The Film George Lazenby Left James Bond For | UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (1971) Review

[@nslayton5]

I mean, I can see WHY he did this. This was the late 60s/early 70s. Mercenaries were having a field day. The Katanga Crisis, the Biafra War, everything. There was an idea here. A proper fleshing out of the idea could have really worked.

[@joemoss5138]

Yes but would his bond contract have really precluded him from doing this later?

[@frostyfoster6056]

I’m assuming Tracy’s death shook Bond up so much that he had to be apart of the anti violence Hippie lifestyle! Perhaps that poorly edited shootout at the end of the movie made him come back to his senses and become a spy again, leading to Diamonds aren’t Forever. I’m sure I can fit The Man from Hong Kong into this weird Lazenbyverse somehow…

[@calvindyson]

I'm liking this Lazenby universe building! Can't wait to see how all those Emmanuelle films fit into it!

[@BungleBare]

I can see Lazenby’s mindset at the time fitting into a follow-up to OHMSS. Pacifism wouldn’t really be the weirdest reaction to your wife being gunned down in front of you on your wedding day. It wouldn’t be inconceivable that MI6 might approach Bond, who’s still out of the service, with an update that they’ve tracked down Blofeld (and possibly Bunt?), and that Bond decides to rejoin the service with the aim of bringing Blofeld in to face justice. Then, events might transpire to leave Bond with the choice of either letting Blofeld get away, or killing him (maybe a shoot him now, or he’s getting away scenario?). The end of the film could be Bond still grappling with his new ideals, what he’s just done, and MI6 offering him his OO status back. That would leave it as either the end of Lazenby’s run, if he decided to leave it at that, or paving the way for him to continue as Bond as a changed character who knows how to kill, but only does it when absolutely necessary. Around that time a reluctant but skilled killer was prevalent in popular culture in the UK, in the form of Callan, played by Edward Woodward (a gritty and Bond adjacent-ish series that’s well worth a watch). So this kind of character was already familiar to UK audiences.

[@rogerpattube]

Blew it all sky high, without a reason why…

[@marksieve7734]

​@@BungleBare Interesting that Woodward would go on to play Robert McCall in The Equilizer during the mid 1980's. Unfortunately Lazenby walked and the actress who played Irma Bunt died after shooting for OHMSS ended. So, the direct revenge sequel in the form of Diamonds Are Forever was not to be. Cubby could have however brought back George for Live And Let Die. But of course that never happened either, too much bad blood.

[@SouthPark333Gaming]

And then, after some time, he became a Confederate general

[@mikezinza9699]

I look at it this way. If George had signed the 7 film contract we would have never got the Roger Bond movies so I'm happy he left when he did

[@PaperclipClips]

The very first film I've ever seen George Lazenby in was "Gettysburg" -- yes, that 1993 film "Gettysburg" starring Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels, and Sam Eliott. He was playing a southern general in that one, General Pettigrew, complete with a Southern accent and everything! I didn't even realize it was him until the film ended and I saw his name on the credits; I was like, "Wait, THAT George Lazenby?! The one that played James Bond??" Another thing I didn't realize upon watching this video was how much of a dead ringer he was back in the day to the actor Clive Owen. To me, he looks just like Clive Owen, but with a handlebar mustache! Back when Pierce Brosnan retired as Bond and they were still in the process of looking for someone to replace him, Clive Owen had always been my favorite (and was really hoping for) to be the next Bond because of his suave and sophisticated demeanor. And he can do action films just fine, like when he played the baddie trying to hunt down Jason Bourne in one of the Bourne films (and he also played as the main character called "The Driver" in the BMW series of films in which he also displayed major Bond vibes all throughout) and so was quite bummed when I heard the news that they eventually went with Daniel Craig as the new Bond... but then fast-forward to today when I saw this video, and now I'm thinking that perhaps one of the reasons they didn't consider him was because Clive reminds them too much of George Lazenby based on how he looks, haha! 😀

[@cannedworms1814]

Another George Lazenby film you should look at is The Man From Hong Kong from 1975. Lazenby plays the villain in the film. It has incredible action and stunts and is basically a Bond film set in Australia.

[@DarksaberForce]

In the final fight he was burned for real for several seconds and still continued filming. Between that and him sleeping with numerous female co-stars, of all the Bond actors Lazenby was the closest thing to a real Bond IMO.

[@atrac88]

The still photo of George at 3:28. Good lord such a handsome man. I really wish he had kept going as Bond. It's honestly a tragedy in my opinion.

[@hafstendo5619]

Seing George Lazenby with a long hair, it's no wonder John Cleese wanted him to play Jesus in Life of Brian

[@adamoconnor8964]

So much of this looks more like behind the scenes footage than an actual film

[@jamiem8680]

Poor George,,,not long after this he was to star in the next Bruce Lee film after he had become a mega star ,,,they were to meet for Dinner to sign the deal but Bruce didn’t show as he was lying dead in a hotel room ! The stars just didn’t align for George at times,,but he seems to look back and laugh at it all now .

