Would OHMSS have worked with Connery?

[Nr1Humanoid]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service, with 007 falling in love, getting married and later crying over his wife's dead body (sorry for the spoilers), do you think those scenes will have worked if they had been portrayed by Sean Connery as James Bond?

[DiBiase is Good]

Don’t know and I don’t want to know really. OHMSS is my favourite Bond film and I just can’t picture anyone other than Lazenby in that scene.
Lazenby gets a lot of unfair shit thrown his way but he’s not bad at all. Unfortunately for him, he followed the only Bond there had been (in the film world anyway) and he was never going to get a fair chance and it’s no surprise he quit after one film.

[Duke Cameron]

Connery’s Bond was definitely not a Bond to be seen crying. On top of that, if you had Connery, you wouldn’t have Rigg as they only brought her in due to Lazenby’s inexperience.

[SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts]

I think it would have worked great with Connery, but it also worked great with Lazenby. The original ending was for Bond and Tracy to drive off after the wedding and then the next film open with Tracy's death. If I had my way, it would be Connery Bond drive off with Tracy as the ending.

Then the next film open with the car being attacked and the new Bond actor surviving, but losing his companion, implied to be Tracy, but never actually shown. Basically, OHMSS ends Connery's run in a happy ending and the next film kind opens with a new slate that can still recognize the past. I love Dalton's intense Bond and he was one of the actors considered for OHMSS. Cast him as Bond after "Tracy"'s death and wanting revenge on Bloefeld.

[Cyno]

OHMSS is a really good Bond movie in spite of Lazenby being arguably the worst Bond.

Oddly enough, I don't think Connery would've been a great fit for it either. If we had a time machine and it was made with Dalton or Craig, I think it would've been amazing.

[Mr PONYMANIA Mr Jenzie]

and NOT with a better structured story?
that's why i didn't like it

[mystermystery]

Considering Connery's return was him casually avenging the end of the movie and then moving on, I'd assume the story would've been changed for him to not show any emotional weakness.

[Johnny B. Decent]

Feb 22, 2022 19:54:35 GMT -5 Cyno said:

OHMSS is a really good Bond movie in spite of Lazenby being arguably the worst Bond.

Oddly enough, I don't think Connery would've been a great fit for it either. If we had a time machine and it was made with Dalton or Craig, I think it would've been amazing.

Oddly, I found Lazenby to be a better version of the kind of Bond Roger Moore would do.

[Cyno]

I wonder how Lazenby would've done with more movies under his belt, since OHMSS was really the only one. Probably would've ended up better than Roger Moore, but that isn't saying a whole lot, heh.

[DiBiase is Good]

Feb 22, 2022 22:30:22 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I wonder how Lazenby would've done with more movies under his belt, since OHMSS was really the only one. Probably would've ended up better than Roger Moore, but that isn't saying a whole lot, heh.

As crap as some of the films were, I never put that down to Moore. He was more than capable of being the sinister bastard Bond is and was actually pretty good at it but they decided to go down the more comedy route and that’s what Moore had to do.
To me Roger Moore IS James Bond but that’s because he was playing Bond when I first heard of the character, so I immediately associate 007 with this suave guy in a Safari suit raising one eyebrow.
Not saying he’s the best though, far from it, Daniel Craig holds that honour for me. And as bad as some suggest Moore was, he and his last couple of films were better than Brosnan and his last film.

[Cyno]

Feb 22, 2022 22:37:26 GMT -5 DiBiase is Good said:

Feb 22, 2022 22:30:22 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I wonder how Lazenby would've done with more movies under his belt, since OHMSS was really the only one. Probably would've ended up better than Roger Moore, but that isn't saying a whole lot, heh.

As crap as some of the films were, I never put that down to Moore. He was more than capable of being the sinister bastard Bond is and was actually pretty good at it but they decided to go down the more comedy route and that’s what Moore had to do.
To me Roger Moore IS James Bond but that’s because he was playing Bond when I first heard of the character, so I immediately associate 007 with this suave guy in a Safari suit raising one eyebrow.
Not saying he’s the best though, far from it, Daniel Craig holds that honour for me. And as bad as some suggest Moore was, he and his last couple of films were better than Brosnan and his last film.

That's Brosnan for me. He was the first Bond I remember seeing and he had one great film under his belt in Goldeneye. The rest... eh. Die Another Day was probably the worst Bond movie I've ever seen (and that includes some stinkers like Moonraker, which at least had some fun camp value).

Craig is probably my favorite Bond overall, though. Timothy Dalton is damn good, too. Wish he got more films.

[DiBiase is Good]

Feb 22, 2022 22:42:21 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Feb 22, 2022 22:37:26 GMT -5 DiBiase is Good said:

As crap as some of the films were, I never put that down to Moore. He was more than capable of being the sinister bastard Bond is and was actually pretty good at it but they decided to go down the more comedy route and that’s what Moore had to do.
To me Roger Moore IS James Bond but that’s because he was playing Bond when I first heard of the character, so I immediately associate 007 with this suave guy in a Safari suit raising one eyebrow.
Not saying he’s the best though, far from it, Daniel Craig holds that honour for me. And as bad as some suggest Moore was, he and his last couple of films were better than Brosnan and his last film.

That's Brosnan for me. He was the first Bond I remember seeing and he had one great film under his belt in Goldeneye. The rest... eh. Die Another Day was probably the worst Bond movie I've ever seen (and that includes some stinkers like Moonraker, which at least had some fun camp value).

