George Lazenby - James Bond 007, 1969
Connery Sits One Out and Former Australian Model plays Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service
May 1, 2009
Discovered in a Fry's chocolate commerical in the late sixties, Australian model George Lazenby had no acting experience prior to being cast as Sean Connery's successor in the role of the now infamous British spy James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. The emphasis, very much like Fleming's original novel of the same title, was to strip Bond of the superfluous sets and the gadgets which had become a staple of the last few Connery Bonds and to bring the new James Bond back to basics.
The Pros And Cons Of Lazenby's Interpretation Of James Bond
Critics were, not unexpectedly, unimpressed in Lazenby as Connery's successor in the role, noting that Lazenby did not have the wit and the ruthless killer persona for Bond that was ever present in Connery's interpretation of the character. Nevertheless fans of Lazenby often recognise that he brought a great sense of humanity and a touch of frailty to the role as well as being adept at the action sequences. This Bond is a one woman man, falling for Diana Rigg's Tracy DiVincenzo after saving her from committing suicide in the film's pre-titles sequence.
Bond Matures And Finds Love In A Radical Departure For The Character
Bond seems to be interested in Tracy as she reminds him of himself. She is stubborn, hard to track down and difficult to reason with until she and Bond meet and fall in love. This is a grand departure not only for the Bond character himself but also for the film series. Lazenby's Bond undoubtedly shaped the portrayal of Bond in the subsequent films; a man who has loved and brutally lost his wife. The final scene in which Bond and Tracy are married and Tracy is instantly gunned down by villainess Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat) and Telly Savalas' Blofeld is a sombre moment for Bond and the most abrupt, subversive end of any of the films. This time Bond gets the girl and loses her and is in a dark place.
Closing The Brief Chapter Of Lazenby's James Bond
The poignant final shot of the film with the shot car windscreen and Tracy resting in Bond's lap as the Bond theme takes a beat before playing out over the end credits leaves a long lasting mark on the audience and on Bond fans. In hindsight we are aware that Connery would return for the next Bond film Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and the slapstick element would be stamped firmly upon it. It seems that fans were fair to wonder why Lazenby did not return to Bond for another outing. Nevertheless, by only making the one film he has cemented himself within the series as a strong and unique Bond, capable of handling the emotional scenes as well as the physical action oriented ones.
