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The GEORGE LAZENBY Appreciation thread - Discuss His Life, His Career, His Bond Films

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  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Indeed. And one of the really strong elements of BECOMING BOND is that it doesn't shy away from some naughty moments, from personal confessions and from potentially controversial things. It's genuine and brutally honest, like Lazenby himself.
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,538
    Former 007 George Lazenby seeks a buyer for his 480 acres in Pearblossom
    latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-george-lazenby-480-acre-pearblossom-estate-20180503-story.html

    If anyone's currently on the lookout for a 480-acre mountaintop retreat, you're in luck!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    Former 007 George Lazenby seeks a buyer for his 480 acres in Pearblossom
    latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-george-lazenby-480-acre-pearblossom-estate-20180503-story.html

    If anyone's currently on the lookout for a 480-acre mountaintop retreat, you're in luck!

    Time to check the couch for loose change and see what I come up with.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    Former 007 George Lazenby seeks a buyer for his 480 acres in Pearblossom
    latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-george-lazenby-480-acre-pearblossom-estate-20180503-story.html

    If anyone's currently on the lookout for a 480-acre mountaintop retreat, you're in luck!

    Time to check the couch for loose change and see what I come up with.
    $3.49M you say?

    4YEJLPq.gif
  • TellyBlofeldTellyBlofeld
    Posts: 489
    FoxRox wrote: »
    dominicgreene wrote: »
    Becoming Bond is a great film. I saw it yesterday, started it quite sleepy thinking I'd maybe see half and I ended up watching the whole thing wide awake. George's journey is truly inspiring. It makes me love OHMSS all the more.

    I will have to give it a watch sometime. I know some sfuff about his past and how he was a longshot to become Bond. OHMSS is kind of the miracle Bond film of the series I think. Lazenby may be a one-hit wonder, but OHMSS is as good as it gets for Bond films.

    A tremendous Bond film, and one of the best in the series. There's at least one director working today that publicly admits to stealing stuff from OHMSS.
  • fanbond123fanbond123
    edited August 2018 Posts: 1,661
    Just discovered this quote - posted on this forum. I think it reveals the true reason why George Lazenby quit the role:
    Audience Member: What is the fondest memory of you making On Her Majesty’s Secret Service?

    GL: Fondest memory…Jesus I don’t know…it was hard work; I didn’t like work. I mean seriously, I didn’t like the idea of getting up you know early in the morning, learning lines, going to work, then having to do…probably break your leg. I popped my shoulder out, all that sort of thing. I couldn’t walk down the street in this little village because everybody knew who I was. I’d go in a store and I’d get out and they’re all looking at me…And so, that I wasn’t real fond of. It was amusing the first few times. I tell you what I did like, I did like going into restaurants, ‘they’d say come back again, checks on us’, because they just want you to be there, because you’re famous. I loved that part. You know, I can’t remember any moments in the Bond film where I felt comfortable. I was out of my league from the get go. I was comfortable with the boys having a beer afterwards. I never knew what was coming next—no one ever told me, I never asked. And, it went on for 9 months, it was only supposed to be 6…

    I never knew he said that. He felt out of his league. It wasn't to do with Bond being out of fashion or his Irish advisor telling him to quit, I think he quit because he was uncomfortable playing the part. He couldn't reconcile himself to that fact so he quit.

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    There is hardly ever just one reason, but a sum total.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Apparently a few months after refusing a new contract he tried to talk Cubby into taking him back, but Cubby had moved on. Can’t remember where I read that.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    NicNac wrote: »
    Apparently a few months after refusing a new contract he tried to talk Cubby into taking him back, but Cubby had moved on. Can’t remember where I read that.

    Well I didn't know that !
  • fanbond123fanbond123
    edited August 2018 Posts: 1,661
    I think there are three aspects of George's time as Bond that are very doubtful:

    1) A six or seven film contract offer - which he declined. It's too far fetched to believe Cubby, Harry and United Artists would offer a complete unknown - a guy with zero acting experience (!) - a six/seven film deal. It seems too unbelievable. A second or third film deal, perhaps, but six or seven? I can't believe that. I doubt Sean Connery was ever offered a six/seven deal contract and he was a far more established actor than Lazenby. If any actor could have brokered a six/seven film contract it would have been Connery, not Lazenby.

    2) Director Peter Hunt not talking to Lazenby throughout the nine months shooting schedule. This seems extremely doubtful. Hunt would have to give Lazenby directions. How can you direct the main star if you don't talk to him! Hunt denies he didn't talk to George but said he was very busy making the film so didn't have time to chat or reassure him. I guess George wanted to be friends with Hunt but Hunt wasn't interested. Hunt did praise George's performance. In the Making of OHMSS video, at the end, he said something like "George Lazenby was James Bond" - he embodied the character.

