On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Directed by: Peter R. Hunt | 140 minutes | action, drama, thriller, adventure, romance | Actors: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti, Ilse Steppat, Lois Maxwell, George Baker, Bernard Lee, Bernard Horsfall, Desmond Llewelyn, Yuri Borionko, Virginia North, Geoffrey Cheshire, Irvin Allen, Terence Mountain, James Bree, John Gay, Angela Scoular, Catherine Schell

Australian actor George Lazenby plays the lead role in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. The James Bond story from 1969 is unbalanced, but lots of action, a nice cast, a pugnacious 007 and a great Bond girl make up for it.

It’s not easy to succeed Sean Connery as the next James Bond. Producers Saltzman and Brocoli finally team up with the hitherto unknown Australian Lazenby in the late 1960s, who dares to take on the role of Britain’s most famous spy. With his baby face, Lazenby makes 007 into a flesh and blood person, more than other Bond performers such as Roger Moore or Sean Connery.

‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ is a special film, because the cuddly factor of 007 is significantly greater than in other Bond films. Lazenby falls in love and wants to marry the woman of his dreams. Just like many other people. Lazenby’s portrayal will also always be special, because he is known as the man who only once took on the role of 007. Reportedly, he was afraid that the quintessentially British character of James Bond did not fit into the hippie era at the time. Too bad, because his role in ‘Majesty’ offers enough perspective for a sequel, which will never come.

Fortunately, there is the “Bond girl” phenomenon. Diana Rigg excels as a woman Lazenby loves. Rigg, from the TV series ‘The Avengers’, even lands one of the best female leads of the entire James Bond series. More than other Bond women, Rigg does not live solely on her appearance, but shows a great acting talent. Rigg stands out most in the first part of the film, in which she ignores Lazenby’s advances as a spoiled rich man’s daughter. Her casual, cool demeanor is perfect for the role.

Less appealing are some of the ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ storylines. For example, the premise that a notorious criminal considers the most famous spy in the world as the ideal son-in-law is not too strong. In addition, Blofeld’s (Telly ‘Kojak’ Savalas) indoctrination of an international group of women to threaten the world isn’t top-notch either.

But hey, this is James Bond and it’s all about women, cars and money and all three are abundant in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. Women from all corners of the earth surround Lazenby high in the Swiss Alps and offer themselves ostentatious to him. Can Bond, disguised as a kilt-clad Scot, resist so much temptation? Diana Rigg is the proud owner of a crimson MG and an otherworldly megalomaniac aspires to become the most powerful man on the planet. Typical ingredients for an adventure of the famous British spy.

There are also notable things. For example, Lazenby does most of the fistfights himself, which results in a broken arm. It’s funny that a number of fight scenes are shot at an accelerated rate, such as when a dark wardrobe unpleasantly surprises Lazenby in the dark at the beginning of the film. Other “special effects” are also worth mentioning. The images of a group of crooks chasing our hero on a ski slope may be outdated, but at the same time they show how spoiled you are with all computer animations these days.

‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ is a striking page from the James Bond series. You can question some of the premise of the story, but isn’t it recommended to see if 007 actually gets married? Obviously there is a lot of feminine beauty and the slender Diana Rigg is one of the best Bond girls ever. Also prepare yourself for an unusual ending.