[@user-si9fx4xb6v]

Speaking of George Lazenby, until recently he was set to appear in the action film The Order (funded online by backers and starring a number of actors/actresses from the Power Rangers franchise), until it encountered production issues. As far as I know it is not canceled yet, it will be interesting to see once it is finished especially his role since, he did not appear in the proof-of-concept trailer for it.

[@FraserJWhieldon]

Amazing how O'Rahilly sounds just like Kevin McClory...

[@spaceodds1985]

The man looks like a reptile

[@stuffedsheepshead]

-You are men with Orelly. - What? - You Orelly men. - What does that mean? - You Orelly. - You watch it! - Where Orelly? - What's he going on about? - He means 'O'Rahilly'

[@AndyJay1985]

I still have always wondered what would have happened if Bruce Lee had lived and ended up working with Lazenby after Enter the Dragon.

[@groovesinman9112]

"Blofeld, like let's give up this war stuff man. Peace and love. Take a joint man, lets sit down and listen to Beatles and Hendrix," that's what I imagine Hippie-Bond would sound like

[@jv007ltk]

There is one Lazenby film I’d recommend though: Italian mystery thriller “Who Saw Her Die?”. One of the so-called giallo films. It’s pretty good, Adolfo Celi also pops up in that one btw :)

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I do have a theory that even if Lazenby had signed that contract he was offered, he wouldn't have done any more. This is based on UA David V. Picker wanting Connery back with money no object and basically got Connery back over Eon's head. While paying off Lazenby would cost more than John Gavin [who was hired for Diamonds], I still think he might have just paid him not to appear [but who knows ultimately]. Peter Hunt was asked to return for Diamonds but wasn't free and never worked on a Bond again but he remained loyal, turning down the opportunity to direct Never Say Never Again.

[@calvindyson]

Good point, indeed even signing contracts didn't seem to mean much given Gavin apparently signed and they paid him out@

[@sashaking1115]

Oooooh, that would have been interesting if Peter Hunt had directed NSNA!!!!!! Could have been a much better film

[@kanyewestlive6905]

I agree with this actually, the writing was on the wall no matter what, coupled with the fact EON weren't fond of Lazenby anyway

[@DafyddBrooks]

VERY VERY good point on UA wanting Connery back. hope all is well James and hope you enjoyed the links i sent you :)

[@ΜακηςΛ-ε5ρ]

@@DafyddBrooks UA wanted Connery back and in O.H.M.S.S. Although Lazenby received much support from Broccoli and Saltzman, he had a less easy ride from the board of United Artists who were none too keen to see him take over the mantle of Bond. On 7 July 1968, test footage of Lazenby and Rigg had been sent to United Artists in New York - and the were less than impressed by what they saw. On 23 September 1968, UA's head man David Picker even flew into London, desperate to tempt Connery back into the fold. But Connery was adamant that he wasn't coming back - EON and UA had made him a star and Connery was now a major player, capable of picking only the roles that interested him. And at this moment, Bond simply didn't interest him at all. It was only reluctantly that UA accepted EON's recommendation that Lazenby be given the part. MI6 Production Notes - On Her Majesty's Secret Service

[@mryubnub508]

Calvin I’m just absolutely loving this series you’ve been doing and legitimately get excited every time I see a new video of yours come out. Your commentary is informative and genuinely humorous. Please keep it up, and know you’ve got a true fan of your work.

[@calvindyson]

Thanks, Mike! Very kind of you 😁😁

[@BenCol]

18:13 So if George Lazenby had stayed as Bond into the 70s we might have had John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band doing the Live and Let Die theme instead of Paul McCartney and Wings. Speaking of The Beatles - a film made in an improvised style by actors high off their minds on drugs and too high on their own hubris to realise it was all a bad idea? Universal Solider sounds like it failed for the exact same reasons Magical Mystery Tour did. But at least MMT was only 50 minutes long, has some killer tunes in it, and has that one scene of John Lennon shovelling a mountain of spaghetti. I feel this film would’ve been improved considerably if Lazenby too shovelled a mountain of spaghetti. Can’t think of a reason why he’d do it, but hey, it’s experimental filmmaking, when have they ever gotten bogged down with such insignificant concerns like “reasons” or “explanations” or “plot structure”?

[@DafyddBrooks]

oooo now youve made me wanna eat spaghetti :)

[@BradHominem]

Fun fact: Maggie Wright was in Universal Soldier AND Magical Mystery Tour.

[@robvegas9354]

Wow!! What a wild time that must have been. For some more Lazenby action, check out the classic Aussie thriller 'The Man From Hong Kong'

[@portland-182]

Goddard's 'Breathless' was a huge influence on the 'apparently improvised' genre of the sixties, with its documentary style of filming, and jump cut editing. Might be worth a watch, to compare and contrast with more mainstream cinema. Breathless was pre Dr. No, but took a while for its influence to spread.

