On Her Majesty's Secret Service celebrates 40 years (Part III)

Celebrating 40 Years Of
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

40 years ago this month James Bond returned to the silver screen in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as he had never been seen before—with Australian actor/model George Lazenby taking over the role of 007 after Sean Connery departed following the release of 1967’s You Only Live Twice. What resulted was a 140-minute long (the longest Bond film up until 2006’s Casino Royale) film involving 007 pursuing arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the Swiss Alps, falling in love, getting married, and ultimately, being widowed.

This incredibly close adaptation of Ian Fleming’s original novel premiered on 18 December 1969 at the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square in London, UK while simultaneously opening in the US and various other worldwide countries the same day.

Filmed on a budget of $7 million, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service went on to gross $22.7 million in the US alone and overall $87 million worldwide. While this represented a drop at the box office compared to the three previous Eon-produced Bond films, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was still one of the highest grossing films worldwide for 1969.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the film, CommanderBond.net asked our discussion forum members to recall their first (or most memorable) time seeing On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. To share your own remembrance, simply register here (it’s free and only takes a minute) on the CBn Forums.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Turn

My first On Her Majesty’s Secret Service viewing came at age 7 at a double feature with Diamonds are Forever in in the summer of 1974. Batman was my big hero at the time and I didn’t want to miss that afternoon’s episode to see Bond, but it worked out I saw the episode and made it to the double feature.

I’d already seen Diamonds are Forever, which was the first Bond film I saw when it was brand new, so it was familiar fun, and I’d seen all the previous Connery films on rereleases and Live and Let Die on first run. I wasn’t prepared for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and didn’t even knew it existed. Who was this guy calling himself James Bond? I didn’t know him. And I was also wondering what the guy who played Kojak was doing there.

The ending blew me away. I just didn’t see it coming, although mind you I was all of 7 years old at the time. This not only wasn’t the familiar guys playing Bond, but it was just so different in how it was presented, not so much the invincible Bond I was used to. This guy got personally hurt after all the fun and games. The girl still ended up in his arms, although as a corpse. It was more adult than I was used to in a film at that time.

My uncle had all the novels and I was curious as to if Tracy suffered the same fate. I turned to the last page and there it was right down to the “We have all the time in the world” line. That made me eager to see it again, which wouldn’t be for another two years with the infamous ABC edit over two parts.

At the time, I didn’t remember On Her Majesty’s Secret Service well enough not to know this was not the same version I saw theatrically. The ending still haunted me. I kind of had goosebumps knowing it was coming up.

Unlike a lot of the other films, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service didn’t get regular replays such as a Thunderball or Diamonds are Forever would. Not just on ABC, but on premium channels like HBO.

Seeing Moonraker in 1979 started me on the path to being a Bond fanatic. On March 7, 1980, as a 13-year-old kid obsessed with Bond, I got to see the real On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in all its glory, or what passed for it back then, as ABC showed it in a 3-hour slot on it’s Friday Night Movie.

A few days before, my uncle who had the novels also had several Bond soundtracks and I gave On Her Majesty’s Secret Service a spin to refresh myself with its memory and was blown away by the title song. That built the excitement even more.

Although at that age I leaned toward the fantasy and gadgetry of the Bond world, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Another thing that helped was I was becoming an Avengers fan through Friday night viewings on the CBS Late Movie. A half-hour after On Her Majesty’s Secret Service ended that night I caught an episode. Four hours with Diana Rigg.

That night I became both an On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Avengers die-hard fan. Sadly, back at that time On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was considered the red-headed stepchild of the series and it was hard to find much enthusiasm or respect for it. I still managed to tape it off another ABC broadcast and would later buy several VHS versions of it.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is still in my top 3 Bond films and it has been great seeing its reputation rise since those early days. My brother became a huge fan and reads the novel every Christmas. He was watching the UE special features a couple weeks ago when I visited him.

Now if we can just get it on Blu-ray.

Sorry to ramble on, but when it comes to something like On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, I can do that enthusiastically. Happy Anniversary, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… plankattack

During the mid-70s, many “older” Bond films were packaged as double-bills, playing both in London’s West End and in all provincial cinemas. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service did the round paired up with Diamonds are Forever and it was those two that I was taken to see, catching Sean Connery first and then Laz’s performance second.

I remember being struck by the “Never happened to the other fella” line and at the time couldn’t quite figure how to react. I was still young enough to want it all to make sense, and being no more than ten years of age, I wasn’t quite comfortable with such an apparent breaking of the fourth wall!

I wasn’t particularly bothered by Laz—he was James Bond and so that was that. I’d already seen Sir Rog and Sean Connery play the part, so why another actor doing it should be so unsettling was lost on me! I do remember the ending though – completely throwing me and leaving me a little upset. How could they do that to my hero?!

And since then it’s been one of my favourites and I will forever remain a huge On Her Majesty’s Secret Service fan and a staunch defender of Laz!

I also saw Thunderball on the big-screen as part of a triple-bill with For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy in the mid-80s in Leicester Square. I’m curious if anyone else of my generation remembers these double and triple-bills?

