Ricky Church continues his countdown to Spectre with a review of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service…
In 1967 audiences were introduced to their first James Bond that was not Sean Connery. In George Lazenby’s one and only Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 007 is hot on the trail of Blofeld and closing in on him quickly while he meets Teresa ‘Tracy’ di Vicenzo, a stunning girl who is unlike any that Bond has met before. Though his mission against Blofeld will obviously lead him into danger, it will also lead him into terrible tragedy.
George Lazenby’s outing as Bond is an interesting one; he’s actually somewhat good in the role, but he’s also a little too cheery as well. This is a stark contrast to Connery’s performance that, while charming, could be quite cold. Lazenby also lacks a lot of the danger associated with Bond. He doesn’t evoke the same threatening presence Connery did, but there are a couple exceptions to this where he dispatches henchmen very quickly. Lazenby can be charming at times, but he often comes across more campy than anything. Maybe this was simply to differentiate himself from Connery, but it doesn’t work quite well as they hoped. However, credit has to be given for attempting to make the role his own. Given time he may have become a really good Bond, but he turned down a role in the next after becoming fearful of getting typecast when he received bad advice from his agent.
Diana Rigg is a fantastic fit as Tracy. She was well experienced in the spy genre after a starring role in the television series The Avengers (not to be confused with Marvel’s mightiest heroes) and proved herself a welcome role in the Bond history. Tracy is a great character, one with the smarts and strength to be a match for Bond. It’s no wonder why he’d put everything aside to settle down with her.
Unlike Donald Pleasence in You Only Live Twice, Telly Savalas played Blofeld in this film and gave a much more intimidating portrayal than Pleasence. Blofeld is even quite charming in certain scenes, radiating a perverse pleasure in having Bond at his mercy. Savalas steals the scene whenever he’s on screen, proving he’s the best Blofeld the franchise has had yet. His influence even extends beyond the Bond franchise; when crafting Superman: The Animated Series, Paul Dini and Bruce Timm used Savalas’ appearance and portrayal as Blofeld as inspiration for Lex Luthor.
On Her Majesty’s plot is good, though it is slow to start. The first act of the film takes its time to develop Bond and Tracy’s relationship and while this pays off by the final scene, the slow build may bore some viewers after the exciting pace of the last Bond films. This film also brings Bond back to the basics by focusing on pure espionage. There are no gadgets for the most part and the plot revolves around Bond going undercover to set up a sting operation centered on Blofeld’s capture. It’s great to see Bond utilizing his wits again rather than rely on amazing gadgetry to help save the day.
Along with the slow pace, there are a couple hiccups in the story, one of them being a glaring continuity problem. Though they met face-to-face in the last film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service makes it seem as if Blofeld doesn’t recognize Bond. Interestingly, the original script had Bond undergo plastic surgery so he wouldn’t be recognized by his enemies, thereby explaining why Bond no longer looks like Sean Connery. Producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman decided against this idea and had the change go unmentioned, but it still created this problem.
The second half of the film, however, moves along at an exciting pace as Bond makes his escape from Blofeld’s hideout in a well-filmed ski chase and engages in an assault on the lair. It all leads to a tragic ending for 007 that differs very much from the usually happy conclusions he receives. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is an odd Bond film for its placement in the franchise and Lazenby’s portrayal, but it’s ultimately a good, if forgotten, piece of Bond thanks to Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas and the return to espionage.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Ricky Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=C_zu6XuI_g4
Originally published October 8, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
