james bond – Metallicman

Having fun with the 007 movie Goldfinger (1964)

This is part 2 of my orgy of James Bond movies. This time it’s with a classic movie titled “Goldfinger”.

Usually during Christmas I spend extra time to make the holiday a little bit special. One way that I do this is with rituals, and pomp. That means a Christmas tree, some decorations and music. I also like to wear a special Santa hat. Another way is with food. KFC, and hot ham and tomatoes on fresh bread. Mustard with sausages, and lots of cold cuts. And a third way is with movies. Not just Christmas movies, but some older movies just for the fun of it. Today, we will chat a little about a nice fine James Bond movie “Goldfinger” (1964).

So you sit down with your favorite beverage. You gather your friends, family and pets. Or if it is late at night, you gather a bowl of potato chips alone, and sit down to enjoy this movie.

Today I would like to promote the idea of enjoying some delicious chocolate moose, on a nice tray, while you enjoy the movie.

Doesn’t that look tasty…?

And here is our hero;

James Bond fighting the powers of evil during the Cold War. He does look good in suits, and I really do like how he is able to keep his hair all nice and tidy when he gets involved in a tussle.

This movie differs from Dr No in that it is more action / adventure. There is more fighting. More science. More gadgets. and really only one girl that James Bond cavorts with.

Just one. Or maybe two.

Perhaps three.

But that’s it.

Tops.

It’s treated as a top 007 Bond movie because of that, but you know, I think that it fails in that regard as much as it is praised.

Certainly the laser beam that going to cut bond in two is enticing for the six year old boy inside of me, and the idea of scientific geniuses taking over the world has merit, but really, where’s the interesting chit-chat and the fine bed-side manner?

It’s all cavort and plunder. Cavort and plunder.

Hum…

She’s a feisty vixen. Eh?

I’ll bet you that she (removes the snarl and fierce expression) would be a blast to go out with. Maybe go for some nice dessert. And in my mind, a nice dessert is a strawberry shortcake. No question about it at all. hands down.

I know. I know. I know.

Strawberry shortcake is for Springtime dates, and Summer outings. Oh don’t fall for that disinformation. It’s just perfect anytime of the year. Look at just how Christmassy festive it is.

So imagine that you are out with this chick (girl). Her name is Pussy Galore…

Which in American slang means “always open for copus quantities of indiscriminate sex”. Which is kind of an “inside joke” if you are an American.

And then after a fine delicious strawberry shortcake, a nice walk down the boardwalk (well, I am imagining a seaside stroll after all). Then a stroll to the hotel, or bungalow.

Maybe a passionate embrace and wet sexy kiss once the door is closed.

I wonder what is going to happen in their relationship? Well, knowing what I know about James Bond movies I can extrapolate. Let’s see how accurate I am…

Oh my!

By their expressions it does seem like they are having some fun. I’ll bet that about twenty to forty minutes later, Bond is smoking a cigarette, and she’s just purring while looking at herself in the mirror, and primping a bit.

And I am not complaining. I think that women look their best while they are getting pretty. Not afterwards. Life is a journey. Not a destination. Which is why I wrote my article on why it is critically important for a woman to have her own very special vanity, with a HUGE circular mirror. HERE.

But you know, being a secret agent is difficult business…

You never know when a car passes you by and shreds up your tires! Yikes.

I’m not sure, but I believe that this movie was the one that set the trend for automobile gadgets in the James Bond vehicles. When I was younger I had a Corgi version of the James Bond car. It had a escape passenger seat, a rear shield that would cover the rear window, machine guns in the front, shredding do-hickeys in the wheels, and a jet engine exhaust in the trunk. It was pretty cool, I’ll tell you what.

Here we see Jame Bond in a well appointed private jet, and a very attractive Chinese stewardess. You know, I could never figure out why the costume would expose her cute belly, but not show her bellybutton. That belly button is the most erotic part of a woman’s belly, don’t you know.

But that’s life.

Hollywood has distinct rules on what can and cannot be shown on the “big movie screen”. And belly buttons are absolutely verboten! (Sounds of marching, goose-stepping Nazi Germans in the background. No. I’m not insulting Germans. I’m just playing with mental images of World War II movies.)

I see all the classics are on the shelves, as well as a quaintly dated telephone on the desk.

That “wood trim” is obviously cheep vinyl wall-paper. Sheech! You would think that evil scientists would appreciate the natural hues and textures of real wood in their private jet aircraft.

Vinyl is just…

…tacky.

Well, it is.

It’s sort of like giving a starving dog a rubber bone. It looks like the real things, but it isn’t and once you taste the bitterness of vacuum, the nightmare memories of what you thought you were getting ring like a hollow bell in a deep dark cavern.

Anyways, James Bond is a man of many talents.

Here’s James Bond tackling with some kind of a bomb. I’ll bet you that there a count-down going on and that he only has seconds left before every thing goes kablooey! How nice that the bomb has these red and yellow indicator lights and wires that you can rip out to render the bomb inert.

And here we have the “bad guys” trying to use a laser to break into Fort Knox to get all the gold there. Good luck with that! That place has been looted and sitting empty for decades.

Is it me, or does that laser look like a giant syringe?

The uniforms are curious. They are wearing battleship greys, and Chinese 19th century Boxer slipper. Though, I have yet to figure out what the black and yellow thing-a-min-jib around their waists are. Maybe it’s some kind of henchmen life preserver. Eh?

Why does the door to the vault look like a suburban garage door?

This movie has lots and lots of twists and turns. We’ve got James Bond fighting with landing a plane, laser beams, lots and lots of gold, henchmen, pretty girls with some fine charms and incredibly strong vixen capabilities.

The movie starts off with a bomb.

Seriously. There a bomb that has to be dealt with. And you know, it’s a job that only James Bond can handle.

That’s where things start to get interesting.

After a quick tussle, some fighting and the bathtub electrocution, we are introduced to the always calm and confident James Bond. I do love him in the white tux, and I have to admit that the red carnation is a nice touch. Don’t you all think so?

You will note that a white tux is formal, while a deep blue tux is for semi-formal events. Nice lapels, but I think a shawl collar would have been a slightly better touch. Look at those nice shoulders. A nice cut suit for certain.

Too bad he’s in what appears to be a garbage-variety boat garage. I can just smell the rotting fish, the stale dried sea moss, and hear the waves lap up against the bollards.

So many cool things in the movie don’t you know.

There’s all sorts of cool adventures. All done and carried out in a span under five minutes. Bombs, killings, good guys, bad guys. Nice fancy and swanky venues.

Even a few cats.

Somehow Bond finds his way into a room with an attractive nude woman taking a bubble bath in the tub. Of course, this is the 1960’s and since he is wearing a tux, and he is (after all) James Bond, he seduces her which his devilish good looks…

…and well, you can guess the rest.

After the credits finish rolling, we find James Bond by the pool.

Certainly the fashions have changed, but a beautiful girl is a beautiful girl, and I for one would not throw her into the pool. I’ll tell you what.

I do like her cleavage. I wonder whats down there. Maybe some money, a set of keys, or a venomous poison spider to attack 007 with. Being a secret agent is a risky business, don’t you know.

Boy!

James bond is hairy. Don’t you think?

Ah. But the ladies don’t mind. They think it is sexy.

Of course, my chest hair is all white, and sometimes my wife absentmindedly plucks a chest hair away. Ouch! Come on girls. It’s sensitive!

Oh, and by the way, I do like how all the maids fall into the arms of James Bond. He’s quite the “Ladies Man” don’t you know.

Look at his legs. So very hairy as well. No wonder he is rarely shown rearing shorts.

He really is, however, quite the ladies man.

Here’s James Bond “copping a feel” with the fine girl that massaged the oil on his back. I note that the evil villain NPC smiles in approval.

There’s many half-clad girls in James Bond movies.

Here’s a chick that will feature predominately later on. Shes busy on the VHF, or is it a UHF, or maybe just a CB radio. She’s got a fine backside. Nice and oiled up and toasty from the hot sun. She’s really just eye candy for the audience, though, don’t you know.

She’s a lure to take James Bond on an adventure.

Of course, we know that shes a spy.

Gasp!

And James Bond is going to use her… well, he thinks anyways. Here she is spying away. And James is very interested in her technique. And she, obviously, is very interested in his manly chin.

The movie has all sorts of interesting adventures and situations.

And some of the most interesting occur in, on, and beside, the beds. But you know, for some reason there’s always telephones near and on the beds. I mean… really. You want to rest on a bed, or you want to have sex on a bed. But the telephone is just a distraction. You really don’t want to be interrupted when you are in a dream, or having sex. I mean, that’s just not fun. How can you concentrate?

Right?

Nothing quite breaks up the mood as a ringing telephone when you are in the middle of something interesting.

Oh, and by the way, she’s a pretend blonde. You can tell by her eyebrows. She’s intentionally dyed her hair a harlot platinum blonde. Not that it’s bad, mind you. I happen to enjoy harlots. It’s a personal favorite activity of mine, don’t you know. But I do like women to be themselves.

I am so turned on by a woman wearing pajamas, in the house, or a tee shit and jeans outside rather than get all dressed up. Of course, I do enjoy when a woman gets dressed up, but on the sexiness scale, a “real” woman being herself just oozes sex. It’s like when they cook food. OMG.

There is few things sexier than a woman cooking.

Well, aside from coming out of the shower.

Anyways…

Anyways, having sex with James bond can be dangerous. As is shown in this scene here…

…Yikes!

For you all who are unawares, this chick didn’t get a chance to read the “Time magazine” on the table, nor flick though those stacks of phone books. Poor girl. She has missed on on so much.

Well…

Life goes on.

Here he is flirting with his bosses secretary…

Ah, there’s a lot of things happening…

And I don’t want to give away the plot.

But, I can give you a hint of things to come. There’s guns, sex, difficult situations, lasers, plans, evil, and airplanes.

A lot of things happen from here to there.

There’s a guy , Asian no doubt, that has this decapitating hat, and he’s a sight to behold. The evil genus is a pug-like portly fellow.

However, things aren’t always tea and crumpets. Sometimes you can get hit on the head and wake up on a slab with a evil laser ready to cut you into two.

Not that I ever had THAT particular experience, don’t you know.

And on and on.

Oh! By the way. Do you all put up stockings for Christmas? We do. And we fill it with these little Japanese (actually Chinese, sold under a Japanese brand name) little figurines, and some healthy candy.

You do not have to spend a lot of money on Christmas. All you need to do is make it special for the ones you love.

And that, of course means left over turkey sandwiches…

This one looks like it uses English muffins, or grilled crumpets, potato bread with coleslaw, cranberries, stuffing, and turkey to make the delicious dish. I would add hot turkey gravy, myself.

Or, turkey soup..

And what is soup without some nice crusty bread and butter / cheese. Eh?

Here we see Bond and his latest newly acquired vixen friend trying to land a dangerously out of control airplane.

Of course, everyone is concerned.

You can tell that they are by looking at their expressions in the airport control tower. It’s all a matter of high international importance!

But you know all ends well.

James Bond lands safely using a parachute, and he and his vixen friend decide to celebrate! You know, in ways that are relaxing, strenuous, and enjoyable.

Twenty minutes later, Bond is smoking a cigarette, and the Vixen (whose name is Pussy Galore – wonder if she lives up to the name) is adjusting her hair so the next great adventure.

A happy ending

Now wasn’t that nice?

If I were to host a movie party…

Obviously I don’t. My idea of a movie is a rare thing that I do as a special family time. But in the past I would host a movie “party”. But I used to do it. And if I were to do it again, I would project the movie big on the wall. (I used to do this, but the projector remains stolen. Sigh.)

And I would play some vintage “Let’s go to the movie” cartoons, and about three or four vintage movie trailers. To get the entire scene going. Not to mention popping some popcorn for the proper smells of a movie theater.

If you are going to do something, why not go all out and make it special? Hum?

Now for some fun

Now for a real gold-finger girl. Video 2MB

And a Christmas girl…

Merry Christmas to you all from China. video 2MB

Sexy video 1

This video is so sexy! video 3MB

Sexy video 2

Man oh man! Sexy! video. 1MB

Sexy girl 3 plus a fine pussy.

How to make delicious gourmet cat food. OMG, and a kitty cat too! video 3MB

And some real deal fun . fun . fun.

Bouncy – bouncy – bouncy. Put it on a loop. Jeeze!

I could watch this all day. LOL. Video 1MB

Finally…

Spend time with your friends. Life is too short not to have fun. video 2MB

Do you want more?

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Enjoying the 007 movie Dr No (1963) as a fine pastime with friends and family

It’s a classic, and I love it. Guys wearing tuxes, nice suit jackets, cavorting with pretty ladies who are wearing gowns, bikinis, or just a simple towel. And the gambling, alcohol and the cigarettes. Not to mention the occasional fist fight and small arms fire. Classic. It speaks to the man in me.

No CGI here. It’s mostly dialog and chatting.

I can really relate to this scene. Can’t you?

Why do women look so tasty when their hair is disheveled? And my oh my, why aren’t men wearing blazers any more. Look at now nice it fit him.

Simple blazer. Simple black tie. Simple blue-white shirt. All alone in a tropical bungalow. You can almost smell the tropical lushness, hear the ocean waves, and listen to the tropical birds out the window.

Oh, and my she does have nice shoulders. Doesn’t she?

Nice tux. With a nice thin bow tie. He looks good, don’t you think?

When a man wears a tux, all eyes should be on the lady that accompanies him. In this case she is wearing an eye-popping red dress with one shoulder exposed. It’s her best shoulder, I believe. Nice lips. Look at her lips. And by the way, those earrings are nice match for the dress. Lips, fingernails, dress all nicely coordinated.

She’s carrying a gold purse and lots and lots of gambling chips. My goodness!

Here’s a great shot showing all the cool gadgets 007 has. In this scene he is off picnicking and cavorting with a beautiful gal in a nice pattern bikini, while talking on a telephone in his car! Imagine that! A phone in the convertible. WOW!

The phone plays a big role in this particular James Bond flick. You have phones in cars. Phones in hotel rooms. Phones in the rooms of the beautiful girls. Phones with the bad guys. Phones with the evil doctor. Phones in the 007 office and phones on the bed.

Nothing like making a quick call while you are discussing important matters in bed with the girl you just met.

Pack of cigarettes, and a notepad by the bed. Oh, how charming!

I once read that by wearing a tux, the perceived attractiveness of a man increase three points. (On a scale of zero to ten.) There’s something about a well made, well fitting, tux, with the clean lines and appearance that speaks to me. Too bad I never have any opportunities to wear my tuxes any more. The last time I wore it was at my father funeral.