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… JimmyBond

I remember my first time seeing it. But this story goes back before I saw it.

My dad and I were renting the Connery films (he was introducing me to Bond, and what better way to do it than through the first… and best Bond). I knew of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service through a Cracked magazine… what I didnt know was that Connery was not Bond. I grabbed the tape from the shelf and looked at it. When I looked at the back I searched for Connery’s name but couldnt find it. My dad looked at the tape and said to me “I don’t think Connery’s in this one.” Well, with that I put the tape back on the shelf.

Flash forward some time (I can’t remember how much time, but it was enough time that we had moved from Kansas to Texas). Being the completist I was, I decided to brave it and rent the movie with a Bond I had never heard of. Watching the movie wasnt bad, though I couldnt completely buy him as Bond (a phenomenon I can’t quite understand, since I had no trouble accepting the other four guys as Bond).

Needless to say it took a few viewings before I started to warm up to the film. Than once I warmed up to the film it took even more viewings to warm up to The Laz, but I am now firmly a fan of his, and do wish he had done more.

Oh what could have been.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Mr. Blofeld

The first time I saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was on DVD; I had just become a big Bond fan after watching Casino Royale, but this sudden blaze had been dampened after I decided to watch, as my first sort-of “real” Bond film after Casino Royale, the one most people had acclaimed as “iconic”; i.e., You Only Live Twice. This did not go down well with the inexperienced Bond fan that I was, so I decided to give the series one more try, just to see if it could still be good after… that, and I settled upon On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as this try.

Well, let me tell you: I watched it… and those two hours whizzed by. The story, the music, the gorgeous locales; everything was fantastic. The entire cast seemed hell-bent upon giving life to their roles (unlike a certain Scotsman in the previous Bond film I had watched), and it worked.

Oh, and Lazenby? Well, there’s a reason why he’s my avatar; this film, this glorious film, and I truly believe that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service cemented my Bond fandom for years to come.

Thank you, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Mark_Hazard

I had read the Bond books and seen the Connery Bond films by the time On Her Majesty’s Secret Service appeared in 1969, I had then just turned 17.

My first sighting of George Lazenby was a little earlier in the famous Big Fry ads on (what was then) ATV television (now Central) and remember my mom saying the “he’d make a good Bond”.

Then came the newspaper cuttings which hailed the new Bond where the Daily Mirror (and others) teased us with pictures from the set whilst the new Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was being made.

With all this I was quite prepared for a new Bond when I went along to my local Odeon to see On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and was blown away by the film, not even giving a second thought that 007’s face and voice had changed, to me Lazenby seemed to perfectly fit the vacated shoulder holster with ease.

I can’t remember if I saw the film in December ’69 or held off until January ’70 but just before Christmas ’69 George announced that he was quitting the series – Sunday Mirror (23 Dec 1969): “New 007: I Quit”. I had enjoyed his potrayal that much after Connery, that I couldn’t see who could replace him, other than Sean Connery – I even had a bet with my cousin on Connery’s “retirement” from Bond after You Only Live Twice that he would be back again (I won that bet and later another bet after Diamonds are Forever that he would return yet again – admittedly I had to wait quite a few years to collect my winnings that time).

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… dogmanstar

I was in high school and the forecast called for a huge blizzard the next day–I had seen many, but not all, of the other Bond films, though I’d already read all of Fleming.

On errands with my mother, I asked her to stop at the local video store to pick something up–figuring we wouldn’t be in school the next day–in fact it had already started to snow. I browsed the shelf where the other Bonds were and quite unexpectedly found this George Lazenby Bond. I wasn’t too sure about him—I hadn’t read Benson’s Companion yet—so I wasn’t exactly sure, was this canonical? Who was this Lanzenby guy? But I knew Telly Savalas and Diana Rigg and rented it. I also rented a couple of other movies too–old time things like Arsenic and Old Lace or maybe The Big Sleep, though I don’t remember exactly.

Well, the next day–it was brutal cold and true to the forecast, there was a lot of snow on the ground. No school. Even going outside was kind of dangerous. So, around mid morning, I popped in this curiosity—I wasn’t sure of the chronology—after Connery, etc? And it was just about perfection! The opening action scene on the beach was so tough and breathtaking. Any concern about the film’s place in the series was assuaged by the title sequence. Lazenby was a tough, smart Bond who captured the book very well. And the look of the film. Finally, I could not believe the faithfulness with which they captured the end of the film.

The smallest of ironies wasn’t lost on me either—it helped that I was watching the blizzard scene in the middle of a blizzard! It has been a firm favorite in my Bond watching rotation ever since.

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James Bond lands twice in top UK films box office chart for the decade

James Bond has managed now one, but two appearances in the top ten of newly released chart of the most watched films in the UK.

This is London reports that both of Daniel Craig’s 007 outings—2006’s Casino Royale and 2008’s Quantum of Solace—are featured in positions six and nine, respectively.

Musical comedy Mamma Mia!, starring former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, ranks number one in the chart.

