On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Director: Peter Hunt

Overview

Supposedly, when Sean Connery refused to star in another James Bond movie, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli vowed to show up the insolent Connery by literally "creating" a new Bond from the ground up. That's why professional model and TV commercial-spokesman George Lazenby is cast as 007 in the 1969 filmization of Ian Fleming's 1963 Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service. As a result, the film is one of the few in the series that could boast more than a passing resemblance to the Fleming original. This time around, Bond quits the secret service when he is told to end his obsessive search for master criminal Blofeld (Telly Savalas). While trailing his quarry in Portugal, Bond falls in love with Tracy Draco (Diana Rigg), daughter of a notorious gangster (Gabriele Ferzetti). The elder Draco agrees to help Bond find Blofeld, with the implicit understanding that Bond will marry Tracy. Bond's mission takes him to a Swiss mountain retreat, wherein Blofeld is executing his master plan of destroying the world's agricultural economy. When all is said and done, Bond does marry Tracy, but the honeymoon ends in sudden tragedy.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/15/2015
UPC:	0883904334033
Original Release:	1969
Rating:	PG
Source:	Mgm (Video & Dvd)
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sales rank:	29,591

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

George Lazenby	James Bond
Diana Rigg	Tracy Di Vicenzo
Telly Savalas	Blofeld
Ilse Steppat	Irma Bunt
Gabriele Ferzetti	Draco
Bernard Horsfall	Campbell
George Baker	Sir Hilary Bray
Bernard Lee	"M"
Lois Maxwell	Miss Moneypenny
Desmond Llewelyn	"Q"
Angela Scoular	Ruby
Dani Sheridan	American Girl
Julie Ege	Scandinavian Girl
Joanna Lumley	English Girl
Mona Chong	Chinese Girl
Anouska Hempel	Australian Girl
Ingrit Back	German Girl
Jenny Hanley	Irish Girl
Zara	Indian Girl
Helena Ronee	Israeli Girl
Geoffrey Cheshire	Toussaint
Irvin Allen	Che Che
Terence Mountain	Raphael
Bill Morgan	Klett
Richard Graydon	Draco's Driver
Reg Harding	Blofeld's Driver
Virginia North	Olympe
Brian Worth	Manuel
Bessie Love	American Casino Guest
Steve Plytas	Greek Tycoon
Robert Rietty	Chef de Jeu
Elliott Sullivan	American
Martin Leyder	Chef de Jeu Huissier
George A. Cooper	Braun
John Crewdson	Draco's Copter Pilot
Dudley Jones	Hall Porter
Leslie Crawford	Felsen
James Bree	Gumboldt
John Gay	Hammond
Catherine Schell	Nancy
Yuri Borienko	Grunther

Technical Credits

Peter Hunt	Director
Vic Armstrong	Stunts
Alex Barbey	Cinematographer
John Barry	Score Composer
Willy Bogner	Cinematographer
Albert R. Broccoli	Producer
Sidney Cain	Production Designer
Syd Cain	Production Designer
Marjorie Cornelius	Costumes/Costume Designer
Hal David	Songwriter
Frank Ernst	Asst. Director
Roy Ford	Cinematographer
John Glen	Editor
Ken Higgins	Cinematographer
John Jordan	Cinematographer
Bob Laing	Art Director
Robert Laing	Art Director
Peter Lamont	Set Decoration/Design
George Leech	Stunts
Richard Maibaum	Screenwriter
Alec Mills	Camera Operator
John W. Mitchell	Sound/Sound Designer
Basil Newall	Makeup
Monty Norman	Songwriter
Paul Rabiger	Makeup
Simon Raven	Screenwriter
Michael Reed	Cinematographer
Harry Saltzman	Producer
John Stears	Special Effects
Egil Woxholt	Cinematographer

Editorial Reviews

Although it is mostly remembered for featuring George Lazenby's sole appearance as James Bond, this 1969 film is revered by Bond fans as one of the series' finest entries. On Her Majesty's Secret Service stands out from other Bond films because it treats its main character like a human being instead of a superhero. He suffers moments of doubt, doesn't always know the right thing to do, and is even capable of falling in love. These changes bring a surprising warmth to James Bond, who is vividly brought to life by the underrated Lazenby with a mixture of macho charm and unexpected vulnerability. Diana Rigg also makes a vivid impression as Tracy, easily the toughest and most resourceful of all Bond heroines, and Telly Savalas turns in a menacing yet slyly witty performance as Blofeld. This film also defies convention by downplaying the gadgetry and gimmicks that would soon dominate the series in favor of a plot that balances the action with a strong emphasis on character development. Despite a two-hour-plus running time, the film moves at a brisk clip thanks to Peter Hunt's tight direction. Hunt, originally an editor on the Bond series, also utilizes his editor's sense of timing to create a series of breathtaking action set pieces; highlights include a stunning nighttime ski chase and the explosive siege on Blofeld's mountaintop lair. From its stylish opening to its stunning and unexpected coda, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one of the high-water marks of the James Bond series and a refreshing antidote to the often cartoonish antics of its later years.

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