CONTAINS SPOILERS!
In 1969, James Bond received a new face. Sean Connery had been in the starring since it's inception in 1962's Dr. No until 1967's You Only Live Twice. He went on to become the iconic face of Bond, even to this day, and is arguably the best actor to portray the M.I.6 super agent.
In 1967, the original Casino Royale was released with David Niven in the Bond role. However, this was not produced by the same company (Eon) as the others had been, and the film was plagued with creative issues and disagreements among cast and crew saw it have FIVE directors. Cast members were at each other's throats for varying reasons, including Peter Sellers taking issue with, and refusing to shoot his scenes in person with, Orson Welles, and leaving the production before all of his scenes had been shot so inventive ways around that had to be thought of to complete the film.
1969 saw Eon return Bond to his rightful place, and he came with a new face after Sean Connery decided he had had enough of the role. So who do you bring in to replace an actor who had nearly 40 film and TV roles in just over 10 years? You guessed it - a completely unknown model. Enter George Lazenby.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is, in most people's eyes, the worst Bond film. Lazenby played Bond like he was a cased in carbonite. Nothing about his portrayal was suave, sophisticated or intelligent. Lazenby struts around in the way he knew how (like a model), looking far too smug and pompous. His dialogue delivery was lacking any quality or attachment, which takes your right out of the moment. There isn't much you can say about it really other than you should watch it once if you are someone who wants to say they have seen every Bond film. Otherwise, it's not really worth it.
Fortunately for us (Sorry George), Lazenby's agent would tell him that the role and series wouldn't last much into the 1970's so Lazenby soon said he would only do the one film. Sean Connery would return for 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, which sits as one of the best films in the franchise, before Roger Moore took over for 1973's Live and Let Die.
In a kind of ironic way, On Her Majesty's Secret Service gave George Lazenby a cult status in cinematic circles. Bond set him on his acting career, and he took 15 film and TV roles in the 1970's, before he focused on TV in the 1980's. This was followed by a flurry of roles in the 1990's and early 2000's. He still acts today, with his eighth film in the last ten years currently in production, but he never returned to the mainstream heights of Bond.
Directed by: Peter R. Hunt
Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum
Based on: "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" by Ian Fleming
Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Bernard Lee,
Release Date: December 18, 1969
My Rating: 3/10
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