'THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK' by Walter Veith. It is a non-fiction video documentary identification of the 666 son of perdition that has lived for many hundreds of years and is alive today.
Lazenby could pull of the vulnerable, empathetic Bond quite well. I couldn't imagine Connery's Bond genuinely falling in love and then having his heart broken.
I'd have loved to see Connery earnestly try that type of character (he brought a lot of emotional vulnerability in later roles) but it's hard to imagine the filmmakers (and possibly even the public in the 1960s) letting him go there.
@@EyebrowCinema The public back then knew Connery as only Bond, and you're right....they wouldn't have accepted him as the Bond that Fleming wrote in the novel.
Great to see George Lazenby and OHMSS getting the long overdue credit it deserves. Excellent observation of a movie that is vastly superior to many of the others in the series. Thank you
His "violent world" indeed. The Bond theme shattered it's way into the end credits with as much ferocity as that bullet shattering the Aston's windshield and killing Tracy. Hunt woke up the audience from an MI 6 agent"s wedded bliss "dream" to the harsh reality of Bond's profession. Craig has been criticized for being a snarling , miserable Bond. When one analyzes the character as well as this video does, (and does so extremely well)....it shouldn't be of no surprise I guess as how Craig's story arc has progressed considering who and what Bond lost in the tragic OHMSS. Of course Craig's Bond lost Vesper in Casino Royale, but Diana's performance as Tracy was splendid, and the audience by the end of the film is rooting for her to be happy beyond her wildest dreams after marring Bond. Hence, her murder is even more shocking. If you look at the entire 60 years of the franchise as this brilliant video does, one can almost understand why Craig's Bond is a miserable sod....the character had a shot at wedded bliss in OHMSS but that was shattered with one bullet. Hunt stayed loyal to the Fleming novel, and OHMSS has grown in stature for good reason. It's a one of a kind masterpiece at every level....and it could be said that the film captured a storyline and tone that EON has been trying to recapture ever since. My gut tells me that NTTD is going to be a serious effort in replicating OHMSS"s tone. We shall see in a few weeks, finally.
@@ysthafellgynghori8423 You could be right, but as long as evil exists in the world Bond is relevant IMO. The thing is in Craig's films there's been an ongoing effort at the highest levels in British government to eliminate the double "0" section....which could mean that Barbara has had a plan to close down shop permanently.
I agree; what a well thought-out and articulately expressed essay! Admirable! ===========================================================================================
What I dont understand they say OHMSS didnt make much money it did but not as much as they wsnted. This was the first time other actor played Bond and one without gadgets.
Love On Her Majesty Secret Service stuck close to Flemings novel! George did a great job! Diana Rigg perfect as Tracy! Its my favorite and every time I watch it, I still cry at the end!❤
The one thing I still wish they'd change on OHMSS is that ending - not what happens but the jarring use of the Bond theme at the end. It really ruins a truly solemn moment. They should either have run the credits silently or else reprised the use of Louis Armstrong's "We have all the time in the world." There wouldn't have been a dry eye in the house. I'm so glad that Armstrong's song (and its orchestral echoes of the movie soundtrack) got an (arguably more) effective second outing in No Time To Die.
Yeah well you should research that. Lazenby would have been the death of Bond if he had stayed. His off camera attitude and behavior made him a no go in the worst way.
If he stayed on I think the screenplay would had been different and better since when they got Connery back he asked alot of money which reduced the budget and it shows in DRF its a dull film. Lazenby may had grown in the role if he had stayed but at least he made one of the best Bond film in the series that ended the Classic Bond films of the 60s .
As a former film student myself, I appreciate both your passion and your scholarship. Also, OHMSS is my fave Bond, breaks my heart every time I re-watch it. And the older you get, the more the Armstrong song guts you. I only found your channel today, gonna go and see if you've done any Brakhage now. 🤓
Best I've seen in years. Not only terrific insight into OHMSS, but also excellent observations about the entire franchise. Every fan should see this before the release of NTTD.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is my favorite James Bond movie. I think it has the best story of the 007 movies, and George Lazenby wasn't really bad. He held the role well, despite being so different from every other Bond. It was the movie that gave James Bond personality as a human being and not just a super spy.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the one Bond film which successfully combined seriousness and maturity, culminating in the emotional evocation of loss and sadness. I will never forget the gasps, and more, which emanated from myself and the audience. Could not understand the, then, critical reviews.
When he says “she’s just resting” while curled up into a ball holding her scarf, I cried I NEVER expected to get emotionally hurt by a bond film, but there I was, head in my hands
Let's also not forget the incredible sound track of OHMSS with Louis Armstrong unforgettable "we have all the time in the world" and maybe the best 007 sound track by John Barry...
Remember how the teaser trailer for the Incredibles stole the chase music from Bond's escape? Magnificent music. ua-cam.com/video/OTQWaFXWiVw/v-deo.html
its still a shame 50 years later that we never had the following film as a revenge story and instead got diamonds are forever. which is one of my least favorites
@Trey Stephens its a shame that Irma Bunt was never heard again or replace her after OHMSS, if they can replace Blofeld 3 Bond films in a row, why not Irma?
We should be thankful that for once the producers allowed Ian Fleming's novel to be filmed with only minor alterations. They could have easily heavily modified the story as done with YOLT.
Awesome review! A long time ago I gave this move a re-watch as a joke, only to realize how good it really was. I grew up on the Roger Moore Bond and only after reading the books did I really get into Sean Connery's Bond. And then Brosnan. Still did not get into Dalton. Actually I think Craig is closer to Lazenby than any of the other Bonds. But Majesty's really is top notch, and no doubt one of the very best.
Well, Ian Fleming himself said that he imagined Bond looking like the pianist in the movie 'To have and Have Not'(1944) that is Hoagy Carmichael. So that would make Daniel Craig the best contender...But as for acting I thought Lazenby was no actor..Like overdubbing his voice won't cut it.. He IS no actor.. The music score was good, though... Skiing down a slope reminds me of another Bond classic: Die Another Day.. (please die NOW, Bond franchise, Before it's 'Time to Die').
Man you nailed it! This was a very underappreciated Bond film. I'm so glad it's grown in stature over the years. In some ways, I wished the series would retire because they've run out of ideas a long time ago. Then again...I'm always there to see the new one on opening day.
This video was obviously made before No Time to Die came out but its clear that the influence of OHMSS is felt right up until the present. The use of much of the same theme music, Louis Armstrong's We Have All The Time in The World as well as Bond's death at the end similar to that of Tracy in OHMSS is a testament to the endurance of that film that sadly fell between the cracks of You Only Live Twice and Diamonds are Forever. Anyone who has seen No Time should definitely see OHMSS to appreciate just how well the latter has held up over the years and how much better it is compared to many of the films made after 1969. Excellent video essay.
When I first saw OHMSS in the theater, I came to realize I was really more of a Sean Connery IS James Bond fan than a 007 fan. I recently watched OHMSS in HD and now consider it equal to my favorite… Goldfinger. Great review of the film and the series evolution.
This was Fantastic! On her Majesty's was the first Bond movie I seen in a movie theater as a kid. So I knew about the recasting. I was already a fan of Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel so this film is special to me.
I saw OHMSS when it was first shown in cinemas in 69. Yes Diana Rigg was already popular in The Avengers. Throwing men about in catsuit. V versatile actor.
Personally it's my favourite for many reasons; The intense fight scenes, the ski chases, the bobsleigh fight near the end, the brilliant theme... and the ending which no other Bond movie had - up until now. The irony is that the phrase used in this movie "We have all the time in the world" and the theme for OHMSS was also played in the most recent Bond film No Time to Die.
Excellent essay. Thank you for your analysis, I especially subscribe your conclusion at 28:15. The Bond movies went from vanguard to emulation, and the turning point was indeed OHMSS.
After seeing my first Bond film “Goldeneye” and loving it; then not being nearly as impressed with the follow ups I checked out the older ones and found they were WAY better. OHMSS was the first Bond movie I owned - mum bought it from Costco on VHS.
I still think this is still one of the very best Bond films. Great theme. Great story.Great scenes....and a really touching ending. Top three deffo. Lazenby was good and would have got better. The only duff part was the dubbing of Lazenby's voice by George Baker for a short while was dreadful.
I tell you what, OHMSS has always been my fave Bond. But, after watching No Time To Die yesterday, which was stupendous, OHMSS really has attained a whole new level of relevance and magnificence now.