The top 20 follows below:

Top 20 films in the UK cinemas 2000-2009

1. Mamma Mia! The Movie 2008
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone 2001
3. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring 2001
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002
6. Casino Royale 2006
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 2002
8. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 2006
9. Quantum of Solace 2008
10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2009
11. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2007
12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005
13. The Dark Knight 2008
14. Shrek 2 2004
15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2004
16. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2005
17. Toy Story 2 2000
18. Bridget Jones’s Diary 2001
19. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End 2007
20. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 2008

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page—as well as our brand new Twitter feed—for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service celebrates 40 years (Part II)

Celebrating 40 Years Of
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

40 years ago this month James Bond returned to the silver screen in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as he had never been seen before—with Australian actor/model George Lazenby taking over the role of 007 after Sean Connery departed following the release of 1967’s You Only Live Twice. What resulted was a 140-minute long (the longest Bond film up until 2006’s Casino Royale) film involving 007 pursuing arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the Swiss Alps, falling in love, getting married, and ultimately, being widowed.

This incredibly close adaptation of Ian Fleming’s original novel premiered on 18 December 1969 at the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square in London, UK while simultaneously opening in the US and various other worldwide countries the same day.

Filmed on a budget of $7 million, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service went on to gross $22.7 million in the US alone and overall $87 million worldwide. While this represented a drop at the box office compared to the three previous Eon-produced Bond films, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was still one of the highest grossing films worldwide for 1969.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the film, CommanderBond.net asked our discussion forum members to recall their first (or most memorable) time seeing On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. To share your own remembrance, simply register here (it’s free and only takes a minute) on the CBn Forums.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Major Tallon

I saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in its opening week in downtown Chicago. I cut my afternoon classes and joined my brother outside the theater. I’d noticed how much less advertising there had been for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, compared to earlier Bond films. I’d seen Diana Rigg on an afternoon talk show, and George Lazenby’s bearded appearance with Johnny Carson, but there hadn’t been much other promotion. I remember the stunning newspaper headline that had appeared the week before the premier: “New 007 Wants Out, Too,” and I was concerned about that, as I’d been an early Lazenby enthusiast. Lazenby’s appearance with Carson confirmed that this film would be his last.

I enjoyed the film a lot, though I had some reservations, which I’ve discussed elsewhere. It seemed like there was a decent-sized audience for the film, but it wasn’t like Thunderball, when I’d emerged from an early showing to find the street blocked by a huge mob wanting admission. Several of my friends saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in the first few days, and their reactions were uniformly positive.

It was some time later that I saw a story in Variety, indicating that there was concern in the studio about the film’s box office take, with EON remaining strongly positve on the subject. None of this affected my affection for the film, and its central perfromance, which remain among the best in the series.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… elizabeth

So it was the summer going into my 8th grade year, the summer they did the Bond marathon on AMC. I saw the commercial for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and I was anticipating it all day. I remember loving it and almost crying at the end when Tracy died.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… sharpshooter

I didn’t always like On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

I remember the first time I saw it. I can’t pinpoint exactly how long ago it was, but it was a late night television broadcast, so I decided to tape it and watch it first thing in the morning.

The next morning I woke up, fired up the VHS and pressed play. Being the youngster I was, I didn’t find it that engaging. And being a Connery/Moore Bond person, I wasn’t totally sold on Lazenby. Because he only did one film, I wrongly dismissed him and the film he was associated with. I mostly forgot about the film and viewed it as a black sheep. I later owned it on VHS, mainly for completist purposes, and it was one of my least viewed Bond films.

It didn’t really dawn on me how good it really was until years later.

My Bond film collection only consisted of VHS, and the VHS player had been sold. I had a DVD player with no Bond DVDs for quite some time. I had gone without seeing my favourites, and I had a renewed hunger for them. I found myself very interested in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, realizing I had not given it a reasonable chance. I heard many Bond fans held it in high regard. I was eager to see it and analyze every single frame with precision—realizing it would be in reality my first proper viewing, with a more patient, sound mind.

After purchasing the Ultimate Edition DVD collection, I put On Her Majesty’s Secret Service into the DVD player first. I was blown away by the picture quality. It really was like viewing it for the first time in many ways. I couldn’t believe how I dismissed what I now view as the best Bond film in the series. The music, story, action, locations, cinematography—you name it, all exceptional.

These days, I watch On Her Majesty’s Secret Service the most. It really is the best.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Nicolas Suszczyk

I’ve rented it, curious to know how good Mr. Lazenby could be as James Bond. I was nine years old, and while I liked the film, I was terribly disappointed when the film ended with Tracy’s death. I thought it was unfair to see the hero so broken-hearted, so I hated the movie. Some years later, I started to like it, and now I consider it a quintessential Bond film.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… AMC Hornet

I saw Diamonds are Forever first, at the tender age of 12 waaaaaaaaay back in 1971. I didn’t understand who Blofeld was or why Bond had such a Jones to kill him, but that was forgotten in the enjoyment of all that sexy, glittering spectacle. Over the next year I caught up with the earlier films at double bills, then, as a warmup to Live and Let Die, Diamonds are Forever was shown again in a double bill with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

The moment George’s face came out of the shadows and said, “good morning, my names Bond, James Bond,” I thought to myself “No.” Then came the titles and Bond rolling up to the hotel in Portugal, the casino scene, meeting Tracy, the fights, the spying, the mission…and I forgot all about my initial reaction. Connery was already over, Roger was on the way—so what if George only made one? It was a masterpiece, thanks to Peter Hunt’s vision and determination. I can identify with George more than any of the others—given the same opportunity, who’s to say whether any of us wannabes could do any better, or last any longer?

