James Bond: A Review - The Connery and Lazenby Films
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 007 franchise based on and inspired by the novels by Ian Fleming. Fleming wrote 14 books starring the character Commander James Bond of Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Two of those are short story collections. There are 25 films in the franchise, 17 of them are based on Fleming’s stories and novels. Seven men have portrayed the character since 1962.
I plan on reviewing and ranking each of the films in a series of articles broken down by one or two different eras at a time, totaling 5-7 films each. I will conclude with an article that will also break down and rank all of the elements of the James Bond movie: the pre-title sequence, the opening title sequence, the theme song, the Bond girl, the villain, and the henchmen. I hope to determine the best and the worst of these elements in the final article.
We start with the films starring Sean Connery and George Lazenby.
Ian Fleming debuted his character in a 1953 novel, Casino Royale. Fleming was eventually interested in seeing his stories brought to life on screen and sold the rights to most of his stories to Canadian producer Harry Saltzman. Saltzman, however, needed additional funding and formed a partnership with Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Together, after being rejected by every major Hollywood studio for being too British, they formed Danjaq, LLC to hold the rights of the films and Eon Productions to produce them. Before they knew it they were off and running a franchise that would eventually outlive them, creating a cinematic legacy that would influence countless films - and even help create an entire genre - for decades to come.
Dr. No (1962)
In the franchise’s original outing James Bond investigates the disappearance of a British agent in Jamaica. Viewers accustomed to more recent Bond outings will be surprised by the laborious pace of Dr. No. It does take 8 minutes before Bond is introduced (at a card table, lighting a cigarette, no less). And 62 minutes before the famous Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) walks on shore in her iconic white bikini. Yes, Dr. No is one of the slowest entries in the franchise. The pacing and thrills would gradually improve with the next two films.
But this film does introduce a few elements that are key ingredients to the series and the character: the opening title sequence, the James Bond Theme, the Bond girl(s), M, the repartee with Moneypenny, the Walther PPK, CIA agent Felix Leiter, the martini (“mixed not stirred” as one server describes), and S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
While there will be far worse films in the series, as we’ll discover, Dr. No does suffer from its laborious pace, boring Felix (played by Jack Lord of Hawaii Five-0), and an unsatisfactory end to the titular character. It is important to remember this was the early ‘60s and the modern action film as we know it wouldn’t really come about for another 20 years. The following James Bond films would certainly help make them possible, as things improved quickly from here.
From Russia With Love (1963)
After the worldwide financial success of Dr. No ($8 million worldwide against its $1 million budget), a sequel was cranked out quickly. It’s amazing the film was able to release a year after its predecessor what with several production setbacks that occurred with various locations, the rearrangement of the schedule around a key cast member who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, re-writes, and re-edits.
This film follows shortly after the events of Dr. No with the criminal agency S.P.E.C.T.R.E. seeking revenge for the death of their operative. This is where we get S.P.E.C.T.R.E. in its full glory: the unseen Blofeld stroking his white cat, the numbered operatives, the coarse German female operative, the secret training compound - all of which would be skewered excellently by Mike Myers in his Austin Powers trilogy.
We get a lot of firsts in this film: in addition to the film featuring the debut of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. as we know it and the formidable henchmen in the form of Grant and Colonel Klebb, we also get the first appearance of Q and his gadgets, the first title sequence with heavy use of female bodies, and the first pre-title sequence.
From Russia with Love was a huge step above its predecessor, amping up the thrills right away with a pre-title sequence featuring our bad guy training to kill James Bond and continuing with such unforgettable sequences as the Orient Express fight, the helicopter chase, the boat chase, and Klebb’s fight scene. Throughout it all, Connery remains dashing and smug, throwing out one-liners left and right. It remains one of the best in the series.
Goldfinger (1964)
Here we have the peak of the franchise for quite a while directed this time by Guy Hamilton. In this entry Bond is investigating the gold smuggling operations of Auric Goldfinger, a man who loves winning almost as much as he loves gold.
This film delivered the first vocal theme song played during the title sequence, Shirley Bassey’s title song that is widely considered among the series’s best to this day. It also introduced the Aston Martin, a favorite vehicle of the franchise. And it continued the concept started with From Russia with Love of having an interesting henchman in this case in the form of the large and mostly silent Oddjob. The pacing and thrills are maintained from the second film, also.
Goldfinger is probably the most iconic of the Connery era with Oddjob and images like the gold-painted Jill Masterson, the Aston Martin and its passenger ejector seat, the industrial laser, and the character Pussy Galore. Pussy, played by Honor Blackman, was the first Bond girl to be a romantic interest of Bond’s and, ostensibly, a villain. But she was also Bond’s equal in that she knew judo and had a very feminist independent spirit. She also commanded her own squadron of female pilots she trained herself. She is a reflection of the growing second-wave feminism that was occurring simultaneous with the production of this film.