[@Mattfromthepast]

I love Lazenby and I have seen this movie twice, good job trying to cover it. I have seen this twice and have no idea what point it was trying to make, for a pro hippie movie it sure did a good job of making them look like people who shouldn't be in charge of anything because they can't make themselves understood. This movie is just confusing and I say that as a huge David Lynch fan who gets most of his stuff. Just letting everyone get high and then shooting what happens is not how you make a movie. Good job on this one.

[@tcaudiobooks737]

Hippie's shouldn't be in charge of anything to be fair.

[@Mattfromthepast]

@@tcaudiobooks737 Yeah, I don't hate hippies but whenever they try to run something it does seem to have problems. Also, I think this movie proves why script writers are needed for movies. Making up dialog on the spot only works for one or two lines at a time, not a whole movie.

[@sporkfindus4777]

"Christ!! Find us an actor who's affable and happy to do a few films. Get us Roger Moore, damn it!!!" I did chuckle

[@WhiteJarrah]

It's funny you should mention his hair length by the time _Diamonds Are Forever_ was being shot. At the 2014 SupaNova convention, he was asked about about _Live And Let Die._ Apparently, Lazenby was offered to return in _Live And Let Die,_ but the director thought he was too hairy. It's interesting to think that had he stuck around until he was Roger Moore's age when he left the role, Lazenby could have conceivably played Bond well into the 90s.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Moore mentioned when he was cast that he was told to cut his hair and lose some weight. He did but was then told to cut it even shorter and lose more weight leading him to remark 'why didn't they just cast a thin bald man for the part'!

[@DaveTravelsinTime]

Cool so after Connery did Diamonds George could have came back interesting in a alternate timeline If this actually happened

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@DaveTravelsinTime Cubby said in an interview [featured in book 'The incredible world of James Bond'] that Lazenby contacted him trying to make a come back but Cubby wasn't interested [along with Connery, Lazenby didn't come to Cubby's funeral] and they wanted an established actor, hence Moore [who had been approached before but was tied up in tv commitments]. I think given Lazenby and Moore were good friends and that story is similar to Moore's haircut one he wasn't being too serious with that anecdote and embellishing it for a good story.

[@mrwhitespaleking5190]

As much as I enjoy my fellow Australian’s larrikin attitude, I feel he’s created his own legend. A good Bond though.

[@kuribayashi84]

„Guns are baaaad~“ *insane giggle* Oh my, I guess Calvin lost his mind for a few seconds there. Never heard him corpse like that.

[@ben8447]

You should review Who Saw Her Die? Lazenby gave a great performance in that film, his co-star was Adolfo Celi (so you can do your Thunderball jokes there) and it is one of the best Italian giallo films out there. So if you are going to focus on George, shine a light on that gem.

[@calvindyson]

I would indeed love to see that one day! I think it was the next film he made after Universal Soldier so would certainly make sense to look at it next!

[@thezachmarsh]

I really wish a cut of WSHD? would come out with Lazenby's voice track rather than the American dubover because I agree, he's stone cold excellent in that film and you can see it in his face

[@ELO1138]

@@thezachmarsh It's highly likely it doesn't exist. For decades, all Italian films were shot silent and the voices were dubbed in post production. On set the multi-national actors would all speak their native languages and then later it was dubbed in English, Italian, German, etc. Everything from Sergio Leone to Dario Argentio to Fellini was shot this way. There's conflicting stories about why Lazenby didn't do his own voice A) he left for Australia once filming wrapped and they couldn't get a hold of him B) he didn't care. According to the director Lazenby told him he was going to use his paycheck to go back to Australia and buy a sailboat. That being said I think the American voice works fine. First time I watched I thought it was him doing an American accent. Honestly I think George should've stayed in Italy and made more films. It was quite lucrative and Italian films got better distribution than Hong Kong and Australian films at the time.

[@inspectortanzi]

Lazenby never had any part of the English WSHD dub - an alternate dub with his voice on it simply doesn't exist. As much as I wish it did, because Chi L'Ha Vista Morire is indeed one of the better gialli of its time (Lado's also on Facebook as well). According to Lazenby, Lado was the first director who didn't make any presumptuous judgements towards him post-007.

[@ChristopherJohnBall]

'The Man From Hong Kong' is definitely worth seeing for Lazenby as a villain - and for a stunt that almost had him severely burned. He was also very good in Peter Bogdanovich's 'Saint Jack' playing a politician who is a blackmail victim. It is a small part but it did get him good reviews and is definitely not Bond.

[@zanemurcha9742]

Ah the 60s early 70s when every man and his dog thought they'd have a go at making a professional movie that could be screened to millions of people. And some of those directors included Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma and even Clint Eastwood in a way. Low budget was just a cool thing I guess.