I only ever saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on the big screen once, but it remains at the very top of my all-time favorites (along with many of the other least popular titles like Diamonds are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun and Die Another Day). Next week I’ll be using my son’s 32″ widescreen for our annual Christmas viewing, complete with champagne and caviar (from the north of the Caspian!).

This will be the first time I’ve watched the remastered DVD. I’ve peeked at a few scenes and I must say I could never go back to my VHS copy. Just compare the clarity and shading contrast inside the helicopter during the dawn approach to Piz Gloria. And what’s with that extra line of Savalas’ about Draco having “his own ways of keeping it in the family”? If I’ve ever heard that line before, it must have been in 1973.

To anyone else out there who’s more willing to give George a chance than people were back in ’69, I say, “good on yer.”

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… jaguar007

My mom was a James Bond fan and I grew up watching the Bond films on ABC during the 70s whenever they would air (The Spy Who Loved Me was the first Bond film I saw in the theater, but had seen several on TV prior). I remember sometime in the late 70s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was going to be on TV. I was aware of that movie, but had not yet seen it. The only conflict was that the annual TV showing of The Wizard of Oz was on the same night. I had not missed The Wizard of Oz for as far back as I could remember. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the only Bond film my mother had not seen and she said that she had heard it was not that good. We watched The Wizard of Oz.

A few years later as I really was getting into Bond (1981 I think) I remember regretting that decision as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was at that point the only Bond film I had not seen. Luckily The Guild theater in Portland, Oregon started their annual James Bond film Festival in January 1982. They ran this festival for several years in the early 80s (until all the films came out on VHS). We had gone the previous week to see Goldfinger and Thunderball. They showed the old previews for the Bond movies the following week and I was taken by the trailer for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I could not wait to see this movie. The week that You Only Live Twice and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service were playing my father was out of town. I was trying to convince my mother to take me to see the double feature on the last night it was showing but she did not really want to drive downtown by herself. She said if we could get another adult to go with us we could go. I called a friend of hers who also liked James Bond (my mom did not really think her friend would go)and she said yes, so the three of us went to see the double feature. I liked the movie quite a bit from day one. As I had already known Bond get married and his wife dies, I was not shocked by the downbeat ending. My mother was surprised as well and liked it better than any of the Roger Moore films (she was always a Connery fan, never cared much for Moore, Dalton or Brosnan. She does love Craig however).

Still On Her Majesty’s Secret Service ranks in my top five favorite Bond films.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… MarkA

I first saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on its original release in 69. It was a Sunday night and as always my father took me. Not letting on until afterwards that he had already seen it a couple of days before and had been disappointed. I had already seen every James Bond film up until then apart from From Russia with Love. I loved it. In my young mind it didn’t matter to me Connery wasn’t in it. Lazenby looked like James Bond, moved like James Bond so to me he was Bond. (Something I’m afraid never happened when I saw Moore a few years later. Why was the Saint playing James Bond?). I even vividly remember Tracy’s death having a profound effect on me even at that young age. In the years afterwards it was the one film that never seemed to be re-released. So I never saw it again until I was in my late teens when it was first shown on British TV. The only thing that struck me then was how Lazenby was trying to do a Sean Connery impersonation. No wonder on that early viewing he seemed to fit for me. Even now I consider it the last really great Bond up until Casino Royale. The first four, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Casino Royale. None of the others come close. Funny they all owe a lot to the source novels.

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As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for neverending James Bond coverage. Be sure to check out our Twitter feed as well.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service celebrates 40 years (Part I)

Celebrating 40 Years Of
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

40 years ago this month James Bond returned to the silver screen in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as he had never been seen before—with Australian actor/model George Lazenby taking over the role of 007 after Sean Connery departed following the release of 1967’s You Only Live Twice. What resulted was a 140-minute long (the longest Bond film up until 2006’s Casino Royale) film involving 007 pursuing arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the Swiss Alps, falling in love, getting married, and ultimately, being widowed.

This incredibly close adaptation of Ian Fleming’s original novel premiered on 18 December 1969 at the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square in London, UK while simultaneously opening in the US and various other worldwide countries the same day.

Filmed on a budget of $7 million, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service went on to gross $22.7 million in the US alone and overall $87 million worldwide. While this represented a drop at the box office compared to the three previous Eon-produced Bond films, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was still one of the highest grossing films worldwide for 1969.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the film, CommanderBond.net asked our discussion forum members to recall their first (or most memorable) time seeing On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. To share your own remembrance, simply register here (it’s free and only takes a minute) on the CBn Forums.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… O.H.M.S.S

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is ever since I saw it for the first time my favourite Bond film. Everything else has changed since then. Favourite villains changed, favourite Bond girls switched places, etc.; but On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was always the best Bond film.

