On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Peter R. Hunt

Writers:

Simon Raven (additional dialogue)
Richard Maibaum (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

James Bond 007 is back!

Plot:

James Bond woos a mob boss's daughter and goes undercover to uncover the true reason for Blofeld's allergy research in the Swiss Alps that involves beautiful women from around the world.

Plot Keywords:

Switzerland | British | Virus | Mountain | Beach

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

George Lazenby	...	James Bond
Diana Rigg	...	Tracy Di Vicenzo
Telly Savalas	...	Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Marc Ange Draco
Ilse Steppat	...	Irma Bunt
Angela Scoular	...	Ruby Bartlett
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Catherine Schell	...	Nancy (as Catherina Von Schell)
George Baker	...	Sir Hilary Bray
Bernard Lee	...	'M'
Bernard Horsfall	...	Campbell
Desmond Llewelyn	...	'Q'
Yuri Borionko	...	Grunther (as Yuri Borienko)
Virginia North	...	Olympe
Geoffrey Cheshire	...	Toussaint
Irvin Allen	...	Che Che
Terence Mountain	...	Raphael (as Terry Mountain)
James Bree	...	Gumbold
John Gay	...	Hammond
Julie Ege	...	The Scandinavian Girl
Mona Chong	...	The Chinese Girl
Sylvana Henriques	...	The Jamaican Girl
Sally Sheridan	...	The American Girl (as Dani Sheridan)
Joanna Lumley	...	The English Girl
Zaheera	...	The Indian Girl (as Zara)
Anouska Hempel	...	The Australian Girl (as Anoushka Hempel)
Ingrid Back	...	The German Girl (as Ingrit Back)
Helena Ronee	...	The Israeli Girl
Jenny Hanley	...	The Irish Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sam Ammon	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)
David Brandon	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)
George Cooper	...	Braun (uncredited)
Leslie Crawford	...	Felsen (uncredited)
Captain John Crewdson	...	Draco's Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
David de Keyser	...	Draco (voice) (uncredited)
Thomas Gould	...	Blofeld's Man (uncredited)
Richard Graydon	...	Draco's Driver (uncredited)
Brian Grellis	...	Aide to Sir Hilary Bray (uncredited)
Reg Harding	...	Blofeld's Driver (uncredited)
Peter R. Hunt	...	Man Reflected in Universal Export Sign (uncredited)
Dudley Jones	...	Hall Porter (uncredited)
George Leech	...	Strangled SPECTRE Skier (uncredited)
Martin Leyden	...	Chef de Jeu Hussier (uncredited)
Bessie Love	...	American Guest (uncredited)
Norman McGlen	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Bill Morgan	...	Kleff, Draco's Man (uncredited)
Willy Oehrli	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)
Steve Plytas	...	Greek Tycoon (uncredited)
Lenny Rabin	...	Casino Guest (uncredited)
Robert Rietty	...	Casino Baccarat Official (uncredited)
Andreas Schlunegger	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)
Hans Schlunegger	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)
Elliott Sullivan	...	American Guest (uncredited)
Joseph Vasa	...	Piz Gloria Receptionist (uncredited)
Rudi Wehren	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)
Brian Worth	...	Manuel (uncredited)
Bruno Zryd	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)
Stefan Zürcher	...	Piz Gloria Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter R. Hunt		(as Peter Hunt)

Writing credits
Simon Raven		(additional dialogue)
Richard Maibaum		(screenplay)
Ian Fleming		(novel) uncredited

Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli	....	producer
Harry Saltzman	....	producer
Stanley Sopel	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Michael Reed		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Glen

Production Design by
Syd Cain

Art Direction by
Robert W. Laing		(as Bob Laing)

Set Decoration by
Peter Lamont

Costume Design by
Marjory Cornelius

Makeup Department
Basil Newall	....	makeup artist
Paul Rabiger	....	makeup artist
Eileen Warwick	....	hairdresser

Production Management
David Middlemas	....	production supervisor
Hubert Fröhlich	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Ernst	....	assistant director
John Glen	....	second unit director
Anthony Squire	....	stock car sequence director

Art Department
John Chisholm	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist (as Gordon McCallum)
Harry Miller	....	dubbing editor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
Nicholas Stevenson	....	dubbing editor
Maurice Askew	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Otto Snel	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Lionel Strutt	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Stears	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Cliff Culley	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Roy Field	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
George Leech	....	stunt arranger
Gillian Aldam	....	stunts (uncredited)
Vic Armstrong	....	ski double: Bond (uncredited)
David Brandon	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Lane Cooper	....	stunts: Bunt henchman (uncredited)
Bill Cummings	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Eaves	....	stunt skier (uncredited)
Eddie Eddon	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Gallant	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Graydon	....	stunt double: George Lazenby (uncredited)
Alf Joint	....	stunts (uncredited)
Heinz Lau	....	bobsleigh stunt double: Bond (uncredited)
George Leech	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunt double: Blofeld (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Richards	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Smart	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Stacey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Street	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chris Webb	....	stunt double: George Lazenby (uncredited)
Bill Weston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Weston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Zimmerman	....	bobsleigh stunt double: Blofeld (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Barbey	....	ski cameraman
Willy Bogner	....	ski cameraman (as Willy Bogner Jnr.)
Roy Ford	....	camera operator: second unit
John Jordan	....	aerial cameraman
Alec Mills	....	camera operator
Egil S. Woxholt	....	camera operator: second unit (as Egil Woxholt)
Adrian Biddle	....	assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
Martin Body	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ron Drinkwater	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jackie Cummins	....	wardrobe mistress