I think that a tux is better reserved for seduction, personal enjoyments and pleasures. Who doesn’t want to look their best? And besides, any (American) policeman would think twice before pulling over or arresting anyone in a tux.

The room decor seems a bit dated. For a while in the 1960’s everyone seemed to have paintings / pictures of clowns, cats with big eyes, and old fashioned cars. Don’t ask me why. It was a “thing” back then.

Like this…

Yeah. I guess that you would need to have lived through that area to appreciate it.

I do love this next picture. He thinks he’s in control, but it’s really the woman who is controlling the entire scene.

Hey! Do you all know what goes great with a nice James Bond classic movie? Aside from beer or wine?

That’s right.

Cheese, crackers, bread and cold cuts. My father used to make up a platter of these kinds of cheeses, sardines, olives, pickles, and crackers when he would watch a movie. It sort of looked a little bit like this…

I suppose everyone is different. I hear that the preferred snack food in the States these days are Doritos, or Lays potato chips. I can understand why, but you all know that you need to have a decent dip with them to fully appreciate and savor the enjoyment of the food.

Now, when I was growing up, one thing that my father liked to do was eat Limburger cheese sandwiches with a big thick slice of tomato. Yeah, I guess it’s sort of a generational thing don’t you know. He also liked liverwurst. I ended up getting a taste for it myself, but only on sandwiches.

Anyways, Christmas is a time of many things. For me I really enjoy the movies, the food, the friends and the general atmosphere. It’s a chance to eat well, and to eat things that you enjoy. You know, most of the time people don’t give pickles a second thought, but at Christmas time, well that’s when all the dill pickles, the baby gherkins, and the Grandma’s butter chip pickles come out. Yum!

This next picture show some lousy bread, but some pickles and good selection of cheese. Personally I think that the ingredients are enough for one or two sandwiches max. Kinda skimpy if you ask me. But it looks good. Oh, yeah. Don’t forget the horseradish, the wasabi, the kielbasa, and the various kinds of relishes that can be bought and found everywhere.

Sometimes you don’t always have the right ingredients on hand, so you make do.

i think that it’s really a great thing to do, don’t you know, to sit down with a glass of wine. Some fine cheeses, and watch an older movie. I really enjoy the older movies. they are not so adrenaline-rush run-run-run action packed CGI affairs. It’s full of personal interactions, gestures, and movements. It’s more intellectually stimulating.

And more so with wine, cheese, and olives.

Did I ever mention that olives go great with wine? I really think so. A fine green or black olive dip is just wonderful. You heat up some olive oil with some thin cut up olives and mushrooms. A little Italian spices, and then spread the olives and mushrooms on the french bread. Oh so tasty.

The you sit down and watch the interesting interplay on the movie.

I do love that phone. It was state of the art back then. See the nice rattan chairs on the balcony on the porch, and the Chinese themed dangling red ornamental lantern. Curious eh? I most especially love the shadow of the phone cord on her soft chest. Sexy but not overt.

Of course, I am an old man, and this lass was my mothers age. So I’m looking back in time. When this movie was made, we had Robert Kennedy in office, and he was talking about getting out of Vietnam and shutting down the military-industrial complex. As it was getting too powerful.

Well, we do know what happened to him, don’t we?

Here’s some lox and bagels. You see the salmon to the left, and a fine cream cheese spread. You put the cream cheese on the bagel. Then lox, then lemon, then tomatoes and onions. Don’t forget the olives. (I note some sliced hard boiled eggs. What an interesting turn of events!) The wine is not shown, but no matter. Maybe a fine glass of orange juice is near by.

A good movie serves as a perfect excuse to eat.

And speaking about Christmas, James Bond, food and movies… I will bet you all that the most festive places to spend Christmas at must be in a pub or a brasserie. I remember one Christmas (When I say Christmas, I actually mean the entire month of December, and into January.) I went to an Irish Pub. Wow! So very festive. Drinking pints. Singing songs. Eating bangers and mash.

Bangers and mash served with a good stout. Yum!

I think that there is something really magical and special about the pub environment. It’s something that never was present in the Untied States. Pretty soon, America will probably ban bars completely. You know follow in the footsteps of NZ in banning everything. You know. “For the children”. Sigh.

I can only imagine what it must be like in Scotland, Ireland or in the UK today. Chilly and damp, but warm inside the pubs. I tell youse guys that you are so fortunate to be where you are. Don’t take what you have for granted. It’s special.

Here’s the interior of a typical British pub. People are hanging out. Talking, chatting. Drinking beer. Not too much in the way of electronic media, eh? Nope. Just companionship, friendship and acceptance. I really love that.

I hear that some pubs really get festive and decorate everything up. I have no first hand knowledge about that. What I do know is what I have seen on the internet, and some places do more than just put up a tree. They make it special.

There are pubs in Hong Kong, and some are very nice. I can imagine that there would be pubs all over the former British territories. I haven’t gone to the pubs in Hong Kong in years, even though I can see Hong Kong from my living room. It’s the Coronavirus thing don’t you know.

Now in Australia, they have these things called a brasserie. They are not found in the USA because one reason or the other. It’s hard to tell why. I happen to like them.

In France, Flanders, and the Francophone world, a brasserie is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word brasserie is also French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brewing business". A brasserie can be expected to have professional service, printed menus, and, traditionally, white linen—unlike a bistro which may have none of these. Typically, a brasserie is open Wednesday to Sunday and serves the same menu all day. A good example of a brasserie dish is steak frites. 

-Wikipedia

The last time that I was in Sydney, Australia it was near Christmas time, and I truly enjoyed the Brasserie’s there. Again, like a pub, it was cheery and festive and warm. It was a very comfortable atmosphere to hang out in and enjoy the time with friends or family.

Anyways, one of the things about Christmas is that you can socialize and spend time at home too relaxing. Good food. Being around those that you care about. Talking. Chatting. Exploring. Listening. Man, I need to do more listening, I’ll tell you what.

And watching good movies that relaxes and stimulates. Like 007 James Bond.

James on the beach being warned by the locals of hidden dangers and adventure.

In Dr. No, James Bond travels to the Caribbean. Being well attired, he meets interesting and colorful people. He embarks on a mission to save the world from evil and their evil influences. All the time enjoying the company of the attractive lasses whom he meets along the way.

Typically, as I would watch this kind of movie, I would set a platter or a plate of food nearby to smunch and nibble with. During Christmas, I’m trying to assign special foods like French breads, chocolate, and peanut-butter. Not to mention the aromas wafting from the kitchen of fresh bead in the bread making machine (fun fact, I helped design bread makers for Sunbeam-Oster) and simmering sauces on the stove with garlic, onions, spices and peppers.

Here’s a lox and bagel platter.

Or course, my household always has alcohol.

You know, I never drank as much as I do now prior to my “retirement”. After I was retired, I pretty much said “Fuck this”. And stopped worrying about what other people thought. If I wanted to smoke, I smoked. If I wanted to drink, I’d drink. If i wanted to to spend some time in a bedroom with a new friend, I would. You know, the USA has so many restrictions on you, that you have to tear them off and say STOP!

Live life on your terms.

Like James Bond.

Jame Bond talking with his bosses secretary. I do love the tea set on the filing cabinet.

Most men like to imagine ourselves like James Bond. Wearing a tux. Going to interesting places. Eating good food, and drinking. Being the master of our world. Cavorting with pretty women, and making new friends every night.

Alas, most of us is something else. We are actually more like Bruce Willis in “Die Hard”. That movie resonated to me on all sorts of areas and for all sorts of reasons. Of course, one is simply because of my MAJestic role. But another is because I am really just a normal guy; a regular man.

That’s John McClane. (Bruce Willis).

It’s neither good or bad. It’s just that being Bruce Willis in “Die Hard” is far more painful than being James Bond in “Dr No”. It’s something that us men can relate to. It’s about life, and being thrown into situations that aren’t really what you ever intended to happen.

Which is why movies are great. All movies, if they are well done, can become something that you not only enjoy, but something that you can relate to on some level.

Like food.

Move review of Dr No, on “Empire“;

The beginning of the super-successful franchise, this remains one of the most satisfying Bond films.  Connery, with only a hint of irony, is the suave secret agent, introduced at a gaming table while lighting an expensive fag, enjoying an expense account Caribbean holiday that must have seemed like  unparalleled hedonism to British audiences who’d only just got over rationing. 

The license to kill gets several endorsements as Bond efficiently and brutally sees off dastardly baddies who are threatening world peace, and – in another fantastical touch – Britain holds the key to the balance of power. 

Dr No, a German-Japanese genius with metal hands, is about as credible as Fu Manchu, but Joseph Wiseman mints all the Bond villain clichés, from the gorgeously-designed island lair (courtesy art director Ken Adam) with built-in nuclear power plant (and a then-famously-stolen portrait of the Duke of Wellington hung on the wall) through to purred threats and attempts to convince 007 to sell out and join his evil organization (‘I thought you had some style, Mr Bond, but I see you’re just a stupid policeman’).  And, of course, there’s Ursula Andress as prototypical Bond girl Honey Ryder, emerging from the seas in a bikini with a knife strapped to her thigh, with her own reasons for wanting to see Dr No’s scheme for world conquest thwarted. 

That twangy guitar theme and the gunsight-iris titles sequence are in place already.  Series regulars Bernard Lee (M) and Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny) make their debuts, but Peter Burton plays Q (to be replaced by Desmond Llewellyn) and Jack Lord is CIA agent Felix Leiter (to be replaced by a succession of stooges).

Here’s James Bond deep inside the secret lair…

I do love how the attractive woman gathers near to him. You know, I like her better in this dress than the bikini (with the knife strapped to her thigh). Notice that she has her top button unbuttoned. That’s not how you wear a qu pao. But it is erotic.

What do you think of her hair?

In those days all the ladies wore their hair “bee hive” style. I think that she started the trend for flowing lions manes like Raquel Welch in “one million years BC.”

You know, as much as I love this movie, you have to admit that the women of the 1960’s were all stunners.

Here’s Raquel Welch. I personally think that she would have made a fine, fine Bond girl. Don’t you?

Well, the point here is that Christmas is a time of togetherness. And that means making friends, spending time with the friends and family that you do have, and that you spend the time eating, drinking and talking. Emoting and sharing.

Whether it is in a pub, or at home in a restaurant. It does not matter.

Now, I do have to admit that my little daughter is not so interested in these kinds of “grown up” movies. She is more apt to watch “Peppa Pig”, or some kid-oriented Christmas movie. So you have to take that into account.

Though, she really enjoys “Two Broke Girls”. Who figures?

But she also really likes to sit by me (MM) – her daddy, and taste what I am eating, and be next to me. As a two year old she has a short attention span, so it’s still a trial. But it’s a precious trial. it’s family. It’s togetherness. It’s special.

I believe that a good movie is best shared with friends, family, alcohol and lots of delicious food. Oh, and a cat or two as well.

Oh yes. Did I fail to mention that cats love snack trays as well.

What would your cats do to a snack tray with thin sliced meats, salmon, and sausages? Well, I can tell you that they would jup up, snag a tasty morsel and then scamper away with it. Especially the ham. My goodness!

James Bond eating with Dr. No, and enjoying a fine smoke. Not much on the table though. Fruit and wine.

I love that view of the underwater ocean behind Dr. No. Not only does he have a secret lair built inside a volcano, but it reaches deep down underground and has windows so that the staff can enjoy the ocean view. How thoughtful of him. You see, bad guys aren’t all that terrible!

Here’s another scene. I love the newspaper on the bed, and the rotary dial phone nearby. What’s with her wearing high heels to bed? Are those her house slippers? If so, where the fur lining? Oh, sometimes the 1960’s can be so very confusing to me, don’t you know.

I have always loved the simple white robe on a woman.

You know, eating all the foods while you watch these olde timey movies can put some weight on, and make your belly grow. You don’t want to look nine months pregnant with twins, do you?

The way to control this is to add some nice fruit. Pay the extra money and buy some fruits that you normally don’t buy. Like cherries, or duran, or grapes. Don’t let the cost dissuade you. Let Christmas be the time for “outrageous” purchases.

Notice the generous quantities of cheese and meats.

Of course, with James Bond, you will always have the guns and the violence. But in Dr. No it’s rather tame. Less than 50 people were killed, and the karate chops were all rather quick and simple. No matrix-style events, or Chinese flying warriors walking on tree tops here.

It’s all rather calm and relatable.

Nice grey suit. I do like the black tie with the grey suit. It fits him nicely. It’s a nice color combination, and the cut of the suit fits him. It’s well cut, nice thin material, it’s the tropics after all, and his hair is always in place. Must be the Brill-creme hair tonic.

Here’s another view. You know it must be sweltering on the beach, but James Bond is calm and composed. His nice jacket sways in the slight breeze, while the boat captain is sweating in his red tee shirt.

When you make up a food spread choose your foods carefully.

Don’t go for processed cheese spread. Use real cheese instead. Do not use cheap inexpensive margarine. Use real salted bread instead. Do not use cheap chocolate with fillers. Use real chocolate. Pay the extra money to make the holiday special.

And presentation is everything.

Ok, so you aren’t going to drink wine. You are going to drink coke instead. Well then, crush up the ice and fill a tall glass with crushed ice, then pour the coke into the hyper iced glass. Presentation is everything. Wine uses wine glasses. Whiskey uses thick glass base tumblers, and beer, well… an iced mug is precious.

And when you are enjoying the movie, taking the savory bites, and chatting with friends and loved ones observe. Observe what they are doing, and saying and what is going on in the movie. All sorts of little details will “pop out” at you if you just are mindful…

And enjoy yourself.

Smile, say only good things. Listen to what others want and GIVE IT TO THEM. No need to argue. SO what? Make their day special. It’s a good feeling. And if someone wants to sing Christmas carols, then sing along. Get the dog a barking, and the cats following with you all as your all parade around the house to “Frosty the Snowman”.

Live life.

Live life on your terms.

Live like James Bond.

And be your best.

Smile, be kind, be helpful and do what you can to make the season special for all those around you.

Christmas is not about buying gifts, but you know, if you have gifts to wrap up, go overboard. Like @old-wine has. My goodness!

And if you are not so talented, like MM here, perhaps something simpler like a bunch of aluminum foil wrapped ham and cheese sandwiches that toast comfortably in the oven.

Have a great time with your loved ones.

Show your appreciation, and share a good 007 James Bond movie. You will enjoy it. I promise you.

