Happy 79th birthday to George Lazenby, the actor who portrayed James Bond in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one my favorite James Bond films. Although not a traditional Christmas film, I watch the film every Christmas season, as the film takes place in Switzerland during Christmas.
Considering that George Lazenby had not acted before, I thought he gave a fine performance. He looked like Ian Fleming's Bond and he did the fight and action scenes very well.
On Her Majesty's Secret
Service was directed by Peter Hunt, the great editor of the
previous Bond films. Hunt was faithful to Fleming's novel and made one of the
best Bond films, in my view.
The film also offered Telly Savalas
as Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the beautiful Diana Rigg as Tracy,
Bond's tragic lover.
Although I
would have preferred a European actor to portray the mad, evil criminal genius,
Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Telly Salvalas was very good in the role. Salvalas had a
great sense of command and madness and I believe he was the best Blofeld in the
film series.
The beautiful and alluring Diana Rigg was also very good as Bond's doomed
girlfriend, and briefly, his wife.
Lastly,
John Barry's musical soundtrack is truly outstanding.
It is a pity that George Lazenby did not continue in the series, as I believe
he would have grown into the role and given Connery a run for his money. And we
would have been spared the decade of Bond-lite with Roger Moore portraying a
lighthearted, comical Bond.
