“This never happened to the other fellow.”
This is a strange one. George Lazenby replaces Sean Connery in the role of British secret agent James Bond. Lazenby’s first line is the iconic Bond line. He says, “Good morning. My name’s Bond, James Bond.” Then there’s a fight scene. It’s on the beach and pretty good. But at the end of the fight, and after the girl in the scene gets away, the new Bond says, “This never happened to the other fellow.” Only one scene and two lines in and Lazenby references Connery. It’s hard to separate yourself from your predecessor when you don’t try.
Then the opening credits role. The strange imagery is there, but the images include characters from the previous Bond films. Also, there’s no big song from a big-name singer. That breaks the formula established in Goldfinger. This break is just a short pause. Every succeeding Bond film continues the opening number with a big song from a big singer.
I don’t really recommend this film, so I don’t want to take too much of your time.
Telly Savalas plays Blofeld this time. He plays the part so much better than Donald Pleasnace did in the last film, You Only Live Twice. But I must admit that I’m a big Telly Savalas fan. He’s good in everything. He plays this part with strength and confidence. Where Pleasance was creepy and unapproachable, Salvas is charismatic and benevolent.
Diana Rigg plays Bond’s love interest. And it’s an interest he takes too far. He marries crazy Rigg. This is not the Emma Peel character from The Avengers who we all fell in love with. This chick is nuts, but Bond marries her. That’s not the Bond we signed up for. Connery would’ve had three more notches and no ring had he been in this one.
The film definitely has some positive takeaways. The action scenes are well done. The car and fight scene in the beginning, there’s a night skiing scene, and a chase that includes a bobsled course. Great camera work, especially in that bobsled scene.
But overall, the film is not worth watching because it’s out of the Goldfinger formula, has a one-and-done Bond actor, a marriage, and the end is absurdly sad.
During the reviews of the Bond Collection I have avoided giving away detail about the endings. Some reviews note that Bond wins and the bad guy loses, but that hardly gives anything away. The Goldfinger review does give mention to who is responsible, but not how the plot is foiled. This time I am going to tell you the ending of this film.
So if you haven’t seen it and you want to watch it, even though I don’t recommend you do, then stop reading this. I’ve given you ample warning so here goes. Rigg. Bond’s new wife, is shot and killed by Blofeld. The film ends with Bond crying with his dead wife in his arms. That is inappropriate for a Bond film. I can’t imagine leaving a theater in 1969 with that ending hanging on me. If I wanted to cry and feel like bad, then I would watch Steel Magnolias. But I much rather feel good, so I picked a Bond film. Well, On her Majesty’s Secret Service ain’t the film to pick.
One bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch when those apples are intellectual property worth billions of dollars worldwide. Bond will return and with a familiar face to a more familiar formula in the next film, Diamonds are Forever.