14 replies to this topic

[Mr Trump]

Does anybody else think that Lazenby performance as Bond was under rated because everyone I speak to says he was rubbish but I've always thought he put up a good performance as OO7.

[Bill C]

Lazenby was okay as Bond, but he was no Connery so he was punished. Looking back, he was a good Bond, but he was no movie Star. He didn't have the charisma or charm of Connery, Brosnan, or even Moore. Dalton too suffered from not being movie starish enough. Dalton is a great actor and can even be a great action hero (He was great in Flash Gordon). But he tried to act as Bond, not just be Bond and enjoy. OHMSS is one of the better scripts and films of the series. Too bad it happened when it did.

[Blue Eyes]

I have to agree. I personally find that Lazenby just got the raw end of the stick. He followed Connery directly which would be impossible for anyone to do. If he hadn't done it first and Connery had done OHMSS I think Moore would have been booed as Bond. Basically, Lazenby got us all use to the idea of a different actor and style of Bond.

Plus he had a great script but a difficult one for a non-actor.

[Digitarius]

Lazenby, in my opinion, was just about out of his depth. Although OHMSS was a very good movie and a decent Bond film (not enough gadgets), the deteriation of his relationship with Diana Rigg, his poor acting skills, and simply his lack of experience all made him a poor Bond following Connery. If Lazenby had sharpened his acting skills in a few movies before, then he could have been a better Bond.
Having said that, I quite like OHMSS, because of seeing Bond in love, and Tracy's character was just addictive, especially in the book written by Ian Fleming.

[White Persian]

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was the first Bond film I saw (though I'd devoured the books) so I wasn't making comparisons to Connery- and the film and Lazenby knocked my socks off. Even as a kid I think I sensed that his acting was a little tentative at times,biy he was so impressive in the action sequences that it more than compensated. His performance was sincere enough for the love story to be absolutely convincing. I think its a shame he sabotaged his chances to continue in the role because I think if the 70s films had been tailored to Lazenby's strenghths rather than Roger Moore's light comedy, the Bond series might have stayed more on track as action thrillers.

[Blue Eyes]

White Persian (21 May, 2001 09:10 p.m.):
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was the first Bond film I saw...

You know I find that really interesting. I think most everyone saw a Connery film before a Lazenby film. It was quite hard to go past 5 Connery films and just happen to hit on the one Lazenby one.

But it gives quite an interesting notion. Why dont' people like Lazenby as Bond? Perhaps because they had the expectation of Connery and that Lazenby had to equal or be better than him!

But White Persian is right. His acting wasn't the best, but his action (I feel anyway) was brilliant. He was one of the tuffer Bonds. Given more time (more films as well) I think Lazenby would have fallen nicely into the role. If only he hadn't taken his friends advice!!! Oh well!

[The Admiral]

All I can say is that OHMSS was a great film. It would have been much better if it had Connery in it, but the job that Lazenby did was fine. I never used to like the film, but once I watched it a couple more times, I got into it, as it goes onto another path, that other Bond movies haven't covered a lot. And the fact that bond get's married in the films aswell, I think makes the film better as Tracey gets killed in it. Not that I liked it because she got killed, it's just something that you wouldn't at all think to happen. When I first saw the film, I was totally shocked! Devestated that she got killed.

Anyway, I could write loads more, but I won't as I'm tired.

In Conclusion though, I'll say again, that I think the film was great.

[Blue Eyes]

I'm going to disagree. My say is that Connery wouldn't have been better in the film - I can't imagine Connery's Bond in love. Now Brosnan's Bond would have fit in perfectly!

[The Admiral]

Blue Eyes (23 May, 2001 01:09 p.m.):
I'm going to disagree. My say is that Connery wouldn't have been better in the film - I can't imagine Connery's Bond in love. Now Brosnan's Bond would have fit in perfectly!

I will agree with you there, Brosnan would have been good.

[Blue Eyes]

Bloody brilliant you mean!

[White Persian]

Interesting that Brosnan has mentioned that he'd be interested in remaking O.H.M.S.S.-given the recent mad cow and foot and mouth outbreaks, and the potential for genetically engineering diseases, it could be topical. Legal problems with the Blofeld character, of course, but if they wanted to follow up with a more faithful version of You Only Live Twice (which would give Brosnan some real dramatic meat, too), they could always call the character Dr Shatterhand (his alias in Fleming's Y.O.L.T.) and dodge the Blofeld name.

[Blue Eyes]

I wonder if the association could give McClory reason to sue. Perhaps because the character of Blofeld was insinuated?

I like the idea of Mad Cow etc... I never thought of that one!!

[The Admiral]

This is my point of view, but anyway, I don't really think anyone should make any more re-makes of the films that have already been made, even if they have a different title (like Never Say Never Again).

[Blue Eyes]

I just wonder how much of the story line they'd change? If you think about it, McClory is right about one thing. A lot of the Bond films follow the same nuclear highjack style story line.

[Digitarius]

Bond films are more or less formulatic, with the usual women, gadgets, quips and action.
But it is still exciting, because the girls are exotic, the cars fast and the action deadly.
I agree that Connery could not have done a better job than Lazenby, but if he had agreed to make OHMSS the storyline, I think, would have been different.
I also agree that Lazenby, had he stayed on, would have been better than Moore. I dislike Moore for his over-the-top humour in Live and Let Die and particularly The Man With the Golden Gun, and his over-the-hill appearances in A View to a Kill. Lazenby would have been much cooler.
As for Brosnan to play the part in OHMSS, it was just unfortunate that he was born too late.