As excellent as Goldfinger is it isn’t without its flaws. The first act amps up Bond’s chauvinism with scenes where Bond dismisses a woman away from “man talk” and later shoves another woman away by her face. A generous reading would claim this lays the groundwork for Pussy’s entrance later as a sort of lesson for Bond. Also, Bond is under Goldfinger’s capture for half the film. After a while it becomes very unclear why Goldfinger brings Bond along to Fort Knox rather than killing him sooner. Ultimately, the plot’s resolution is dependent on a deus ex machina by Pussy Galore who is revealed to have a change of heart after a literal roll in the hay with Bond. That’s cute, but does somewhat undermine the feminist spirit previously illustrated in scenes between Galore and Goldfinger.
Despite those shortcomings, Goldfinger had all of the best elements of any Bond film up to this point topped off by another thrilling score by John Barry. We’ll see how long it takes for the franchise to clear the bar set by this film.
Thunderball (1965)
S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is back with another operative, Emilio Largo (Number 2), plotting to release atomic bombs on a major metropolis in the UK or USA. Terence Young, who directed the first two Bond films returns here. And that’s not neccessarily a good thing, for we have the first film in the series to cross the 2-hour mark - and really feel like it. Thunderball lacks the excitement and pacing of its immediate predecessors and feels more like Dr. No than Goldfinger. There is an expensive underwater fight. It is the film’s major highlight. But it occurs 114 minutes into the film! By that time patience has been exhausted with barely any excitement taking place previously. Even the Bond girls are rather flat and forgettable compared to the likes of Pussy Galore previously.
It’s sort of even unclear where the film gets its name. It’s mentioned once in a briefing in reference to a file, but little sense or relevance is made of it. And, it’s unclear why Largo is S.P.E.C.T.R.E.’s Number 2, as he certainly lacks the charisma and genius of previous villains. He does really likes sharks, though.
The film even begins with the hokey stunt of Bond using a jetpack. It’s giant and sounds like a vaccum cleaner and is no way inconspicuous, meaning there’s no way in hell an average citizen did NOT notice a man flying 50 feet in the air for a couple of blocks.
Surely due largely to juice created by the previous films audiences flocked to Thunderball, making it the most financially successful film in the franchise, especially when adjusted for inflation. It is, unfortunately, a creative disappointment.
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Connery almost didn’t return for the fifth entry in the series. He was growing tired of the role and didn’t want to be typecast. The producers Saltzman and Broccoli simply increased his fee to an undisclosed amount and the problem was solved. Temporarily. The production had other issues. The biggest was Fleming passed away shortly before Goldfinger’s premiere and You Only Live Twice, one of the last novels written by Fleming, was a challenge to adapt, especially since it actually takes place right after On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (chosen as the 6th film) and heavily features Bond dealing with events from that story. It also wrestles quite a bit with post-WWII British power and Japanese culture. Friend of Fleming, beloved children’s author Roald Dahl decided to take a crack at the script. He admitted to the struggles of adapting the novel, keeping only a few elements. It might be fair to say this was a tough nut to crack as there are just as many issues with this film as there are strengths.
The story essentially involves a mysterious spaceship gobbling up U.S. and Soviet space crafts, escalating tensions between the two Cold War nations. It turns out none other than S.P.E.C.T.R.E. and its Number 1 operative Blofeld is behind it all in a secret Japanese base James Bond must discover and take down.
Let’s start with the positives. This film has a daring and unforgettable pre-title sequence that kills James Bond! That is quite staggering and would have made for an excellent exit for Connery. The title sequence is a natural progression of past titles this time with better silhouettes than before and lava imagery - all accompanied by an enjoyable title theme by Nancy Sinatra. The film does quite a bit to depict Japanese culture and its people with occasional respect. This film also, equal to if not surpassing Thunderball, gets the third act spectacle concept down. Here it is a battle between faceless S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agents and Japanese secret service “ninjas”. There’s a bit of nonsense within it here and there, but it truly is thrilling and a great climax.
Okay, so now the bad. The obvious is there is a plot point that requires Bond to be race-bent. He literally has his eyes and face altered to look Japanese in order to pose as a Japanese fisher late in the film. It is appalling today. But there are many other issues besides that. Q’s main gadget this time is an autogyro that Bond flies around for reconnaissance. While doing so he must wear a baseball cap with a camera on it. It looks ridiculous not cool. Also, after the better part of 5 films we get to finally meet Blofeld. Gone is the low baritone voice of Eric Pohlmann or anything that equals that. Instead we get the thinner voiced and smaller statured Donald Pleasance. Donald certainly tries, but looks diminutive standing next to Connery. The effect of Blofeld is completely cheated. There’s also a last-second henchman in the climactic battle that Bond faces who seems tacked-on, as he had barely any presence the rest of the movie. It’s like the producers or director felt Bond needed to have one big fight in the end and squeezed it in on the day of shooting. And don’t get me started on the so-called ninjas!