Craig is probably my favorite Bond overall, though. Timothy Dalton is damn good, too. Wish he got more films.

My issue with Brosnan is that he seems to get a “free pass” for his terrible films (as you said, Die Another Day was utter shite) yet the same courtesy isn’t extended to Moore when it’s pretty much the same case of terrible writing being the real culprit.

Dalton was great and I wish we got more films from him too but his issue was he played a nastier Bond than anyone else had (and has since) and he had to follow the most “fun” portrayal of Bond. The public weren’t ready for it and then he made Licence to Kill, where Queen and Country is no motive at all and that (along with delays in production of the next film) was sadly it for him.

[brackus]

Would it worked with the Sean Connery from Dr. No, FRWL, Goldfinger and Thudnerball? Maybe.
Would it worked with the other Sean Connery from You only live twice, Diamonds are Forever and Never Say never Again? Absolutley not!
Connery lost his interest and investment in the character after Thunderball and it shows, especially in You only live twice. I can not imagine him showing the emotions as Bond that were needed in this movie.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Feb 22, 2022 19:08:22 GMT -5 DiBiase is Good said:

Don’t know and I don’t want to know really. OHMSS is my favourite Bond film and I just can’t picture anyone other than Lazenby in that scene.
Lazenby gets a lot of unfair shit thrown his way but he’s not bad at all. Unfortunately for him, he followed the only Bond there had been (in the film world anyway) and he was never going to get a fair chance and it’s no surprise he quit after one film.

I feel like there has been a greatly renewed appreciation for OHMSS in recent years.

I'm not sure why it happened, but I'm glad it did, because it is definitely a top 5 Bond movie.

[DiBiase is Good]

Feb 23, 2022 8:21:49 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

Feb 22, 2022 19:08:22 GMT -5 DiBiase is Good said:

Don’t know and I don’t want to know really. OHMSS is my favourite Bond film and I just can’t picture anyone other than Lazenby in that scene.
Lazenby gets a lot of unfair shit thrown his way but he’s not bad at all. Unfortunately for him, he followed the only Bond there had been (in the film world anyway) and he was never going to get a fair chance and it’s no surprise he quit after one film.

I feel like there has been a greatly renewed appreciation for OHMSS in recent years.

I'm not sure why it happened, but I'm glad it did, because it is definitely a top 5 Bond movie.

I’m pleased to see it. I’ve been banging the drum for its greatness for 30 years or so, so it makes me happy that more people are cottoning onto it. Although the Bond snobs (of which I am proud to consider myself one of) can now say “see? We told you so!”.

[Jumpin' Jesse Walsh]

It definitely would’ve worked, provided Connery was motivated. He looked visibly bored with the role toward the end of his run.

I think he could’ve handled the emotions around Tracey’s death well, actually. There’s several ways of selling that without collapsing into a ball of tears.

[Dr. T is an alien]

Feb 22, 2022 19:35:48 GMT -5 SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts said:

I think it would have worked great with Connery, but it also worked great with Lazenby. The original ending was for Bond and Tracy to drive off after the wedding and then the next film open with Tracy's death. If I had my way, it would be Connery Bond drive off with Tracy as the ending.

Then the next film open with the car being attacked and the new Bond actor surviving, but losing his companion, implied to be Tracy, but never actually shown. Basically, OHMSS ends Connery's run in a happy ending and the next film kind opens with a new slate that can still recognize the past. I love Dalton's intense Bond and he was one of the actors considered for OHMSS. Cast him as Bond after "Tracy"'s death and wanting revenge on Bloefeld.

It's a weird thing that the producers for Bond kept trying to get various actors who initially turned down the role for various reasons but eventually were convinced years later to take on the role:

- Moore did not want to get typecasted after finishing his run on The Saint.
- Dalton was an avid fan of the character and felt that he was far, far, far too young when first approached for the role to pass as someone who was just barely holding on because he was fighting off a severe case of burnout (it explains his character's open disdain for the opinions of his peers and superiors in his two films).
- Brosnon was on board all along and wound up being contractually obligated to turn down the role when Remington Steele surprisingly was renewed.

[Ultimo Gallos]

It wouldnt have worked for me with Connery. But that is cause I never cared for Sean as Bond. OHMSS is the only Bond film I like.

[Hit Girl]

Yes, but it wasn't necessary. Lazenby was fine in the film, then his brain turned to shit and he made the worst decision in movie history.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Feb 23, 2022 13:27:16 GMT -5 Dr. T is an alien said:

- Brosnon was on board all along and wound up being contractually obligated to turn down the role when Remington Steele surprisingly was renewed.

Ironically, Remington Steele was only renewed because Brosnan had been all-but confirmed as the new Bond, and that publicity drove new viewers to the show and raised the ratings enough for NBC to reverse their initial decision to cancel it.

It's weird, because I feel he looked way too young to be Bond in '87 (he would have been 33 at the time of filming), and looked perfect for the role in '95, but by the time Die Another Day came around everything about him felt old and tired... but I suppose having to spend months filming that turkey would have that effect on anybody.

I throw the same "old and tired" criticism at Daniel Craig's Bond, but it makes sense within the context of the character's portrayal. His Bond more than any other epitomises the "burning the candle at both ends" nature of the character – a hard-bitten shell of a human being held together by alcohol, painkillers, and sheer will. I haven't cared for any of his movies after Casino Royale, but I can very much believe that the life of a 00 would age somebody real fast, and he captured that.