We did actually get to see George again, albeit briefly, as Bond during his scene in The Return of the Man from UNCLE - The Fifteen Years Later Affair. He is James Bond in everything but name. Even Gayle Hunnicutt's character, sat next to Napoleon Solo, namechecks OHMSS when she notices JB on the DB5's licence plate! Best scene in the film!
For those of us who are old enough to have watched the original Bond movies in the movie theater back in the 1960s the answer is a bit more obvious...... It was the 1960s, we only had 3 TV channels and most of us were still watching black&white TV; going to the movie theater and watching that giant full color screen was an amazing experience. The spy series itself was exactly right for the sixties, new and exciting for the decade of social change. Sean Connery himself was the prefect James Bond and he was everything adolescent boys from the sixties aspired to be, I remember idolizing him. As the seventies came we all suddenly got color TV at home and cable channels, home entertainment became a lot better. And yeah, Lazenby just wasn't Sean Connery and I found the film boring as a result. I could go on but I can summarize by simply saying that Sean Connery and the James Bond series was exactly right for its time, as times changed the series became dated, as everything always does. People watching the series for the first time now will be streaming all the movies at home on their HDTV and will have a totally different experience than what us old-timers had as kids back in the movie theaters with the first run showings in those times.
I have seen every Bond film in the theaters from the get go. I was a kid back then. My dad took me to see them all. He was a big Bond fan and he took me because he's spending time with his kid)) Nothing like seeing that Aston Martin on the big screen. Holy s#!t! When Tracy was killed, my dad actually let out a "no, they killed her". He was upset. I was stunned. OHMSS is one of my all time favorite Bond films. I tend to dismiss the Moore films. Too silly. He was really playing Simon Templar.
18:54 - actually, this happened to Connery’s Bond in Thunderball after he slept with Fiona of Spectre where she says, “James Bind, who only has to sleep with a woman once and she hears heavenly choirs singing. She repents and returns to the side of right and virtue.....bu5 not this one!”
Well done- this has always been my favorite Bond movie, even as a child. It’s the only film in the series that I would actually be open to them making a remake of.
What an excellent, well thought out and researched essay. OHMSS is the best of Bond, and interestingly, I feel the closest depiction of the character Ian Fleming wrote. His Bond on the page was often shown as sensitive and vulnerable and he didn't always get the girl, either. He was depicted more as a melancholy loner who really came into his own when he met and eventually married Tracy, only for it to all be ripped away.
"Diamonds" is like a kick in the crotch after "Majesty". To the producers: forget it, Charly, you had your chance and you blew it. And no mention in this video of those painfully outdated mobster types, just a few months before "Godfather" came out, no less.
OHMSS has long been reappraised and recognized for the Bond masterpiece it is. It was the first Bond film I saw in the theatre. The ending was truly shocking for those unfamiliar with the novel as was this 11-yr old.
a great analysis..I saw the movie decades after it's release and remarked to my son that it was better than I had expected. He surprised me by saying it was his favorite. Now it all makes sense why
That’s interesting, I had never thought about it but Her Majesty’s secret service does mark the transition of the franchise effectively from a trend setter to a trend follower, or imitator. It may still make money, but as a franchise it’s vision does seem to have finished a long time ago. I suppose in a way the final trend it set was that of the franchise that has to be kept going to continue making money for the rights owners.
Came to this video because I just watched 'No Time to Die' yesterday, and found the whole experienced significantly enriched by the many musical and visual references to OHMSS. In the first few minutes, John Barry's theme starts playing as Bond and Madeleine drive, blissfully oblivious, along Italian mountain roads, and Bond says to her "We have all the time in the world". That was a punch in the gut, as foreshadowing goes ...
My favorite Bond, George Lazenby! Tall, suave, good looking and charismatic! If he had to make 1 Bond film, he landed in the best one. It improves each time one views it! Plus, it had a terrific love story in the plot, had fantastic supporting characters and had the loveliest Bond girl, Diana Rigg! The movie is a gem!
Absolute brilliant analysis. I often think I'm alone when I say On Her Majesty Secret Service is my favourite bond film of old, as so many people haven't taken the time to give it a watch. And I think it's great that No Time To Die follows a similar blue print in such away that On Her Majesty Sectret Service hasn't been lost in time.
Yes, pretty good. Thanks. I s'pose George was more human, vulnerable certainly than Sean so it's easier for us mere mortals - males - to identify with him particularly because of his affectionate moments with Dianna Rigg whom he loved and the scene at the end.
Ok. This has brought to words some of the observations I made in following the series and never knew how to properly express. I'm immediately rewatching this, which I almost never do for a longform youtube video. Very well-done.
Soooo soooo underrated as a bond film by many..... and yet it is so compelling to watch..... I really wish they had gone deeper in the next film and shown a Bond reeling from her death..... but sadly they didn't.
I feel like Diamonds Are Forever could easily have been the end of the Bond franchise. That film features the last real appearance of the original timeline Blofeld, and thus, the organisation he ran, SPECTRE, which had been a factor going back to Dr. No and had been important to every prior film except Goldfinger.
4:21 - there is a uk documentary out there that indicated that, if Lazenby did not act so rebellious and helped promote the film, the wedding scene would have been the end of OHMSS and the prologue for the next film, with Lazenby, would have begun with Tracey’s death and the plot would have revolved around Bond seeking a vendetta. Now that might have been great!
Huge Bond fan since I was 13, and I teared up a little at this retrospective. I think OHMSS not only may be the most well-rounded movie in terms of action, romance and soundtrack (what a theme song!!), but Lazenby was charming as hell, and the Louis Armstrong ballad after Tracy dies is a gut punch every single time. One big nitpick: as a big Dirty Harry fan as well, it was his .44 magnum that was legendary (not a .357, which is a pea shooter by comparison). Great video, big thanks.
Lazenby's Bond is the one I'd like to be if I we're an actor. He was the only one who got to play both the charming/funny Bond and the gritty/vulnerable Bond. The other actors did one or the other.
The 1960s ended in 1969 and so in a very real respect did James Bond 007 movies along with all the other window dressing of the 1960s decade like the the Playboy lifestyle, mini-skirts, cigarette smoking, shark-skinned/thin lapel mens suits and our generational innocence. Roger Moore brought the 007 series to a mere comic icon.
Sorry, this video is great but 24:03 and how that scene cuts to Connery smirking and delivering that pure cheese filled line in contrast is just absolutely HILARIOUS 🤣🤣🤣
Telly Savalas is easily my favourite. The man is so smooth and I also like how physically involved he gets in the action. Donald Pleasence is also pretty cool (that scar is awesome) and I like the faceless cameos of From Russia with Love and Thunderball. Charles Grey is awful in Diamonds are Forever and I have mixed feelings about Christoph Waltz. The dude's a great actor but the backstory between he and James is wack and I like my Blofeld's bald.
@@EyebrowCinema Telly Salavas depiction of the character is so legendary Clancy Brown used him and his entire figure as the blue print to do his iconic voice as Lex Luthor in Superman The Animated Series. Plus Dr Evil is also clearly a parody of him in Austin Powers. I also believe Telly was strongly considered to be Lex Luthor in Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie which would have been phemomal to watch.
@@taliamason7986 Dude, Dr Evil is a parody of the Donald Pleasence Blofeld....not Salavas. Unless you mean his personality, in which case he's a parody of Lorne Michaels.
@@EyebrowCinema I'm Greek like Savalas who advertise Greece in the film (What were all the world's charms to mighty Paris, when he found that first dawn in the arms of his Helen?), and in novel, Blofeld's father was Polish, and his mother was Greek, hence his Greek name Stavro. But Yul Brynner is closer to the role, as required by the film series. Savalas must take the role of Yul Brynner in ''Battle of Neretva''. About Pleasence, I prefer him in the role of Henderson. Ηis murder would not be true - like Bond in Hong Kong - and in the volcano he would say he is Blofeld's half brother. This would justify why Bond and Blofeld doesn't know each other in O.H.M.S.S.
Telly was the best…then Donald Pleasence. Christolph Waltz was the most disappointing…but it really wasn’t his fault. Charles Grey was as terrible as the movie he was cast in.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service was strange, but I liked George Lazenby and Diana Rigg's chemistry together in this movie. For me, I liked it. As for Sean Connery, Diamonds Are Forever was my favorite movie of those he started in!
