On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
76%RT Audience Score: 64%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 4 nominations
George Lazenby’s only appearance as 007 is a fine entry in the series, featuring one of the most intriguing Bond girls in Tracy di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg), breathtaking visuals, and some great ski chases
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is like a martini – shaken, not stirred. Sure, it may not be everyone’s favorite Bond film, but it’s got everything you could want: a ski chase, a great villain, and even a tragic ending. Plus, George Lazenby’s one and only turn as 007 is worth watching just for the novelty of it. So grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
Production Company(ies)
Plattform Produktion Film i Väst Essential Filmproduktion, GmbH,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Piz Gloria Revolving Restaurant, Piz Gloria, Kanton Bern, Switzerland
MPAA / Certificate
(Rating Symbol Changed)
Year of Release
1969
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 20m
-
Language(s):English, German, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 18, 1969 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2006
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, directed by Peter Hunt, written by Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Simon Raven, action, James Bond, spy, SPECTRE, Swiss Alps, ski chases, germ warfare, PG, Albert R Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, United Artists, box office, budget, reviewed by Variety Staff, Don Druker, Geoff Andrew, A.H Weiler, Debbie Barham, Charles Taylor, Victor Pineyro, Joe Baltake, Matt Brunson
Worldwide gross: $22,787,885
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $207,519,940
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 673
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 22,630,310
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $7,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $63,746,134
Production budget ranking: 649
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $34,327,293
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $109,446,512
ROI to date (est.): 112%
ROI ranking: 894
Diana Rigg – Tracy
Telly Savalas – Blofeld
Gabriele Ferzetti – Draco
Bernard Lee – M
Lois Maxwell – Moneypenny
Director(s)
Peter Hunt
Writer(s)
Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Simon Raven
Producer(s)
Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (56) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (11)
Film of break-neck physical excitement and stunning visual attractions in which George Lazenby replaced Sean Connery as James Bond.
October 13, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Director Peter Hunt manages to inject some life into this 1969 exercise with a wonderful ski chase, but otherwise the film is a bore.
October 13, 2008
Don Druker
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The Bond films were bad enough even with the partially ironic performances of Connery.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
What are Bond’s problems now? They’re too numerous, as usual, to hold the constant attention of anyone other than a charter member of Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
May 9, 2005
A.H. Weiler
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
By no means the premium Bond, but an intriguing one.
July 25, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
Debbie Barham
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
It offers supremely satisfying versions of all the conventions we expect from the series … and then it does the one thing you don’t expect a James Bond movie to do: It breaks your heart.
January 1, 2000
Charles Taylor
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
George Lazenby’s only 007 movie, turns out to also simply be my favorite James Bond movie of all time. [Full review in Spanish]
June 23, 2022 | Rating: 9/10
Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
His fantastic adventures, which once seemed slick and incredibly daring, now come across as warmed-over leftovers; they’re embarrassingly silly and weatherbeaten. The series has completely lost what little sophistication and humor it ever had.
June 15, 2022
Joe Baltake
Philadelphia Daily News
You won’t find a more tragic ending in any Bond flick.
September 25, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Savalas makes a great Bond villain here as the notorious Blofeld.
September 25, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is pure poetry. It transcends the idea of a Bond film. Gorgeously photographed, thrillingly executed, and wonderfully performed, this is the franchise zenith.
September 1, 2020
Jake Tropila
Film Inquiry
While trying to include all of the expected constituents of a Bond picture, many elements actually slow down the pacing – creating the longest runtime yet.
August 27, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
George Lazenby steps into the role of James Bond and is sent on his first mission. For help with Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti), he must become very close friends with his daughter, Teresa “Tracy” (Dame Diana Rigg), and heads off to hunt down Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas) one more time. This takes him to Switzerland, where he must pose as Sir Hilary Bray to find out the secret plan of Blofeld. The facility is covered with Blofeld’s guards, as well as his henchwoman, Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat). What does Blofeld have in mind this time? Can Bond keep up this act for much longer? Are any Bond Girls safe?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Diana Rigg’s portrayal of Tracy di Vincenzo is considered one of the most intriguing Bond girls in the series.
Peter-Hunt.jpg