My brother got the whole Bond set on VHS for his 16th birthday. One day I got ill and stayed away from school, I started to watch the Bond films chronologically. When I got to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, my brother wanted to watch Moonraker instead, it was the one he never saw. We struggled a bit and Moonraker became the one we saw that evening. I only saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service after we saw the whole series. But I was blown away by this fantastic film, and it became my favourite and that never changed.

It’s really the first in which Bond becomes more human, there is an incredible amount of character development. And still the action is thrilling. Peter Hunt gives us the most exciting action scenes in the series. George Lazenby is a physically impressive Bond and it shows.

Michael Reed’s cinematography benefits the atmosphere of the movie, the Portugal scenes are beautifully colourful, Bern is rainy perfectly associating with the architecture of the city, the building site, Gumbold’s office and the Central Europe feel overall. The Alps are, however, the highlight in cinematography, you can feel the snowy coldness when Bond is outside, though inside Piz Gloria the warmth of a burning fireplace comes towards you. Production designer Syd Cain contributes to these feelings with excellent sets, though not outlandish, but perfectly appropriate for the movie. Top marks for the casino seqeunces.

John Barry’s score is, undoubtedly, the best in the franchise, not leaving his usual style Barry inserts also very romantic tracks and thrillingly synthesised action themes. The main theme is a fantastic piece of instrumental music which goes perfect with Maurice Binder’s main titles, but also with the extened ski/car chase through the Swiss Alps. Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All The Time In The World” shouldn’t go unmentioned either, it is one of the most romantic and moving songs you can imagine for an emotionally loaded story as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service certainly is.

The cast of course is outstanding, Diana Rigg bringing great charisma to the role of Tracy, Telly Savalas in possibly the best incarnation of SPECTRE nr. 1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Ilse Steppat being effective as his sidekick Fraulein Bunt, Gabriele Ferzetti incarnating one of the most memorable allies of the series to the screen, Marc Ange Draco is a major mob boss, still he’s a father figure, that is great character depth if you ask me. And then there is Bernard Lee, I mean M is always great in the first 11 Bond films, but this is his finest hour in the role, angry when Bond mixes personal matters with his profession again, on the other hand he’s delighted when Bond’s expertise extends to different sorts of butterflies. Desmond Llewelynn not into his usual word battles with James, but this time he’s prepared to, not only give him a compliment, but stand up and offer him his help if Bond needs it. Lois Maxwell might not have much screen presence, but she gives a great performance, what would we be without her?

And then there is George Lazenby, in my opinion absolutely perfect as James Bond here. Bond was different here then in any other of the previous films. It’s a good thing to have an unknown actor portray a Bond we didn’t know before. He delivers some truly brilliant acting here, two examples at the end of the movie to prove this: first throwing his hat to Moneypenny, look at his face when he waves to her, almost an apologizing look. Of course the final scene is the one that proves his acting skills the most. You can’t watch that scene objectively without admitting Lazenby delivered it wonderfully. When he says “We have all the time in the world” his voice breaks as almost like a metaphor of a perfect life that now has to end so quick and so suddenly. The eternal spy, hero of the nation, condemned to continue to live as he has lived before, condemned of not having a loving wife of his own, of not having a happy normal life. This scene is the strongest of the franchise and the sad, emotional ending of one of the best (Bond) films ever. Top marks for George Lazenby, who sadly did not come back to the role.

Maybe audiences back then where not ready for such a dramatic change, but the appreciation the movie gets these days proves that Bond fans have matured enough to embrace this gem of a movie.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Bucky

I saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when I was younger after getting it along with a lot of the other Bond films on VHS. Wasn’t crazy about it as I found it to be kind of slow and was just used to the other Bonds (I also liked Brosnan at the time, I was very confused).

After viewing it several more times it is now my favorite of all the Bond films and is one of my favorite films of all time. It is simply top notch all around between the locations, directing, acting, music, and action. There is just a freshness to the entire film that has not been in a Bond film since until Quantum of Solace.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Safari Suit

To my pretty-darn-good-if-I-do-say-so-myself memory On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the first Bond movie I ever watched all the way through. I watched it with my Grandfather after he taped it off ITV (not really, officer!) on the last day of the Christmas holidays, January 1996; about a month after I had turned nine. My grandfather was a long-standing casual Bond fan, and sadly this was the only Bond I would ever see with him. I had seen bits of previous films on TV and I guess a bit of James Bond Jr. before I watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Either from those experiences or from word of mouth I was familiar with some of the basics of the Bond franchise before I watched it; I knew who Moneypenny and Q were, that Bond had been played by several actors, most notably (at the time, at least I thought) Sean Connery and Roger Moore. I was not surprised to see Bond played by someone else, and I remember my grandfather explaining to me when the end credits rolled that this was Lazenby’s only Bond film, how Connery had left the role because “he felt he was too old” (note I’m quoting what my grandfather said rather than stating what I know), and that Moore took over afterwards even though “he was older”.