All in all, You Only Live Twice marks an enormous shift in the series, one more akin to the camp the Roger Moore era would be known for.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Now we have our first change in Bond actors: George Lazenby. Lazenby was an Australian model with no prior acting experience. Future Bond Timothy Dalton actually auditioned, but was deemed too young and was afraid of following in Connery’s footsteps. Lazenby was hired after being seen in a commercial and called in for testing. The film’s pre-title sequence teases the appearance of the new Bond culminating with the classic zinger, “This never happened to the other fellow.” It is a great opener.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service starts out strong with an excellent pre-title sequence, title sequence, and theme song, the first non-vocal theme since From Russia with Love. In this film Bond goes on vacation, falls in love, and goes undercover to investigate what scheme Blofeld is cooking up in the Swiss Alps. Much of the film involves Bond hanging out with a dozen women in this compound with very little in the way of action for a solid 90 minutes. This brings the franchise back from the camp of You Only Live Twice and back to the straight-laced adventures of Dr. No and Thunderball. The only problem is at 144 minutes this is the longest Bond yet and it has the pace of Dr. No or Thunderball. It’s quite a drag, especially as long as Bond is hanging out at the compound. Things don’t liven up until Bond makes a daring escape, skiing down the mountain and reuniting with his love, Tracy (Diana Rigg).
As Bond girls go, Tracy is a bore, too, for a while - that is until she shows off how great a getaway driver she is. She also proves to be a decent fighter in the third act. Speaking of which, the final 45 minutes of the film are far more interesting than the first 90. The only bit of goofiness occurs when Bond and Blofeld are fighting on a bobsled.
Telly Savalas takes over the role of Blofeld. He’s a perfect Blofeld, particularly as a follow-up to the unseen Blofeld of Russia and Thunderball. But there’s a couple of big problems that occur: 1) Blofeld does not instantly recognize Bond despite having fought Bond a couple years before in the previous movie and 2) this version of Blofeld does not have the scar over his right eye that Donald Pleasance had in the previous movie. Neither issue is explained. It is odd since the beginning of this film makes direct reference to the previous films.
The only other thing worth noting in this film is at one point the Bond family crest is on display and it is stated the family motto under the crest is “The world is not enough”. That would be the title of a future entry in the franchise.
Lazenby made it clear he would not return after his agent reportedly convinced him Bond would be too archaic in the liberated ‘70s. To be honest, Lazenby wasn’t terrible in the role, but was denied by the material much opportunity to really impress. He has some solid moments in the first act and the final, devastating seconds. But the script ultimately doomed him to become the most underappreciated of Bonds.
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
So, Lazenby dropped out of the franchise. And producers desperately wanted Connery back. So, they raised his salary to $1.2 million and that was enough for Sean to arrive on time. It’s almost 10 years since Connery first played Bond… and it shows. At this point he was 41. And 41 back then was not what 41 tends to be today. Bond looked middle aged here.
But that’s not the biggest problem with this film based on the fourth Ian Fleming novel. Diamonds veered back towards the silliness occasionally found in You Only Live Twice. This is a film where Bond eludes capture via moon buggy. Where he is chased by the Las Vegas Police Department and loses them by tipping his car on two wheels. Where Blofeld dresses in full drag. Where country singer Jimmy Dean plays a supporting character. Where the primary Bond girl tries shooting a machine gun and in doing so falls off an oil rig into the water. The Roger Moore era was on the horizon.
And let’s not get started on the Blofeld of it all. For the better part of seven films Bond has been trying to take down S.P.E.C.T.R.E. and it all comes to a halt with a crane and a mini-sub. It’s about as anti-climactic as defeats can get, especially for a villain as iconic as Blofeld.
The film is not without its strengths. Connery is re-introduced into the franchise on a relentless hunt for Blofeld. He is determined to take the long-time villain down once and for all. Before the title sequence, it seems Bond even succeeds in killing Blofeld. While it’s about as genuine as Bond’s own death scene in You Only Live Twice it’s still a strong opener. There’s also some decent fight scenes and a stunt near the top of a casino that is one of Bond’s most terrifying, yet. There are even two pairs of interesting henchmen - Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint and Thumper and Bambi - that add something to the whole affair.
Unfortunately, Diamonds Are Forever is the least-defensable entry in the franchise with the worst Bond girls, the worst theme song, a disappointing conclusion to the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. story arc, and the biggest pile of silliness this side of Sheriff Pepper. At least You Only Live Twice had something worthwhile for every one of its poor decisions. Diamonds is just one big poor decision overall.
The Ranking
Goldfinger
From Russia With Love
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Thunderball
Dr. No
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds Are Forever
What are your thoughts? Comment below.
Next we’ll be taking a look at the films starring Roger Moore as James Bond, an era almost unique to itself that defined the franchise for a generation.