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Ohmss: flop or not?
Stanley Sopel says it made money. Two seconds later Michael G Wilson states it took a long time for it to make its money back. Really? Why would you say that? Curious as to your thoughts.
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Edit - done a quick google search on the box-office for 1970, but found nothing.
OHMSS suffered a tremendous box office decline in the US market compared to the previous installments.
It made $23m, vs. $44m for YOLT (nearly 50% decline which is huge), $64m for TB (nearly 64% decline which is again, huge), $51m for GF, $25m for FRWL & $16m for DN. When Connery returned for the much maligned DAF, it made $44m in the US (back to par with YOLT).
Its budget was comparable to TB & YOLT, but was 8X that of DN & 4X that of FRWL.
Here's the ranking of Bond movies at the box office, adjusted for inflation. As we can see, OHMSS sits at 14/23, in between GE and TWINE, both of which were declared "hits" at the time. But in 1969 it was perceived as a flop - it was the lowest grossing Bond movie to date (not counting Dr.No which was not fully released in a lot of places), and then the box office went up with DAF. So it was a comparative flop (though still made plenty of money for everyone involved) at the time.
to adult sensibilities instead of adolescent boys.
In what way exactly?
But not being a flop doesn't mean that the film isn't without its flaws. Had they managed to get Connery to return for another film, OHMSS could have been the absolute best of the films.
I think Lazenby gets a hard time, I remember my parents and others of their age group refusing to accept it as a Bond film. It was referred to in my house growing up as "that awful one, with the Australian guy, you know the one he gets married". We would watch all the films every Saturday night but it was left out.
I think it helps that Bond has gone back to a more serious tone. Older I began watching the films differently because I prefer the way done in the Craig era's. OHMSS is neither silly, cliché or over top. Apart from Lazenby's final line in which he looks more happy than sad Tracey is dead he gave a very real/human performance to probably the most human/emotional Bond story. I couldn't have pictured Connery's Bond showing love or getting married. It would still make my Top 10.
Like most, would have loved Connery in the role. But Telly Savalas would have to go too in order for it to be true classic like the earliest films.
The first third of the movie also needs to be edited down, it drags and I know people consider it to be build up, but editing would help.
It would have definitely closed the era, but it would've also made everything that came after it that much paler.
Critically: well received, gained cult status and loads of fans over the years, many of them who can be found on this forum. Frequently listed in numerous fan top-10's.
Don't forget the life of movies at that time was very, very long. It would not be released in a lot of cities simultaneously. Movies'box office as we know now only started in US for Jaws I guess ? In the 60's, the box office bragging from the studios would be something like "Serpico has the best box office ever in Cleveland" !
The box office figures you see nowadays about OHMSS are the box offices that cumulated the first release, the re-release, the double bills, etc, etc. Even when you read that OHMSS did $87M in 1969, it actually means it made $87M from 69 until now. Not that he did that in one year.
So both statements could be true. OHMSS could have been a sleeper somehow.
In France, the box office is not in Euros or Francs, but in number of viewers. And OHMSS is the lowest number of viewers for a Bond movie in France ever. But it still means 2 million viewers, a success for any movie here.
It just an emotional resonance that no film film till DC's has captured, the sleazy sax bit when Hilary Bray first meets the girls is a little embarrassing but would be my only complaint. It starts with a cracking PTS and it ends with a real emotional wallop with some of the best action sequences of the series in between. Hunt and his crew for me ups the game and his artistic eye just elevates it above just being the next film in the series.
It really brings the series to a halt because it just stands out, DAF is atrocious but the fact it follows OHMSS makes it that much worse. It's certainly aged better than many of the films that followed it. It is for me the only possible masterpiece of the series, no it's not perfect no Bond film is but it's the one that gets the closest.
I Still don't buy Connery as Bond in it, a more competent actor yes might have raised it a little but I find Lazenby's vulnerability is a plus to the film and he certainly sells the fights the best until Craig turned up.
I think it will remain my favourite even if SP knocks it out the park because Barry's score will always give it the edge, I don't just think it's the best Bond score I think it's easily one JB's best and probably my favourite score full stop.
Exactly!
There's a world of difference between the acting of Connery ('63) and Connery ('67). I fear we would have gotten Connery '67 in '69.
Exactly people need to forget the actor that played Bond in those first 4 films, Connery was bored and sick of the role. He would have just been doing OHMSS for the money and most likely they'd have tweaked it for a more seasoned 007.
Bond needed to be more vulnerable and this isn't a quality I ever saw him display as Bond and lets face it Connery is a fine star and can carry pictures but I think we get a little bit carried away with his god like status. Other people could and did play Bond after him.