Do you want more?

I have more posts like this in my Movie Index here…

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Awesome Movies – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – 007 James Bond

This is one of my personal favorite James Bond films. There’s something about a hidden mountain lair staffed with brainwashed beauties, and surrounded by armed henchmen on ski’s that appeals to the teen-aged boy inside of me. Not to mention the idea of wearing a kilt where the women reach underneath and write notes on my inner thighs…

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has often been described as the dark horse of the James Bond franchise, in part due to its atypical ending and for its one-off Bond actor, George Lazenby.

Its reputation unfortunately tied Lazenby’s ill-reception, Majesty has been gaining steady recognition over the last few decades with many now noting it as one of the best Bond films ever produced and some even going so far as labeling it the best.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service will probably always remain the most controversial entry in the Bond series, thanks both to its unusually human and romantic story, and the notorious casting of novice actor George Lazenby as OO7. Some think these elements ruin the film, while others hail OHMSS as the best Bond ever. I wouldn't go that far in my praise, but for me this is still one of the classic Bond films, true to Ian Fleming's original vision and arguably showing OO7 in a more realistic light than any other film in the franchise.

To get the Lazenby issue out of the way first, it is certainly true to say that he lacks the charisma of the man he (temporarily) replaced, Sean Connery, and his impossibly chiselled jaw is somewhat irritating. However, he does look the part, and for a first-time actor he turns in a remarkably assured performance, particularly in the fight scenes but also in Bond's more tender moments, most notably in the highly emotional finale. If Lazenby had gone on to make more Bond films (and it was his own decision not to do so) he could well have developed into a very fine OO7, but as it is I still find his performance in OHMSS perfectly acceptable, and not damaging to the film in any way.

The film itself represented a conscious attempt to get back to Fleming after the increasingly extravagant antics of Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. Director Peter Hunt, who had edited the classic early Connery films, was very keen to remain faithful to Fleming's original story, and as a result OHMSS has an unusually strong emphasis on character and plot, with the gadgetry and humour found in most Bond films largely jettisoned.

Rather like From Russia with Love, OHMSS feels like a real spy adventure, as Bond tracks Blofeld down and even adopts a disguise as he infiltrates his arch-enemy's Alpine hideaway, Piz Gloria. Where this film is unique, however, is in the level of emotion it invests in OO7's relationships with others. We see this early in the film when Bond quarrels with M and submits his resignation, a sequence which really brings out the affection which both M and Moneypenny have for him, but which M especially prefers to keep concealed. This affection is brought out again near the end during Bond and Tracy's wedding, when Q sheds his normal exasperation and shows us his fondness and respect for OO7.

However, it is of course the relationship between Bond and Tracy which gives the film its emotional heart. OHMSS sees Bond fall genuinely in love for the first and only time, and personally I found the film's romantic scenes both tender and touching, particularly for being so unexpected in a Bond film. The casting of Diana Rigg as Tracy helps immeasurably in making us believe in this romance, as she is a rare example of a proper actress taking on the role of a Bond girl, and her dynamic, spirited performance makes it easy to see why Bond would fall for her and marry her. It also helps the film's tragic conclusion, itself unique in the Bond franchise, pack far more of an emotional punch than might otherwise have been the case.

Of course, the film has more going for it than just an unusually human Bond.

Hunt directs with great skill, and the Alpine scenery that dominates the film looks absolutely stunning. There is no shortage of great action either, the highlights being a tense and gripping ski chase and an equally thrilling bobsleigh pursuit. Telly Savalas makes for a very effective Blofeld, understated and sinister, and his Rosa Klebb-like henchwoman Irma Bunt is played with relish by Ilse Steppat. There are also echoes of FRWL in the character of Draco, Tracy's father, who is a charismatic Bond ally in the style of Kerim Bey. Special mention should be given to John Barry, who produced his greatest Bond soundtrack for OHMSS. The opening instrumental theme, with its sombre and foreboding tone, sets the serious mood of the film, while the classic We Have All the Time in the World, sung by Louis Armstrong, is the perfect soundtrack to Bond and Tracy's doomed love.

However, while OHMSS is undoubtedly a classic Bond film, it just falls short of my personal top five for two principal reasons. The first of these is that the film is too long, primarily because the central section, where Bond infiltrates Piz Gloria in disguise, is dragged out for far longer than was necessary. Blofeld's plan to use beautiful women as carriers of a devastating eco-virus is the other main weakness, because it is totally preposterous and does not fit into the film's serious nature. I must admit also that, good as Lazenby is, I do wish Connery had agreed to make this film, because with him on board, and a little more editing, I think it could have been the best Bond ever, even beating FRWL. As it is, OHMSS is still a very strong film, its bold deviations from the Bond formula paying off handsomely. It is just a crying shame that it did not perform better at the Box Office, because this would encourage the Bond producers to shift to the high-camp, comic style that would dominate the franchise during the 1970s; sadly, it would be more than a decade before a serious, Flemingesque Bond would reappear on the big screen.

- Orpington

How true are these statements? Is it really just the one with the bad James Bond whose ultimate saving grace is that it’s forgettable; or, has it truly earned its place in the top echelons of the 007 series alongside From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, and 2006’s Casino Royale?

People used to dress better, carry themselves better and smoke better than they do today. On her Majestys Secret Service. This is a classic James Bond movie. Here, we have 007 skiing down mountains, seducing all types of women from around the world and wearing a kilt.

[Major Spoiler Alert] On Her Majesty’s Secret Service finds James Bond (Lazenby) desperately trying to track down head of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas) following the events of You Only Live Twice.

His trail having run cold after two fruitless years of searching, M (Bernard Lee) removes him from the case.

Distraught and obsessed, Bond takes a leave of absence and accepts an offer from criminal mastermind Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti) for a clue to Blofeld’s whereabouts in exchange for a marriage to his only daughter, Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg).

Bond, having previously saved Tracy from a suicide attempt, accepts and soon finds himself in the Swiss Alps where Blofeld is devising a new international blackmail plot revolving around a gaggle of brainwashed beauties.

From this point, the second half of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service continues as a practical nonstop chase as Bond attempts to escape Blofeld’s mountainous fortress.

Let me give it to you straight, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is an absolute, 100% triumph. All the elements work well, firstly there is Peter Hunt's direction. Hunt should have been handed the Directors reins on a Bond movie long before this. He adds action and excitement and blends this in the most stilted and calm manor. In truth On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a return to the less Gadget and Comic Book laden world of the likes of Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice, and echoes the Flemmingesque thriller world of Dr No and From Russia With Love. Those who dont like the first two additions to the Bond series dont flinch, On Her Majesty's Secret Service has a strenghth and style beaming with enegy and excitement twinned with realism. never seen in a Bond Film before or since.

This will always be remembered as George Lazenby's go at Bond. It is also remenbered as the one Bond that flopped at the box office. Well, on a budget of $9million and with worldwide grosses of $80million, hopefully the notion of disapointment will disapeer. There is also the fact that the Video and DVD versions of the movie consistently outsell all other Bond Titles worldwide. George Lazenby is an absolute revelation as Bond. I had my doubts but was still interested to see how he did. Lazenby rivals Connery in the Romantic and Action scenes and does pretty well with the dramatic scenes. In truth he is the most under-rated Bond. He makes a very believable Flemmingesque Playboy. He looks good in a tuxedo, on ski's, with women, in punch ups. Lazenby is helped by a strong support cast. Diana Rigg is beautifull and very believable as the Contessa, Tracy, with whom our James falls in love with, and eventually marries. Rigg displays a full range of acting and beauty to make her the most memorable of Bond Girls, and for one, wich i dont mean to sopil, inparticular. Telly Savalas is a very creepy, chilling and enjoyable Blofeld. It could be said that he is the most memorable of Blofeld's. He is obviously having the time of his life with the part and it is a pitty he didn't play the character in future outings. There is also the return of M, Q in a rather quiet outing this time, and a Moneypenny, heart broken at the notion Bond could marry anybody other than herself.

Now, if you add to all the above some of the finest action set pieces in motion picture history you have an idea of the scale of this epic. The Alpine sets, and Skiing and Bobsled chases really bring out the purest sense of adventure. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the most memorable Bond Movie from my Childhood. I remember watching this one Christmas eve with my Grandparents, and their house looked very much like Blofelds Alpine Fortress [Without the Ladies, alas]. The movie has really thrilling ski chases, you really do believe a man can ski, and once more think you are skiing with him.This is very much THE Christmas Bond movie. It is also soaked with some delightful christmas themes by the master John Barry, composing perhaps his best Bond theme. We Have All the Time in the world, sung by Louis Armstrong is a beautifuly moving song, made all the more so by Tracy's fate at the end of the movie. There is also Barry's rousing On Her Majesty's Secret Service Theme, unlike anything ever heared in cinema's or movies before.

But it is the realism between the characters and the story that helps make On Her Majesty's Secret Service work. By far the most under-rated of the Bond movies, and a strong contender for the Best Bond Movie of all time. This is the greatest. Bond movies should try to be to be like this in future. Go and see it for yourself, dont listen to the the negative reviews. You have all the time in the world.

- Dock-Ock

From incredible ski pursuits to bell tower brawls and icy crash derby car races, Bond is pushed to his most vulnerable, breathless limit as he barely dodges a never-ending army of goons in fantastic (and, at one point, literal) cliffhanger fashion.

When he is eventually tracked down by Tracy, she is as much a reprieve to Bond as she is to the audience.

Unfortunately, their escape is only half successful as Blofeld causes a massive avalanche that blankets both Bond and Tracy leading to her capture as a hostage.

With M powerless to sanction an official rescue, Bond teams up with Draco to launch a full scale assault on Blofeld (which includes an awesome shot of Bond sliding across an ice covered walkway belly first into battle with a machine gun!).

After a bobsled run leaves Blofeld supposedly dead, Bond, realizing his true feelings for Tracy, marries her leading to a heartbreaking denouement as Blofeld enacts one last act of revenge and has her viciously murdered minutes into their honeymoon.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a showcase of how to properly execute an epic Bond film.

Gone are the fantasy and over-the-top machinations of spaceship hijacks, rocket cigarettes, and secret volcano bases from the last film.

Though the overall threat level may be reduced comparatively, Blofeld’s plan remains one of global devastation keeping the stakes up to par with the two previous films but with a far more grounded approach (despite the ludicrous nature of the brainwashed girls being utilized for biological warfare).

The Best Bond? Yeah, I think so. Like most people who are interested in James Bond, I saw the films over and over on TV before I read any of the books. I then got round to buying Casino Royale, and being knocked out by it - this was somewhat different to Moonraker and all that Roger Moore stuff. So I read the books in their sequence, seriously the best way, and by the time OHMSS came round, I had a pretty good idea of who James Bond was. And, I'm sorry to inform all the Seanophiles, James Bond is not Connery, Moore, Dalton (though he came close, but is Welsh..)or Brosnan. Oddly enough, given the choices, he's kind of like George Lazenby.

Sure, Sean Connery was suave, sexy, and spoke rather curiously, Timothy Dalton had the serious side sorted, Brosnan is sophisticated etc, Roger Moore.. well, another time, maybe.

George Lazenby, maybe due to his lack of experience, (though why is his debut so widely mulled over in that respect.... it's not something that most actors are subjected to?) is not so at ease with his surroundings, not so cocksure that everything is going to work out fine as the others, and this is the real James Bond. The one in the books. You can almost believe in this one. And when things don't work out fine, you feel a weird familiarity with him. He's just a man, though admittedly he's disproportionately talented at a pretty impressive range of activities, from skiing to flying, swordsmanship, shooting people, jumping out of things, carnal endeavours etc.. Oh no, sorry, that's me. Well, anyway, I'm quite tired now. OHMSS is the best of the films, though From Russia With Love contains possibly the finest fight scene of all and maybe the best trio of baddies (including a slightly peripatetic Blofeld)and is Connery's best.

George Lazenby is the best Bond, because his talents - a certain naturalistic charm, physical dexterity, and a capacity for possible failure - are used brilliantly, and he is closer by far than any of the others to the book-Bond.

There you go.

Oh, and Diana Rigg is the best 'Bond girl', though that description is not very fair to her, We Have All The Time In The World is the best Bond song, and the theme tune is possibly John Barry's finest work.. let alone being the best Bond title theme.

There you go again.

Thanks for reading, and if you happen to disagree, well... you're wrong. Cheers.

- qholway

More significant is Bond’s personal journey at the heart of the picture which effectively sells the danger present.

Moreover, Majesty presents one of the rare instances where Bond is a true underdog – the metaphoric St. George vs. the dragon.

The desperate barrage of near misses is practically overwhelming and, for the first time since a few hints in Dr. No, we witness a Bond that is almost overcome with fear.

Heck, at one point, as 007 is trying to avoid Blofeld’s goons in a crowd, he accidentally runs into a polar bear-suited man brandishing a camera.

 Like "From Russia With Love," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is  filled with mysterious characters and realistic action Blofeld's plot  involves germ warfare and his stronghold this time is a converted Swiss  allergy clinic The film is loaded with actionski chases, bobsled  chases, car chases, helicopter attacks, fights in the surf, fights in  the hotel, fights in the office Peter Hunt succeeded in distracting the  audience from noticing that a new Bond was on duty 

The new  Bond pauses to take a finger of caviar... Dom Perignon'57 and five-star  Hennessey brandy are his mouthwashes of choice... He discovers that he  lived with his aunt in Pett Buttom, and his family motto is 'The World  Is Not Enough.' He impersonates a genealogist to gain entrance to Piz  Gloria... He wants to take the head of SPECTRE to Augsburg (West  Germany) to verify certain records regarding his claim to a title... He  spurns a Mafioso one million gold dowry; uses telescopic sight from a  sniper's rifle to spot a beautiful young woman on the beach; wipes away a  Contessa's tears; drives his Aston Martin wearing a hat and smoking a  cigarette, and turns to the viewer saying in perfect seriousness, "This  never happened to the other fella."

The sixth Bond film takes  place all over Europe with a united nations of glamorous babes called  'angels of death,' where 007 finally meets his female match, falls in  love, and gets married The motion picture is an emotional story that  reveals more of the world of 007

It starts with Bond, ready to  resign from the Secret Service for being taking off Operation Bedlam...  With John Barry's best music, Bond reminds us of a whole bunch of  familiar faces... He begins to look over his mementos which include  Honey's knife belt from 'Dr. No,' and the strangler watch from 'From  Russia with Love.' The sequences from all the previous Bond films  reinforced the idea that this new Bond is still a member of the same  team, a man who answers to a crusty retired Admiral, and still is  engaged in sexy banter with a loving secretary...

