The “Best Bond Ever” Turns 55!
It was 55 years ago today that the 6th film in the James Bond 007 series premiered – and it continues to make a case for being the greatest film in the series!
Here are many reasons why!
Meet The New James Bond!
All year long, I have been reviewing every single James Bond film in order, from the beginning to the end – and for the sixth installment, we got, for the first time, a new 007!
Introducing The “One And Done” 007!
This is George Lazenby. He took over the most iconic role in film when he replaced Sean Connery as James Bond 007, the British Secret Agent with a “license to kill.”
Before we dive into the film known in 007 shorthand as “OHMSS” – “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” – here’s what happened with Sean Connery:
In my review of “You Only Live Twice”, I told you that Connery and the Producers weren’t getting along, and the Actor refused to film scenes if they were in the room!
According to IMDB.com, Connery demanded a $1 million salary for the sixth movie. They refused – and Connery walked away!
“Becoming Bond!”
There is an incredible documentary about how George Lazenby became the new 007 – and here’s what IMDB.com says about how that happened:
“Having secured a suit ordered but uncollected by Sir Sean Connery and getting a Rolex and haircut like him, George Lazenby talked his way into meeting producer Albert R. Broccoli, producer Harry Saltzman, and director Peter R. Hunt. After bluffing his way through the meeting and falsely claiming he had wide acting credits, he secured a screentest. Lazenby then confessed to Hunt that he had made it all up and that he wasn’t an actor. Hunt laughed and told him, “You just strolled in here and managed to fool two of the most ruthless bastards in the business. You’re an actor.”
And there you go! Lazenby got the role – in what many say is the best Bond film of them all!
Before we discuss the plot, here is the trailer, introducing a new 007 to the world:
“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” – Far Up! Far Out! Far More!
It’s 1969, the end of the “swinging 60’s”, and the film’s poster sells action, action, more action – and Diana Rigg skiing in a mini-skirt!
The film begins with M and Q discussing “electronic lint” that Q has developed – before wondering where Bond was – cut to action at a casino on what appears to be the French Riviera…we do not see 007, just various shots that hint at his face – he ends up in a short car chase before following a woman down to a beach at night, where she is trying to drown herself…
Bond rescues her and carries her to shore – and then we finally see the new James Bond as he introduces himself:
“My name is Bond. James Bond.”
And the Lazenby era begins – with an immediate and brutal fight!
Bond is attacked by two thugs, leading to a terrific fight sequence….but while he is fighting them off, the woman speeds away in her car…Bond watches her drive off, looks at the camera and quips:
“This never happened to the other fellow!”
A “Unique” Bond Theme Song!
As we go into the credits sequence, there is NO theme song like “Goldfinger” and the others…instead, it’s an instrumental that allows the filmmakers to show scenes and iconic characters from the earlier films….but there is a signature song to come.
The plot of “OHMSS” has two storylines: for the first part of the film, Bond spends a lot of time with Traci, the Contessa who tried to kill herself…in fact, for the first twenty minutes their relationship drives the narrative entirely:
This is Bond falling in love, and once they introduce the other plot line, Traci is fully integrated into that plot line as well, because her father is owner of Draco construction, and he not only provides Bond with some “unofficial” cover in early scenes, but he offers Bond $1-million to marry his daughter!
The Greatest “Bond Girl” Of All Time!
The iconic Actress Diana Rigg is this film’s “Bond Girl”, but she is so much more: smart, fearless and empowered, she is a perfect foil to Bond – in fact, his reputation as a “ladies’ man”, so much a part of the first 5 Bond films, is left aside here as he focuses only on Traci!
The Greatest Love Affair In 007 History…
While Bond still flirts with Moneypenny, beds several women in order to uncover the nefarious plot underway, this Bond film is a love story! This is when we hear the film’s real theme song: Louie Armstrong’s iconic voice sings the ballad “We Have All The Time In The World”, which will take on tragic meaning later in the film.
At this point, the other plot line emerges: M thinks that Bond is shirking his effort to find Ernst Stavro Blofeld, so he takes 007 off the case:
Bond Resigns!
Here is another “first time ever” moment in the series: 007 resigns his position after M removes him from the Blofeld case.
We see Bond clearing out his desk, which gives filmmakers time to take us back to some of the most iconic Actors in the first films, and a few of the “Bond Girls” as well…luckily, Miss Moneypenny gets M to simply approve a leave of absence that she wrote up instead, which Bond accepts – and then the hunt for Blofeld kicks in!
Bond discovers that the infamous Blofeld, leader of SPECTRE, wants to have an expert trace his family line as he believes himself to be royalty!
Bond passes himself off as that expert, which takes him to meet with Blofeld – played so well by the Actor Telly Savalas – in the most spectacular 007 set of them all – at the top of a Swiss mountain!
This is Liz Gloria, the setting for much of the rest of the film, as Bond discovers that Blofeld is hypnotizing beautiful young women there – who will return to their corners of the world and unleash biochemical weapons that will destroy the food chain!
There is so much more to come, and I really don’t want to give too much of it away, except to say we get mountain top ski chases, avalanches, and a wild car chase through a mountain village that includes joining a stock car rally – and it’s Traci driving the car expertly!
You see, Traci finds out from her father where Bond is and she heads there to help him!
The rest of the film has Bond trying to stop Blofeld’s plan before the world’s food supply is poisoned, and Traci and her father provide the firepower to do so, leading to a terrific invasion of this mountaintop lair by helicopter!
NO Spoilers! But…..