A very good analysis of this movie and how it is situated with the series of movies. One important consideration I feel compelled to point out, being an English Literature guy, is “On her Majesty’s Secret Service” is the first James Bond story. It is not the first Bond novel Ian Fleming wrote, but he was very clear this was the beginning of James Bond as we know him, the turn in his life that made him the cold, ruthless, blunt object that drives all the other novels. This is the one novel in which James Bond is pretty much a regular guy; sentimental, soft hearted, uncertain, and fearful. After this he is a man waiting for death, who hates himself when he begins to become emotionally attached to anyone. This story is the one time we get to see the “before” James Bond. All the other stories feature the damaged goods that remain of him after his job killed his one true love.
Which proves this generation is brainwashed to care about box office to define if something is good. It’s the best movie of the entire franchise or at the very least , it’s top two. If you haven’t seen them all, watch all of them and watch this last. It will make you cry.
I just so happen to rewatch all the Bonds right now and yesterday, it was OHMSS. This one was always special to me and it is one of the big Hollywood regrets for me that they never gave Lazenby a second and third film. The possibility of continuing his arc, chasing Blofeld and possibly losing more and more of his humanity in the process, maybe to triumph in the end and gain it back as he takes Blofeld in instead of murdering him... It could have been something beautiful. Maybe keep pushing the envelope of action, cinematography and themes before continuing with a fresh direction starring Roger Moore AFTER Lazenby finished his take. Like always with Hollywood: Oh, what could have been.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service has become my favorite Bond movie. My favorite part is the sequence that starts with the escape from Piz Gloria and culminates with Bond and Tracy spending the night in the barn where Bond proposes to Tracy. The weakest part to me is the portion at Piz Gloria with Bond's voice dubbed and his seduction of the loopy and not that attractive Ruby Bartlett. I would have liked to have seen Peter Hunt direct more Bond movies. He got the best performance ever out of Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny). The part where she catches Bond's hat at the wedding with tears in her eyes is classic. After OHMSS, the only two Bond movies that I thought were really good were Live and Let Die and Goldeneye. The other Moore and Brosnan films were just too ridiculous. I never bought Timothy Dalton or Daniel Craig as Bond.
Great analysis, it increased my appreciation of what I always thought to be one of the better bond films! Although, in a way it was the "end of Bond" it didn't have to be, and in the books, it wasn't. In Fleming's, YOLT, (which is the novel after OHMSS) Bond is a broken man, unable to successfully complete a mission or even focus on day-to-day tasks. M, in a last ditch attempt to salvage what's left of Bond, promotes him to triple-O status and sends him off on a quasi-diplomatic mission. By the end of the book he gets revenge/closure. (Albeit, he spends the first part the next book, TMWTGG, getting his life "back on track".) When compared to the novel, I find the film YOLT almost as cringe-worthy as DAF.
At the end of the day I find it interesting and also important that each actor gives their own take on the character, and have the movie shaped around that. Connery has the more suave approach, a little bit more of a fun movie. Craig takes a more brutal approach to their character and shows how the profession can damage his emotional health and psyche. I think lazenby did a great job keeping elements of bonds suave smooth talking spy while also having an emotional take on the character. I watched it last night and thought it was a great film
The influences go in reverse as well. When I saw the Jason Bourne series, I couldn't help but notice that they borrowed from IHMSS when Bourne's lady was assassinated in the car in the second film.
Fans of the Bond series will find this film a great one, even if it had to wait 60 years. And Telly Savalas is the best actor as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the entire 007 James Bond agent series😎
honestly, about a few years ago i binged most if not all the Bond series on cable, and although in my teens i was a big fan of the Moore eras, i find it hard to watch them nowadays, the Brosnan movies were bad, awful and i preferred the Dalton movies now as an adult, i only recently watched Lazenby's movie during that binge and i was blown away, not by Lazenby but with Rigg, she stole the scene and i was crushed at the end, even though fully knowing the plot. Craig imo is just going through the Bourne motions so not a bug fan although he is my second favourite after Dalton. Enjoyed your review here!
He’s saying the franchise went from transcendental pieces to keeping up with the Jones. Which it has. Bond is being out Bonded by movies that we’re inspired by him. Art doesn’t worry about what other art is doing. Art creates another lane and evolves.
@@Sportsmngmt the 1st part of your comment is true, but the 2nd part of your comment is false. An artist might believe they aren't influenced or concerned with trends or previous work, but it always is. If you've watched, listened/consumed art in any way, it has influenced you. Bond not being the cutting edge of action film making is one thing, but acting like it's "now" being unduly influenced is another. In this very video he talks about the earliest bonds being influenced by previous Hitchcock and other films. Art has never lived in a vacuum, and it never will.
Love to hear your thoughts on Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘The Master’; Apocalypse now; Sidney Lumets ‘Network’ or Stanley Kubrick's ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ sometime soon. Thanks for the great content
@@EyebrowCinema please do one on Eyes Wide Shut. 22 years on and this is still one of the most enigmatic films I’ve ever seen. I cannot leave a darkened screening room without thinking about that films soundtrack. I still haven’t gotten over your video on Once Upon A Time In America, and the death of the American gangster. Truly one of the best videos I’ve ever seen on YT.
Great video. I was a super Bond fan with my day when I was a kid in the early 90s, prior my dad had been a huge bond fan in the 70s. I have fond memories of watching all the bond films with him but when we got to this one in the series I couldnt make it past the beach scene and asked to skip. Dad would tell me its quite OK as a bond film but I wanted to skip. I missed out on sharing something special with my dad as I only now appreciate this film. It just goes to show that the actual actor was also a big draw for the bond franchise.
18:39 - reminds me of the exchange between Bond and Felix in Goldfinger: “What made Pussy switch the gas canisters?” Bond: “I must have appealed to her maternal instincts.” 😃
On Her Majesty's Secret Service has always been one of my favorites mainly because I was a huge fan of the Avengers, and always enjoyed seeing beautiful talented women kick butt. Very well thought out commentary on the bond films and this film in particular. When you first see this film, you very quickly realize there is something different about it, and the ending only confirms it.
This makes me wanna see the next James Bond, while definitely cool, to be more vulnerable and opens up to a more charismatic Bond Girl... or Bond Guy as 007's peer, teacher and "close friend"... only for that person to secretly die and never telling Bond the truth so he could grow and not be shackled by grief or lose.
Not sure about this because I don't know all of the bond films, but I think this was the bond film that left me shocked and sad as a kid. I didn't watch most of this particular Bond film. But having an idea of the reputation of James Bond I expected him to always have a great ending. A happy note on his story. But as I turned the channel back to this film I was caught of guard by the death of her loved one. I felt sorry for Mr. Bond. It in turn, opened me to the dire endings of hero's story.
I appreciate that you analyzed the movie on the merits and cinematic context of the time and did not indulge in the gossip that was abuzz about the tensions between Lazenby and Rigg, or his arrogance because he was the highest-paid model at the time (although I am quite impressed that he defied the reinsurance people to do many of his own stunts). This is my fourth choice in the pantheon. If Goldfinger had had a better second half it would have eked it out for that spot. Casino Royale (2006), Dr. No, and Thunderball are the top three for me.
Diana Rigg was immortalized in this film and I am so grateful we will always have this snapshot of her frozen in time. Her beauty is indescribable. Her aura radiates warmth. It evokes a feeling. Like coming home. And it makes it all the more devastating when the light of Tracy is extinguished. There was no going back after her, and no going on without the nostalgic pang of loss underlying every subsequent film. Those that didn't lean into it feel hollow to me. And those that did reference her were far richer for it.
Lo que has dicho de la excepcional actriz Diana Rigg es el mejor homenaje que he escuchado...Sera Siempre, además la invalorable Emma Peel o la Sra. Peel simplemente, de la mejor serie que por su ironía y humor retrata a la perfeccíon a ciertos sectores sociales y extravagancias del pueblo inglés.
Well said! I 'met' Diana first on TV's The Avengers series sold to 🇨🇦Canada from UK. She & Mission Impossible's Barbara Bain were my boyhood dream women.
I think my absolute favorite callback to this film in terms of dialogue is in Goldeneye, with Trevelyan's deliberate mockery: "I might as well ask you if all the vodka martinis ever silence the screams of all the men you've killed. Or if you find forgiveness in the arms of all those willing women, for all the dead ones you failed to protect." Absolutely ice cold.