[@AllanMarks888]

You should try The Man from Hong Kong where Lazenby is the villain

[@oscarpotter5302]

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure the reason for the bad editing isn’t the editor of the film it’s the fact who ever uploaded this to KZbin cut it weirdly to avoid copyright claims

[@johnn.4407]

I am reminded of The Critical Drinker's comment on Lazenby's decision to leave Bond on his agents advice: "A decision which has been officially recognized as the single worst piece of advice that any human has ever given in the whole of history..."

[@normanby100]

"A decision which has been officially recognized as the single worst piece of advice that any human has ever given in the whole of history..." Somewhere below the directors of Leeds Utd wondering "Who can we get to replace Don. I know. How about that nice Mr Clough?"

[@StoutProper]

@@normanby100 how was getting one of the best managers in the game a mistake? The mistake was letting the players be bigger than the club, Ave letting risdalex ruin it

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@StoutProper Read the Damned United or the chapter in Jonathan Wilson's Biography ['Nobody ever says thank your'] for more detail but in short Clough had a long running feud with his predecessor Don Revie and had frequently criticised Revie and his players [who saw him as a father figure] so he was on shaky ground with the players and fans from the start. And then in his first team talk he slammed each player individually [including saying Eddie Grey's frequent injuries meant 'if he was a race horse he'd have been shot by now'] and said they'd only won by cheating. Having quickly lost the players, the terrible performances and attempts to sell old favourites swiftly lost him the fans and he was sacked though still getting nearly £100,000 [£765,000 in todays money] for his work. As his successor Jimmy Arnfield said 'he criticised the players before he arrived and didn't stop when he was there'. Frankly, given his combative style, the bigger clubs weren't going to suit Clough [given he feuded with Sir Matt Busby and Kevin Keegan and only lasted a few months as England B manger before quitting over a row] but he found the perfect club for him in Forest and bounced back in style.

[@StoutProper]

@@jamesatkinsonja he did more in 4 seasons at forest than revie ever did at Leeds

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@StoutProper That was his true home and he did very well to keep Forest competitive when money was tight in the mid-80's.

[@lib556]

It's often mentioned that Lazenby dis a few years in the Australian army but there's never any details. As a retired soldier, this aspect of his past interests me. If anyone knows any details, it'd be great to see them. I assume he served just prior to Australia's involvement in Vietnam.

[@scotia7326]

One thing I’ve always been teased about among my fellow Bond fan friends is ranking Lazenby as my third favourite Bond actor, following Craig and Brosnan. I think the reason is partly due to his arrogance and his own relation to the Bond character in that regard. The producer he was talking about (Saltzman or Broccoli) was 100% right in my eyes. The 007 character needs to have a level of smugness and arrogance which I think Lazenby does. I also think that he is having fun in the role, he smiles, he laughs and grins his way through that film until the very end (which still reduces me to tears, yes). I understand his career has been less than the sum of his fellow Bond actors but to me, Lazenby will always be the Bond of my childhood and the first 007 I ever seen. Great work, as always, Calvin.

[@Kasino80]

OHMSS is my favorite Bond film and neither Connery nor Moore could have conveyed the sensitivities of the character that it required.

[@trettfilms]

For some good non-bond Lazenby I recommend ‘The Man from Hong Kong’ (originally supposed to star Bruce Lee and has a catchy theme tune) and Italian horror ‘Who saw her Die?’ (although he’s sadly dubbed it does also feature Adolfo Celi)

[@dudstep]

The Man From Hong Kong is one of my favourites. As good as Jimmy Wang Yu is in it, it would have been so much cooler with Bruce Lee in it.

[@1911marmonwasp]

This film plays out a little like some of the other arthouse-style films that existed back in those days. It reminds me a little of the Marianne Faithful film Girl on a Motorcycle which was also made around the same time. They all look like they were made on a budget with a limited script and resources.

[@MrEab2010]

looking back Lazenby did have a certain charisma. Having lived through that era I can honestly say that it was often confusing to make the right choices what with so many changes taking place.

[@dtsdolby6594]

I love George Lazenby as James Bond! And ohmss is on my top 3 bonds of all time with GoldenEye and Goldfinger

[@Whoa802]

I think the aimless, meandering style of storytelling worked for Easy Rider in a way it didn't for Universal Soldier was because in that film, it reflected the way the lead characters lived their lives (being unemployed stoners drifting from day to day in their motorcycles and all) in a manner it didn't here. Mercenaries, unlike hippies, are men with a purpose and a mission, so the film should've reflected that by having a stronger narrative drive and focus at the start, only for its plot to slowly diminish its importance as Riker becomes more and more seduced by the hippie lifestyle. If they structured the film more like this and avoided passing judgment as to whether Lazenby's character was doing the right thing, perhaps its lack of narrative momentum would've felt meaningful and rewarding rather than boring and aimless.

[@Neville60001]

The two characters in _Easy Rider_ weren't stoners and they really weren't unemployed (smuggling liquid cocaine to a certain place for a big payday is still work, and well-paid work to boot).