It is Draco's  daughter though, the ravishing Tracy (Diana Rigg), who adds a bit of  class to the role of the Bond girl, and makes the film quiet  interesting... Tracy is the troubled woman who steals Bond's heart...  She is a spoiled woman wandering fully clothed into the sea... She is  dangerous with her red Ford Cougar, a broken bottle, and at the baccarat  table...

Gabriele Ferzetti is one of the most sympathetic Mafia  dons ever to charm the screen Draco likes the fact that Bond is  interested in his daughter, and he's determined to help her find the  right husband 

Telly Savalas' Blofeld does reveal sides to his  character previously unseen: the class snobberywhich M remarks upon,  and the vanity which Tracy flatters to force him off his guard, and his  irritation with one of his skiers who ends up in a tree... Posing as a  world-famous allergist, this bald arch-villain would only give up his  deadly scheme throughout the world if offered a complete pardon for past  crimes and a title...

Irma Bunt was perfectly portrayed by  German actress Ilse Steppat, who, unfortunately died soon after the  film's release She is Blofeld's second-in-command, who keeps the  Count's attractive 'patients' under control...

Angela Scoular (Ruby) becomes Bond's first conquest when she writes her room number in lipstick on 007's inner thigh

Moneypenny  (Lois Maxwell) hands her boss a request for two weeks leave rather than  Bond's dictated resignation... Her act results at once funny, moving  and warm: 'What would I do without you?' ask both Bond and M separately  once she's settled their contretemps...

"On Her Majesty's Secret  Service" features Barry's exquisite song, "We Have All the Time in the  World," which is sung with real emotion by Louis Armstrong... 

- Nazi_Fighter_David

Lazenby’s bug-eyed overreaction at the sight is enough to make Bruce Campbell proud!

Regardless, this approach leads to a far more gripping adventure and one that perfectly lays the basis for the film’s tragic ending.

Much has been said about George Lazenby’s performance in this film.

Is he the natural successor to Sean Connery? Very few (if any) would say so; however, what he lacks in charm and screen presence, he makes up for in sheer earnestness.

His most redeeming quality is that, outside of Daniel Craig, he is the best brawler in the franchise delivering vicious uppercuts and thoroughly selling all his fight scenes – particularly an early rousing mano a mano hotel fight.

Beyond his athleticism (he would later train with Bruce Lee himself), Lazenby’s best scenes are centered on character actions that diverged significantly from anything associated with Connery’s portrayal – particularly Bond’s tender proposal to Tracy and his tearful reaction to her death.

In these fleeting scenes, Lazenby more-or-less succeeds in delivering a poignant, sincere performance.

If anything, what really bogs down Lazenby the most is the vestige of Connery.

Unlike Roger Moore who was given the opportunity to make Bond his own, Lazenby is put in the unenviable position of trying to emulate him.

Having been a huge Bond fan since I was a mere lad in the early '80s, I still don't know why I just recently saw this film for the first time in 2010. I suppose I must blame the fact that it is criminally underrated and under promoted. It's very rarely shown on TV except on holiday Bondathons (I love those!) and casual fans typically know nothing of it. I've always considered myself more than just a casual Bond fan, so I finally ordered the Ultimate Edition DVD recently and I INSTANTLY ranked this among the all time greats of the series. Wish I had seen it earlier, but no matter, I will view it many more times over the years....

Lazenby's Bond was much more realistic and true to the novels, a human being that is far more talented than most, but not a superhero and in this movie not armed with numerous gadgets. He certainly played the role with dignity and it's a shame he didn't return for at least one more. But I am glad that Roger Moore was able to enter the series in his prime shortly after this rather than waiting until later, so it worked out.

Beautiful places have always been an integral part of Bond films, and it doesn't get more beautiful than the Swiss Alps. I'm going to make a point of visiting Blofeld's headquarters (a real restaurant) one of these days. It must have been quite an undertaking to build it in such an isolated place as they discussed in the DVD extras. I also love Bond's modernized Aston Martin in this film and the look of the film in general is just fantastic. And for home theater owners, the avalanche scene sounds absolutely amazing on a powerful system! I thought pictures on the wall in my theater room were going to fall!

SPOILERS: This film is unique in that Bond falls in love marries for the only time in the entire series, but being Bond, it was bound to end badly. A touching scene, the only real one in the entire Bond series actually. His wife was a very memorable and charismatic Bond girl and now I can put into context the visit that Roger Moore made in the beginning of For Your Eyes Only.

Bottom line, if you're a Bond fan, having this in your collection is mandatory.

- Enforcer686

From the awkward kilt get-up to some awful puns noticeably ADR’d in at the last minute (not to mention a badly conceived pre-credits fourth wall break that bizarrely refers to Connery as the “other fella”), the film may as well have been called In Sir Connery’s Public Shadow.

It doesn’t help that in an attempt to hammer into viewers that this is indeed the same James Bond as Connery, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is full of constant call backs to the previous films, such as Bond looking over his office keepsakes from Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Thunderball…

 I must admit I initially never gave this entry much of a chance.   Whenever it was on TV I tried to watch it, but I just couldn't get into  it.  Then last year, I saw a widescreen tape version on sale and decided  to buy it. When I finished watching it I was sorry I had ignored it for  so long.  It's very good.  I thought Lazenby did a good job as Bond,  and Savalas turned in equally good work as Bond's nemesis.  And Rigg is  as sharp as she is lovely. This is one for the collection. 

- cmt-2

…a dwarf randomly whistling the tune from Goldfinger, and, most egregiously, a credit sequence that focuses on Connery-less clips from the preceding entries in the series!

To understand the controversy behind `On Her Majesty's Secret Service,' one must understand the events so impacting the spy genre by the time of its production in 1969. After the back to back tremendous successes of `Goldfinger' and `From Russia With Love,' every hack producer and distributor rushed to make spy movies.

There were serious ones (`The Spy That Came in From the Cold,' `The Ipcress File'), satirical ones (`Our Man Flint,' `The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,' `Get Smart' ), and incredibly silly ones (`The Silencers,' `Last of the Secret Agents,' `Casino Royale'). `Casino Royale' was especially damaging, since it was (VERY LOOSELY) based on a Fleming novel, and used the character of James Bond, 007.

In fact, in `Casino Royale,' nearly EVERYBODY played `James Bond'. `If we don't know what we are doing, how will the enemy,' was the explanation `James Bond' (David Niven) gave to explain why MI6 was calling all its agents `James Bond'.

To protect their franchise, the producers of the `real' James Bond movies emphasized in their promotion `Sean Connery IS James Bond.' In a demonstration of `gratitude,' Connery up and quit the series, leaving `On Her Majesty's Secret Service,' which was shortly to go into production, without a `Bond.'

Arguably the most ambitious and difficult to shoot of ALL the Bond films (at least to that time), it's a miracle ANYTHING works in OHMSS. Much of the time it works VERY well, though the shaky underpinnings of the first hour frequently threaten to undo it. There is so much choppy editing and dubbed dialogue, one begins to suspect he is watching a foreign film.

The second hour plus works much better, all the more surprising since it was shot first. One reason may be that the film went WAY over both shooting schedule and budget, and there was enough made up `bad' press to put a great deal of pressure on the producers, first time director, Peter Hunt and star, George Lazenby.

In the middle of it all, Lazenby's publicist announced that Lazenby was not going to do another Bond (Lazenby is credible when he says that announcement was not his idea. One suspects, from the bonus material, that Cubby Broccoli planted that story to discredit Lazenby, should the film fail). Add to all this the films' tacked-on, unhappy ending (planned to be the prologue for `Diamonds are Forever'), which plays completely against the humor of earlier moments, and it's a wonder the film was NOT a dismal failure.

Quite the contrary, OHMSS is one of the BEST of the Bond films, filled with nonstop action, outstanding stunts, incredible sound, the best score (along with `Goldfinger') and a credible enough romance to lend it genuine poignancy. Lazenby overcame many tremendous handicaps: having to replace one of the best known and popular actors in the world; he was 28, younger than Connery when he made `Dr. No'; he was completely inexperienced as an actor (OHMSS was Lazenby's FIRST movie, not just his first starring role); his accent (thick Australian outback) and the INCREDIBLE physical demands (Lazenby did many of his own stunts).

Considering all this, Lazenby is downright remarkable. Certainly, in my opinion he is better than either the snooty Timothy Dalton or the lightweight Roger Moore were in ANY of their outings as Bond..

The bonus feature on the DVD concludes with strong evidence that Lazenby became a scapegoat, despite the eventual financial success of OHMSS. Lazenby, refreshingly displays no bitterness that his career nearly ended as soon as it began. He's had a reasonably busy career playing character roles and we have OHMSS. Not a bad deal at all.

- Bob-45

This backfires in a couple of ways: 1.) it keeps reminding the audience of Connery and henceforth how much better he was in the role and, 2.) it establishes the film in a firm continuity with what has happened before – a continuity that the film blatantly breaks by disregarding the fact that Blofeld and Bond have met before!

The Bond producers had shortsightedly adapted Ian Fleming‘s S.P.E.C.T.R.E. trilogy out of order (Majesty is actually the dark middle chapter between Thunderball and You Only Live Twice) causing significant narrative issues and also robbing the natural revenge-bent conclusion that You Only Live Twice aptly provided (akin to releasing Return of the Jedi before The Empire Strikes Back and attempting to place a band-aid on the story issues).

In the books, this was the first instance of Bond and Blofeld meeting face-to-face and since this was a more faithful adaptation, a choice was made to not have the characters recognize each other despite meeting at the conclusion of the last film (a choice easily unraveled by the opening credit flashbacks to Twice!).

 This is one of my favorite Bond's.  It has the best story and most  closely resemble the original novel.  It has become notorious for  featuring a one-time Bond, George Lazenby, but it surpasses most of the  later films.

Lazenby gets far too much criticism.  As a first  time actor, he is quite good.  Yes, his performance is mixed, but so are  several other actors, many with far more experience.  More time should  have been put into acting classes and rehearsal for Lazenby, to prepare  him for the role.  Instead, they concentrated on his look and  mannerisms.  This has been one of the failing aspects to the films; the  emphasis on sight rather than substance.

Diana Rigg is fantastic  as Tracy, which is to be expected.  Who else but Emma Peel could marry  James Bond? (wonder what Mr. Peel thought, or Steed, for that matter.)   Rigg is the first, and arguably the last real actress to play the female  lead in a Bond film.  Most are chosen for their looks and their  performance rarely rises above looking sexy.  Rigg has the looks and sex  appeal, but she also has the acting chops and tends to dominate any  scene she is in.

Telly Savalas was an interesting, yet mixed  choice for Blofeld.  He is quite charming, but not very menacing.  He  was far deadlier in the Dirty Dozen. Blofeld was far more effective  before he was seen in the series. Imagination was always far better than  reality.  Savalas seems more like a gangster than a megalomaniac.   Since I saw this after Kojak, I kept waiting for him to say, "who loves  ya baby?"

The stunts are fantastic and act in service to the  plot.  The ski chase is gripping and the tension builds throughout.   Although it becomes obvious in several scenes that Diana Rigg is doubled  by a man, it is not too distracting.

Ultimately, the story  raises this above the level of most Bond films.  The plot moves along at  a quick pace and there are few sidelines.  The jokes are kept to a  minimum and character is stressed.  The actions scenes are eye catching,  but never out of place.  The threat is believable and the final  resolution to Blofeld's plans works.  

Spoiler: The director has  said he would have preferred to open Diamonds Are Forever with Tracy's  death, and then lead to the search for Blofeld. I disagree.  I think the  death scene is one of Lazenby's best and it carries quite an impact.   It let's you know that Bond must return to his work to gain vengeance.  I  think DAF should have opened with a flashback to the scene and then the  hunt for Blofeld.  If the death had not occurred at the end of OHMSS,  then the opening of DAF would feel like a cheat, much like the opening  of the second Austin Powers film.  It would just seem like an excuse to  get rid of the wife and return to business as usual. 

- grendelkhan

The only slim explanation is that Bond is in disguise (which consists of a pair of glasses – the epitome of incognito espionage – and a different accent) and that Blofeld has cut off his earlobes in the hopes of achieving a prestigious title.

But hey, if it works for Superman, maybe it works for Bond too.

Continuity issues aside, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service provides yet another positive up-step in the series in the form of Telly Savalas – hands down the best Blofeld to date (Christolph Waltz included).

Smart, menacing, and conniving, Savalas’ Blofeld is the anti-Bond, every bit as charming and clever as our hero.

On the surface, he may not look as memorable as Donald Pleasence‘s take on the character, but he is far more effective and a true threat to Bond.

Diana Rigg is as beautiful as she is brilliant as Tracy.

It never rings false that this is the woman that finally snags Bond’s heart.

Vulnerable but with a subdued fire ready to spring, Rigg is terrific, managing to effortlessly lift the struggling Lazenby in every scene they share.

I have read some of the negative reviews for this movie and I have to  say that I agree with NONE of them except for the slightly unnecessary  two and a half hour length. 

Regardless, this doesn't ruin On Her  Majesty's Secret Service in any way to warrant a serious complaint as  far as I'm concerned. As with the positive reviews this film received, I  agree with most all of them. For one, George Lazenby replacing Sean  Connery as Bond may have displeased some but I think he did just as good  of a job and would not have minded a bit if he became the next Bond for  a few more films. 

This movie also had some enjoyable action scenes;  some of which would later get mimicked in future Bond installments. The  bond girl is by far one of the best. 

To be a little more specific, this  bond girl plays a significant part in the Bond series as a whole that no  other bond girl shares. However, I won't reveal why that is because I  don't usually give spoilers for the courtesy of those who haven't seen  the films that I review. 

The ending alone for this movie got several  mixed reviews but I can say with certainty that had it not ended the way  it did, the Bond franchise might have come to an end. 

- thomas-williamson-ga

Likewise, once they partner up in the second half escape, they make a memorable, natural team (I especially like Bond stealing kisses as she mercilessly drives enemy cars off the road!).

Her wedding day demise (a death that shrewdly bookends a film that began with her suicide attempt) is a tragedy brought to fruition almost solely due to her indelible charisma – a gutsy move from the Bond producers whose films were mostly known for escapist fun.

Keeping in line with the grittier productions of the time such as Bonnie and Clyde, Midnight Cowboy, and Easy Rider, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service presented a natural, contemporary progression for the Bond series – a turn that was regrettably rejected in a 180° about face with the campy Diamonds Are Forever two years later.