    3) Lazenby not signing any contract. United Artists was a major studio. I cannot believe they would hire a new actor to play James Bond and not get him to sign a contract. Surely for basic legal and insurance reasons you'd need the actor to sign it! What if there were some dispute between Lazenby and the producers and the producers wanted to take legal action. They wouldn't have much of a legal case if their 'star' hadn't signed a contract. Lazenby claimed the contract had so many stipulations, it was too restrictive, so he never signed it!

    It's a great pity he didn't return for DAF. Reading the comment about he felt out of his league, perhaps it was for the best he didn't return, but from a selfish fan perspective a Lazenby DAF, a sequel to OHMSS, would have been very interesting. It could have been OHMSS part 2! Had he stuck with the role for a few films he could have become a major Bond actor but if he was too uncomfortable in the role then it makes sense why he quit.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Regarding Lazenby's contract I don't know whether the fall out from the whole episode inspired Eon to make sure they tied their actor down for a 2 or 3 picture contract from the word go. Maybe it did..

    They were happy to take Connery on a one picture deal in 1971, but after that it appears to be a 3 picture contract with an option on a fourth. Only Dalton failed to complete it.

    I agree with you though @fanbond123 the more you read about it and the more you listen to George, the more you begin to doubt his recall of events.

  • fanbond123fanbond123
    Posts: 1,661
    Dana Broccoli claimed George wanted everyone to know he was the 'star' on the set and that attitude annoyed crew members. In the making of OHMSS video she said to George, "you're only a star when the audience tell you you're a star" (or something like that).

    EON and UA would have stuck with Lazenby if he wanted to continue in the role? I guess we'll never know.
  • bondsumbondsum
    Posts: 3,333
    NicNac wrote: »
    Apparently a few months after refusing a new contract he tried to talk Cubby into taking him back, but Cubby had moved on. Can’t remember where I read that.
    I read somewhere that it was a couple of years later, not so much months. I think it was possibly after DAF had come out and Connery was adamant that he wouldn’t return for LALD that Lazenby tried to build bridges.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Could be that, yes. Probably makes more sense thinking about it.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Happy 79th Birthday!

    Terrific James Bond!

    61RqWOvLXzL._SY445_.jpg
  • ToTheRightToTheRight
    Posts: 16,162
    Happy birthday, George!
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    Credit where credit is due. George had the toughest job following Connery directly. He did admirably well under the circumstances. OHMSS is one of the true greats of the Bond series.
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    Posts: 17,755
    Nice little clip by EON on their Twitter account!

    Happy 79th, George!
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Credit where credit is due. George had the toughest job following Connery directly. He did admirably well under the circumstances. OHMSS is one of the true greats of the Bond series.
    +1. Well said.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited September 2018 Posts: 40,968
  • TellyBlofeldTellyBlofeld
    Posts: 489
    I've read where there's a different version of OHMSS that was aired in America on ABC with narration and a differently cut first act. Any truth to this?
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    George had a presence about him in the film, he really should have gone for DAF x so frustrating x he surpassed himself in OHMSS tbh .
    Happy Birthday old son and thanks for OHMSS x you only had one film ,and as close to Fleming as you can get , and u nailed it for me x this was not a Connery Bond film.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    Lazenby was damned good as Bond. Happy birthday, George Robert!

    Random P.S.: In the Twitter video, I like the more pronounced movement of the camera tracking the hat toss.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I still find it difficult to believe he was 29 when he made OHMSS. He had a lot of screen gravitas and maturity for someone that age, and he moved very well too.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    He made up for his lack of acting experience through his real life experience.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    Lazenby was born on September 5th...
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,789
    TellyBlofeld wrote: »
    I've read where there's a different version of OHMSS that was aired in America on ABC with narration and a differently cut first act. Any truth to this?
    Very true, @TellyBlofeld, I witnessed that version myself. It was a jumbled, narrated edit to play over two nights.

    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/ohmss_abc_tv.php3

    http://www.the007dossier.com/007dossier/post/2013/06/18/OHMSS-The-1976-ABC-TV-Version

  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    edited October 2018 Posts: 7,021
    jake24 wrote: »
    Lazenby was born on September 5th...

    mLQnx8p.gif
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    :))
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    edited October 2018 Posts: 4,629
    I wish his autobiography would be released, This Never Happened To The Other Fella. Maybe next year, for his 80th birthday.
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