At two hours and twenty minutes, this was the longest Bond film to date – but with two simultaneous plots, it’s worth it….the final action sequence includes a firefight in the sky, as well as more ski chases – all beautifully done:
The film builds to an exhilarating fight scene on bobsleds, and ultimately Blofeld’s demise….until these plotlines ultimately come together with the most devastating ending of a Bond film ever!
Diana Rigg is the greatest “Bond Girl” of all time, and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is one of the greatest Bond films ever…and the most emotionally devastating as well.
Bond’s Wedding!
This is the film where 007, cinema’s most notorious “Casanova”, gets married and has plans to spend the rest of his life with Traci – leading of course to the most emotionally devastating Bond ending of all time…there are SO many things to love about this film, here is some great trivia, thanks to the terrific IMDB.com website:
Blofeld’s headquarters was a partially completed restaurant on top of Mount Schilthorn. The owners allowed filming on condition EON Productions paid $125,000 and made the interior sets as permanent fixtures and construct a helicopter pad. This involved 500 tons of concrete being taken up by helicopter at a cost of $125,000. When the restaurant opened, it was given the name Piz Gloria used in the movie. The only public access to the restaurant is by cable car (from Mürren or Stechelberg). The Piz Gloria was the first established revolving mountain restaurant in the world!
Blofeld Fleeces 007!
I love this trivia, also from IMDB.com:
During filming at Piz Gloria, the cast and crew received their per diems in cash. Upon seeing George Lazenby with a suitcase stuffed full of cash, Telly Savalas invited him to a late-night poker game that he regularly held with crew members, and promptly relieved Lazenby of having to carry so much extra weight. Upon hearing of this, producer Harry Saltzman visited the location, joined the game over Savalas’ protests, and won back Lazenby’s money. He then informed Savalas in no uncertain terms that he was not to victimize his “boy” (Lazenby) again.
As I said, Diana Rigg gives an incredible performance as an unhappy woman who falls in love with 007 – and changes how Bond acts toward women as well – a depth of character and emotion not seen in the earlier films.
Sadly, Diana Rigg died a few years ago – she was an icon…see her greatest roles here:
As for Lazenby, he was the youngest actor to portray 007, at age 29 ; Connery was 31 when he took the role on in 1963.
So what happened? Why did Lazenby become the only “one and done” 007?
Well, it seems that Lazenby chafed at the rigid rules that Producers forced upon him – how he was allowed to act in public, growing a beard for the film’s premiere to protest – he didn’t want to be hamstrung in order to protect the James Bond brand – so he walked away from the most important film role in the world!
If you want to know more, the incredibly insightful documentary “Becoming Bond” tells the whole story with great vintage footage – plus it has a new, in-depth interview with the Actor, and it’s hilariously funny, insightful and shows you everything going on in the “swinging 60’s” in London at the time!
Click here to see the trailer and more!
So there you have it: Lazenby comes onboard and stars in the greatest 007 film of all time. Did Lazenby’s “one and done 007” open the door to another brand new James Bond?
Not at all – the Producers just lured Sean Connery back with a big paycheck!
See if the money was worth it as I reviewed “Diamonds Are Forever”, which almost starred Burt Reynolds!
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Art, British Cinema, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, True Hollywood Mystery
johnrieber 
Bond getting married is definitely not the norm, but it worked. Diana Rigg was one of the best.
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He was a passable Bond, to be sure, but the love story culminating in a wedding is so out of character that even Sean Connery wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. In my humble opinion, that is.
“Mr Kojak” – Telly Savalas – is great as Blofeld.
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NO NO NO! That’s what makes it the best over! It humanized Bond, much like they attempted to do in all of the Daniel Craig movies…hey, we all have different tastes but I love this one!
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To each his (or her) own, of course.
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I haven’t watched this Bond in a while, but I do remember really enjoying it when I did. I did not know the back story about how Lazenby bluffed his way into the role, I will have to watch the documentary about this!
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I saw this at the cinema, and thought Diana Rigg was perfect in the genre. However, I thought the inexperienced Lazenby looked ‘uncomfortable’, and lacked the star quality and charisma demanded of such an iconic role.
Best wishes, Pete.
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this was such a good one, chock full of a bit of everything and not afraid to go there
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Amazing how Lazenby came on the scene and was gone just like that! Now that’s what I can making “an entrance.” Ha ha. I’m trying to think of a comparable comparison to another show or movie. I can give you failed examples, but none that were winners. 😎😎😎
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Great point! The “Becoming Bond” documentary really dives into it and works so well because he takes part and drive the story – it’s a wild one to be sure!
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The improbable story of George Lazenby is equally as entertaining as the one Bond film he starred in (and I agree, OHMSS is very entertaining, with the presence of Ms. Rigg elevating it above so many other Bond films).
I saw Becoming Bond a few years ago, and I thought the decision to make a biopic within the documentary, with actors portraying George and various people from his life, was pure genius, much better than simply relying on talking heads and archival footage. Becoming Bond is one of the best documentaries ever made about filmmaking and actors, and so much fun!
You’ve got to respect someone who values his independence so much, he’s willing to walk away as producers are throwing money at him to stay.
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Great points and I totally agree! When you consider the times he was living in, you can understand perhaps a bit better, but in today’s world, can you imagine anyone walking away from such a lucrative franchise? He was a rebel to be sure! Thanks for the comment, great to hear from you!
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Great write up, John! I need to revisit OHMSS because it’s been quite a while since I last watched it. I also would love to eat at that restaurant!
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Wouldn’t that be a great place to eat? Thanks for the comment!
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