,The world in general did not give Lazenby a fair chance. ANY Connery replacement would have had to face a negative response. The public should have relaxed and let Lazenby enjoy the accolade of being brave enough to try and fill Connery's shoes. I regret it did not work out for Lazenby . I consider him the best follow-up to Connery . He did not emulate Connery"s mannerisms. He held his own . The one problem I had/ have with OHMSS is that it suffers from too much . It needed tighter editing . But,in concluding, Lazenby was/ is the best replacement to Connery and his opening line while standing in the surf won me over. Lazenby's line broke the ice and told us that " hey! I acknowledge the guy . I dare not try to better him". Respect
@@gregmize01 I never ranked it high. I thought it should have been scrubbed. Too meta. Such self-consciousness didn't play to type. A few honorable mentions: "Sergeant, make sure he doesn’t get away." "Well, who won?" "SMERSH?" "You may know the right wines, but you're the one on your knees." "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to _die."_ "Black attaché case damaged when examined. So sorry." (Callback to Red Grant's being gassed.) "Nothing. I own the club." "Little boys, too." "What kept you?" "My silence... _could_ have a price." "Another time, another place." (callback to a prior non-Bond movie) "How far do _you_ go?" "No, some men just don't like being taken for a ride." "The way you... hold me." "No. I know a little about women." "It looks terribly difficult. No, it isn't, is it?" "Okay." Pinder, upon being instructed by Bond to give word to Leiter that Paula was killed. In one word he conveys that they have no expectations of who will come out the other side of the mission. "If you're Tanaka, how do you feel about _me?"_ "You forgive me for saying so, but I think you are taking one now." "You must give me the name of your oculist." "Just once." "Is he married?" "Relax, you've got a friend named Felix who can fix anything." "I didn't know there was a pool down there." "Meet the man I share my hairbrush with." (explains who received the code he tapped out with his hairbrush) "You knew the answer before it was given. Somehow, strangely enough, so did I." "I certainly wouldn't have killed you _before."_ "Boy, where you been all your life? That there's one of them new car-boats." (The boat landing on a police car was accidental. They reworked the script to fit it in, thus making Pepper's inability to give chase more plausible.) "Secret agent?! On who's side??" "I don't know. But it sure beats the hell out of Harlem. Don't it?" "Same time tomorrow, Mrs. Bell?" "How about an earthquake?" upon being asked what to drink to. "Don't tell me you're not insured." "What's the matter, sailor? You never seen a major taking a shower before?" "Very novel, Q. We must get them in the stores for Christmas." "You must excuse me, gentlemen, but, not being English, I sometimes find your sense of humour difficult to follow." "I never learned to read."
I'm glad that Rigg and Lazenby are getting more appreciation for their roles with these video essays. It feels like the movie was ahead of its time. Great video!
It's because of Daniel Craig's Bond that there's more appreciation of Lazenby's Bond. But at the time, Connery had pretty much established what Bond would be like and it would be hard for anyone else to fit that role.
What an essay, mate! You really nailed it. OHMSS is a cornerstone in Bond movies, but often seen as a "side history" or a "spin-off", as Bond met a girl, get married and then she dies. I got to say that when I see someone that also loves OHMSS, it really loves undoubtedly. It has been 24 years since the first time that I've saw, and is still top on the list. I've always had a belief that Casino Royale's success is credited by OHMSS, with a spy more humanized, great action scenes and a villain that is not dead. And now, NTTD finishes Craig's era with a clear homage to OHMSS in many aspects. As they say, every great art only gets recognition years after. Gladly, I see a legion of people that agrees with me.
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On Her Majesty's Secret Service is in the top five James Bond films of all time. It's one of the very, very best. No question.
In some ways (spoiler alert) No Time to Die went full circle, particularly as there were several references throughout to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
I loved this movie since I was a kid and never knew it had a shitty rep for so long until the internet told me so. My dad loved Bond and we would watch them together on TV. One day OHMSS was on and my dad said "Hey, did you know there was a guy who only did one James Bond movie? Wanna watch it?" I was intrigued and watched the film with rapt attention, utterly enthralled. I never saw it as "the weird one-off movie with that different guy." It was always just another Bond film to me.
See when I was a kid I found OHMSS one of the more dull films that I would skip, yet all I ever heard was rave reviews on how it was one of the best. I repurchased the collection on dvd as my old vhs tapes are very outdated and upon watching it as an adult I can really appreciate how good a Bond movie this is. A total gem and the ending always breaks me.
The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/eyebrowcinema09211
thanks for the shameless shilling, don't have to watch the video now
The Pierce Brosnan films were the end of James Bond!
i used to say i liked this movie but then i fell asleep while watching it in 2003 and after that its like nah okey, its not good
Are you also Forgotten Places channel ?
'THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK' by Walter Veith. It is a non-fiction video documentary identification of the 666 son of perdition that has lived for many hundreds of years and is alive today.
Lazenby could pull of the vulnerable, empathetic Bond quite well. I couldn't imagine Connery's Bond genuinely falling in love and then having his heart broken.
I'd have loved to see Connery earnestly try that type of character (he brought a lot of emotional vulnerability in later roles) but it's hard to imagine the filmmakers (and possibly even the public in the 1960s) letting him go there.
@@EyebrowCinema The public back then knew Connery as only Bond, and you're right....they wouldn't have accepted him as the Bond that Fleming wrote in the novel.
ua-cam.com/video/wivsl8JqLKc/v-deo.html
He made Bond more human!
Connery could do just about anything. But offcourse as Bond he was the king of cool, it just wouldn't fit in the Connery's take on Bond.
Great to see George Lazenby and OHMSS getting the long overdue credit it deserves. Excellent observation of a movie that is vastly superior to many of the others in the series. Thank you
I always felt the crashing in of the Bond theme at the end of Majesty's was a brutal reminder that 007 will never be free of his violent world.
I love that interpretation.
His "violent world" indeed. The Bond theme shattered it's way into the end credits with as much ferocity as that bullet shattering the Aston's windshield and killing Tracy. Hunt woke up the audience from an MI 6 agent"s wedded bliss "dream" to the harsh reality of Bond's profession.
Craig has been criticized for being a snarling , miserable Bond. When one analyzes the character as well as this video does, (and does so extremely well)....it shouldn't be of no surprise I guess as how Craig's story arc has progressed considering who and what Bond lost in the tragic OHMSS. Of course Craig's Bond lost Vesper in Casino Royale, but Diana's performance as Tracy was splendid, and the audience by the end of the film is rooting for her to be happy beyond her wildest dreams after marring Bond. Hence, her murder is even more shocking. If you look at the entire 60 years of the franchise as this brilliant video does, one can almost understand why Craig's Bond is a miserable sod....the character had a shot at wedded bliss in OHMSS but that was shattered with one bullet. Hunt stayed loyal to the Fleming novel, and OHMSS has grown in stature for good reason. It's a one of a kind masterpiece at every level....and it could be said that the film captured a storyline and tone that EON has been trying to recapture ever since. My gut tells me that NTTD is going to be a serious effort in replicating OHMSS"s tone.
We shall see in a few weeks, finally.
@Trey Stephens I think Bond's time is over. Public tastes have changed. 'No Time To Die' will be Bond's epitaph.
Also and the title of the film. Means that Bond's destiny is On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
@@ysthafellgynghori8423 You could be right, but as long as evil exists in the world Bond is relevant IMO. The thing is in Craig's films there's been an ongoing effort at the highest levels in British government to eliminate the double "0" section....which could mean that Barbara has had a plan to close down shop permanently.
I’ve always seen Lazenby as an early, navie bond. He’s easily the most well adjusted and least jaded Bond
This is probably the most intelligent analysis of the Bond series I've ever seen. Well done.
Agreed, one of them.
He is perfectly right indeed, and proofed right by the new film.
I agree; what a well thought-out and articulately expressed essay! Admirable!
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I couldn't agree more!
What I dont understand they say OHMSS didnt make much money it did but not as much as they wsnted. This was the first time other actor played Bond and one without gadgets.
I've always thought the OHMSS is the most underrated Bond movie. It's in my Top 5. Diana Rigg is the best Bond Girl and Telly is the best Blofeld.
Love On Her Majesty Secret Service stuck close to Flemings novel! George did a great job! Diana Rigg perfect as Tracy! Its my favorite and every time I watch it, I still cry at the end!❤
The one thing I still wish they'd change on OHMSS is that ending - not what happens but the jarring use of the Bond theme at the end. It really ruins a truly solemn moment. They should either have run the credits silently or else reprised the use of Louis Armstrong's "We have all the time in the world." There wouldn't have been a dry eye in the house. I'm so glad that Armstrong's song (and its orchestral echoes of the movie soundtrack) got an (arguably more) effective second outing in No Time To Die.