[@Whoa802]

@@Neville60001 They weren't high in every single scene, but they certainly did a lot of drugs so it's still apt to call them stoners. They did sell coke at the start but it seems like they only did it to get quick, easy spending money and wasn't planning to build a long-term career out of it. To call those two drug dealers would be like calling Sylvester Stallone a porn star, LOL.

[@Neville60001]

@@Whoa802, more like (and I should have said this) drug _smugglers_ than actual, complete stoners.

[@RD19902010]

most mercenaries are guys that never really were able to return to civilian life and work from project to project, doing boring yet dangerous work. The image of a typical mercenary as a driven and absolute professional is a relatively baseless clichee

[@wwb16]

somewhere there is an alternate reality where lazenby did at least a few more films, particulary a revenge follow-up to OHMSS

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Allegedly a revenge follow up film was written but scrapped as the script was poor. The first 5 mins of For Your Eyes only acted as a spiritual version of that idea ultimately.

[@coltongottman]

Not related to this but I was watching Goldfinger and if Goldfinger had succeeded and made the gold radioactive for 58 years it would become safe again this year in 2022…

[@weirdcritter]

THE MAN FROM HONG KONG is one of the most fun, WTF! action films I've ever seen. Some really good extras on the Blu-ray that details the Director's on-set issues with Jimmy Wang Yu and George Lazenby (who was set on fire🔥)

[@Jim17735]

I do alway think that Lazenby was a victim of the time he found himself in the role , the very late 60s was such a weird transitional time, by about 1972 it had all calmed down, am sure if he had got the role in 79 instead of 69 his tenure as Bond would have been very different

[@Youdontknowwhatliterallymeans]

Has anyone seen Who Saw Her Die? George is a tremendously improved actor. The Man From Hong Kong and Stoner were awesome action flicks and Becoming Bond is a brilliant documentary.

[@Steve-wo7gt]

It's amazing to think all Lazenby had to do was just do a handful of Bond films and he would be a household name.

[@jhjhjhjhjhjhify]

Art people think is created on drugs: Easy Rider, the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan, Beat Generation literature/poetry... Art that is actually created on drugs:

[@KetwunsGamingPad]

I love it when you review former Bond actors other roles. It gives a great dichotomy.

[@johanprx7985]

I understand Lazenby somewhat. 1. Lots of Movies of that time felt like they were made without a script. As if something happened and there happened to be a camera there to record it. And they looked a bit surreal. Mash is for example such a movie. There definitely was a script by the way. 2. Times were changing in just about anything. Live, entertainment, relationships, etc. Look at Lazenby's life. He might had more sex in real life than James Bond had. 3. Series that had a change in lead actor did not do well. Look for example at the Pink Panther. Only Peter Sellers would be accepted and not even an experienced actor like Alan Arkin could not take over. It was not yet established that they could go on with a new actor

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

By the way, I haven't edited this. This is exactly how this text appears in the comments section.

[@andrewhopkins1010]

When George Lazenby crashed the hovercraft, was there a double-taking pigeon looking on?

[@chrishewson4283]

A very well-balanced and considered review! While still not straying from the expected opinion, haha. Hippie cinema has never been my cup of tea either. I do find it amusing though that it seemed so dominant a force that some felt it would genuinely unseat Bond as a cultural institution! Riker's mate clearly has a thing for Avon ladies...Oh. Oh dear lord! xD Thankfully they clearly showed more sense and intelligence then him, haha

[@stewarti7192]

Are we sure that isn't Cubby Broccoli in the Rolls-Royce at the end bumping off Lazenby?

[@BungleBare]

Just down the road the Rolls-Royce drives into a car wash, which it emerges from, like the Lamborghini at the start of Cannonball Run 2, with the false paint job washed off. A silver Rolls-Royce bearing the now-revealed number plate CUB 1 drives off, with cigar smoke billowing from an opening rear window.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Tenuous link alert between Bond and the more famous Universal Solider: Van Damn plays Luc Deveraux in the Universal solider series-and Pierce Brosnan plays Peter Devereaux [sounds similar, different spelling] in The November Man [kind of his un-official Bond reprisal which I hope you review someday].

[@someenglishbloke942]

Additionally, Dolph Lundgren played the antagonist in Van Damme's Universal Soldier and cameos as a KGB agent in A View to a Kill.

[@vitorafmonteiro]

And was't there a bond girl in "The November Man"? I'm pretty sure Olga Kurilenko was in it if I recall properly.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@vitorafmonteiro Yeah, she's in it [Pierce was quoted as saying 'She started of with Daniel Craig...and ends up with Brosnan!!']. There is also a character from Brosnan's past called Natalia [Slightly different spelling] and he's friends with a guy from the Russian underworld running a nightclub...

[@vitorafmonteiro]

@@jamesatkinsonja At that point, that had to be ALL intentional.

[@darren2514fv]

At the time of Easy Rider America was at war with Vietnam as there was also a anti war element in the film

[@Edward-dd9tf]

Lazenby is the Pete Best of the Bond story, forced to talk endlessly about what might have been. But at least George made the decision himself and it is he, not Pete, who made the "worst career move in history.

