On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Australian model George Lazenby took up the mantle of the world’s most suave secret agent when Sean Connery retired as James Bond–prematurely, it turned out. Connery returned in Diamonds Are Forever before leaving the role to Roger Moore and Lazenby’s subsequent career fizzled, yet this one-hit wonder is responsible for one of the best Bond films of all time.
In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 007 leaves the Service to privately pursue his SPECTRE nemesis Blofeld (played this time by Telly Savalas), whose latest master plan involves a threat to the world’s crops by agricultural sterilization. Bond teams up with suave international crime lord Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti) and falls in love with–and marries–his elegant daughter, Tracy (Diana Rigg). Bond goes monogamous? Not at first; after all he has Blofeld’s harem to seduce. Lazenby hasn’t the intensity of Connery but he has fun with his quips and even lampoons the Bond image in a playful pre-credits sequence, and Rigg, fresh from playing sexy Emma Peel in The Avengers, matches 007 in every way. Former editor Peter Hunt makes a strong directorial debut, deftly handling the elaborate action sequences–including a car chase turned road rally through the icy snow–with a kinetic finesse and a dash of humor. Though not a hit on its original release, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has become a fan favorite and the closest the series has come to capturing the spirit of Ian Fleming’s books. –Sean Axmaker
Customer Review: In the top 3 Bond films
It is almost inexplicable that this movie isn’t more widely heralded as a benchmark for the series, but I’ll give it a shot. First, Lazenby made one of the gravest errors in Bond history by announcing that this would be his only Bond film PRIOR to the movie’s release. I think this made audiences wonder if it was worth getting to know him, and so many passed it by (therefore, the low box office). Secondly, an unfortunate many of us are distracted by appearance, and in this film Bond wears ascots and a kilt and there is no doubt that many of our peers used this as evidence that Connery was more “manly” than Lazenby. It’s silly. Lazenby is a confident, brilliant Bond in the best Fleming tradition, and Peter Hunt knew everything he needed to know about pacing and directorial execution from Hunt’s prior association with the series. One of the best directed, best scripted, most satisfying Bond movies to date. Anyone who considers themselves a Bond fan should have this film in their collection. It’s good every time, and as many here have already noted, it may actually improve with age. Very well Mr. Bond.
Customer Review: George Lanzeby did a great job
Although George Lanzenby only played James Bond once, he did a great job in “On her Majesty’s Secret Service”. The film has good acting and amazing action sequences. Diana Rigg does a phenomenal job as “Tracy Bond”, the only woman to have actually married James Bond. Blofeld is well performed by Terry Savalas. I really enjoyed Lanzenby as Bond and I wish he had done more. This is truly a fantastic movie and one of the best James Bond films.
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