Seeing as I had no conception of what the romances or lack thereof in Bond movies consisted of, I had no idea this was a somewhat atypical one. I think I was somewhat surprised by the ending but not especially upset. I remember my Grandad saying that her death was a foregone conclusion given that Bond could hardly carry on being a spy if he was married, a concept I didn’t really understand at the time.

Even at that age I knew the score was a good ‘en. I particularly liked the music while Bond paced back and forth in his office.

I obviously enjoyed the film enough that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was one of the first Bond videos I bought when I started buying them at about 13. I was surprised to find out as my interest in Bond and film in general grew that Lazenby’s acting was a constant source of derision, and that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was his only real claim to fame bar the Big Fry commercial.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… BoogieBond

I can’t remember every detail about my very first time seeing On Her Majesty’s Secret Service but I remember being about 8 or 9 years old and seeing it on TV and taping it, then watching it back over and over. I remember thinking the action was very exciting, didn’t much care about the romance and more grounded angle at that age. One of my most memorable viewings was watching it with my dad and us both thinking it was a great Bond film, even though Dad is a staunch Connery fan. I never really took to Laz’s portrayal at that age, preferring Sean and Rog, but since the first viewing of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service I have been a fan of the film.

I remember watching a couple of Bond double bills at the cinema, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker was one, and Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only was another. I don’t ever recall a triple bill though. I would have liked to see a triple bill Bond extravaganza though.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Zorin Industries

I first saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on British television around the Autumn (I think) of 1986. It was on as part of an inadvertent mini season of Pinewood Studios orientated films (Pinewood was celebrating its 50th Anniversary I believe). I think it was on midweek and I may have had to tape it as it could have finished after my bedtime.

I don’t remember much of the film but do remember that this 11 year old thought it was very adult and slightly cool though the mushy marriage stuff was, well, mushy. Even then I do remember thinking it was a more serious Bond film but that just made the experience better as young kids need and love to watch things that are not always centred at them once in a while.

I now think it is the best Bond film (but not my favourite) and has clearly been one of the few Bond films templates still adhered to now (with Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice being the others). Tonally, artistically, temporally and directionally it is the definitive blueprint for the Bond films. It is also that rare thing for a 007 pic—it is a beautifully rendered and stand alone film.

From that first viewing onwards I have vowed to get to Muren and Piz Gloria one day and have dinner at dusk…

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… john.steed

I was in 8th grade when it came out in December of 1969. I tagged along with my older brother and his friend when they went into downttown Boston to see the movie. While I knew of Bond and had enjoyed some of his imitators, such as Wild, Wild, West, this was to be my first Bond film. I simply loved it as this was far better the the TV imitations. I loved seeing Diana Rigg as I was already a big fan of The Avengers and I am sure that I had some tears in my eyes at the end of the film. These were the good old days—the screen was huge and, as, they did not clear the theater, we stayed for two showings.

Seeing On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the first of a three-step process that turned into a Bond fan. The second was reading Thunderball after buying it at my church’s bazzar that same winter. The third step was seeing a twinbill of Thunderball and You Only Live Twice that spring.

While my initial seeing of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was, along with that twinbill that I just mentioned, my most memorable viewing of a Bond film, the second time that I saw it was my worst viewing of a Bond film. That was the infamous two part showing on ABC in 1976.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… Simon

I saw On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on what must have been its premiered TV showing in the UK. I had by then seen a couple of Bonds and understood there were gadgets and fun to be viewed.

This film left me disappointed since the above was largely absent—I am pretty sure the lint gadget reference passed me by.

That said, now, it is the perfect Bond film. It has everything a generic film should have and is that much better since it is a Bond film. Tension, suspense, music, real emotions, developed characters, performances and tight action scenes and editing.

And, I think most importantly, this film would NOT have benefitted by having Connery play Bond at this juncture, slightly over weight and bored. You Only Live Twice and Diamonds are Forever both pale to insignificance by comparison to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

I saw it, quite by chance, only this weekend. The one tiny, nothing, type fault I find with the film is the crashing Bond theme over the end credits. It totally takes one out of the emotion of Tracy’s death. As an experiment, I decided to mute the soundtrack before the theme starts, and just watch the credits in silence.

Stunning.

It is one of cinema’s most tragic stories that events conspired to prevent Lazenby from doing further Bond films.

Remembering On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by… lazenbyland

My first film was Diamonds are Forever in 1972, when I was seven, at the local cinema. I was ready for seeing Connery as Bond as I had the toy moonbuggy. There was no mention of anyone called George Lazenby. I’ll admit that then, I thought Diamonds are Forever was fantastic, particularly Barry’s soundtrack.

After that it was Roger Moore in Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. I didn’t really have a problem with Moore as Bond at that stage. This is probably because they followed the same jokey format started with Diamonds are Forever. And Moore is so different to Connery that there was no way he would be compared.

