'd have Andrea survive to the end as the main Bond girl and have Mary Goodnight be the one to get killed halfway through the film. Maybe get killed by Scaramanga because she's in the way (again, to make him look that much more ruthless and make more of a contrast between him and Bond). And I wouldn't reveal Andrea's ploy until nearly the end. I'd have Bond think he was the one trying to seduce HER to the right side and "pump her for information", only to find out SHE was the one in charge of the game all along. (Not that this would have interfered with the "Oh, James" moment at the end.)

I'd have made Mary more likable and competent (much as she was in the book) to give her death more impact. None of that dumb blonde bimbo business. And DEFINITELY cast a different actress.

I'd put more emphasis on Nick Nack's treachery and deviousness (but keep Herve Villechaize). Again, there seemed to be a little too much affection between Nick and Scaramanga in the beginning, for someone who was trying to get his boss killed so he could inherit, and for a boss who KNEW that.

No J.W. Pepper.

And NO. SLIDE. WHISTLE.

So what do you guys think? For those of you who think the movie needed improvement, how would you have improved it?