[@bobsmithy9024]

The irony is 70s pop culture cinema was going gritty not hippy! 😄 Films like Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Dirty Harry, The French Connection, Death Wish depicted the uglier crime-ridden urban sprawl of 70s America. Even more uplifting fare like Rocky was based in an urban gritty setting. Easy Rider was not indicative of 70s pop culture. Lazenby and his manager were wrong in their prediction.

[@GhostRider-on6bz]

Here's a Bond related film recommendation for you. Even if you don't review it, it's worth a watch. "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning". An "angry young man" film from 1960. It was the film that convinced Ian Flemming that Harry Saltzman could handle producing Bond within the UK cinema industry. All filmed in my home town of Nottingham and even starring Kincaid from Skyfall (Albert Finney).

[@thomaschacko6320]

This looks like a strange film, to say the least. But, everyone puts out their share of turkeys. Examples: Sean Connery in “Zardoz,” “The Terrorists,” and “The Next Man.” Roger Moore in “Crossplot,” “Street People,” and “Bullseye!” Timothy Dalton in “The Beautician and the Beast.” Pierce Brosnan’s “singing” in “Mamma Mia!” Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier . . . the list is endless!

[@rogerrambo4172]

Calvin did you know that Lazenby was cast to play Tony Stark/Iron Man by Glen A Larson for an abandoned Iron Man pilot movie planned for late 1980 & tv series planned for 1981? He mentioned at a convention how he was Iron Man before Robert Downey jr. They couldn't get the armour right, there are photos of Lazenby in glittery gold spandex & day-glow red rubber that is supposed to be Iron. The project was abandoned due to the high production costs.

[@nachoburger1]

A lot of films rushed to try and emulate the success of Easy Rider through the appeal of an improvised political film. However, while a lot of the "guerilla" filmmaking with that piece came from the style in which it was shot and the dialogue/performance from the actors. What people don't realize is that there was a huge of amount of planning, writing, and creative thought put into the project before and after filming that wasn't just people getting high and trying to say something meaningful off the top of their head. It's a shame that Lazenby is relegated as a sort of punchline in the Bond community, and as someone who really appreciated the softer side he brought to the role, I really wish he could have broken out with a New-Hollywood-style indie hit. This is not that, but Universal Soldier does appeal to my love for awful 70's fashion, so that's ugh, something?

[@Neville60001]

Allow me to make a supposition here: _Easy Rider_ wasn't the movie people were trying to emulate, because it really _wasn't_ a political film (just a tale of two loners trying to find America and themselves while smuggling cocaine); it was _Medium Cool_ (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Cool) that inspired this particular movie Lazenby was in: _Medium Cool_ was _the_ movie that was an improvised political film (shot on location in Chicago right in the middle of the 1968 Democratic National Convention), and I think that it was this film that the makers of _Universal Soldier_ were trying to emulate even more so than _Easy Rider_ .

[@meeksiecore8284]

Might I just say, I am just absolutely enjoying this series you're doing of reviewing all of the Bond actor's other bodies of work, I would've never even bothered venturing into them had it not been for your videos. It does make me pose the question of which Dalton movie you'd choose to review if you ever chose to in the future, aside from his work from the 2000s onwards and I guess maybe that Charlie's Angels episode he was in where he played a Bondian character, alot of his stuff are period dramas or comedies and the like. Cheers!

[@calvindyson]

Really happy to hear your enjoying this series! It’s certainly giving me a newfound appreciation of a lot of these actors, particularly Sean Connery and Roger Moore whose work I hadn’t seen much outside of Bond previously really… I have a few Dalton films ready to go! Can’t wait to talk about Sextette with Mae West!

[@meeksiecore8284]

@@calvindyson Ok wow I definitely did not expect you to bring up Sextette 😂😂 You have no idea how much this just made me extremely excited!

[@davidjames579]

@@calvindyson Lol I hope you include the bits of Sextette that influenced Licence To Kill!

[@sashaking1115]

I’d love it if Calvin reviewed Hot Fuzz!!

[@meeksiecore8284]

@@sashaking1115 Oh absolutely!! Hot Fuzz is basically essential viewing for Dalton fans at this point as far as I'm concerned lol

[@PaulHagl]

This was great viewing. Hopefully you get around to The Man from Hong Kong from 1975. I think Lazenby’s best film other than OHMSS. Would be interested in what you think Calvin.

[@lordofthereels6790]

Man if you want an AWESOME SUPER 1980's James Bond meets Mad Max flick WITH GEORGE LAZENBY DEFINITELY check out Never Too Young to Die. It's Kingsman if it came out in the 80's swapping the lead from a street hood to a gymnast. It stars John Stamos as the new spy, Lazenby as his dad, Vanity/80's Beyonce and...a very un PC but cartoonish as hell Gene Simmons as the most 80's of Bond villains. I think the whole thing is on KZbin and is well worth a watch especially with your intoxicant of choice. There's also SUPER cool/super 80's Bond gadgets and car chases in it too.