After The Man with the Golden Gun the Bond films came to TV in the UK. In April 1975 we had Dr. No which still holds the record for the largest power surge during a commercial break. The streets were emptied for this.

Then it was a Bond film every six months or so. So we had From Russia with Love in late 1975. Again a major viewing event in a country with three TV channels. No VCRs then.

Goldfinger and Thunderball followed in 1976 plus the occasional repeat of the other films. They consistently topped the ratings.

You Only Live Twice came in the first half of 1977 and then the cinematic release of The Spy Who Loved Me. It was very obvious that the plots of the two films were similar.

So I had seen every single James Bond film except one. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

I read the book which I found amazing and I thought if the film follows the book we’re in for a treat. In a pre-internet age though, there was very little information about the film. I had a small still photograph of Lazenby from a TV tie-in magazine called “Look-In” and that was about it. There had been a picture of Jenny Hanley with a caption saying she had been in a Bond film. With her blond hair then when she was presenting a children’s show called Magpie, I thought she played Tracy as described in the book.

Alas if the films had continued with the six month gap I would have seen On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in late 1977. I think there was a strike at ITV which may have delayed things.

I was hugely disappointed when the film didn’t appear. The film was being shown in a double bill with Diamonds are Forever at a nearby cinema but I couldn’t convince my father to drive and see it.

So it wasn’t until September 78 that I saw a trailer on ITV for the showing of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I thought ‘fantastic’. The trailers looked great and concentrated on the beach fight.

A friend had told me that Telly Savalas played Blofeld which was big news as he was popular as Kojak at the time.

But it wasn’t until the TV listings came out that I saw the full casting with Diana Rigg as Tracy! There was the poster in the TV guide too with a caption saying it was the film with the most action.

It was still a major event on TV. I loved the way Lazenby knelt down and shot in the gunbarrel and also Barry’s rearrangement of the Bond theme. The ‘This Never Happened to the Other Feller’ line was perfectly timed in the film and the music was brilliant.

As the film largely followed the book, it engrossed me throughout and apart from the fact that Lazenby was Bond I thought of this as a mainstream Connery era film. With Bond falling in love to ‘All The Time In The World’ only made it more powerful.

What surprised was the largely negative reaction to Lazenby. Most of my schoolmates thought the film was great but were completely indoctrinated to be against Lazenby. This is where I saw at first-hand the sheep mentality that had obviously affected the critics’ reviews in 1969/70.

It was a life changing event. I had to wait another two years before seeing it again in 1980 and then three more till 1983. 1983 was a major showing as Diana Rigg had new set of fans from The Avengers which were being shown on the new Channel 4 at the time.

Of course the next film couldn’t have been more different, Moonraker!

And I do feel very sorry for the Americans who had the criminal edit imposed on them by the cretins at ABC. So they were robbed of seeing the film in its original form first. That was so important for this film.

I had my honeymoon in the Bernese Oberland and since set up the Lazenbyland website. Ironically it was only this year that I finally saw the film on the big screen appropriately enough with my own seven year old son, who thought it was great!

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You Only Live Twice screening at The Everyman Winchester

The UK’s Everyman Winchester theatre will be kicking off the new year with a special digital screening of the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice.

Scheduled to take place on Sunday, 10 January at 5:30pm, this 007 screening wil also be accompanied by a competition attached to win a host of special prizes.

Ticket costs are adults £8 and children £6.50. To purchase tickets, phone 0870 066 4777 or reserve at the official website.

The Everyman Winchester theatre is located at Southgate Street, Winchester SO23 9EG. For further inquiries regarding this You Only Live Twice screening, visit the official website.

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A shocking story for Bond 23

After weeks and weeks of more or less silence regarding what 007 fans can expect from the 23rd James Bond adventure, a new interview with screenwriter Peter Morgan reveals some slight bits of information.

Currently situated in Vienna, Austria, Morgan was at work on the Bond 23 script from July to October of this year.

While cautioning to the local press that he couldn’t discuss a great deal about the film, he did describe it as ‘a shocking story’.

Morgan further described his coming to terms with the levels of excitement and anticipation that a new James Bond film creates. He states: ‘There is a level of hysteria that I haven’t seen before. [Bond] is a magnet for publicity—everyone wants to know what is going on with the new film.’

Unfortunately, it was also revealed that work on Daniel Craig’s third 007 outing has been put on hold until February 2010 as a result of the ongoing sale of the MGM studio.

While no specific release date has been announced by Eon Productions, it is strongly expected that Bond 23 will arrive in theatres sometime in late 2011. As previously reported on CommanderBond.net, Craig was quoted as saying that work is expected to commence in late 2010 in order to be ready for a 2011 release. This timeline was further supported by additional comments from Dame Judi Dench.

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Casino Royale crowned Total Film's Reboot of the Decade

Daniel Craig’s astonishingly successful debut as 007 in 2006’s Casino Royale has been named Total Film Magazine’s ‘Reboot of the Decade’.

The 21st James Bond film is featured on one of the ten covers (all included together in one volume) for the latest issue of the popular movie magazine, #163.

