British spy James Bond tries to stop the devilish scheming of his nemesis Blofeld, which becomes a personal matter after he is taken off the case, and the stakes raised even higher when he falls in love with a beautiful Contessa.
The James Bond series of films (based on the novels of Ian Fleming) is one of the most successful in cinema history, spanning 22 years with a cumulative box office gross ranked second only to the Harry Potter saga. After starring in the first five films, actor Sean Connery decided to abandon the role that had made him an international icon, forcing the Bond producers to find his replacement. After the job was turned down by Timothy Dalton (who would accept the role almost 20 years later), the role was offered to Australian model George Lazenby, whose only acting had been in commercials.
What sets this apart from other Bond films is not only the presence of Lazenby (in his only appearance as Bond), but the story itself, which finds Bond "going rogue" against his supervisor's instructions, as well as becoming seriously involved with a woman, as opposed to his usual fleeting bedroom conquests. This development, combined with the more vulnerable approach in Lazenby's performance, makes this the most serious and emotionally dense Bond film up until the recent series reboot of Casino Royale (which it no doubt inspired).
The important role of the Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo ("Tracy") was given to British actress Diana Rigg, an icon in her own right from her role as Mrs. Peel on television show The Avengers. Rigg's toughness, wit, and grace elevate her far beyond the label of the typical "Bond girl". The film also stars Telly Savalas as Blofeld and Italian actor Gabriele Ferzetti as Tracy's father, as well as Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, and Lois Maxwell reprising their regular roles as Bond's associates "M", "Q", and "Moneypenny". Joanna Lumley of television's Absolutely Fabulous also makes her first credited screen appearance.
Peter Hunt, a second unit director and editor on all five previous Bond films, was elevated to the director's chair, and his sense of timing and rhythm is noticeable, especially in the skiing and car chase scenes. Hunt also was determined to make his film not only more realistic and less campy, but the most faithful to its source material, whereas the previous installments took many liberties with their adaptations. The score was contributed by mainstay John Barry, his sixth of twelve for the series, and jazz legend Louis Armstrong performs in a song written for the film (the last recording he would ever make).
While the reception to On Her Majesty's Secret Service was mixed, with Lazenby failing to make a large impression on viewers, resulting in a box office total lower than Connery's last three Bond installments, history has been very kind to the film, and it is now considered by many fans to be among the best in the entire series.
Running time is approx. 2 hrs, 20 min.
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