54 replies to this topic

[00Nothing]

OHMSS is undeniably one of the Bond films that invokes the most controversy amongst Bond fans (love it or hate it seems to be the way it goes). Lazenby's performance obviously provokes a lot of debate and I was wondering what other fans think of what might have been had Lazenby done another film in the series. Do you think one was enough, or do you think it's a great crime he left the role when he did.

To get the ball rolling, I'm in two minds about it. I think his performance was a little hit and miss. Sometimes he could be a bit wooden in his delivery of lines, but he looks the part of James Bond and the suit sometimes fits very well. His chemistry with Diana Rigg is superb and I think he shines most when he is on screen with her, while the final scene is heartbreaking. The manner in which he delivers his lines almost makes me cry. Sometimes I feel that with a performance like that in the final moments that he could have warmed to the role over time if he done another film, and sometimes I feel that this one was enough and that Connery coming back and Moore taking over eventually was the right thing.

What do others think?

Edited by 00Nothing, 01 April 2004 - 10:05 PM.

[B007GLE]

Once was not enough, it was too many.

OHMSS is agreat scriptwith a great Bond girl and very good villain (Savalas does not get his due).

Lazenby really brings the movie down though. I truly wish that they had either done this film in '65 instead of Thunderball as originally intended or had done it after Thunderball thereby doing the Blofeld Trilogy in the correct order and givign Connery a perfect Bond film.

John Barry said that wehn he wrote the score to the final scene he pictured Connery and then there was Lazenby who, in Barry's words, "couldn't boil an egg".

[TheCheat]

i would have liked him to do a second bond. he seemed to be bond in real life as well as on film, he was born for the role and it is terrible that he didnt do DAF, which was ruined because revenge was quickly taken out bonds mind (he killed your [censored]ing wife!)

[00Nothing]

i would have liked him to do a second bond. he seemed to be bond in real life as well as on film, he was born for the role and it is terrible that he didnt do DAF, which was ruined because revenge was quickly taken out bonds mind (he killed your [censored]ing wife!)

I understand what you mean. Connery's Bond appears to kill Blofeld just because he has to. No motive is ever fully explained and it seemed as if OHMSS was ignored.

[TheSaint]

I would've prefered seeing the in-shape Lazenby appear in DAF, as opposed to the out of shape Connery. Also, with one film under his belt his acting would've gotten better with each subsequent film.

[Triton]

That's a tough question to answer. Could George have grown into the role and become more popular, or would audiences and the press still resent him in a second film because he wasn't Sean Connery?

Would a version of Diamonds Are Forever written for George Lazenby as James Bond also have been a box office disappointment like On Her Majesty's Secret Service? Would the naysayers have been right in saying that James Bond time had passed?

You also have to take into account the political and social turmoil of the 1960s and the change in tastes of movie goers. Would George Lazenby been able to star in the new style of James Bond action comedy crafted by screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz and director Guy Hamilton?

I think that the issues with Bond in the later 1960's went beyond George Lazenby. Although its unfortunate that George Lazenby did not star in a second Bond film, I believe that things worked out for the best.

[Qwerty]

He could have easily done a second performance as Bond and I think it would make his acting skills grow a bit more and make him better seasoned to the role.

Not sure exactly how many more I would've liked to see him do, but he did a rather fine job in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

[SPECTRE ASSASSIN]

It would have been interesting in a bad sense to Lazenby to have done another Bond movie. To be fair, Lazenby was alright in a rather great Bond film in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. As a amauter actor, Lazenby did well enough to lift the film. He had good psysical stature, and worked well with Diana Rigg, especially the last scene.

As for the question, I wouldn't want Lazenby to do another Bond, even though he contributed to the crucial success of OHMSS, because he caused to much controversy to his one and only Bond film.

[Tarl_Cabot]

i wish there was more Laz Bonds, definately.

[ChandlerBing]

George could have done em up until 81 or 83, whichever film would have fulfilled his 7 film contract. Peter Hunt would have directed DAF, Richard Maibaum would have been the sole screenwriter, and the producers would not have panicked about the "lack of hefty grosses" for OHMSS. For a film that cost 8-9 mil, bringing in over 80 mil worldwide, that isn't bad, folks.