We came full circle from OHMSS' slow re-injection to the series, and the culmination managed to come from a *reboot.* It's incredible.
How is a pathetic cheap nostalgia bait a "more effective" use for a cheap death ?
I do kinda wish Mr. Lazenby had continued in the role. I think he could've grown into the role nicely. This is my #2 Bond behind From Russia.
Yeah well you should research that. Lazenby would have been the death of Bond if he had stayed. His off camera attitude and behavior made him a no go in the worst way.
If he stayed on I think the screenplay would had been different and better since when they got Connery back he asked alot of money which reduced the budget and it shows in DRF its a dull film. Lazenby may had grown in the role if he had stayed but at least he made one of the best Bond film in the series that ended the Classic Bond films of the 60s .
Mine too that’s crazy OHMSS & FRWL are my favorites
My third favorite Bond film in my ranking, right behind Goldfinger. I also wish George continued and ended his tenure as Bond in For Your Eyes Only !
As a former film student myself, I appreciate both your passion and your scholarship. Also, OHMSS is my fave Bond, breaks my heart every time I re-watch it. And the older you get, the more the Armstrong song guts you. I only found your channel today, gonna go and see if you've done any Brakhage now. 🤓
Best I've seen in years. Not only terrific insight into OHMSS, but also excellent observations about the entire franchise. Every fan should see this before the release of NTTD.
Your research 🔥🔥🔥 Well done fam. I’m a big fan of James Bond.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is my favorite James Bond movie. I think it has the best story of the 007 movies, and George Lazenby wasn't really bad. He held the role well, despite being so different from every other Bond. It was the movie that gave James Bond personality as a human being and not just a super spy.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the one Bond film which successfully combined seriousness and maturity, culminating in the emotional evocation of loss and sadness. I will never forget the gasps, and more, which emanated from myself and the audience. Could not understand the, then, critical reviews.
It’s by far the best Bond movie.
@@TheDungeonDive agree.by far
When he says “she’s just resting” while curled up into a ball holding her scarf, I cried
I NEVER expected to get emotionally hurt by a bond film, but there I was, head in my hands
I think this was one of the best bond films. Great action. Lazenby, was a great Bond. Girls were beautiful and fantastic. My favorite JB film
Let's also not forget the incredible sound track of OHMSS with Louis Armstrong unforgettable "we have all the time in the world" and maybe the best 007 sound track by John Barry...
Remember how the teaser trailer for the Incredibles stole the chase music from Bond's escape? Magnificent music. ua-cam.com/video/OTQWaFXWiVw/v-deo.html
(MINOR SPOILERS FOR NO TIME TO DIE)
If you like those tracks, you’re gonna love “Matera” and “Good To Have You Back” from the NTTD score
If you don’t already have it , the deluxe version is well worth it.
You should be pleasantly surprised by "No time to die".
@@StephenKershaw1 Barry updated the theme to OHMSS with drums back in the nineties and it rocks out big time!
Ilse Steppat was perfectly cast for this movie. A real shame she wasn't picked or known of to do earlier Bond films, or lived longer to do later ones.
It has great music, Savales as the villain, an awesome chase scene, and my favorite villain’s lair in the series. I absolutely love OHMSS.
its still a shame 50 years later that we never had the following film as a revenge story and instead got diamonds are forever. which is one of my least favorites
In the books you only live twice was the revenge story. The movies sometimes strayed from the timeline, a lot.
Blofeld was killed in FYEO as revenge, and OHMSS is suppose to be release first than YOLT
@Trey Stephens Blofeld wants world Domination actually he only hates him when his wife Irma Bunt killed Tracy
@Trey Stephens yep, it was Bond they were aiming at but tracy is also there target since she was helping Bond
@Trey Stephens its a shame that Irma Bunt was never heard again or replace her after OHMSS, if they can replace Blofeld 3 Bond films in a row, why not Irma?
We should be thankful that for once the producers allowed Ian Fleming's novel to be filmed with only minor alterations. They could have easily heavily modified the story as done with YOLT.
It is not a coincidence a lot of the best Bonds are the ones that skew closer to Fleming's novel.
Had this featured Connery, it would have been a looser adaptation. And not as good.
FYEO is sort of soft sequel to this.
@@jjrbarnett They had decided to film it like the novel, also with Connery.
@@EyebrowCinema Terrific source material. A pity that Fleming passed away so young in 1964.
@@jjrbarnett Correct.
Awesome review! A long time ago I gave this move a re-watch as a joke, only to realize how good it really was. I grew up on the Roger Moore Bond and only after reading the books did I really get into Sean Connery's Bond. And then Brosnan. Still did not get into Dalton. Actually I think Craig is closer to Lazenby than any of the other Bonds. But Majesty's really is top notch, and no doubt one of the very best.
Craig is closer to Dalton.
Absolutely and yes, one of the best.
Well, Ian Fleming himself said that he imagined Bond looking like the pianist in the movie 'To have and Have Not'(1944) that is Hoagy Carmichael. So that would make Daniel Craig the best contender...But as for acting I thought Lazenby was no actor..Like overdubbing his voice won't cut it.. He IS no actor.. The music score was good, though... Skiing down a slope reminds me of another Bond classic: Die Another Day.. (please die NOW, Bond franchise, Before it's 'Time to Die').
Man you nailed it! This was a very underappreciated Bond film. I'm so glad it's grown in stature over the years. In some ways, I wished the series would retire because they've run out of ideas a long time ago. Then again...I'm always there to see the new one on opening day.
This video was obviously made before No Time to Die came out but its clear that the influence of OHMSS is felt right up until the present. The use of much of the same theme music, Louis Armstrong's We Have All The Time in The World as well as Bond's death at the end similar to that of Tracy in OHMSS is a testament to the endurance of that film that sadly fell between the cracks of You Only Live Twice and Diamonds are Forever. Anyone who has seen No Time should definitely see OHMSS to appreciate just how well the latter has held up over the years and how much better it is compared to many of the films made after 1969.
Excellent video essay.
When I first saw OHMSS in the theater, I came to realize I was really more of a Sean Connery IS James Bond fan than a 007 fan. I recently watched OHMSS in HD and now consider it equal to my favorite… Goldfinger. Great review of the film and the series evolution.
This was Fantastic! On her Majesty's was the first Bond movie I seen in a movie theater as a kid. So I knew about the recasting. I was already a fan of Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel so this film is special to me.
I saw OHMSS when it was first shown in cinemas in 69. Yes Diana Rigg was already popular in The Avengers. Throwing men about in catsuit. V versatile actor.
I remember the TV ads for it Christmas 1969.
Personally it's my favourite for many reasons;
The intense fight scenes, the ski chases, the bobsleigh fight near the end, the brilliant theme... and the ending which no other Bond movie had - up until now.
The irony is that the phrase used in this movie "We have all the time in the world" and the theme for OHMSS was also played in the most recent Bond film No Time to Die.
Excellent essay. Thank you for your analysis, I especially subscribe your conclusion at 28:15. The Bond movies went from vanguard to emulation, and the turning point was indeed OHMSS.
After seeing my first Bond film “Goldeneye” and loving it; then not being nearly as impressed with the follow ups I checked out the older ones and found they were WAY better. OHMSS was the first Bond movie I owned - mum bought it from Costco on VHS.
I still think this is still one of the very best Bond films. Great theme. Great story.Great scenes....and a really touching ending. Top three deffo. Lazenby was good and would have got better. The only duff part was the dubbing of Lazenby's voice by George Baker for a short while was dreadful.
"These movies mean a lot to me; I wouldn't trade them for the world!"
So... what you're saying is... The World is Not Enough?
Sorry, I'll leave.
I would pin this comment if I didn't have an obligation to the sponsor.
Great answer, "The world is not enough"
The way you tell the story is beautiful. I loved this movie. I need to rewatch it now.
I tell you what, OHMSS has always been my fave Bond. But, after watching No Time To Die yesterday, which was stupendous, OHMSS really has attained a whole new level of relevance and magnificence now.
No time to die is almost a reinterpretation of OHMSS. I'm in awe of both films.
We did actually get to see George again, albeit briefly, as Bond during his scene in The Return of the Man from UNCLE - The Fifteen Years Later Affair.
