Tagged: George Lazenby
Bond Style: Lazenby’s Christmas Eve Ski Suit and Cougar
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, smooth British secret agent
Bern, Switzerland, Christmas Eve 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Wrapping up this winter Car Week on the 00-7th of December, let’s flash back to 1969 and Aussie actor George Lazenby’s sole adventure as James Bond. Whether the Bond production team was reversing its formula after the larger-than-life You Only Live Twice or playing it safe after Sean Connery left the role, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service closely follows the plot of Ian Fleming’s source novel, chronicling the agent’s romance with the self-destructive Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) as well as setting up his snowbound investigation of arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas) at his research institute Piz Gloria, located high in the picturesque Swiss Alps.
The action culminates in a Christmas Eve confrontation that results in 007’s alpine getaway on commandeered skis, assisted by Tracy and her bright red 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 that had first captured his attention when they met in Portugal three months prior. Continue reading
Bond Style: Lazenby’s Cream Suit and Aston Martin
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, smooth British secret agent
Estoril, Portugal, September 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Tailor: Dimi Major
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
This year commemorates the 50th anniversary of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, often considered among the best of the James Bond canon. George Lazenby, the Australian actor who batted 1000 with OHMSS as his sole outing as 007, has also activated his Instagram presence this year, sharing photos of himself in many of the same locations he had made famous a half-century ago as the world’s most famous secret agent.
George’s #OHMSS50 tour included calling on the celebrated Palácio Estoril, the Portuguese hotel where his James Bond spent the early scenes of OHMSS chasing and seducing Diana Rigg’s character, Teresa “Tracy” di Vincenzo. During the visit, he even interacted with many of the hotel’s staff who were still in the Palácio Estoril’s employ 50 years after their on-screen cameos.
Today, on the 00-7th of July, let’s take a look at the timeless summer-friendly style that Lazenby’s James Bond wore when he pulled his Aston Martin into the parking lot at Palácio Estoril some fifty years ago. Continue reading
Bond Style: Lazenby’s Black Tie and Aston Martin
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, smooth British secret agent
Estoril, Portugal, September 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Tailor: Dimi Major
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
On the 00-7th of December, this Car Week post is focused on James Bond’s sole Christmastime adventure, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service starring George Lazenby as the suave secret agent.
The film opens with a scene straight out of the source novel as a competitive Bond engages in a playful “race” against a beautiful young woman speeding toward the beach in her convertible. Continue reading
George Lazenby’s Navy Office Suit as 007
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, British secret agent
London, September 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Tailor: Dimi Major
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
George Lazenby celebrated his 78th birthday two days ago, so BAMF Style is featuring his arguably most famous role of James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service for the 00-7th of his birth month of September.
Continue reading
George Lazenby’s Glen Plaid Suit as 007
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, British secret agent
Bern, Switzerland, Fall 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Tailor: Dimi Major
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
Heading back into the office on a Monday, BAMF Style is also following James Bond into the office for the 00-7th of August… albeit another person’s office rather than his own. Continue reading
007’s Brown Tweed Suit as Sir Hilary Bray
George Lazenby and Diana Rigg as James Bond and Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, British secret agent posing as heraldry expert Sir Hilary Bray
Swiss Alps, Christmas Eve 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Tailor: Dimi Major
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
For the 00-7th of December, I’m reflecting on James Bond’s first Christmas season on-screen, which he spends in the Swiss Alps under the guise of Sir Hilary Bray (a different Hilary than the Hillary that has been so frequently in the news… although one could technically call his outfit here a “pantsuit” as well.)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service sends James Bond in search of his long-time rival, megalomaniac Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas). In his inaugural and ultimately lone outing as 007, George Lazenby’s Bond spends a major portion of the film disguised as Sir Hilary Bray, a brilliant but banal “sable basilisk” from the College of Arms in London. Continue reading
James Bond’s Piz Gloria Assault Anorak Jacket
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, rogue British secret agent
Switzerland, December 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
Here in Pittsburgh, the snow has finally fallen and folks are sporting all the cold weather that they can muster. The weather may be different depending on what part of the world you’re in, but Swiss vacationers should make sure they have some snow attire ready to hit the Alps, Bond style.
The latest Bond adventure, Spectre, has released some photos on location of the cast and crew enjoying the icy slopes of the Sölden ski resort in Austria. It’s hard for a Bond fan to see 007 out in the snow in a blue down jacket without recalling George Lazenby’s similar attire for the climactic battle sequence in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Continue reading
Bond Style: A Navy Blazer at Christmas Time (OHMSS)
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, intrepid British secret agent
London, October 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
For the 007th of December, I’ll be focusing on a very holiday appropriate look from one of best-dressed (if not best-acted) Bonds, George Lazenby.
While this scene doesn’t exactly take place at Christmas, later scenes establish this film as “the Christmas Bond” and Lazenby’s attire when visiting M at Quarterdeck would be fine for a fashionable holiday outfit. Plus, the book On Her Majesty’s Secret Service features Bond sharing a Christmas dinner with M at the latter’s home.
(Since Bond receives two weeks leave sometime around September 15 and he’s still “on leave” when visiting M, this scene is likely set in late September or early October.) Continue reading
James Bond’s Wedding
Yes, anyone unfamiliar with the James Bond series, you read that correctly – James Bond does get married. It goes about as well as you’d expect.
George Lazenby as James Bond, with new wife Tracy (Diana Rigg), in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, British secret agent now deciding to “settle down”
Portugal, Winter 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
Despite being the first film appearance of wet-behind-the-ears Australian mechanic and model George Lazenby, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is often considered one of the finer Bond films due to its down-to-earth story, realistic but fantastic villains and situations, Bond as a character rather than an instrument, and strict adherence to the source material, which was one of Ian Fleming’s best Bond novels.
Some argue that, had Sean Connery stayed on the role for the film, it may have been the best in the series. Given Connery’s brief return two years later as a paunchy Bond in Diamonds are Forever, establishing the series’ era of over-reliance on humor, this may or may not be true. Continue reading
Bond Style: Christmas Cardigan at Piz Gloria
George Lazenby as James Bond on Christmas Eve in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Vitals
George Lazenby as James Bond, British secret agent posing as a heraldry expert
Swiss Alps, Christmas Eve, 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
BAMF Style’s 5 Days of Christmas
While most of us will be choosing to spend Christmas Eve with family, James Bond instead settles on an alpine resort filled with gun-toting henchmen and undersexed European beauties. Unfortunately for him, his penchant for the latter gets him in deep water with the former.
Merry Christmas Eve from James Bond and BAMF Style.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is one of the more controversial Bond films. As the world’s first Bond after Sean Connery, George Lazenby turned in a suitable performance for a 30-year-old who had previously been an underwear model in Australia. Not all were crazy about him, but the film is good enough on its own merits that, despite an initially harsh reaction—but a big box office!—it has stood the test of time and now ranks among many Bond fans’ favorite of the franchise. Continue reading