[@fredrikcarlstedt393]

" World domination is bad karma, Blofeld ! "

[@spaceodds1985]

From the producers of Platoon and Hoosiers… Why no mention of The Terminator?🤣 Same production company. I apologise for getting political but I find the debate scene hilarious, in the fact that some of these peace loving hippies would turn out to be the biggest bunch of hypocrites fifty years on … Rant Over The film tries so hard to be Easy Rider, but that film at least had some semblance of a plot. Also Lazenby, Greer vs Jack Nicholson… yeah, no contest. Don’t get me wrong, I agree about with you about Easy Rider, it is a meandering film.

[@fromchomleystreet]

It’s easy to think Lazenby and/or his manager must have been mad to give up the opportunity of Bond, but in the context of the time, it would have seemed clear that Bond was hopelessly out of step with the way culture was heading, and heading fast. Had Lazenby got lucky, and ended up in an “Easy Rider” instead of a “Universal Soldier”, things could have ended up very different for him. It was an educated gamble, and the fact that it didn’t pay off is really mostly bad luck.

[@sgtfrozty]

I have to mention "Becoming Bond" to those who haven't seen it, loved that.

[@al007italia]

Before you watched this on KZbin, I could say I was 1 up on you for watching Lazenby in films other than as Bond or spoofing Bond (Man from Unclle). The movie I saw was Kentucky Fried Movie. He had a cameo in it. I wish Lazenby had accepted the contract to continue playing Bond. Then the end of OHMSS would have been the start of Diamonds Are Forever & the plot would have been a lot different, & hopefully better, than the plot with Connery had. Easy Rider is something that was a part of my generation. I was only 13 when it came out so I couldn't see it until a few years later. But I think it is a great movie. But I can understand why it wasn't your cup of tea. Finally Lazenby's moustache in Universal Soldier reminds me of the moustache Connery had in Zardoz.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

They decided during filming to end OHMSS like the book. Because OHMSS was considered to have underperformed and Richard Maibaum's 'revenge sequel' script was considered below par, the direction taken for Diamonds [returning to Goldfinger's lighter tone] was likely even if Lazenby or original choice John Gavin had played Bond [Peter Hunt was scheduled to direct that script if he wasn't tied up with other work]. At one point they were not even going to have Blofeld in the next film.

[@garybryant1501]

Jack Lord and George Lazenby together in the Hawaii Five-0 season 11'finale set in Hong Kong

[@Treblaine]

"No amount of sex and weed would counter that" have you any idea how hard it is for a hippy to accept that?

[@DwRockett]

THE DIRECTOR IS ALSO BEHIND ZULU!!!! Wow, genuinely shocked there

[@jamesatkinsonja]

The captions made watching the clips bearable and great review as usual. I really appreciate how you put this film into context, especially with Easy Rider [the ending of Rider is presumably what the editor was attempting to replicate in this film]. Would this beat 1998's 'The Avengers' as the worst film reviewed on the channel so far?

[@calvindyson]

Thanks, James! Happy you enjoyed it! I think it may well be the worst film I've reviewed on the channel...

[@johnrigs6540]

Actually saw this movie many years ago. And no doubt about it - possibly the very worst film any Bond Actor has ever done after leaving the franchise. And - of course - one of the most ridiculous career decisions in Hollywood History! Choosing Hippies over James Bond! Sad too - because I thought he did pretty darn great for a debut acting performance as 007 in OHMSS - and I really think he would have grown very nicely into the James Bond role had he done some more films. Still, George ended up doing very well for himself and certainly seems happy and content with his life. And he can always proudly say he was part of One of the best James Bond films ever made - and the one that’s truest to the Ian Fleming novel on which it’s based! ( btw - have you covered “ Becoming Bond” on Hulu about how he got the 007 role? It is one of the greatest casting stories in movie history!)

[@ParumPirum]

So basically, Lazenby thought that political movies with a message would be the future and that would make plain action obsolete. Some people think that today as well apparently… They learned nothing did they?

[@TheSultan1470]

Hmmmm... Well, there are certanly more around nowadays

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@TheSultan1470 Most media have a message/themes to them [Aesop's fables like 'Tortoise and the hare' from early writing], it's really nothing new and happened social media moaning [the first Top Gun in the 80's was so pro- airforce that they actually put recruitment statements next to some cinema's in America and Rocky 4 is very pro-USA in the cold war].