He is James Bond in everything but name. Even Gayle Hunnicutt's character, sat next to Napoleon Solo, namechecks OHMSS when she notices JB on the DB5's licence plate!
Best scene in the film!
For those of us who are old enough to have watched the original Bond movies in the movie theater back in the 1960s the answer is a bit more obvious......
It was the 1960s, we only had 3 TV channels and most of us were still watching black&white TV; going to the movie theater and watching that giant full color screen was an amazing experience. The spy series itself was exactly right for the sixties, new and exciting for the decade of social change. Sean Connery himself was the prefect James Bond and he was everything adolescent boys from the sixties aspired to be, I remember idolizing him. As the seventies came we all suddenly got color TV at home and cable channels, home entertainment became a lot better. And yeah, Lazenby just wasn't Sean Connery and I found the film boring as a result. I could go on but I can summarize by simply saying that Sean Connery and the James Bond series was exactly right for its time, as times changed the series became dated, as everything always does. People watching the series for the first time now will be streaming all the movies at home on their HDTV and will have a totally different experience than what us old-timers had as kids back in the movie theaters with the first run showings in those times.
I have seen every Bond film in the theaters from the get go. I was a kid back then. My dad took me to see them all. He was a big Bond fan and he took me because he's spending time with his kid)) Nothing like seeing that Aston Martin on the big screen. Holy s#!t! When Tracy was killed, my dad actually let out a "no, they killed her". He was upset. I was stunned. OHMSS is one of my all time favorite Bond films. I tend to dismiss the Moore films. Too silly. He was really playing Simon Templar.
18:54 - actually, this happened to Connery’s Bond in Thunderball after he slept with Fiona of Spectre where she says, “James Bind, who only has to sleep with a woman once and she hears heavenly choirs singing. She repents and returns to the side of right and virtue.....bu5 not this one!”
Well done- this has always been my favorite Bond movie, even as a child. It’s the only film in the series that I would actually be open to them making a remake of.
What an excellent, well thought out and researched essay. OHMSS is the best of Bond, and interestingly, I feel the closest depiction of the character Ian Fleming wrote. His Bond on the page was often shown as sensitive and vulnerable and he didn't always get the girl, either. He was depicted more as a melancholy loner who really came into his own when he met and eventually married Tracy, only for it to all be ripped away.
Brilliant movie. "OHMSS" is definitely one of the best, meanwhile "Diamonds" is by far the worst
But... but... Bambi and Thumper!
@@udonsei5216 Bambi and Thumper. Oh yes!
''Diamonds Are Forever'' is a sequel of ''You Only Live Twice''.
Each to their own . I feel the exact opposite. I can’t stand OHMSS but love Diamonds
"Diamonds" is like a kick in the crotch after "Majesty".
To the producers: forget it, Charly, you had your chance and you blew it.
And no mention in this video of those painfully outdated mobster types, just a few months before "Godfather" came out, no less.
OHMSS has long been reappraised and recognized for the Bond masterpiece it is. It was the first Bond film I saw in the theatre. The ending was truly shocking for those unfamiliar with the novel as was this 11-yr old.
a great analysis..I saw the movie decades after it's release and remarked to my son that it was better than I had expected. He surprised me by saying it was his favorite. Now it all makes sense why
Nice work...the movie was always one of my favourites in the series.
That’s interesting, I had never thought about it but Her Majesty’s secret service does mark the transition of the franchise effectively from a trend setter to a trend follower, or imitator.
It may still make money, but as a franchise it’s vision does seem to have finished a long time ago. I suppose in a way the final trend it set was that of the franchise that has to be kept going to continue making money for the rights owners.
Came to this video because I just watched 'No Time to Die' yesterday, and found the whole experienced significantly enriched by the many musical and visual references to OHMSS. In the first few minutes, John Barry's theme starts playing as Bond and Madeleine drive, blissfully oblivious, along Italian mountain roads, and Bond says to her "We have all the time in the world". That was a punch in the gut, as foreshadowing goes ...
My favorite Bond, George Lazenby! Tall, suave, good looking and charismatic! If he had to make 1 Bond film, he landed in the best one. It improves each time one views it! Plus, it had a terrific love story in the plot, had fantastic supporting characters and had the loveliest Bond girl, Diana Rigg! The movie is a gem!
Absolute brilliant analysis. I often think I'm alone when I say On Her Majesty Secret Service is my favourite bond film of old, as so many people haven't taken the time to give it a watch. And I think it's great that No Time To Die follows a similar blue print in such away that On Her Majesty Sectret Service hasn't been lost in time.
Yes, pretty good. Thanks. I s'pose George was more human, vulnerable certainly than Sean so it's easier for us mere mortals - males - to identify with him particularly because of his affectionate moments with Dianna Rigg whom he loved and the scene at the end.
Ok. This has brought to words some of the observations I made in following the series and never knew how to properly express. I'm immediately rewatching this, which I almost never do for a longform youtube video. Very well-done.
Soooo soooo underrated as a bond film by many..... and yet it is so compelling to watch..... I really wish they had gone deeper in the next film and shown a Bond reeling from her death..... but sadly they didn't.
I feel like Diamonds Are Forever could easily have been the end of the Bond franchise. That film features the last real appearance of the original timeline Blofeld, and thus, the organisation he ran, SPECTRE, which had been a factor going back to Dr. No and had been important to every prior film except Goldfinger.
Thankyou for giving this movie the praise it deserves. You did a wonderful job with this video.
4:21 - there is a uk documentary out there that indicated that, if Lazenby did not act so rebellious and helped promote the film, the wedding scene would have been the end of OHMSS and the prologue for the next film, with Lazenby, would have begun with Tracey’s death and the plot would have revolved around Bond seeking a vendetta. Now that might have been great!
Found it: ua-cam.com/video/mQ3EWuOSHoM/v-deo.html
Huge Bond fan since I was 13, and I teared up a little at this retrospective. I think OHMSS not only may be the most well-rounded movie in terms of action, romance and soundtrack (what a theme song!!), but Lazenby was charming as hell, and the Louis Armstrong ballad after Tracy dies is a gut punch every single time.
One big nitpick: as a big Dirty Harry fan as well, it was his .44 magnum that was legendary (not a .357, which is a pea shooter by comparison).
Great video, big thanks.
Nice story telling. And yes, both, OHMSS and Lazenby, are the pinnacle of Bond.
Lazenby's Bond is the one I'd like to be if I we're an actor. He was the only one who got to play both the charming/funny Bond and the gritty/vulnerable Bond. The other actors did one or the other.
This is one of the best video essays on Bond franchise that I've seen. Great work.
The 1960s ended in 1969 and so in a very real respect did James Bond 007 movies along with all the other window dressing of the 1960s decade like the the Playboy lifestyle, mini-skirts, cigarette smoking, shark-skinned/thin lapel mens suits and our generational innocence. Roger Moore brought the 007 series to a mere comic icon.
It's always been my favourite bond movie. Just imagine if Lazenby made more bond films.
Sorry, this video is great but 24:03 and how that scene cuts to Connery smirking and delivering that pure cheese filled line in contrast is just absolutely HILARIOUS 🤣🤣🤣
Watched this, and got the strong conviction you are 100% right.
What's your take on Blofeld? Everyone has their favorite and no one can agree who's the best actor to portray him.
Telly Savalas is easily my favourite. The man is so smooth and I also like how physically involved he gets in the action. Donald Pleasence is also pretty cool (that scar is awesome) and I like the faceless cameos of From Russia with Love and Thunderball. Charles Grey is awful in Diamonds are Forever and I have mixed feelings about Christoph Waltz. The dude's a great actor but the backstory between he and James is wack and I like my Blofeld's bald.
@@EyebrowCinema Telly Salavas depiction of the character is so legendary Clancy Brown used him and his entire figure as the blue print to do his iconic voice as Lex Luthor in Superman The Animated Series. Plus Dr Evil is also clearly a parody of him in Austin Powers. I also believe Telly was strongly considered to be Lex Luthor in Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie which would have been phemomal to watch.
@@taliamason7986 Dude, Dr Evil is a parody of the Donald Pleasence Blofeld....not Salavas. Unless you mean his personality, in which case he's a parody of Lorne Michaels.
@@EyebrowCinema I'm Greek like Savalas who advertise Greece in the film (What were all the world's charms to mighty Paris, when he found that first dawn in the arms of his Helen?), and in novel, Blofeld's father was Polish, and his mother was Greek, hence his Greek name Stavro. But Yul Brynner is closer to the role, as required by the film series. Savalas must take the role of Yul Brynner in ''Battle of Neretva''.
