On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (film)
**On Her Majesty’s Secret Service** is the sixth film in the James Bond series, notable for introducing George Lazenby as Agent 007, replacing Sean Connery. The film, released in 1969, is based on Ian Fleming's novel of the same name and marks a shift towards a more realistic and faithful adaptation of the source material. In this installment, Bond travels to the Swiss Alps to confront Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the villainous leader of SPECTRE, who threatens global agriculture with biological warfare unless his demands are met. The narrative begins in Portugal, where Bond saves and subsequently becomes romantically involved with Tracy di Vicenzo, the daughter of a crime boss, leading to their eventual engagement.
Directed by Peter Hunt, who made his debut in this role, the film features extensive location shooting in Switzerland, including the unique setting of Piz Gloria, a revolving restaurant that served as Blofeld's headquarters. While the film received mixed reviews, particularly regarding Lazenby's performance, it was a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film in the UK that year. Despite its financial success, it grossed only about half of what its predecessor earned. The film is remembered for its action sequences, including thrilling ski chases, and for its poignant conclusion, which saw Bond facing personal tragedy.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (film)
- Release Date: 1969
- Director(s): Peter R. Hunt
- Writer(s): Richard Maibaum
- Principal Actors and Roles: George Lazenby (James Bond); Gabriele Ferzetti (Marc-Ange Draco); Bernard Lee (M); Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny); Diana Rigg (Tracy di Vicenzo); Telly Savalas (Ernst Stavro Blofeld); Ilse Steppat (Irma Bunt)
- Book / Story Film Based On: On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the sixth film in the James Bond series and, for the first time, starred George Lazenby as Agent 007. In this film, James Bond travels to the Swiss Alps, where he tracks down Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE who is threatening to destroy the world’s agriculture if his demands are not met. Ian Fleming’s novel, also titled On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, inspired the story for the film. Fleming’s spy novel series inspired all of the Bond films. For this film, the producers decided to shift focus from Bond’s fancy gadgets to a more realistic storyline, causing them to more closely follow Fleming’s novel. The adaptation, written by Richard Maibaum, follows the novel so closely, in fact, that almost every plot point that occurs in the book appears on screen, and Hunt, the film’s director, carried a copy of the novel with him on set.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the first Bond film to feature an actor other than Sean Connery in the role of James Bond. Connery, who had grown disenchanted with the franchise, resigned from his role after the production of the fifth Bond film, You Only Live Twice. This prompted a worldwide search for a new actor to embody the iconic character. More than four hundred hopeful actors auditioned for the part before producers finally settled on unknown Australian actor George Lazenby. Lazenby wanted the part so badly, he spent most of his money on dressing like Bond—from the signature Rolex, to getting his hair cut by Connery’s barber—to impress the producers. His efforts paid off, and the producers offered him a contract of seven Bond films. However, after counsel from his agent, Lazenby thought the public would soon tire of Bond films and only appeared in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Plot
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service begins in Portugal, where James Bond saves the beautiful Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, also known as Tracy, from drowning. Bond spends the night with Tracy at her hotel, and upon leaving in the morning, is taken by a group of men who lead him to Marc-Ange Draco, the head of a European crime organization. Bond learns that Tracy is Draco’s daughter, and he offers Bond one million pounds if he agrees to marry her. Bond declines, but agrees to continue their romance if Draco reveals Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s location. Ignoring orders from MI6 not to seek out Blofeld, Bond travels to Switzerland where he investigates a law office, only to discover that Blofeld has been trying to obtain the title of Comte Balthazar de Bleuchamp from Sir Hilary Bray of the London College of Arms.
Pretending to be Bray, Bond journeys to Piz Gloria, a remote location in the Swiss Alps where Blofeld has set up the Institute of Physiological Research, an institute that claims to cure allergies. Bond encounters the "Angels of Death," twelve girls who have allegedly been cured and that night at the stroke of midnight, in one of the girl’s rooms, Bond witnesses the girl enter a hypnotic state, during which Blofeld relays instructions for what to do upon her release. Bond realizes that the Angels of Death are being brainwashed and will release biological agents all over the world that will damage agriculture. In an attempt to arrest Blofeld, Bond tries to convince him to leave Switzerland, but this move instead tips off Blofeld to Bond’s true identity, and Blofeld’s associate Irma Bunt captures Bond. Bond manages to escape in a thrilling ski chase, encountering Tracy, and the pair hides out during a blizzard. Hidden away, Bond and Tracy share a romantic evening, and Bond proposes to Tracy, who accepts his offer, but the next morning Blofeld sets off an avalanche and kidnaps Tracy.
Bond returns to MI6 headquarters in London, where Blofeld has released demands for a ransom: he will destroy the world’s food supply if he is not forgiven for all of his crimes and recognized as the Comte de Bleuchamp. Once again, Bond ignores orders to not get involved, and enlists the help of Draco to launch an attack on Piz Gloria and secure the release of Tracy. In the encounter, Piz Gloria is destroyed and Blofeld makes his escape in a bobsled, but with Bond in pursuit, Blofeld suffers an accident. Later on, Bond and Tracy wed in Portugal, and drive away happily. However, while stopped on the side of the road, Blofeld and Bunt arrive and shoot at the car, killing Tracy.
Significance
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the directorial debut for director Peter Hunt. Hunt had worked on all five of the previous Bond films, serving as an editor and secondary director. However, his quick cutting work impressed producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and was hired to direct for the first time. The trio traveled throughout France and Switzerland to scout proper locations. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was originally supposed to follow Goldfinger (1964) and then Thunderball(1965), but unfavorable shooting conditions in the Swiss Alps caused production delays. While location scouting, the producers came across the remote location for Blofeld’s headquarters at Piz Gloria, an unfinished revolving restaurant. The producers paid for electricity to be brought up the mountain and built an aerial lift so that all of the equipment and crew could more easily reach its remote location. Shooting began in October of 1968, and would continue until May of 1969, with many production days delayed by the weather in the Alps, ultimately causing the Swiss filming schedule to run more than fifty days behind. Many of the mountain chase scenes employed the use of Olympic skiers, bobsledders, and stuntmen and required various creative camera techniques to capture the shots.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service opened to mixed reviews from critics (primarily for Lazenby’s performance as Bond), but was generally well received by the public. Despite being the highest grossing film of the year in the United Kingdom, as well as grossing nearly $65 million worldwide, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service only grossed half as much as its predecessor, You Only Live Twice. The film was only nominated for one award, in the New Star of the Year (Actor) category at the Golden Globes for Lazenby, but he did not win.
Awards and nominations
Nominated
- Golden Globe (1969) Most Promising Newcomer: George Lazenby
Bibliography
Cork, John, and Collin Stutz. James Bond Encyclopedia: Updated Edition. London: DK, 2014. Print.
Fleming, Ian. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. 1963. Las Vegas: Thomas, 2012. Electronic.
Helfenstein, Charles. The Making of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. New York: Spies, 2009. Print.
Lindner, Christopher. The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2003. Print.
"On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)." Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Turner Entertainment, 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/24270/On-Her-Majesty-s-Secret-Service/>.