Peter Hunt, stepping into the director’s chair after editing all the previous Bond pictures, shapes one of the most stylized film in the series.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) is the first Bond film to replace Sean Connery and the only film which Australian actor George Lazenby portrays the role of James Bond.

This film is probably the most faithful adaption to the Bond novels, giving the film a sense of realism and drama.

James Bond is on a search for his nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld (portrayed by Telly Savalas) who had merely escaped his death from the previous film, You Only Live Twice (1967).

He encounters a beautiful countess named Tracy (portrayed by Diana Rigg) who is the daughter of Marc Ange Draco (portrayed by Gabrielle Fazzetti), boss of a huge crime organization called the Union Corse.

Due to Bond's detour, M (Bernard Lee) suspends him from the mission, Bond responds to almost resigning from the Secret Service as he is saved by Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) who writes to M that he was going to take a several-week vacation.

As Bond falls in love with Tracy, he also finds connections to Blofeld through a College of Arms professor, Sir Hillary Bray (portrayed by George Baker).

Apparently Blofeld is disguising as a Count running a clinic in the Swiss Alps that supposedly cures allergies of all kinds. Bond infiltrates Blofeld's base disguising as Hillary Bray, encountering beautiful girl patients ("Angels of Death") from various countries.

Bond discovers the psychic therapy the patients go through while sleeping with one of the patients.

Bond's cover gets blown and is captured by Blofeld, who reveals his plan to spread a pandemic that could wipe out the world through his "cured" patients.

Bond escapes the base through an elaborate and well-choreographed ski chase as he encounters Tracy who helps him escape from Blofeld's crew.

Later that night, Bond proposes to Tracy (something we will never see in a Bond film) and plans to quit his job after this mission. Unfortunately, their time is cut short as Blofeld kidnaps Tracy after another ski chase.

Bond and Draco rescues Tracy and blows up Blofeld's facility. Blofeld breaks his neck during a bobsled chase with Bond, but manages to survive. Bond and Tracy get married and are happily driving down the road until a sudden machine gun fire from Blofeld's henchman Irma Bunt (portrayed by Ilse Steppat) fatally hits Tracy.

The film ends with Bond in tears (another thing we'll never see in a Bond film) over his blood-shed Bride, as he murmurs to a traffic cop that "We had all the time in the World".

This film was financially successful, but did not make a profit as much as its predecessors did.

The critical response was somewhat positive, but was negative towards Lazenby's portrayal of James Bond. I would give a lot of credit to the filmmakers (especially director Peter Hunt) who polished Lazenby into a fine Bond.

Considering how Lazenby did not have any acting experience prior to this film, I would give him credit for portraying that very emotional and tender side of Bond.

Lazenby also matched that physique of a Bond, as it is portrayed through the excellently choreographed fight sequences. Despite those feats, Lazenby quit the role of Bond from a bad career advice from his agent who saw no future into the Bond films.

I would also praise Lazenby for not parroting Connery's take on Bond, as most actors would most-likely parrot their predecessor's approach to the character.

This film would not have been as good if Connery was portraying his rough and cold-hearted edge of Bond. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a great film with great action, story, and music that defines the true essence and pleasure of a Bond film.

- bock_g

Some of the shots, composed by cinematographer Michael Reed, are incredible with a particular focus on reflections such as Bond wistfully recalling Tracy’s kidnapping while looking through a window…

Suggestive of the story further delving into Bond as a human being (this is, after all, the film where we finally learn more about his history and family motto, “The World is Not Enough”), these artistic touches help accent the story rather than existing only to call attention to themselves.

As mentioned before, Lazenby excels during the action scenes – sequences that run the gamut of creative staging and editing. Although there are a few minor quibbles such as Hunt’s preference for fast motion editing, the film’s set-pieces provide a sustained high-level of excitement with a few creative twists thrown in for good measure (such as a chase through evergreen forest with Bond on one ski).

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Fleming’s tenth 007 novel, is one of the most faithful adaptations in the Bond film series – very much a welcome sight after the Roald Dahl-scripted fantasy of You Only Live Twice.

As such, there aren’t many significant differences between the source and screen. By the same token, the film version follows the same path as From Russia with Love and Goldfinger with some minor improvements to the novel.

For example, the book has both Bond and Tracy successfully escaping Blofeld’s forces in Switzerland.

Once, at the library, I had a flashback of something my history teacher once told me. "Without Soviet Union, we wouldn't have had a lot of things." Then, someone mentioned, accurately, that Bond films owe their existence to the hammer and the sickle. Then he said, "Pooh, the Bond FILMS! Read the BOOKS. They're good stuff. The films are just bunch of women and gadgets." So I went to look for Ian Fleming, and the title that caught my eye was On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which is recognized as one of the best books in the series. I started reading the book. I was surprised at how slow pace and dark it was, and how Bond wasn't this confident, suave character who always knows what to do. Sean Connery is not, I repeat, not, Ian Fleming's James Bond. Of course, he is the best film version of James Bond, but he is too good a suave character to be Bond. I can't imagine a superspy who'd say "Yeesss" as Connery does.

I must say, more than anyone, George Lazenby is the James Bond of Ian Fleming's novels. He is like Bond in the books, trying to be smooth but always somewhat unsure. He has a command of the screen, that he isn't afraid to tell you he's there. The biggest gripe I have about Pierce Brosnan is how he sometimes doesn't get a grip of things on set and his somewhat higher, softer voice (and also how he pumps endless rounds of automatic fire upon enemies who have a propensity for getting hit while he himself has to be missed by endless rounds of enemy fire). Lazenby has a voice that I imagine Bond would certainly have. I certainly don't think he was a bad Bond. I think he WAS Bond. The other four actors have played their versions of Bond, but Lazenby is the only believable, human, imperfect James Bond. And his lines aren't that bad, come on. The only poorly delivered line was, "He had lots of guts." I think he should have delivered that with a bit more Connery, but that's a minor detail.

The stunts are great and so is the scenery, and the only bad cinematics are in the ski scenes when they show closeups from the front. They look very fake, but that must be forgiven for 1969 when it was made. They did not have Handicams and they certainly did not have Photoshop to blend projected images as well as we can nowadays. But they certainly do not distract the excitement from some of the best snow scenes in 007 films. The ski chases which became trademark of James Bond started here. It's funny how in the book, Bond is very worried about skiing, since he's rusty from not having skied for a long time. The sled chase is excellent also.

OHMSS is the only film where Bond drinks beer and gets married. Which brings me up to the next point, that Diana Riggs as Tracy Draco (later Bond) happens to be perhaps the best Bond girl ever. Without doubt, she is full of excitement and danger, not afraid to strap on a couple of skis amid gunfire and avalanche. Certainly not a certain Natalya Simonova. She is Bond's identical counterpart, experienced but having gotten nothing out of relationships, and quite a driver also. She's the only Bond girl to really connect with the audience, to make herself more important in comparison to Bond, but that's part of the excellent novel on which the movie is based. Whatever happens to her touches the audience more than whatever happens to Bond (who, as we all know, will always somehow make it). Her surprise appearance at the Christmas celebration brightens up everything in an instant, and the ending is probably the only genuinely sad scene in all 20 of the Bond films.

The opening scene is great in terms of action, but I found it rather disappointing that for no apparent reason, baddies want to kill Bond. The book does it a lot better, and it wouldn't have been much more difficult to do what the book did, although that would not have provided the proper material to introduce the new Bond with the immortal, "This never happened to the other fellow." See, how it is told in the novel is he spies on Tracy as she tries to drown herself, and by this time Bond knows her. He is spied on by Draco's men who take him in, and the rest of the story is told in flashback, with a car chase leading up to the casino scene and rendezvous, without all this fighting mysterious bad guys in between. But I thought the opening sequence was quite good, even with the change-up. It's just, with what proof does Bond try to rescue Tracy? She could have been just going out for a swim. It makes much more sense when he has already met Tracy. Yet some of the additions to the movie are good, such as having Tracy with Blofeld when SPECTRE headquarters is attacked. It makes it that much more personal.

This is my first review on IMDB, and OHMSS gets a well-deserved 10 out of 10. Bond in kilts, hypnosis, world domination, and Blofeld's cat combine to make it a worthy experience. Lazenby was not the best Bond, but perhaps the only real Bond. OHMSS is easily the best Bond film, and dare I say, the ONLY Bond film.

- wontgetfooled622

This leads to an implausible and less motivated reason for Bond to seek out Draco’s assistance for an all out assault on Blofeld’s base – especially since the novel has M sanctioning the attack rather than having his hands tied.

This has the unfortunate effect of keeping Bond’s personal initiative lower in addition to unwisely omitting Tracy from the narrative for a significant amount of time.

Despite the overall polish to the novel’s film adaptation, there are a couple of missteps.

For instance, both the book and movie begin with Tracy’s beach suicide attempt; however, the book doesn’t present the event as randomly as the movie suggests. The novel spells out that not only has Bond met with Tracy but that they’ve already spent the night together (a scene that takes place later in the film). Guess the producers opted not to have the first woman George Lazenby slept with in the franchise attempt to kill herself afterword!

The novel’s approach to this opening is far superior.

Going by the movie, the scene plays out as not only coincidental but totally incomprehensible when you put all the pieces together.

Bond randomly follows a girl to a beach, stalks her with a rifle scope, somehow deduces that she is trying to commit suicide rather than a swim (which would have been supremely awkward if he was mistaken), rescues her, and then is attacked by her bodyguards (who really only had one job to do!)?

It could be implied that Bond had been tracking her due to her parental ties and possible Blofeld lead but the film later suggests otherwise.

While certainly not as egregious as Thunderball‘s pile of coincidences, this is certainly one of the weakest narrative points in the film.

 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) in my opinion was the best film  of the series. I felt that George Lazenby was unfairly slagged by the  critics for his performance. He did the best that he could. His acting  fit very well for his character.

The direction moved the film at  an even pace. The action set pieces were impressive and Diana Rigg was  hot. Telly Savalas was excellent as Blofield, he gave the character a  suave touch. But you call tell that underneath his mack daddy act he was  all business, and violent business indeed.

Everything about this  movie had a cool aura to it. The stunt scenes were amazing (for it's  era) and the cinematography was beautifully shot. I had one bone to pick  with the film. The in jokes got a bit heavy handed. Other than that  it's a fun film. Too bad George Lazenby was demoted to B-Movie hell  after this flick (at least he got a three picture deal with Golden  Harvest where he made three classic action films).

I have to give this movie a high recommendation. If you love the James Bond series you'll enjoy this one. 

- Captain_Couth

Outside of a few flaws here and there, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is very much one of the best in the series. Lazenby isn’t as bad as has been often ascribed and while it would have been interesting to see his continuation in further films had he not backed out, it is doubtful if the series as a whole would have continued as successfully as it did without him.

Though it’s a great shame that Connery didn’t get the opportunity to play Bond in this film, which saw a return to form to the more cloak and dagger thriller efforts of the earliest entries in the series, considering his fatigued performances in You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever this may have turned out for the best.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is directed by Peter Hunt and adapted to screenplay by Richard Maibaum from the novel written by Ian Fleming. It stars George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Ilse Steppat, Yuri Borienko and Gabriele Ferzetti. Music is by John Barry and cinematography by Michael Reed.

Bond 6 and 007 is obsessed with locating SPECTRE supremo Ernst Stavro Blofeld. After rescuing beautiful Countess Tracy di Vincenzo from suicide, this brings Bond into contact with her father, Marc Ange Draco, who agrees to help Bond find Blofeld in exchange for 007 courting Tracy. Blofeld is located in the Switzerland Alps at Piz Gloria, where he is masterminding a fiendish plot involving biological extinction of food group species'. Bond will need to use all his wits to stop the plan from being executed, he also has big matters of the heart to contend to as well...

Connery gone, but not for good as it turned out, so into the tuxedo came George Lazenby, an Australian model with no previous acting experience of note. It would be Lazenby's only stint as 007, badly advised by those around him that Bond had no future in the upcoming 70s, his head swelling with ego by the day (something he readily admits and regrets), Lazenby announced he would only be doing the one James Bond film. The legacy of OHMSS is the most interesting in the whole Bond franchise, for where once it was reviled and wrongly accused of being a flop, it now, over 40 years later, is regarded as being one of the finest entries in the whole series. Yes it is still divisive, I have seen some fearful arguments about its worth, but generations of critics and film makers have come along to laud it as essential Bond and essential Fleming's Bond at that.

Everything about OHMSS is different to what Connery's Bond had become, the gadgets are gone and heaven forbid, Bond got a heart and fell in love. He was a man, with real aggression, real emotions and forced to use brain and brawn instead of mechanical trickery. Changes in the production department, too, wasn't just about Lazenby's appearance. Peter Hunt, previously the Bond film's editor, directed his one and only Bond film, and Michael Reed on cinematography also appears for the one and only time. New Bond, new era, but reviews were mixed and in spite of making a profit of over $73 million Worldwide, this was considerably down on previous films. The reviews didn't help, with much scorn poured on Lazenby for not being Connery, but really it's hard to imagine anyone coming in and not getting beat with that particular stick! Box office take wasn't helped by the film's length, at over 2 hours 10 minutes, this restricted the number of showings in theatres, something that should be greatly noted.

Away from Bond anyway, OHMSS is a stunning action thriller in its own right. From the opening beach side fist fight, where uppercuts lift men off their feet and drop kicks propel them backwards, to helicopter attacks, bobsleigh pursuits (resplendent with punches and flinging bodies), ski chases and a car chase in the middle of a stock car race: on ice! There's enough pulse pumping action here to fill out two Bond movies. But the Bond aspects are magnificent as well. Lazenby has wonderful physicality and throws a mean punch, he cuts a fine figure of a man and he's acting inexperience isn't a problem in the hands of the astute Hunt. Lazenby is matched by Rigg as Tracy, the best Bond girl of them all, she's no bimbo, she's tough (fighting off a guy with a broken bottle), smart yet vulnerable, funny and heart achingly beautiful, her interplay with Lazenby is brilliantly executed, so much so that when the devastating finale arrives it has extra poignancy. A scene that closes the film on a downbeat note and remains the most emotional scene ever put into a Bond movie.

