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George Lazenby: The forgotten James Bond

RC7RC7
edited December 2011 in Actors Posts: 10,512


http://welcometotripcity.com/2011/12/lazenby-george-lazenby-the-forgotten-james-bond-and-why-he’s-my-cousin-dave’s-favorite-007/

Comments

  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    Cool article. Thanks for posting.
  • Master_DaharkMaster_Dahark
    Posts: 4,813
    I just have to say-- never in my life have I seen a nose quite like Lazenby's :D

    Great article though- if only he did more films!!
  • KennonKennon
    Posts: 297
    Lazenby's not forgotten at all, not with the fans. Casual viewers may not be aware of his role in one of the most important flicks of the franchise. But the more interested crowd still would like to see more of Lazenby 40 years after OHMSS; not bad at all.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    I think the guy who wrote it is a casual fan.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    It's fair to assume that Lazenby is the most obscure if you will, of the six actors who have played the role, this in turn plays a large part that George only did the one film, I think it's one of those Bond movies where people either love it or hate it. It's a shame in retrospect that his agent poked his nose in and persuaded Lazenby not to further his Bond resume, as I would of liked to have seen him in at least another subsequent release, I think he would of been a darn improvement on Connery in Diamonds
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Lazenby himself admitted that he thought Bond was old hat. It's a real shame those around him didn't give him the support/grounding he so obviously needed.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    George was offered a contract that would expand into the 1980s by playing the role, but it was his Irish Agent that brought about the demise of Lazenby's Bond tenure by insisting that Bond at the time was inappropriate and out of touch with modern day settings of the early 1970s, and persuaded George to step down after one appearance. Lazenby himself said thereafter that 'it was an error on his part', i.e. he should of been individual and not influenced by others etc
  • KennonKennon
    Posts: 297
    Wonder if he had signed the deal, would we have really seen the 12 films (or whatever they figured) with Lazenby? Extremely long period, hardly room for other roles for Lazenby. Practically lifecast.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    I'll say this- considering the direction of OHMSS and the way it went out, I wish Lazenby had come back for DAF and had made it one of the best Bond films ever, given his great fist-fights and already having one Bond movie under his belt. However, I wouldn't want him to go any further, because then Roger would have been dumped.
  • timmertimmer
    edited December 2011 Posts: 4,622
    the ideal would have been for George to sit in the corner for DAF, as Sean is the best thing about DAF, but then with Sean gone, Laz and Eon make peace, and Laz does the whole Moore and even Dalton era. Nothing against Moore but Laz was way more convincing.
    Top 3 Bonds
    1. Sean on pedestal 2. Laz 3. Rog.
    The rest meh.
  • licensetoforumlicensetoforum
    Posts: 371
    Lazenby get a bad rap because that is his role. When a there are a bunch of people involved in something normally the public picks out someone who is the weakest. The public really doesn't analyze the films like we do, but just see he did one, not even knowing it was one of the better Bond films, and picks on him. Doesn't help that he was following the orginal Bond.
  • DoubleOhhSevenDoubleOhhSeven
    edited December 2011 Posts: 1,778
    Holy shit I live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. So does another member of this site. And we all loved OHMSS. I guess we've got more 007 fans here than I thought.
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    Actually having watched Laz in the Hitchcock Bond spoof, in the other thread, it seems Laz didn't age that well, post 45 or so, so maybe Laz till age 44 in OP and then turn things over to Dalts for AVTAK to LTK.
  • karl007karl007
    Posts: 151
    OHMSS is one of my favorite bond movies i would have loved to see Lazenby return for one more!
  • Monsieur_AubergineMonsieur_Aubergine Top of the Eiffel Tower with a fly in my soup!
    edited December 2011 Posts: 642
    Funnily enough I was watchIng OHMSS this morning on DVD with my little boy, who incidentally loves the soundtrack and makes me play it in the car all the time.

    Lazenby is quite simply brilliant to watch, his physicality and his positioning in scenes is very good.

    I also love his delivery in the scene immediately after the avalanche, he is very effective in what he says and how he says it. I think the the film as a whole has a problem with dubbing and at times editing of dialogue scenes which let old Georgey boy down at times. A few more beats here and there in the cutting room between lines and it would have been perfection.

    On a final note I love the way Lazenby does at times sound more like the man off the street as opposed to polished Oscar grabber, kind of makes it all the more accessible and with an ending like OHMSS it was vital that it happened that way.

