On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Production
Producers: Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli
Director: Peter Hunt
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum
Composer: John Barry
Cast
Mission
007 must thwart Blofeld's plan to use biological warfare to threaten the world. In the process, he meets Tracy di Vicenzo, a countess whose courage and charismatic spirit earns her the name Mrs. James Bond.
Locations
Lisbon, Portugal; Murren, near Interlaken, Switzerland; St Moritz, Switzerland; College Of Arms and MI6, London, England, UK.
Pre-Credits Sequence
Q makes his first appearance in a teaser sequence, when M comments that they need to find 007. An Aston Martin speeds along a seaside road and is passed by a woman in a red sport scar. Later, the driver spots the woman (Tracy) walking into the sea. James Bond jumps into action and saves her from drowning herself, only to find himself in a fight with goons on the beach. Tracy steals Bond's car and drives off.
Title
There is no direct use of the title in the film, although "Her Majesty's Secret Service" is mentioned on a few occasions.
Release Data
UK: 18th December 1969 (PG)
USA: 18th December 1969 (PG)
World Premiere: 18th December 1969 (Odeon Leicester Square, London, UK)
UK TV Premiere: 4th September 1978, ITV
US TV Premiere: 16th & 23rd September 1976, ABC
Running Time: 140 minutes
Classification: PG (UK), PG (US)
Budget: $7.0m
Worldwide Box Office: $64.6m
US Box Office: $22.8m
US Admissions: 14.7 million
UK Box Office: N/A
Best Line
Bond: "This never happened to the other fellow."
Best Mistake
When Tracy and Bond are on the beach, and Tracy drives off, you can hear the tyres screech - not something usually associated with wheels on sand.
Distinguishing feature
Lazenby's one and only appearance as Bond - he turned down a seven-picture deal.
Vital Statistics
Conquests: 3
Martinis: 1
Kills: 8
"Bond, James Bond": 2
Cut Scenes & Alternate Versions
Most European non-English language prints and videos are cut and omit the scene where Bond is almost caught in the office of Blofeld's lawyer cracking a safe. The scene is now being included in the German TV version.
Some versions include a scene where Bond's blonde colleague (the mountain climber who also appears before the office of Blofeld's lawyer in the above scene) tries to check out the valley station of the cableway to Piz Gloria, and gets thrown out by Blofeld's guards, who speak in an unsynchronised Swiss German dialect. This scene is apparently missing from either the German and English versions.
The original version edited for American Television was re-cut in several places. The film started "in medias res" with the escape from Piz Gloria, then flashing back to the beginning of the film. The entire film featured Bond's voice over (done by a different actor than Lazenby), and included a shot before the wedding in which Bond and Tracy buy her the wedding ring and Irma Bunt's reflection is seen in the window of the jeweler's.
See the Release History page for full details on the extensive cuts and differing versions of the film.
MI6 Ranking
Fan Ranking
As voted in MI6's Fan Verdict poll
"James Bond Will Return in Diamonds Are Forever"
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Share The Story
Recently Published
Features
New Audiobooks
Literary IFP has announced new readings of Ian Fleming novels
Deep Fake 007s
Videos A new short film explores deep fake technology with James Bonds
Collector Extraordinaire
Interviews Ahead of auctioning his impressive Bond collection, Steve Oxenrider reflects on half a century of collecting 007