About Pleasence, I prefer him in the role of Henderson. Ηis murder would not be true - like Bond in Hong Kong - and in the volcano he would say he is Blofeld's half brother. This would justify why Bond and Blofeld doesn't know each other in O.H.M.S.S.
Telly was the best…then Donald Pleasence. Christolph Waltz was the most disappointing…but it really wasn’t his fault. Charles Grey was as terrible as the movie he was cast in.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service was strange, but I liked George Lazenby and Diana Rigg's chemistry together in this movie. For me, I liked it. As for Sean Connery, Diamonds Are Forever was my favorite movie of those he started in!
A very good analysis of this movie and how it is situated with the series of movies. One important consideration I feel compelled to point out, being an English Literature guy, is “On her Majesty’s Secret Service” is the first James Bond story. It is not the first Bond novel Ian Fleming wrote, but he was very clear this was the beginning of James Bond as we know him, the turn in his life that made him the cold, ruthless, blunt object that drives all the other novels. This is the one novel in which James Bond is pretty much a regular guy; sentimental, soft hearted, uncertain, and fearful. After this he is a man waiting for death, who hates himself when he begins to become emotionally attached to anyone. This story is the one time we get to see the “before” James Bond. All the other stories feature the damaged goods that remain of him after his job killed his one true love.
Which proves this generation is brainwashed to care about box office to define if something is good.
It’s the best movie of the entire franchise or at the very least , it’s top two. If you haven’t seen them all, watch all of them and watch this last. It will make you cry.
Lazenby even joked at us the audience after the opening "combat" scene... "Jeez... This NEVER happened to the OTHER guy!". Brilliant.
I just so happen to rewatch all the Bonds right now and yesterday, it was OHMSS. This one was always special to me and it is one of the big Hollywood regrets for me that they never gave Lazenby a second and third film. The possibility of continuing his arc, chasing Blofeld and possibly losing more and more of his humanity in the process, maybe to triumph in the end and gain it back as he takes Blofeld in instead of murdering him... It could have been something beautiful. Maybe keep pushing the envelope of action, cinematography and themes before continuing with a fresh direction starring Roger Moore AFTER Lazenby finished his take.
Like always with Hollywood: Oh, what could have been.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service has become my favorite Bond movie. My favorite part is the sequence that starts with the escape from Piz Gloria and culminates with Bond and Tracy spending the night in the barn where Bond proposes to Tracy. The weakest part to me is the portion at Piz Gloria with Bond's voice dubbed and his seduction of the loopy and not that attractive Ruby Bartlett. I would have liked to have seen Peter Hunt direct more Bond movies. He got the best performance ever out of Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny). The part where she catches Bond's hat at the wedding with tears in her eyes is classic. After OHMSS, the only two Bond movies that I thought were really good were Live and Let Die and Goldeneye. The other Moore and Brosnan films were just too ridiculous. I never bought Timothy Dalton or Daniel Craig as Bond.
Great analysis, it increased my appreciation of what I always thought to be one of the better bond films! Although, in a way it was the "end of Bond" it didn't have to be, and in the books, it wasn't. In Fleming's, YOLT, (which is the novel after OHMSS) Bond is a broken man, unable to successfully complete a mission or even focus on day-to-day tasks. M, in a last ditch attempt to salvage what's left of Bond, promotes him to triple-O status and sends him off on a quasi-diplomatic mission. By the end of the book he gets revenge/closure. (Albeit, he spends the first part the next book, TMWTGG, getting his life "back on track".) When compared to the novel, I find the film YOLT almost as cringe-worthy as DAF.
Sounds like Skyfall
My alltime fav Bondfilm. Lazenby was great. Wish he did some more.
At the end of the day I find it interesting and also important that each actor gives their own take on the character, and have the movie shaped around that. Connery has the more suave approach, a little bit more of a fun movie. Craig takes a more brutal approach to their character and shows how the profession can damage his emotional health and psyche. I think lazenby did a great job keeping elements of bonds suave smooth talking spy while also having an emotional take on the character. I watched it last night and thought it was a great film
The influences go in reverse as well. When I saw the Jason Bourne series, I couldn't help but notice that they borrowed from IHMSS when Bourne's lady was assassinated in the car in the second film.
Fans of the Bond series will find this film a great one, even if it had to wait 60 years. And Telly Savalas is the best actor as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the entire 007 James Bond agent series😎
honestly, about a few years ago i binged most if not all the Bond series on cable, and although in my teens i was a big fan of the Moore eras, i find it hard to watch them nowadays, the Brosnan movies were bad, awful and i preferred the Dalton movies now as an adult, i only recently watched Lazenby's movie during that binge and i was blown away, not by Lazenby but with Rigg, she stole the scene and i was crushed at the end, even though fully knowing the plot. Craig imo is just going through the Bourne motions so not a bug fan although he is my second favourite after Dalton. Enjoyed your review here!
OHMSS became my favourite Bond movie the moment I saw it, and you have just explained every reason why.
You just described literally all art. It all "riffs", borrows and reinterprets from what's come before. That's the way it's always worked.
He’s saying the franchise went from transcendental pieces to keeping up with the Jones. Which it has. Bond is being out Bonded by movies that we’re inspired by him. Art doesn’t worry about what other art is doing. Art creates another lane and evolves.
@@Sportsmngmt the 1st part of your comment is true, but the 2nd part of your comment is false. An artist might believe they aren't influenced or concerned with trends or previous work, but it always is. If you've watched, listened/consumed art in any way, it has influenced you. Bond not being the cutting edge of action film making is one thing, but acting like it's "now" being unduly influenced is another. In this very video he talks about the earliest bonds being influenced by previous Hitchcock and other films. Art has never lived in a vacuum, and it never will.
Love to hear your thoughts on Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘The Master’; Apocalypse now; Sidney Lumets ‘Network’ or Stanley Kubrick's ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ sometime soon. Thanks for the great content
Any and all would make great video topics. I love them all and will say I have plans involving one of these movies for the future.
@@EyebrowCinema please do one on Eyes Wide Shut. 22 years on and this is still one of the most enigmatic films I’ve ever seen. I cannot leave a darkened screening room without thinking about that films soundtrack. I still haven’t gotten over your video on Once Upon A Time In America, and the death of the American gangster. Truly one of the best videos I’ve ever seen on YT.
I’d also add John Ford’s westerns, Sam Peckinpah’s westerns
Great video. I was a super Bond fan with my day when I was a kid in the early 90s, prior my dad had been a huge bond fan in the 70s.
I have fond memories of watching all the bond films with him but when we got to this one in the series I couldnt make it past the beach scene and asked to skip.
Dad would tell me its quite OK as a bond film but I wanted to skip. I missed out on sharing something special with my dad as I only now appreciate this film.
It just goes to show that the actual actor was also a big draw for the bond franchise.
Was Bond throwing his hat to Moneypenny his way of telling her not to give up hope
Wow, fantastic analysis. You have yourself another subscriber!
18:39 - reminds me of the exchange between Bond and Felix in Goldfinger: “What made Pussy switch the gas canisters?” Bond: “I must have appealed to her maternal instincts.” 😃
Expert knowledge and excellent analysis of 'the forgotten Bond' and it's place in the 007 canon as well as cinema history.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service has always been one of my favorites mainly because I was a huge fan of the Avengers, and always enjoyed seeing beautiful talented women kick butt. Very well thought out commentary on the bond films and this film in particular. When you first see this film, you very quickly realize there is something different about it, and the ending only confirms it.
This. Is very. Very. Good. I especially like the long analysis of Tracy.
This makes me wanna see the next James Bond, while definitely cool, to be more vulnerable and opens up to a more charismatic Bond Girl... or Bond Guy as 007's peer, teacher and "close friend"... only for that person to secretly die and never telling Bond the truth so he could grow and not be shackled by grief or lose.
I've red all the Bond novels. This movie was the closest to the books plots and supporting characters. It is my favorite for that reason.
Not sure about this because I don't know all of the bond films, but I think this was the bond film that left me shocked and sad as a kid. I didn't watch most of this particular Bond film. But having an idea of the reputation of James Bond I expected him to always have a great ending. A happy note on his story. But as I turned the channel back to this film I was caught of guard by the death of her loved one. I felt sorry for Mr. Bond. It in turn, opened me to the dire endings of hero's story.