Savalas finally gives us a villain who can compete with Bond on a physical level, making the fight between them an evenly matched and believable one. He lacks Pleasance's sinister fizzog, though the bald pate and Grecian looks marks Savalas out as an imposing foe as well. The Swiss Alps setting is gorgeous, with Reed capturing the scope magnificently, while some of his colour lensing in the interiors soothe the eyes considerably. Barry's score is one of his best, lush romantic strains accompany Tracy and James, operatic overtures dart in and out of the Swiss scenery and the James Bond theme is deftly woven into the action sequences. Louis Armstrong's beautiful "We Have All The Time In The World" features prominently, perfectly romantic and forever to be thought of as part of the Bond Universe. Finally it's the great writing that gives us the best sequence involving the trifecta of Bond, Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) and M (Bernard Lee). 5 minutes of class that gives Moneypenny an acknowledged importance in the relationship between the two men in her life. It's just one of a number of truly excellent scenes in the greatest Bond film of them all. 10/10

- hitchcockthelegend

With the best Blofeld, one of the strongest Bond girls, a great script, edge-of-your seat action and suspense, and possibly the best musical score in the series, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a winner providing a natural sense of pathos that the succeeding 007 films have rarely been able to reproduce.

Musings…

Did you know that this is the only fully Christmas-themed Bond film, complete with an original holiday song “Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown?” (a song that makes Disney‘s “It’s a Small World” seem macho by comparison)? Heck, if Die Hard can be considered a Christmas movie, why not a Bond film?

Who knew that one of the grittiest Bond films of all time had a scene of super-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld decorating a Christmas tree?

One odd note: as Tracy is revealing to her father that she is genuinely falling love with Bond, the scene keeps cutting to 007 ogling a playmate centerfold (a centerfold that he actually rips out and keeps!).

True love indeed!

While the shocking ending has been revered as one of the series’ most dramatic moments, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service provides another contender just minutes before.

Since Dr. No, the Bond films had established a hat-tossing trick that would introduce the flirty repertoire between 007 and Moneypenny.

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is a sadly under-appreciated Bond film which is stylishly-directed and features an outstanding score, like most of these early Bond films. Other than a silly self-referential line in the teaser and some sappy romantic montages, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is a thrilling adventure which sees Bond traveling to the Swiss Alps to encounter villains and partake in dangerous action sequences.

It sounds like a Bond film, alright, but this is actually quite different from the formulaic films one would later expect from the series, and the sort of film Bond was gravitating towards with "Thunderball" and "You Only Live Twice". It certainly delivers on the promise of sexual innuendo and lots of provocatively dressed women, but it's a different sort of Bond in that it seems to be more straight-faced and harsh, culminating in what is probably the saddest Bond ending. It's also probably the closest to Fleming's version of Bond outside of "Casino Royale", although "The Living Daylights" was also somewhat similar to the literary Bond. As a Fleming fan it is nice to see the Bond series take after the books.

Lazenby, who has been frequently criticized and is many people's least favorite Bond, actually does a decent job of the role. He's nowhere near as good as Connery, of course, but I thought that other than the scenes where he tried to seriously emote, he carried the film with his charisma and physical presence. I strongly believe he should have continued in the role. Lazenby fits the content of the film, which is certainly far more down to Earth than many other Bond films, and focuses heavily on hand-to-hand combat in the action scenes, which is somewhat refreshing after the overblown (entertaining, but seriously outrageous) action scenes in "You Only Live Twice". This is a genuinely good script, with a solid plot, good dialogue, and good characterization.

It's not just a throwaway action flick, it's an excellent espionage thriller with a strong dramatic core, and as fun as things like "Goldfinger" certainly are, it's nice to see one of these movies treat women as more than mere sex objects, and it's interesting to see a Bond girl paired with a Bond who reacts as a human would and not a cartoon character. Diana Rigg is probably my favorite Bond girl. She gives a strong performance and is helped by an excellent script which gives her a fair amount to do.

By staying closer to the source material, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" dramatically improves on its two predecessors and features some of the best locations in the series, although I admit my familiarity with the majority of the Swiss shooting locations gives me a nostalgic view of things. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is a strong contender for the title of best Bond film.

- ametaphysicalshark

As the wedded Bond and Tracy approach his Aston Martin DBS, he turns towards a teary-eyed Moneypenny and affectionately tosses her his hat.

It’s a quiet, beautiful moment between the two characters.

Perhaps a case of eerie foreshadowing, Lazenby’s gun-barrel sequence is the only one in the series where the dripping blood completely washes away Bond from the screen!

Conclusion

This is great escapist fun. It’s perfect for boys and men of all ages, and women like it too.

If you are bored, and want to kill some time, this movie will put you into a world and environment that is both exciting and refreshing. It’s a great romp into another universe.

I do hope that you enjoyed his article. I have others in my Movie Index here…

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Awesome Movies – The James Bond 007 classic – Thunderball.

How can movies stand the test of time? I really don’t know. But in my mind, this 007 James Bond flick seems to get better with age. There are so many things that I love about this movie. It’s just stunning.

This movie fits the public narrative perfectly. Men watch the movie as escapist entertainment where they can envision themselves in the same role. Shooting bad guys, seducing women, and looking good while going on exciting adventures all over the world, and riding in nice sports cars.

And, it’s true, too. Women feel the same way in the roles that portray the women as well.

Thunderball - this film's undersea battle is still rated among the top ones of all time - but I liked the "moments"- remembering how everyone on campus had a mink glove or access to one, after this film - fun memory.

And  how many of the "gimmicks" were brand new at the time - the amazing jet  pack flying suit is still a topic of conversation and excitement for  those who now chase the hoverboard;  and then neat "discipline" gimmick  for  the embezzling Spectre agent #9 

- and Domino's brother's lookalike  surgery,  and the bombs and their robbery, and the famous " Do you mind  if my partner rests here for a moment 

- she'd "Just DEAD" when the  villainess is shot by her own men aiming for Bond 

- and then Domino's  "  I killed him - I'm glad I killed him"  line when she gets Largo .  

A  perfectly perfect take from  " you killed him - I'm  glad you killed  him"  quoted from Melanie  in Gone with the Wind , to Scarlett, when   she shoots the home invading soldier as he tries to harm her - "right  between the eyes" as her paw would have taught her. 

- Elle Shopper Lady

The pre-title credits sequence was set in Paris, France at the funeral of JB (SPECTRE operative No. 6, French Colonel Jacques Bouvar (or Boitier)), who had murdered two agents, Bond’s colleagues.

Bouvar had faked his own death (reportedly passing away in his sleep) and dressed up as his own widow (Rose Alba/Bob Simmons).

After the funeral and aware of the ruse/disguise, James Bond (Sean Connery) hurriedly followed her/him to his French chateau, where he fought and then strangled and broke Bouvar’s neck with a fire-poker (# 1 death, #1 Bond kill).

From the roof, Bond escaped by using his jet-pack rocket belt to fly him to his parked Aston Martin DB5 vehicle nearby, accompanied by French agent Madame La Porte (uncredited Mitsouko). He avoided pursuit by activating his car’s rear armored shield and rear-firing water sprayers.

Thunderball has something for everyone. What woman would not be able to see themselves in this role? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

The high-ranking SPECTRE No. 2 villain, white-haired, black eye-patch-wearing Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), was introduced in Paris, entering the building of the philanthropic International Brotherhood for the Assistance of Stateless Persons.

In a large, secret inner chamber, he met for a debriefing with unseen, ruthless Persian cat-petting SPECTRE No. 1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld (uncredited Anthony Dawson) and other SPECTRE agents – “a dedicated fraternity” of international terrorists.

While  I liked "Goldfinger" a little better, "Thunderball" is certainly a  solid, entertaining and worthy part of the James Bond franchise. This is  especially impressive considering this movie was made over 50 years  ago. In "Thunderball", it feels as though the elements of what makes a  Bond film a Bond film begin to emerge. While some things strain  credulity (by this film, the paradox of James Bond's renown as a secret  agent is becoming apparent), "Thunderball" does a nice job of capturing  the style of James Bond without completely abandoning a sense of  realism. And of course, the Bond women (eg, Domino), exotic locations  and cool cars don't hurt when it comes to coaxing an audience into  willfully suspending disbelief. 

- Norman Oro UCLA 93

One of the agents, suspected of embezzlement, was promptly eliminated by electrocution in his chair (# 2 death) and disposed of into a hole in the floor beneath him.

No. 2, in charge of SPECTRE’s “most ambitious” NATO project, reported that his blackmail plan was a ransom demanded from NATO of $280 million/£100 million pounds – his assistant Count Lippe (Guy Doleman) was in the South of England making preparations, at a health clinic named Shrublands, near the NATO air base.

Bond was also at the Shrublands for a rest-cure, receiving a massage from pretty blonde physiotherapist Patricia Fearing (Molly Peters), where he met Lippe and noticed a small, suspicious red tattoo on his left arm (a possible Tong sign – the Red Dragon from Macao).

Bond snuck into Lippe’s room where he found nothing, but was spotted by face-bandaged neighbor Angelo Palazzi (Paul Stassino), reportedly recuperating from a car crash.

During another appointment with Patricia, Bond forced an unappreciated kiss on her.

The  title says it all!  I've been a James Bond fan for many years, mostly  for the Roger Moore films but I do like the Sean Connery films, as well  and "THUNDERBALL" is one of them.  I love the film for the beautiful  scenery since a lot of the movie is filmed in the Bahamas.  I also love  the beautiful actresses that play in the film, especially Claudine  Auger, who plays Domino, the main Bond girl.  Boy, is she beautiful,  especially when she's in a bikini, underwater, snorkeling or scuba  diving.  

Those scenes made me resume swimming, completely submerged  underwater, now with a mask & snorkel.  I also like the wonderful  acting job of Sean Connery in his 4th film as James Bond  as well as the  supporting cast.  Also, praise goes to the crew on the fantastic job  they did in making this film, especially Terence Young in his 3rd &  final time directing.  Lastly, I love the fantastic underwater battles.   To sum it up, this is a terrific movie & I recommend it to every  James Bond fan out there because, believe me, you'll enjoy it! 

- Rob Holly

She strapped him to a motorized traction table (“the rack”) to stretch his spine (she joked: “First time I’ve felt really safe all day”).

After she left, Count Lippe entered and turned the controls to the red danger zone to kill him.

Patricia saved Bond after he passed out. She asked for him to keep silent about the incident – his price for cooperation was her seduction in the Turkish steam bath room (# 1 tryst).

To retaliate, Bond sabotaged Lippe’s steam-bath cabinet and trapped him inside. In his room, Bond rubbed a soft black mink glove over the naked back of now sexually-liberated Patricia (# 2 tryst).

Meanwhile, NATO’s French pilot Major Francois Derval (Paul Stassino) was being seduced by voluptuous, red-haired ‘black widow’ mistress – a SPECTRE agent named Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi).

When he was leaving for the airbase, a look-alike Major Derval was outside his door, and sprayed him with lethal gamma gas (# 3 death).

The look-alike was SPECTRE agent Angelo, who had undergone plastic surgeries over two years to face-replicate and impersonate Derval.

He had also studied films, reports, and taken voice lessons.

He greedily demanded (or extorted) $250,000 rather than $100,000 to complete the task.

He appropriated Derval’s watch, ID disk, and bag, and departed for a training sortie at the NATO air base.

This is my favorite Sean Connery Bond film. Thunderball is loaded with style, slick action, great stunts, beautiful scenery, beautiful women, and Sean Connery.

This film continued the practice of great opening action sequence, a 'larger-than-life' villain in Largo/ AKA No. 2 (Adolfo Celi), a collection of vicious henchmen and woman - Count Lippe, Fiona, Vargas and Janni (played by Guy Doleman, Luciana Paluzzi, Philip Locke and Michael Brennan), an elaborate plot and a beautiful leading lady (Claudine Auger who plays Domino) Bob Simmons, the main Bond stuntman opens the film as the villainous aCol.

Jacques Bouvar AKA SPECTRE No. 6 who is dispatched by Bond.

The scape by jetpack sets the stage for the great action film that follows. Largo and SPECTRE have downed a UN Vulcan fighter and stolen two nuclear warheads and hidden them in the Caribbean.

Bond must intervene before the UN pays a ransom to SPECTRE. Along the way, Bond romances, fights on land and underwater, and finally squares off on a hydrofoil.

The one change here is that the villain is not killed by Bond - someone else (Domino)does that that favor.

The cast of British actors (Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell) return as the MI-6 crew with Rik Van Nutter playing Felix Leiter in this film.

The hi-lights of this film include the incredible underwater photography and action sequences, the villainous and voluptuous Fiona, the Vulcan crash and cover-up, and the incredible fight on the hydro-foil, the Disco Volante.

There are two quintessential Bond scenes: SPECTRE's HQ and MI-6' briefing room which are a treat for all Bond fans.

This loud, action-filled and very entertaining Bond film raised the level that future Bond films would have to meet. This one is great!

- Jaime Contreras

“Derval” commanded a routine NATO flight of a Vulcan jet bomber at 45,000 feet, armed with two atomic bombs (MOS type).

As the noisy plane took off, Bond was still seducing Patricia with the mink glove, although they were interrupted when Bond left to snoop on Count Lippe – who was supervising the return of Derval’s corpse (face-bandaged to look like Angelo) in an ambulance back to Shrublands (it was later claimed that “Angelo” died of a heart-attack).

Bond unwrapped the corpse’s facial bandages, and then avoided a second attempt on his life by one of Lippe’s henchmen.

During the NATO flight, “Derval” took the co-pilot’s seat, gassed five other crew members with the lethal gamma gas canister (while wearing a separate oxygen supply/mask) (# 4-8 deaths), and deliberately crash-landed the plane near the Bahamas in the Caribbean.

Nearby, on his luxury hydrofoil yacht the Disco Volante (Flying Saucer), Emilio Largo ordered underwater lights switched on to guide the plane to its proper landing strip location, where it gently sank to the bottom.

Wearing scuba gear, Largo swam to the submerged plane, and cut “Derval’s” air-supply hose to drown him (# 9 death) (punishing him for his extortion demand), when he was trapped in his seat-belt.

From an underwater hatch, three of Largo’s henchmen took a submersible craft to the NATO jet to unload and transport the two massive thermonuclear weapons back to the yacht, and then covered the jet with a camouflage net to hide it.

We  just recently decided to delve into the Sean Connery James Bond films.  

We went into Thunderball appreciating that it was a landmark film in  terms of cinematography for the time; it's the only film I've seen that  outdoes 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in terms of underwater  choreography. 

We also knew that Thunderball wasn't on any top ten Bond  films lists so we didn't expect too much from it, aside from  entertainment. 

It certainly delivered in that department and we were  swept away in an undersea adventure that was tastefully and masterfully  executed. 