    George - Gone but not forgotten by a long shot.
  • craigrulescraigrules
    Posts: 284
    He should have done a trilogy at least, oh what might have been.
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    Monsieur_Aubergine wrote:
    Funnily enough I was watchIng OHMSS this morning on DVD with my little boy, who incidentally loves the soundtrack and makes me play it in the car all the time.

    Lazenby is quite simply brilliant to watch, his physicality and his positioning in scenes is very good.

    I also love his delivery in the scene immediately after the avalanche, he is very effective in what he says and how he says it. I think the the film as a whole has a problem with dubbing and at times editing of dialogue scenes which let old Georgey boy down at times. A few more beats here and there in the cutting room between lines and it would have been perfection.

    On a final note I love the way Lazenby does at times sound more like the man off the street as opposed to polished Oscar grabber, kind of makes it all the more accessible and with an ending like OHMSS it was vital that it happened that way.

    George - Gone but not forgotten by a long shot.

    Given how good Laz was in certain scenes (and how wooden in others) he certainly picked up "that acting thing" very quickly and very well. I think he would have given a great performance in a second film.

    I agree completely with you about how Laz's Bond was far more accessible to the audience. Rereading the Fleming books (I'm now halfway through GF) really makes me appreciate how Fleming's Bond is very much a "regular guy" and light-years removed from the super-smooth hyper-confident versions that we've seen such as with Moore. Setting aside any preference for allegience to the books (I have no problem with the Movie Bond and the Book Bond being different because, well, they are different mediums) it's an interesting idea that a more accessible Bond could make people in the audience identify and sympathise with him more.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    i have to agree completely too. I met Lazenby a number of years ago at a convention here in the UK and i have to say? What a great guy. I said it was a shame that he only did one and all he said was? " Never mind hey".

    To be that humble is awesome when your talking about probably THE cinematic role of all time. OHMSS is a superb film which i really do like. And also has one of the best soundtracks of the franchise without question! Barry's masterstroke alongside Goldfinger.
  • forgotmyusernameforgotmyusername
    Posts: 2,782
    Third best Bond movie for me OHMSS, I wish he did another to seek his revenge like DC, funny that.

    Nice article. Many thanks.

    And of course a cracking score:



  • TrueMiracle85TrueMiracle85
    Posts: 300
    I would have loved to see Lazenby in DAF and LALD as well. I'm just happy that John Barry did score the one Bond movie Lazenby was in! :D And what a score it was!
  • shadowonthesunshadowonthesun Banned
    Posts: 1,894
    Lazenby, forgotten?

    Only because he wasn't very memorable.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,584
    On the TV show Pointless (in UK) they had a question where 100 people were asked to name as many of the 6 Bond actors as they could in 60 seconds.

    The answer? I can't remember the exact numbers but it was very close to this..
    Connery 94
    Moore 75
    Brosnan and Craig tied 58
    Dalton 38
    Lazenby 30

    I was amazed by how many actually did remember Lazenby and by how many failed to mention either Brosnan or Craig, the two most recent Bonds.
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    No matter if you rate Lazenby or not it still seems to me a really bizarre bit of casting, can't imagine someone with no acting experience at all being given one of the biggest acting parts in film history in this day and age?
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,584
    Occassionally a peice of casting can come from a gut instinct such as Haing S Ngor in The Killing Field.
    As for Bond it was never seen as a major acting challange so style and appearance won Lazenby the role, but I do know what you mean @identigraph it was a big gamble to take even at a time when Bond was in such a position of strength (ie no major action franchise in competition).
  • Goldeneye95Goldeneye95
    Posts: 546
    George Lazenby is underrated as James Bond. Film critics gave Goerge a lot of grief because of his look. The film critics can go shove themselves. I wish Cubby would have brought him back for DAF. (But his agent was a real scumbag for what he did to George Lazenby) But at least he got to live his dreams of playing James Bond.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Lazenby was up against it in '69 in so many ways. Virtual unknown australian model takes over from the great Connery, having an antipodean play the part of Flemings iconic 'British' secret agent, only 29 years of age when he made his debut (and only appearance), and such great shoes to fill, after some outstanding releases and performances from the actor that came directly before

    You're right in saying George's agent was an ass for persuading him to leave the Bond role after one appearance, damn pity in retrospect, and with it, the disaster of the next release, and Tracy all but forgotten and Blofeld makes a mess of it, with some stupid laser satellite plot, but what's to be done now ? We can't change what occured, but I'll always give Lazenby some level of support, or encouragement, as I did think he gave us a good Bond performance and while was always going to come a poor second to Sean Connery, I just feel he did a more than adequate job of it
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