I appreciate that you analyzed the movie on the merits and cinematic context of the time and did not indulge in the gossip that was abuzz about the tensions between Lazenby and Rigg, or his arrogance because he was the highest-paid model at the time (although I am quite impressed that he defied the reinsurance people to do many of his own stunts). This is my fourth choice in the pantheon. If Goldfinger had had a better second half it would have eked it out for that spot. Casino Royale (2006), Dr. No, and Thunderball are the top three for me.
As a kid born in 1991, this was my favourite James Bond movie. I would watch it over and over.
An excellent and thoughtful review. Only one criticism; Diana Rigg was a lovely and talented lady.
She was an actress NOT an actor.
Still my favorite Bond movie. John Barry's masterpiece. Faithful to the book. Diana Rigg was gorgeous.
I agree😎
It is sooooo good
The most underrated of all the Bond movies.
I have said this more times than I can count. The best no question no argument. George only did one but what a one!
100%
Diana Rigg was immortalized in this film and I am so grateful we will always have this snapshot of her frozen in time. Her beauty is indescribable. Her aura radiates warmth. It evokes a feeling. Like coming home. And it makes it all the more devastating when the light of Tracy is extinguished. There was no going back after her, and no going on without the nostalgic pang of loss underlying every subsequent film. Those that didn't lean into it feel hollow to me. And those that did reference her were far richer for it.
Lo que has dicho de la excepcional actriz Diana Rigg es el mejor homenaje que he escuchado...Sera Siempre, además la invalorable Emma Peel o la Sra. Peel simplemente, de la mejor serie que por su ironía y humor retrata a la perfeccíon a ciertos sectores sociales y extravagancias del pueblo inglés.
i couldn't agree more
She was asked how OHMSS had changed her life. She said it hadn't, not one bit.
Well said! I 'met' Diana first on TV's The Avengers series sold to 🇨🇦Canada from UK. She & Mission Impossible's Barbara Bain were my boyhood dream women.
She was even better as Emma Peal in the Avengers on British television.
I think my absolute favorite callback to this film in terms of dialogue is in Goldeneye, with Trevelyan's deliberate mockery: "I might as well ask you if all the vodka martinis ever silence the screams of all the men you've killed. Or if you find forgiveness in the arms of all those willing women, for all the dead ones you failed to protect." Absolutely ice cold.
,The world in general did not give Lazenby a fair chance. ANY Connery replacement would have had to face a negative response. The public should have relaxed and let Lazenby enjoy the accolade of being brave enough to try and fill Connery's shoes. I regret it did not work out for Lazenby . I consider him the best follow-up to Connery . He did not emulate Connery"s mannerisms. He held his own . The one problem I had/ have with OHMSS is that it suffers from too much . It needed tighter editing . But,in concluding, Lazenby was/ is the best replacement to Connery and his opening line while standing in the surf won me over. Lazenby's line broke the ice and told us that " hey! I acknowledge the guy . I dare not try to better him". Respect
For England, James?
No... For her
@@justanantico6327 For me*
Lazenby was the worst actor to play Bond, and it sadly shows.
Still a nice movie though@@ainsleylucky3511
My favorite Bond movie. The action is so raw. Lazenby also feels the most like the Bond from the books to me.
him and serge rotelli
OHMSS is a wonderful film and that ice rink scene where a self assured Tracy skates up to a scared and stressed Bond and saves him is perfection.
I just done a reaction. It’s out next Thursday and that’s what I said. Watch it please and you will see me sob like a baby
Straight from the book. Tracy and Bond are so adorable together
Yes, that scene and really the whole book was quite close to the movie.
Tracy was bad ass. A great partner for Bond.
Gotta say i love that scene. He's desperate, exhausted, and then she comes back to solidify her place at the top of bond girls
"This never happened to the other fella."
Arguably the greatest line in the history of the series.
My favorite is “No, Mr. Bond! I expect you to die!”
Are you joking?😂😂😂😂
It was definitely one of the great lines.
@@gregmize01
I never ranked it high. I thought it should have been scrubbed. Too meta. Such self-consciousness didn't play to type.
A few honorable mentions:
"Sergeant, make sure he doesn’t get away."
"Well, who won?"
"SMERSH?"
"You may know the right wines, but you're the one on your knees."
"No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to _die."_
"Black attaché case damaged when examined. So sorry." (Callback to Red Grant's being gassed.)
"Nothing. I own the club."
"Little boys, too."
"What kept you?"
"My silence... _could_ have a price."
"Another time, another place." (callback to a prior non-Bond movie)
"How far do _you_ go?"
"No, some men just don't like being taken for a ride."
"The way you... hold me."
"No. I know a little about women."
"It looks terribly difficult. No, it isn't, is it?"
"Okay." Pinder, upon being instructed by Bond to give word to Leiter that Paula was killed. In one word he conveys that they have no expectations of who will come out the other side of the mission.
"If you're Tanaka, how do you feel about _me?"_
"You forgive me for saying so, but I think you are taking one now."
"You must give me the name of your oculist."
"Just once."
"Is he married?"
"Relax, you've got a friend named Felix who can fix anything."
"I didn't know there was a pool down there."
"Meet the man I share my hairbrush with." (explains who received the code he tapped out with his hairbrush)
"You knew the answer before it was given. Somehow, strangely enough, so did I."
"I certainly wouldn't have killed you _before."_
"Boy, where you been all your life? That there's one of them new car-boats." (The boat landing on a police car was accidental. They reworked the script to fit it in, thus making Pepper's inability to give chase more plausible.)
"Secret agent?! On who's side??"
"I don't know. But it sure beats the hell out of Harlem. Don't it?"
"Same time tomorrow, Mrs. Bell?"
"How about an earthquake?" upon being asked what to drink to.
"Don't tell me you're not insured."
"What's the matter, sailor? You never seen a major taking a shower before?"
"Very novel, Q. We must get them in the stores for Christmas."
"You must excuse me, gentlemen, but, not being English, I sometimes find your sense of humour difficult to follow."
"I never learned to read."
I'm glad that Rigg and Lazenby are getting more appreciation for their roles with these video essays. It feels like the movie was ahead of its time. Great video!
Indeed
Is that fascinating documentary, ‘Becoming Bond’?....Recommended...on DVD
It was WAY ahead of its time. Rigg and Lazenby, for all their off-screen conflict, we’re each great in their own ways.
It's because of Daniel Craig's Bond that there's more appreciation of Lazenby's Bond. But at the time, Connery had pretty much established what Bond would be like and it would be hard for anyone else to fit that role.
@@writerpatrick Connery until the early 70s is Bond for everyone. After him here I believe to Stanley Baker.
What an essay, mate! You really nailed it.
OHMSS is a cornerstone in Bond movies, but often seen as a "side history" or a "spin-off", as Bond met a girl, get married and then she dies. I got to say that when I see someone that also loves OHMSS, it really loves undoubtedly. It has been 24 years since the first time that I've saw, and is still top on the list.
I've always had a belief that Casino Royale's success is credited by OHMSS, with a spy more humanized, great action scenes and a villain that is not dead. And now, NTTD finishes Craig's era with a clear homage to OHMSS in many aspects. As they say, every great art only gets recognition years after. Gladly, I see a legion of people that agrees with me.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is in the top five James Bond films of all time. It's one of the very, very best. No question.
Certainly better than You Only Live Twice
Agreed... Unfortunately, the popular view puts this movie in the bottom five.
In some ways (spoiler alert) No Time to Die went full circle, particularly as there were several references throughout to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
I loved this movie since I was a kid and never knew it had a shitty rep for so long until the internet told me so.
My dad loved Bond and we would watch them together on TV. One day OHMSS was on and my dad said "Hey, did you know there was a guy who only did one James Bond movie? Wanna watch it?"
I was intrigued and watched the film with rapt attention, utterly enthralled. I never saw it as "the weird one-off movie with that different guy." It was always just another Bond film to me.
See when I was a kid I found OHMSS one of the more dull films that I would skip, yet all I ever heard was rave reviews on how it was one of the best. I repurchased the collection on dvd as my old vhs tapes are very outdated and upon watching it as an adult I can really appreciate how good a Bond movie this is. A total gem and the ending always breaks me.
@Trey Stephens I’m not getting rid of them but I won’t view them any more.
Exactly. It was a another Bond movie to me.
@Trey Stephens As long as the tape is still in good condition. So forever really.