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
John Barry	....	music arranger
Hal David	....	lyricist
Monty Norman	....	composer: James Bond theme
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Erich Glavitza	....	rally driver and consultant (uncredited)

Other crew
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main title
Albert R. Broccoli	....	presenter
Joan Davis	....	continuity
Harry Saltzman	....	presenter
Captain John Crewdson	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Danjaq
• Eon Productions

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1969) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1969) (France) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV)
• C.B. Films (1969) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1969) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Tuschinski Film Distribution (1969) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (as Nova)
• United Artists (1969) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1969) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Australia) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1983) (USA) (video)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1981) (USA) (TV) (cable television)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (worldwide) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (worldwide) (VHS)
• RCA (1981) (USA) (video) (Selectavision videodisc)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2006) (worldwide) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• Warner Home Video (1983) (Australia) (video)
• Warner Home Video (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Mi Casa Multimedia  DVD audio restoration & mastering 5.1 (uncredited)
• Ford Motor Company  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Ford Motor Company)
• Her Majesty's College of Arms and Heralds  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of
• Pinewood Studios  studio
• Schilthornbahn A.G. of Mürren, Switzerland, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of
• Studios CTS  music recorded at

Also Known As:

Ian Fleming's On Her Majesty's Secret Service (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)
O.H.M.S.S. (UK) (promotional abbreviation)

Runtime:

142 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Iceland:12 | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1994) | West Germany:16 | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

Danjaq

Trivia:

A scene showing Bond murdering an enemy agent who is following him was shot, but left incomplete as George Lazenby was injured and Peter R. Hunt deemed the scene extraneous to the thrust of the plot.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Bond's Aston Martin's tires screech repeatedly on the loose sand of the beach.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Q: I've been saying for years, sir, that our special equipment is obsolete. And now, computer analysis reveals an entirely new approach: miniaturization. For instance, radioactive lint. When placed in an opponent's pockets, the anti-personnel and location fix seems fairly obvious.
M: What we want is a location fix on 007.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The West Wing: Stirred (#3.18)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

We have all the time in the world

One of the best

Giving the series a radical twist after the glorious Connery's farewell to 007 movies in You Only Live Twice, the producers intended for the first time to introduce a new take on Bond, returning to the literary roots of the character, as originally described in Fleming's novels and short stories. So Maibaum this time faithfully adapted one of Fleming's most successful and appreciated works: On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The screenplay is so close to the book that actually the movie is somewhat contradictory with previous Bond installments: Bloefeld and Bond don't know each other (???), and, in order to make the plot line look more logical, by changing the physical appearance of the villain, the part was given to Telly Savallas, who looks too amiable to be the bad guy, instead of the scarred and terrific Donald Pleasance. The plot is also very different from what the usual fans expect from Bond movies, being mainly focused on the romance between Bond and Tracy during the first half, then moving to Bloefeld's stronghold in Switzerland, and ending with 45 minutes of extremely exciting, non stop action.

The film's pacing is pretty irregular. The romance is probably the best part, at the best of Bond tradition, mainly thanks to Diana Rigg's inspired performance as Tracy, perfectly depicting an emotionally unbalanced, yet appealing and glamorous, woman. Lazenby's OK (at least at this part of the movie), but he lacks the masculinity and roughness Connery showed, what ultimately damages the movie, specially during the disastrous sequences which take place in Bloefeld's research facility in the Swiss Alps, which are laughable). There's nothing remarkable about them. (what a silly conspiracy!!), but 45 minutes spent, which make the movie overlong. When everything seems ruined, the film revives and takes us on a wild ride on an action packed roller-coaster (ski chase, Bond and Draco raid on Bloefeld's base), with a brief romantic rest as Bond and Tracy talk about their future life in common (Bond a journalist?),a very touching scene.

The ending remains as one of the top Bond moments, tragical and romantic. The stylish pre-credit sequence is equally brilliant,showing the natural elegance and "joie de vivre" we all associate with Bond.

A question: what if Connery had accepted to play Bond this time? I think this could be the best Bond movie ever made. But the producers came up with a martial arts expert with no experience in acting, which sadly overshadows many good points(on Lazenby's defense, it was his first performance), but this film still intensely shines as an interesting, strange gem in the Bond canon.