[Lancaster]

I would have loved Lazenby to do another as OHMSS is my favorite film. It is very hard to tell whether Bond may have died out after a few Lazenby films. Not because they may have been poor or the public might not have forgotton Connery, it is because we would not have then got Moore. I feel that the Moore films were perfect for their time and if we haven't had Moore in the 70's/80's we may not have Bond today.

[JimmyBond]

Yes, I can never stress enough how much I would have loved to see Lazenby have a run of at least 5 to 7 films. Although that does kind of ruin it for Roger Moore, but if Lazenby had been Bond during the 70s there would be no Moore to miss. I'm sure they would have lightened up DAF despite the actor in the role, but they probably would have followed up on the plot line of Tracy's death first.

[Moore Not Less]

George Lazenby did about as well in OHMSS as could be expected given his lack of experience. There are scenes such as in Gumbold's office where Lazenby does a fine job, but for the most part I can't help feeling that either of the other four Bond actors would have done a better job and elevated the film.

What sort of film would DAF have become with Lazenby as Bond? From what I understand United Artists, Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman decided after the poor (by Bond film standards) box office figures of OHMSS that more humour and set pieces was the way to go forward. So regardless of which actor was chosen to play Bond in DAF it seems that it was never going to be a serious film about Bond revenge after Tracy's murder. If Lazenby had played Bond in DAF it most likely would not have been that much different from the film we now know.

And if Lazenby had stayed on to do one or two other Bond films there is no doubt in my mind that he would have improved considerably, but would he ever have been popular enough with the general audience? I seriously doubt it.

I believe that things worked out for the best. Well, as a Roger Moore fan I would say that, wouldn't I?

[Turn]

This is a tough question when you consider we may have been deprived having Roger Moore in the role or Connery in DAF, a film I enjoy very much. I liked Lazenby in OHMSS and have little doubt he wouldn't have been a good, if not great, 007.

[Johnboy007]

After just watching Diamonds Are Forever again last night, I think I would have liked Lazenby to don the tux again. Connery just seems too old in this one. He just seemed like he was phoning his lines in (again).

The question is. If Lazenby had returned for Diamonds Are Forever, would Mankiewick have been hired? Would they keep the serious pace from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service? If not, could Lazenby deliver the humorous lines of Mank's?

[Qwerty]

I think they would not have brought Mankiewicz if Lazenby was brought back again, but then again, maybe they would try it out with him to make up the box office from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

[Scottlee]

Yes. I think Lazenby did enough to earn a recall. Considering his lack of experience, the performance he gave in OHMSS was very commendable.

[ChandlerBing]

Lazenby would then have gone on to do a more hard edged Bond in Live and Let Die, establishing quite a physical presence as Bond, as opposed to that scrawny guy they had. The Man With The Golden Gun would have set him up as THE BOND, as, again, the hard edge Lazenby had would have been more fitting against Chris Lee. But after that, it's hard to say. Would he have come back after the 3 yr gap for Spy? Hard to say. Yep, by the way, I don't think too much of Roger Moore's Bonds, sorry, guys.

[THEQUESTFORPEAC]

it would have been great to see Lazenby return for DAF, firstly so the revenge story could be completed, the film makers really missed a great oppertunity here. Whether or not the film would have been a box office success is not the point, but it certainly would have been better than DAF actually is. It would have been nice for Lazenby to do another Bond, perhaps even Live and Let Die as well, before handing over to Moore. He should have done just enough movies to establish him as an actor and James Bond.

[DLibrasnow]

I will go woth Cubby on this who said later on that Lazenby could have been the best Bond ever if he had stuck with it.

[cofalco]

George Lazenby did about as well in OHMSS as could be expected given his lack of experience.

Well said - I think this pretty much sums it up.

Lazenby did all right in OHMSS, and physically, he was right for the role. He was only in his late 20's, but he looked a lot older than most guys today in their 30's or 40's. He's probably from the last generation of guys to look the way he does.

OHMSS was an interesting experiment to break out of formula, and is one of the best films in the series. But I still wish Connery had done it!

[freemo]

No. Not really a fan. Bit hard to judge with just one film and all, and he was certainly adequate in that one film, but for me he didn't really have that star quality that the cinematic Bond should have. He certainly couldn't "carry" a film ala Roger Moore. I'm not convinced that the series would still be going now had he done Diamonds Are Forever.