I particularly enjoyed that Domino had a bit more complexity  than the standard Bond girl. 

It's not one of the best of the Connery era  but it's certainly a great entry and far, far better than the campy  nightmares that the Roger Moore films became. 

Even though many people  site Goldfinger as the best Bond film of all time, I actually enjoyed  this one a bit more.

-  ashbwell

As the yacht returned to its base in the Bahamas, SPECTRE No. 1 ordered the execution of Count Lippe.

Bond was summoned away (to London), and bid goodbye to Patricia, promising to reunite with her “another time, another place.”

As he drove off, he was followed by Lippe – SPECTRE assassin Fiona also rode behind them on a rocket-firing BSA Lightning motorcycle. She fired two deadly missiles at Lippe’s car, which exploded and crashed, killing him (# 10 death), and then submerged her bike in a nearby lake.

In the British Secret Service conference room in an important briefing held by “M” (Bernard Lee), with nine 00- agents in attendance (including Bond), the group was told about recent troubling developments regarding SPECTRE’s possession of two NATO bombs.

A ransom of £100 million pounds sterling was demanded of the British government within seven days – otherwise, SPECTRE threatened to destroy an unspecified major city in either England or the United States (later revealed to be Miami).

To signal their cooperation with the ransom, the Big Ben clock was to strike 7 times at 6 pm the following day.

The problem was that there was no indication about where the Vulcan jet had crashed or landed.

There  is only one 007, and that is the Scottish actor, Sean Connery. Seeing  this one again over the summer was wild and wooly. Yes, they made movies  a bit differently in the early 60's, but that's ok. With 'Thunderball'  you get what you paid for. 

Relentless action, supercool  locations(Bermuda/Virgin Islands) and ultra sexy 'Bond Girls'. Alot of  the action scenes toward the end are all underwater. Connery has fun  with this installment, as the series was still new at the time. Who can  forget the 'shark scene'? This is first class entertainment, and far  from 'politically correct.'

Everyone who is cool in the film smokes  and drinks, as well. 

Connery appeared in a total of 7 Bond movies. This  one was so good, they re-made it in 1983 and called it "Never Say Never  Again"!  True Bond fans will rank this one high on their list. So sit  back, crack open a cold one and watch the remastered version on your  flatscreen. You will not be disapointed! 

- metalhead Ted

The mission, code-named “Thunderball,” was to work with NATO, the CIA, and all allied intelligence units.

In the briefing packet was a picture of Derval with his sister Dominique in Nassau, Bahamas. Bond was specifically assigned to Station C (Canada), although he requested that his assignment be changed to Nassau.

Bond claimed that he saw the dead pilot Derval at Shrublands (although the situation was confused because Derval was also seen boarding the Vulcan), and he wanted to interrogate Derval’s sister Dominique, presently in Nassau.

With only four days to complete his mission, Bond quickly flew there.

While free-diving near Dominique “Domino” Derval (former Miss France Claudine Auger), Bond saved her from drowning when her flipper was caught in coral.

Bond and his own local dive assistant, bikinied native Bahamian Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick), faked a conked-out motor and Bond asked Domino for a lift to Coral Harbor, where he invited her for lunch by the pool.

The  film is different from the recent Bond films, but they are from a  different era and cannot be compared.  Sean Connery is absolutely  charming and charismatic.  Daniel Craig is equally perfect for the  modern 007 roles.

I love 60's cinema, the 70's less so, and the  80's just kinda stunk.  It's film's like this that make me love the  60's.  There are certain special effects that are available for modern  film that weren't around then.  There is a scene where Bond is escaping  with a rocket backpack and you can actually see the supporting cables.   This does not take away from the movie.

I won't give away any  plot points, but Sean Connery is what really makes this movie special.  I  admit to Daniel Craig being my favorite 007 agent, but Connery comes in  as a close second.  If you can tear  yourself away from modern effects  and try to appreciate this film (and the others) for what they are, I  think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

- J.AllenTop Contributor: Poker

He learned that she was the bored, love-starved mistress/kept woman (“niece”) of a possessive “guardian” (Emilio Largo) who owned a yacht and an opulent estate on the island.

He knew her nickname was “Domino” – observed on a bracelet on her ankle.

At a party that evening in a casino, attended by Bond, Domino, and Largo, Bond challenged the villain to a game of cards (with raised stakes to 500 pounds) and won, then briefly shared a drink and dance with Domino, before Largo interrupted and invited Bond to dinner at Sunday noon at his private beachside villa-estate in Palmyra.

The next day, Bond was returning to his hotel room (#304), but avoided directly entering, and came through Paula’s adjoining room (#306) instead.

He listened to a tape recording, hidden in a hollowed-out Nassau Directory.

It had recorded someone’s entry into his room.

With a silencer in his hand, he answered a knock on the door from CIA agent Felix Leiter (Rik Van Nutter), punched him in the stomach to quiet him before he said 007, and also roughly dealt with Largo’s henchman Quist (Bill Cummings) – scalding him in his bathroom shower before sending the disarmed assassin back to his superior.

I  fondly remember this movie when seeing all the James Bond -Sean Connery  movies for free with my brothers up in the above theater balcony with  special seating as my father held a second job during that decade  (1960's and early parts of the 70's) as the Motion Picture Machine  Operator.I was pretty young though at the time (just 7 years of age).Dad  was also a Commander too in the long past before I was born just like  James Bond.

I especially liked the C.I.A. Fulton equipped B-17 Flying  Fortress 44-85531 in the movie and pointed that out to father after  watching it on cable television with him a few years before he passed  away in 2004 as he was an Aircraft Commander/Pilot of the B-17's during  World War II.Sean Connery as James Bond was a character that my father  and I too adored.

To me Sean Connery is James Bond and no other actor replaces him as that for me.

Seeing this again brings me back to happier times.
The DVD was shipped quickly and it plays well. 

- x9078ljk4+

At Palmyra, a disgusted Largo ordered Quist – after his failed mission – to be thrown into a swimming pool containing sharks (# 11 death).

Bond met with local MI6 ally-contact Pinder (Earl Cameron) and was taken to a base of operations behind a marketplace, where “Q” (Desmond Llewelyn) provided him with the latest multi-purpose gadgets, many for underwater use.

In approximately 55 hours, the British government was planning to drop the “blood money” ransom (off the coast of Burma) in the form of blue-white diamonds worth £100 million pounds.

At night, Bond donned scuba gear and swam under Largo’s yacht — where one of Largo’s sentry-frogmen discovered him and fired a spear-gun.

Largo watched Bond struggle underwater, after turning on lights and activating closed-circuit video cameras, and saw that Bond cut the man’s air-hose.

Largo ordered hand-grenades dropped on him as Bond was taking photos of the hull of the boat (with his infra-red camera).

Bond was stunned, but escaped unharmed, and evaded a search-boat – letting them think he had been killed by its propeller.

After he came ashore, he hitchhiked and was picked up by Fiona Volpe (wearing a ring with an Octopus symbol, similar to the one worn by Largo) in a light blue Mustang and speedily driven at 100 mph back to his Nassau hotel.

The photos were developed at Pinder’s base, revealing an underwater hatch beneath Largo’s yacht.

Bond guessed that Largo’s entire operation was concealed underwater, and that the Vulcan plane was submerged.

Another excellent James Bond film looking at men of international crime. A very realistic villain emerges here in this fourth James Bond film.

Bond's crime nemesis Emilio Largo has a seaside home in Nassau out of which he runs a nuclear weapons theft operation. His small crew are able to conceal the warheads easily, and almost escaped detection if it weren't for Bond's excellent tracking instinct and bravery.

True to the 007 film franchise formula, this movie has all the gizmos and equipment that 1950's and 60's Westerners were convinced would be in high demand such as hydrofoils and jetpacks and that sort of thing. Unfortunately the jetpack has fallen into disfavor as a mainstream idea. Though a lot of the tech in Thunderball has fallen into disfavor, still it was very cool nonetheless to journey back through the era before I was born and see how people embraced the future.

In summary, this 007 movie follows on the heels of other excellent ones that set the bar very high. Also, the underwater photography and ensuing action sequences are really excellent, which adds immensely to the enjoyment of the move.

I would consider watching this again after a short time just for the shocking diving action sequences the end of the film alone. However, there are other aspects of this movie that kept my attention as well, such as the feeling that Ian Fleming's work inspires us not to underestimate the deviousness and creativity of criminal minds.

Though we sent a man to the moon, and are optimists by nature, the plot stays grounded in the reality that Bond almost doesn't prevail at several junctures against a nuclear madman.

To Fleming, Broccoli, and Saltzman's credit, they seem to convey an important subtlety well: though the MI6 team thought failure was unimaginable, it also doesn't mean mission accomplishment was guaranteed, or failure is impossible.

- Aye Aye Captain!

The next day (Sunday), a search by helicopter for the missing plane near Nassau was unfruitful.

While shooting skeets at Largo’s oceanside villa of Palmyra, Fiona vowed to assassinate Bond when the time was right: “I shall kill him.”

Later that day as a guest at Largo’s villa for lunch, Bond was shown around and also shot skeets.

Largo bragged about his pool with Golden Grotto sharks (“the most savage, the most dangerous”). Because he was busy, Largo also invited Domino to accompany Bond to the Junkanoo, the “local Mardi Gras” that evening, to keep him occupied.

A sex scene done properly. You do not need to show pornographic activities to titillate. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

Meanwhile, in her hotel room waiting for Bond, Paula was chloroformed and abducted by Largo’s goons (and Fiona).

The assassinatrix noticed Bond’s photos of the yacht’s hull. During the Junkanoo celebration that night, after learning that Paula had disappeared, Bond snuck away (Leiter kept Domino occupied) and infiltrated Palmyra, at the same time that Pinder had requested a power blackout to cut the electricity.

He located Paula being questioned by Largo’s silent, sadistic black-dressed henchman Vargas (Philip Locke) in an underground room.

Thunderball  is one of the best of the James Bond movies. Although it was filmed in  the 1965, the technology and action scenes still look good 50 years  later (I bought the DVD in 2017). In this film James Bond is played by  Sean Connery, who I think did the best portrayal of Bond. The plot  revolves around the stealing of nuclear bombs by Spectre, the nefarious  group that opposes Bond in several other of the films. 

The underwater  fight sequences are spectacular – even recent films have trouble topping  them. 

The Bond girl in this movie is played by actress Claudine Auger;  excellent casting. A classic Bond film throughout; much better than many  of the other Bond films. I think Thunderball and Goldfinger are among  the best two Bond films made. 

- Lee Gimenez

When Bond attempted to rescue her, he was too late – she had already heroically committed suicide by self-administering a cyanide capsule (# 12 death).

As Bond fled, he shot one of Largo’s men (# 13 death, # 2 Bond kill) to get the group to shoot at each other, and engaged in a fist-fight with one of the men.

The two fell into a second swimming pool (Largo deployed the metal pool cover, and then opened a tunnel hatch to the other shark pool).

Bond stabbed his opponent in the gut (his bloody wound soon attracted the hungry sharks and he was consumed) (# 14 death), and then swam through the tunnel to narrowly escape.

After contacting Pinder and being driven back to his hotel, Bond found Fiona naked in the bathtub of Paula’s vacated room.

After making love with the “wild” woman (“You should be locked up in a cage”) (# 3 tryst), the two dressed up and planned to return to the all-night Junkanoo celebration.

However, Fiona (revealing her true identity as Largo’s assassin) betrayed Bond and held a gun on him, to escort him to Largo’s presence with support from other thugs.

After the first three attempts, they finally got all the right ingredients to making a great bond film.

A Nato Vulcan bomber carrying two atomic bombs has crashed in the caribbean, SPECTRE has informed the British Government that they hijacked the plane's cargo, unless a ransom of 100 million is paid in seven days a major city in england or the U.S will be destroyed.

So MI6 calls in all it's agents, but only one will have the lead. 007, and awaiting Bond in the Bahamas is Fiona Volpe.

A SPECTRE executioner, she's the one who orchestrated the Vulcan hijack, as a matter of fact, as she and Bond are dancing in a street cafe.

One of her men is about to shoot Bond, but he swings her around, and Volpe gets shot in the back instead of Bond, a very deadly and sexy assassin.

Paula Caplain, she is another MI6 agent. But sadly Fiona Caplain and Largo's men kidnapped her from her hotel room, and Bond was too late to rescue her. Emilio Largo, SPECTRE number 2.

Owner of a luxurious yacht, a niiiiice house. And owner of the two missing bombs, and last but certainly not least is Domino Derval. The sister of NATO pilot Major Derval, she is also Largo's girfriend.

But grows tired of his overbearing ways, and soon becomes attracted to Bond. As a matter of fact, she ends up being the one who kills Largo.

This movie has it all, the pre-title sequence. Where bond kills another SPECTRE agent, at a funeral, then gets away via a jetpack. Bond also has his way with the ladies, but is also decisive when need be, a cold blooded killer.

This movie doesn't focus on gadgets, but it does use them. Me personally, i think this is arguably the better of the early Bond films.

- Ben Milton

But Bond escaped from their car when they were held up in festival traffic, although wounded in the lower right leg as he ran into the crowd.

He was chased through a carnival parade by five henchmen, and Fiona caught up with him at the open-air Kiss Kiss Club where patrons were being entertained by a female fire-dancer, and a bongo-band played.

As Fiona danced with Bond and asked him to surrender, while steering him closer to an assassin, she was shot in the back and killed by her own bodyguard (with a bullet meant for him) (# 15 death).

The Bad guy with the pretty seductress. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

With only about 15 hours until the drop of the ransom, Bond took another helicopter search with Felix Leiter for the submerged plane, spotting something at a shark-infested location called the Golden Grotto.

One shark was shot to distract the other sharks, as Bond dove down with one scuba tank to investigate.

Inside the downed plane, he found the bodies of the dead crew members, including “Derval” (Angelo, the counterfeit NATO pilot).

Bond engaged in a second dive with Domino, an opportunity to become more intimate with her underwater (# 4 tryst) although discreetly hidden when they ducked behind some coral and bubbles exploded to the surface.

Later he commented: “I hope we didn’t frighten the fish” before kissing her.

She stepped on poisonous sea egg spines as they came ashore, and after treating her, he delivered the news of her dead brother Francois, and offered his dog-tag and watch: “It’s a long story and it involves your friend, Largo…Largo had your brother murdered, or it was on his orders.”

