George Lazenby’s one and only outing as 007 did not disappoint. It was a shame he left after only one film; he played the part of Bond so well that the role seemed made for him. He left because he thought the character would become irrelevant with the changing culture of the 60’s and 70’s. Sean Connery was originally to continue playing the agent, but he left because of financial reasons and seemingly becoming bored with the character.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) saw Bond team up with adventurous Tracy di Vicenzo, as they joined together to face SPECTRE. Bond goes undercover, as he infiltrates the ranks of the evil organization, as he discovers a calamitous scheme that could devastate the world.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a more mature Bond film, as the performance by Lazenby reflects just that. Bond producers had five candidates in mind to take over from Connery. The decision to choose the Australian actor was simply due to his amazing fight choreography, which shows as the film is heavy on the action.
As controversial as this film is, if there is one thing that most can agree on, it’s the score. If a Bond fan is not a fan of OHMSS’s score, then they are no fan. The score by John Barry is simply amazing. Many consider it to be one of the best James Bond scores ever, being the pinnacle of Barry’s work on the franchise.
OHMSS is one of the few Bond movies to use an instrumental suite for its opening titles. The same theme can be heard later in the film during a ski chase. Barry felt it difficult to compose a theme including the name of the title, so he followed with the instrumental approach. This followed the likes of the first two Bond films. The score of the film has a distinctive sound, utilizing the Moog synthesizer, which is what gave the film its unique and electric sound.
Barry also composed “We Have All the Time in the World,” the love theme sung by Louis Armstrong. The theme plays a large part in the movie, as its melody is heard throughout the score of the film. Many people think this to be the opening credits theme, however it is first introduced later. The song serves as the love theme between Bond and Tracy, as they eventually end up getting married. There are two other songs in the film that Barry wrote, however both are not near as impactful as “We Have All the Time in the World.”
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was monumental, impacting the franchise itself and even the film industry. Director Sir Christopher Nolan has said this to be his favorite Bond film, influencing both the look and score of his films Inception (2010) and Tenet (2020). Within the Bond franchise, latest film No Time to Die (2021) saw Hans Zimmer take influence from Barry’s work. In the soundtrack “Matera,” an instrumental bit of “We Have All the Time in the World” can be heard, while “Good To Have You Back” is the main theme of OHMSS but slowed and newly composed.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is not just a strong Bond film, but an influential one. John Barry’s exceptional work has not gone unnoticed, as his grasp and understanding of music is at its highest in George Lazenby’s one-time shot as the titular spy.
About the Author
Sam Sullivan is majoring in video editing with a minor in criminology. He is a lifelong fan of the James Bond franchise and is super excited to be sharing his interests with you all. Sam plans to start his career as a video editor, later wanting to join the ranks of the FBI or CIA, where he has always dreamed of being since a kid.
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