[Gebruder Gumbold]

YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!!!! Lazenby should, I repeat SHOULD have done another Bond film. He should have stuck to his seven film contract as the producers had planned. He is my favourite Bond

[Frosty81]

Until I got the DVD collections late last year, I hadn't seen OHMSS in years. When I first saw it, I wasn't that impressed. But, what impressed me at the time, and what impresses me now are two different things. I actually found OHMSS to be one of my favorite movies and I thought Lazenby was a better Bond than Moore. I really wish he had kept going because I think he would have been a much more Fleming based character than Moore's portrayal.

- Chris -

[karri]

Absolutely. People would accept him better too, if he would have done at least two films. Lazenby was an OK Bond.

[bryonalston]

I am not a fan of Lazenby's, or OHMSS for that matter. The film looks cheap and uninspired. The stupid camera techniques during the fight, George's stupid facial expressions, and the cardboard oneliners didn't do him or the film any justice. I think that if he had returned in DAF, and stuck to the same formula, the movies wouldn't have been successful until the late seventies, but by then it could have been too late. I am fine with the way the films were set up, but I would have preferred to have OHMSS in 1965 or 1967, and had Connery do it while he was still in shape.

[Simon Bermuda]

If GL had been a succes it might have meant that mr. Moore never would have happened, and that is something I would not like to think about. RM is the bond of the 70's and partial 80's. i don't think that without him the series would have reached its 20th episode.

I pretty much agree.

Much as I prefer Connery's 007 - and would like to have seen him, ideally, in faithful adaptations of the TB-OHMSS-YOLT Blofeld trilogy, I still think I would rather have seen Lazenby continue in a more serious, revenge-orientated DAF than the disappointing Connery version.

And much as I consider Moore miscast as 007 - although he was a great Simon Templar - it would be a pity not to have his series of camply entertaining Bond romps there to laugh and groan at whenever you feel like some light relief. By the Seventies, the formula was becoming tired, and I suspect that Eon would probably have gone the jokey route whoever was playing Bond.

Edited by Simon Bermuda, 30 April 2004 - 11:37 AM.

[Moore Not Less]

Much as I prefer Connery's 007 - and would like to have seen him, ideally, in faithful adaptations of the TB-OHMSS-YOLT Blofeld trilogy, I still think I would rather have seen Lazenby continue in a more serious, revenge-orientated DAF than the disappointing Connery version.

And much as I consider Moore miscast as 007 - although he was a great Simon Templar - it would be a pity not to have his series of camply entertaining Bond romps there to laugh and groan at whenever you feel like some light relief. By the Seventies, the formula was becoming tired, and I suspect that Eon would probably have gone the jokey route whoever was playing Bond.

I would like to have seen a more serious revenge-orientated DAF. The fact is that United Artists, Broccoli and Saltzman decided that more humour and big set pieces was the way to go forward after the box office failure (by Bond film standards) of OHMSS. So regardless of which actor was chosen for DAF it seems that it was never going to be a serious film about Bond's revenge.

The jokey route (as you put it) was taken and it would have continued that way whether Roger Moore played James Bond or not. Whether the humour would have gone as far as double-take pidgeon's and Tarzan yells is open to debate. You should also consider the possibility that the humour may have been more OTT if Burt Reynolds had been chosen to play Bond instead.

Obviously, I disagree with your opinion that Moore was miscast as 007, but I do agree with your opinion that he was a great Simon Templar.

[ChandlerBing]

Roger had the wrong personality to play someone as nasty as James Bond. Roger was too much the nice guy secret agent. He never looked really comfortable with the violence. If Moore had been Bond in Dr. No, he would have looked awful putting those extra bullets into Professor Dent. Compare that to his execution of Stromberg in Spy Who Loved Me. He just never struck me as the type of agent who was supposed to be capable of these things. Same with the fight scenes. Back onto topic of Lazenby, GL had those scenes down pat. They are what won him the part in the first place. Roger Moore just looks like he's going through the motions with the stuntmen.

[Athena007]

I like Roger a lot, he is infact my favorite of the Bond's.

But YES, I would have loved to see Lazenby in another Bond film. At least 3 Bond films, for that matter. I enjoyed him in OHMSS, it's on my list of top fave Bond films... GoldenEye, For Your Eyes Only, & On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.