Of  the first four Bond films this one is a powerhouse from the get-go.   Even the pre-credit section gets you going with the music, the art, the  visuals.  Thunderball really put it all together for this franchise. It  was, and still is, literally a thunderball of a production.  Everyone is  included in this and everyone shows up and delivers.  There is a real  serial moving story here from beginning to middle to end.  From the Bell  Rocket Belt, to more of the Aston Martin, to the gadgets and sheer  style.  Who can forget "Huit pour la banque. Pass the shoe."  Bond has  been his best in the casinos.  It is a real education.

This  franchise has always been big on Fords, too, and used the hot car(s) of  the time such as the Mustang.  Part of the "special relationship" we  have had with our British cousins.

I did not see any AMPAS marks  on the jewel box, but there is no way this should not have won an OSCAR  in some category -- especially a whiz-bang technical category.

This surpasses the third very impressive installment, "Goldfinger," and is probably one of the best ever of the Bond Franchise. 

- lidz

As Bond asked for her help and trust, he explained how hundreds of thousands of people might die.

He admitted he didn’t know when the bombs would be loaded on the Disco Volante, and wanted her to detect them with his geiger counter gadget.

Bond turned and shot Vargas (pointing a gun-silencer his direction) in the stomach with a harpoon gun, impaling him to a palm tree (# 16 death, # 3 Bond kill) (“I think he got the point”).

You might be cool, but you will never be as cool as James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

As she was leaving, Domino told Bond about a canal, a bridge, and a flight of steps that led into the ocean, on the far side of Palmyra – a perfect entry-point that Bond soon swam to.

He noticed SPECTRE diving gear stashed there, swallowed a homing device, and awaited darkness.

When Largo’s army of frogmen arrived, Bond knocked one of them out, stole his scuba gear, and swam with the group out to the yacht, where Largo ordered: “Once we pick up the merchandise, head for our target area, Miami.”

Their plan was to retrieve the bombs from a hidden undersea cave compartment with the submersible, and then threaten to detonate one of the bombs at a wreck near Miami.

During the retrieval process, Bond’s cover was blown (he was recognized by Largo), and he was forced to kill one frogman (# 17 death, # 4 Bond kill).

Trapped and stranded inside the underwater cave, Bond looked for an exit and emerged deep in an island cavern.

While  many rank GOLDFINGER as the best Bond ever, THUNDERBALL has always been  my favorite.  To me it had all the Bond ingredients (gadgets, lots of  sharks, the Aston Martin, scuba diving, gorgeous babes & plenty of  action) as well as a cohesive plot.  Spectre remains one of the most  formidable villains in Bond history, even after all these years.

The  underwater brawl between the Spectre divers and the Navy(?) divers  remains a classic climactic scene in all of the Bond movies.  I'm just  guessing that they were Navy (SEALS?) as usually Army guys are not  trained in scuba operations.

Connery's final Bond movie, NEVER  SAY NEVER AGAIN, was more-or-less a remake of THUNDERBALL.  There were a  few variations here & there, but the basic plotline & many of  the elements remained the same.  This goes to show just how enduring  THUNDERBALL was to the Connery Bond movies. 

-D. Roberts

Back onboard the yacht, Largo caught Domino using the geiger counter “toy” given to her by Bond and threatened: “There is no escape for you.”

He menaced her with torture unless she revealed the extent of Bond’s knowledge, but was called away to activate the bombs.

Onboard a Coast Guard search helicopter, Leiter used Bond’s homing device signal to locate him.

Bond also indicated his exact whereabouts with a red flare gun. A cable was lowered to him for rescue.

Bond warned that Largo’s target was Miami, and that one bomb was being transferred from the yacht to a wreck off Fowley Point.

Bond. James Bond. You might be cool, but you will never be as cool as James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

With support from the CIA and the US Coast Guard aqua-divers in red (parachuting from planes into the waters around Miami), an intensely fierce underwater battle was fought near the wreck against Largo’s frogmen-henchmen (in black) (unknown number of deaths).

Bond joined the Coast Guard divers, wearing an underwater jet pack propulsion unit (with high-velocity exploding spear-heads) strapped to his oxygen tanks.

During the bloody struggle, he cut the air-hoses of a few frogmen and also speared one of them (# 18 death, # 5 Bond kill).

Yes, that's what Bond says to the just bedded villianess
once he's captured. You gotta admire the style of it.

Though a little slow at times expecially in the underwater
scenes this fourth Bond adventure is pushed forward
by the music, the cast, and great locations. 

Bond gets off
lots of good lines and the girl is especially beautiful.
The villian, Largo,is one off the top five baddies in the
series.

The title sequence is one of the best with Tom Jones
Giving his all and falling unconscious in the
recording booth after holding the last note of the hit
title song. Way to go Tom! 

- Paul Kyriazi

Bond then removed his tanks, used his re-breather device, and detonated an explosive canister to kill three more pursuing henchmen within the wreck (# 19-21 deaths, # 6-8 Bond kills), and then helped to turn the tide in the battle.

Blood in the water attracted sharks to the scene, as Largo’s men were routed and then surrendered.

When Largo swam away with two of his remaining men, Bond killed one of them with a harpoon-gun (# 22 death, # 9 Bond kill), and pursued an escaping Largo to his yacht.

Underwater, Bond held on as the Disco Volante weighed anchor (with one stolen disarmed atomic bomb still onboard), but was under attack by cannon-fire from the US Navy.

Largo created a smoke screen and jettisoned his yacht’s rear cocoon to increase the speed of the separate hydrofoil. The cocoon section of the yacht, with a machine gun and deck cannon, exploded and killed all onboard (many deaths, number unknown).

Bond being the quintessential man. Bond. James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

During a life-and-death hand-to-hand struggle between Bond, three crew-members, and Largo in the hydrofoil’s cabin, Bond threw one crew-member overboard, and knocked the other two unconscious.

He was saved from being shot by Largo, when Domino (who had changed allegiances), was freed in her cabin by Kutze (who had disarmed the bombs), appeared from below deck, and harpooned him in the back with a spear (# 23 death).

Can  you imagine a film getting any better whether it is the women,the  villains,the locations or even the plot this one has got it all.One  might think it is outdated now but then look again this film is the  stepping stone to any action movie that is to be made in the coming  years.

Sean Connery stamps his signature yet again as James Bond 007  in the fourth installment of the Bond franchise.Director Terence Young  makes it more tongue and cheek than any other Bond movie.There is no raw  filth or even gore but the story is so perfect that it makes you forget  about its tiny if at all faults.

There are some memorable moments in  this film like the opening jet pack sequence,gunfight at Largo's house  during a blackout and the final underwater battle.Simply breathtaking  and proof of quality film making which today is seriously considered by  Jerry Bruckhiemer/Joel Silver and Steven Speilberg.

Adding to the  movie's good points is also John Barry's superb score which to this day  haunts me as it is quite memorable.I also took a great liking to the  leading ladies because they can not get any sexier to me.

The plot  revolves around Blofeld's organization hijacking nuclear warheads and  demanding a ransom.The beautiful location of the Bahamas a used  extensively where Bond tries to unravel the doomsday plot. 

- Anisha Dharmadasa

(Domino: “I’m glad I killed him.” Bond (relieved): “You’re glad?”).

With Largo death-locked to the jammed steering, they jumped overboard to escape from the yacht’s explosion when it ran aground and struck a reef (# 24-25 deaths, # 10-11 Bond kills).

Kutze was left at sea with a life preserver, while in a yellow raft, Bond inflated a red balloon tied to a rope that was snagged by a US Navy Boeing B-17 plane with a skyhook, and the two held onto each other during their rescue.

Rescuing the girl. All in a day's work for James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time. — Rescuing the girl. All in a day’s work for James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

Film Notables (Awards, Facts, etc.)

The fourth film in the series. This was director Terence Young’s third and final direction of a Bond film. (He did not direct the third film, Goldfinger (1964).)

The code name for the MI6 mission, Thunderball, was also the film’s title.

This was originally intended to be the first Bond film but a series of legal disputes delayed its release.

This was the first James Bond film shot in wide-screen Panavision.

The film’s remake was Never Say Never Again (1983), one of the unofficial James Bond films. However, Sean Connery portrayed Bond in the film it was his seventh and final appearance on the screen as the character. He claimed it was his favorite 007 performance.

Lighting up a cigarette while the secret agent beside you has a gun trained on him. This is a scene you won't see today. It's usually the police pointing guns at you, and usually because you are smoking cigarettes. That devil stick! — Lighting up a cigarette while the secret agent beside you has a gun trained on him. This is a scene you won’t see today. It’s usually the police pointing guns at you, and usually because you are smoking cigarettes. That devil stick!

This was the only Bond film in which all nine 00- agents appeared together in London, England, where M summoned them to a briefing about SPECTRE’s plot.

Molly Peters (as Patricia Fearing) was the first Bond girl to appear nude (in silhouette) – in the steambath scene. And Martine Beswick, as Paula Caplan was the first Bond girl to appear in two Bond girls as different characters (she was fighting gypsy girl Zora in From Russia With Love (1963)).

With an Academy Award win, the second (and last win, to date) for Best Special Visual Effects.

With a production budget of $9 million, and gross revenue of $63.6 million (domestic) and $141 million (worldwide).

Thunderball had the highest domestic box-office earnings of the Bond films (to date) – when adjusted for inflation. Its domestic unadjusted gross of $63.6 million was $600 million when adjusted. Goldfinger (1964) was a distant second with $51 million (and $531.7 million adjusted).

I  wanted to watch the original early films of Bond, beginning with Dr.  No. It's great to see Sean Connery evolve from film to film to become, I  feel, the best Bond there ever was. 

I'm progressing in order from Dr.  No, to From Russia with love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You only live  twice, Diamonds are forever, and the later semi-Bond "Never say Never  again". 

I know many fans of Bond dislike the last film Connery did, but  perhaps they were expecting too much from a then, pretty weathered,  franchise. 

I still have to watch the final two Connery films and am not  expecting too much from "Diamonds" and even less from "Never". 

But that  doesn't take away from the talent and artistry of Sean Connery and I'm  more into those last films to simply watch how he slowly bows out of the  James Bond role forever. 

It's sad film history to watch sometimes, but  I'd rather watch these first Bond films again and again than to tolerate  the works of Roger Moore and the others. 

Daniel Craig is a fresh  approach to the role, but he lacks the warmth and humor that Connery  brought to the role. 

I'd love to see one final film where Sean Connery  has taken over the position of "M" and guides newer agents along, making  them the best they could be. Sort of like an episode of "NCIS", I know,  but it would be entertaining to see, none-the-less. 

- Richard Behmer

What's a James Bond movie without action and excitement? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time. — What’s a James Bond movie without action and excitement? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

Bond Villains:

Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi)
Count Lippe (Guy Doleman)
Angelo Palazzi (Paul Stassino)
Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi)
Ladislav Kutze (George Pravda)
Quist (Bill Cummings)
Vargas (Philip Locke)

Bond Girls:

Patricia Fearing (Molly Peters)
Dominique (“Domino”)
Derval (Claudine Auger)
Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick)

Thunderball  is one of the better James Bond movies in the set of Bond.  I have  heard the rumours about the underwater fight scene being edited but in  my personal viewpoint still an amazing fight scene and very well filmed  for the movie.  

The movie plotline was actual very believeable about  stealing a weapon and holding it for a money trade off in exchange for  where the weapon is located.  

I also would like to add that I thought  Sean Connery was in one of his best phsyical shapes as James Bond base  on the fight scenes and action stunts unless they used a stunt man.  

I  thought every actor did a great job with what they had to work with and  the added benifit of the dance scene and all that music going on very  impressive turn out.  

I look forward to many more James Bond movies and  writing up much more reviews of them to come as I watch them.  So watch  this one with an open mind and make up your own mind weither you enjoy  it as much as me or not. 

- Jack D. Lowry  Top Contributor: James Bond

After killing the bad guys, it's time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Don't you think? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time. — After killing the bad guys, it’s time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Don’t you think? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

Number of Love-Making Encounters:

There were four love-making encounters.

Film Locales:

Paris, France
Shrublands Health Farm/Clinic
(and the) nearby NATO airbase in south of England
London, England
Nassau
The Bahamas and other surrounding islands
Miami, Florida

The bad guy with the beautiful chick. A James Bond standard. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

Gadgets:

A Bell Textron jet pack rocket belt.
Devices in Bond’s Aston Martin.
Angelo’s/”Derval’s” separate oxygen supply and gamma gas canister.
Largo’s Disco Volante (with an underwater hatch, hidden video cameras) and his yellow submersible submarine.
A modified waterproof (underwater) Rolex watch with geiger counter.
An underwater infra-red camera for nighttime photos.
A miniature pistol that fired distress signal flares (bright red).
A miniature (pocket-sized) underwater re-breather device good for four minutes.
A harmless radio-active homing device in the shape of a pill.
An underwater jet pack propulsion unit with exploding, high-velocity spearheads.
A sky-hook.

Bad guys look great with patches, or monocles. Having a pretty chick in a nice slinky dress helps as does piles of money at a casino table. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

Vehicles:

A silver Aston Martin DB5 (with rear armor shield, and rear-firing, high-pressure water cannon-sprayer).
Vulcan jet.
Hydrofoil Disco Volante.
A gold BSA Lightning Motorcycle (with missiles).
Domino’s Boehler Turbocraft dive boat.
Volpe’s light blue Mustang.
A Bell helicopter.
A US Coast Guard helicopter.
A US Navy Boeing B-17 plane.

Number of Deaths (Bond Kills):

There were a total of 25+ deaths in the movie, of which James Bond killed 11.

Conclusion

This is a great movie, and fantastic escapist entertainment for men and women alike. Childish millenials need not watch it, as they are far too easily offended by normal adult interactions.

"When arrows meet". — “When arrows meet”.

Not to worry, a transgender, role-reversal Bond flick is in the works. They will continue their narrative that White Males are the scourage of the universe, dumb, stupid and a bane on society.

Don’t waste your money on this new progressive propiganda. Enjoy these older flicks before they are banned from distribution. Because, if history is any indicator, they WILL be banned.

The New “modern, progressive” 007…

You can tell why liberal Hollywood selected her. If you morphed Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama together, this is what the result would look like…

The new "face" of 007. She's modern, she's progressive, and she's LGBT friendly. She is the new woman that will lead America towards the social utopia as promised by the "great ones". — The new “face” of 007. She’s modern, she’s progressive, and she’s LGBT friendly. She is the new woman that will lead America towards the social utopia as promised by the “great ones”.

If you enjoyed this post, please check out some of my other posts in my Movie Index…

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