Also included is an indepth discussion with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson on why and how they came to revamp and re-energize the franchise following on from 2002’s Die Another Day. Craig’s forthcoming Bond 23 is also briefly brought up for discussion, although both producers frustratingly remain tight-lipped about what exactly fans can expect.

Total Film issue #163 is currently on sale now and can be purchased at various bookstores as well as online at www.totalfilm.com/magazine.

Visit the official website for a special preview of this latest issue.

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Pierce Brosnan's The Ghost Writer to debut at Berlin Film Festival

Organizers of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival say Roman Polanski’s latest movie, The Ghost Writer, will have its premiere at the event in February.

Polanski’s movie was among a first batch of entries in the festival’s main competition that was announced Tuesday. The event runs from Feb. 11-21 and is the first of the year’s major European film festivals.

In the film, Pierce Brosnan stars as a former British prime minister who’s writing his memoirs with the help of a ghostwriter, played by Ewan McGregor. It’s Polanski’s first film since 2005’s Oliver Twist.

The 76-year-old director is currently under house arrest in Switzerland, where he awaits possible extradition to the U.S. on a 32-year-old charge of sexual misconduct.

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007 cinematographer Gavin McKinney honoured at Bahamas International Film Festival

The 2009 Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) presented the esteemed Bahamian underwater Director of Photographer Gavin Mckinney with their first Bahamian Tribute Award at this year’s Festival on December 15th at the College of the Bahamas performing arts theatre. Friends and family and visiting filmmakers came out to support McKinney on the special occasion.

‘We are so honored to recognize one of our very own Bahamian industry professionals who is making a name for himself all around the globe within the film world,’ said Leslie Vanderpool, Executive Director and Founder BIFF who is also a personal friend of McKinney and his family.

Presenting the award was Mrs. Robin Symonette, wife of the Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister . It was Mrs. Symonette who helped influence Vanderpool to award McKinney with the tribute.

A montage of McKinney’s underwater work was presented with his voice over explaining his passion for his work. Afterward a Question and Answer session took place.

McKinney is the son of Bahamas National Trust founding member, J.A. McKinney and is clear about his desire to continue to educate about conservation through his work.

Gavin McKinney has been involved in underwater film making since 1973 when he worked as a diver on the feature film Day of the Dolphin and has spent over 20,000 hours underwater making films. He offers over thirty five years experience filming underwater and has provided full production services for underwater shoots, including personnel, logistics, locations and marine services.

He has worked on over fifty feature films and television shows, including 5 James Bond films. The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, Moonraker, Never Say Never Again and The World is not Enough, and in addition to working behind the scenes with logistics and planning he was the Bond underwater double in For Your Eyes Only, and The World is not Enough.

Gavin, thinks he is the only person in the history of the film industry to have been run over by a car underwater in The Spy Who Loved Me. He spent four months working on The Abyss in 1988. Since 2001 he has also co-produced and filmed three highly successful three dimensional underwater films for the Imax theatres. Ocean Wonderand 3D, Sharks 3D and Dolphins and Whales 3D. These films have been seen by over eleven million people worldwide to date.

Gavin’s current project is Ocean World 3D. A Full length 3D documentary due for release summer 09, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival in May, is a fictitious story of a turtle’s voyage around the world.

About the Bahamas International Film Festival

The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing the local community and International festival goers with a diverse presentation of films from The Bahamas and around the world. In addition to showcasing films that might not otherwise be released theatrically, BIFF provides unique cultural experiences, educational programs, and forums for exploring the past, present & future of cinema. BIFF aims to raise the level of filmmaking, participation and education throughout The Bahamas and the world.

For more information visit http://www.bintlfilmfest.com/.

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CBE awarded for Tomorrow Never Dies star Jonathan Pryce

Jonathan Pryce, notable in the world of James Bond for his portrayal of media baron Elliot Carver in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies, has been awarded a CBE.

The full press release follows:

Jonathan Pryce has described his happiness at receiving a CBE from the Prince of Wales.

The versatile actor, equally at home on stage, screen or television, accepted the honour for services to drama.

After the Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony he said: “I’m very honoured and gratified to get the CBE – it’s recognition of the importance of the theatre in Britain and how much it means to the people and economy.”

The 62-year-old Welshman has played a megalomaniac media tycoon in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, starred in the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies and appeared alongside Madonna in the 1996 film of Evita.

In recent years he has concentrated on his theatre work and is due to appear in a London production of Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker in the New Year.

After graduating from RADA the actor later joined Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre Company where his colleagues were actresses like Alison Steadman and among the house playwrights were Willy Russell and Alan Bleasdale.

His first venture on to New York’s Broadway brought success when his role in Comedians earned him a Tony award and three years later his performance as Hamlet at London’s Royal Court Theatre won him an Olivier Award.

His movie breakthrough came in 1985 playing the hero Sam Lowry in Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil and Pryce teamed up with the director again for the Adventures Of Baron Munchausen in 1988.

Other notable film parts include roles in Ronin (1998) and Stigmata (1999).

This year he starred as the US president in the Hollywood blockbuster GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

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