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On Her Majesty's Secret Service

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On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 1969 | 140 mins | Action, Thriller | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Peter R. Hunt.
Producer: Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.
Script: Richard Maibaum, additional dialogue by Simon Raven. (from the novel by Ian Fleming)
Cinematography: Michael Reed.
Production Design: Syd Cain.
Special Effects: John Stears.
Editing: John Glen.
Art Direction: Robert W. Laing.
Costume Design: Marjory Cornelius.
Make-Up Department: Basil Newall, Paul Rabiger and Eileen Warwick.
Sound Department: Gordon K. McCallum, Harry Miller, John W. Mitchell and Nicholas Stevenson.
Music: John Barry.

The Cast

George Lazenby - James Bond
Diana Rigg - Tracy
Leslie Crawford - Felsen
Telly Savalas - Ernst Stavro Blofeld
George Cooper - Braun
Gabriele Ferzetti - Marc-Ange Draco
Ilse Steppat - Irma Bunt
Lois Maxwell - Miss Moneypenny
George Baker - Sir Hilary Bray
Bernard Lee - M
Desmond Llewelyn - Q

Plot Synopsis

While on the trail of Blofeld (Telly Savalas), James Bond (George Lazenby) has his interest is piqued by a young woman driving a fast car who stops at the beach and wades out to sea. His rescue is marred somewhat by two thugs who try to restrain them both, although both separately escape. That evening, he encounters the woman again at a casino, when she makes a reckless bet and he has bale her out as she has no money. She introduces herself as Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), better known as Tracy, and invites Bond to her suite for repayment. However when Bond goes there, one of the thugs awaits him. After dealing with him, he tries to get answers out of Tracy, who won't talk and the thug leaves them alone when he realises that Tracy is all right.

The next morning, she's gone, and Bond is 'invited' on a trip at gunpoint to the headquarters of Marc-Ange Draco, of the Union Corse. Tracy is his daughter, a wayward child, and Draco (Gabrielle Ferzetti) offers Bond £l million to marry her. Bond agrees to see Tracy, if Draco can help locate Blofeld. In London, Bond is relieved from the search for Blofeld, and he resigns in disgust - although Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) changes his request from resignation to two weeks' leave. As ever, Tracy comes home for Draco's birthday, and forces her father to give Bond the information he seeks without payment - although Bond makes it clear that it is no hardship to spend time with her. After a whirlwind courtship, they end up in Geneva, where Draco has discovered a lawyer, Gumbold (James Bree), with connections to Blofeld. Bond breaks into Gumbold's office, and finds documents from the College of Arms in London addressed to Blofeld.

With M's (Bernard Lee) reluctant permission, Bond works with Sir Hilary Bray (George Baker) of the College, and masquerades as the genealogist on a visit to Blofeld's headquarters on top of an Alp at Piz Gloria in Switzerland. He is met by Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat), a strict Fraulein, who keeps the Count's 'patients' under control. Blofeld has pretensions of being the Comte de Bleuchamp, and is also working on allergy research, with a group of attractive young women as his patients. Bond discovers that he is using hypnotic conditioning on the women to make them love items they previously loathed. However, his bed-hopping ways, and a mistake in Bray's briefing, give him away, and he is hauled before Blofeld. Bond manages to escape, and is pursued down the mountain by Blofeld and his men. By luck, he runs into Tracy, who helps him escape, and as they rest that night Bond asks her to marry him.

The next day, the chase is on again, and Blofeld triggers an avalanche, apparently killing Bond but sparing Tracy, whom he captures. He then delivers his ultimatum: a pardon for past crimes, and recognition of his title, or he will destroy strains of plant and animal life. In the short time remaining before the UN capitulate, Bond and Draco combine forces and attack Piz Gloria, freeing Tracy and destroying Blofeld's command centre. Blofeld gets his neck caught in a tree as he tries to avoid Bond on a bobsleigh run. Bond and Tracy marry at Draco's estate, but, as they are heading for their honeymoon, Blofeld, his neck in a brace, drives past, and Irma Bunt opens fire. Bond cradles Tracy's dead body as his enemies’ race into the distance.