[@nicknewman7848]

His decision at the time was actually quite informed. Nobody could have predicted the longevity of Bond at the time. It was perfectly reasonable to think the series was on its last legs. There had been a cultural revolution in youth culture and the arts and by 1970 something like Goldfinger would have been considered quite old fashioned by teens, young adults and the up and coming people in the industry. After all, even though Connery's Bond and the whole cultural phenomenon thing is now associated as being part of the swinging 60's in reality it is a suped up character whose values and culture is based firmly in the 50's. The most telling example of this is the "earmuffs" line from Goldfinger establishing Bond as a character whose taste clearly precedes 1964 and someone who is far removed from teenage and youth culture (as grown men in their 30's should be in my opinion). Lazenby was being asked to play this same character in 1970/71 and it's easy to see why this seemed like a very uncool idea. Film especially was in flux as an artform at this time and heading into its most liberal and creative mainstream phase as proven by the great mainstream cinema of the early to mid 70's where artists had more creative control than they had ever had before or since. This is of course no excuse for being so full of yourself or deluded that you think you can make great cinema by smoking weed and making it up as you go along. In hindsight Lazenby made a clear error for his career but at a time when Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were making their best stuff and Coppola and Polanski were making some of the greatest films of all time, Cubby and Harry had Rog' taking on a voodoo high priest on cheap sets while a damsel in distress was being threatened with a plastic snake. 'The Spy Who Loved Me' saved the series from extinction and cemented Bond as being part of the furniture rather than just something that was a massive success in the 60's and was a bit burnt out and old fashioned 10/12 years later. Only then was George's decision proved to be a mistake. Hindsight is obviously a wonderful thing.

[@davidjames579]

Interesting Goldfinger was the type of film EON used as a template for Diamonds Are Forever, as it was for them a prime example of Bond's success. As such they brought back Guy Hamilton and Shirley Bassey, and even considered bringing Gert Frobe back but as Goldfinger's Twin Brother. They also thought about bringing Daniela Bianchi from From Russia With Love back.

[@nicknewman7848]

@@davidjames579 Yeah.. they hit the jackpot with Goldfinger which established the blu-print. They were not known for taking risks which is why they backtracked on Diamonds and tried to act like Majesties never happened after it wasn't well received by US audiences. They were businessmen after all. Apart from a few slight adjustments over the years they pretty much stuck with it until Casino Royale. That's why No Time to Die was such a shock for many hardcore fans i think.. they killed Felix, Blofeld and Bond in the same film and even blew up Vesper's grave!! It was a brave attempt from Eon but quite a flawed film. I think they'll need a fresh approach to the writing going forwards.. the rest of the decisions they've made lately haven't been that bad at all but when you try and make it less Die Another Day and more Casino Royale the plot really has to make some sense.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@davidjames579 Bianchi retired from acting in 1970 [due to marring a Shipping magnet]. Tatiana did appear in a rejected script for 'The Spy Who Loved Me' but when the writer was interviewed by Mark Edlitz he said it would have had to be a recast.

[@davidjames579]

​@@jamesatkinsonja Oh I didn't know she had retired by then. Maybe EON didn't either! They have had a strange habit of trying to bring Bond Girls back and not managing it (Tatiana, Honey, Anya (attempted for Moonraker and then when that was dropped, for A View To A Kill), Pam, Wai Lin, Vesper (via video recording in Quantum), Jinx in her own movie). Finally they did it with Madeleine (and I suppose Vespa's photos in Quantum, Spectre and No Time). I haven't included Eve Moneypenny. Or Sylvia as although she came back in From Russia, she wasn't a main Bond Girl. However she would have if Terence Young's promise to her that she'd be the Main Girl in the sixth film had come true. It is strange that Mary never returns even though she is a recurring character in the novels. Finally an honourable mention to Mary Stavin who plays an unnamed member of Octopussy 's gang, and may or may not be playing the same character (now named Kimberley Jones) in A View To, where she finally gets to sleep with Bond.

[@Olebull93]

He kinda looks looks like Robert Z'Dar in this movie. He could have played one of the henchmen's in Diamond's are forever, and nobody would have noticed it.

[@nslayton5]

Calvin, you should check out The Man from Hong Kong. Delightful film and Lazenby plays the villain!

[@willwriteandtalk5006]

Who Saw Her Die is pretty amazing though. Check that out. It’s on DVD too and comes across as Bond meets Don’t Look Now.

[@zanemurcha9742]

I clicked on the link and watched the ending of this movie and I couldn't stop laughing for 5 minutes straight. The way it's shot, edited and how standard rules of film making are just ignored was just funny as hell to me.

[@calvindyson]

It’s quite something isn’t it? 😅😂

[@BungleBare]

Even odder when you consider it was directed by the same guy who directed Zulu which, some directorial flourishes aside, was pretty much a lesson in how to tell a cinematic tale in a conventional way.

[@vitorafmonteiro]

@@BungleBare That only shows how trying to "fake" unconventional style when you are a conventional filmmaker is a TERRIBLE idea. When it isn't in you, it isn't in you.

[@normanby100]

@@vitorafmonteiro "Don't take drugs, mkkkaaayyy!"

[@vitorafmonteiro]

@@normanby100 And war is bad.... and guns are no good!...

[@paulstewartmusic86]

I think Lazenby could have grown into the Bond role, it’s sort of a shame that his first attempt came with such a relatively heavy, emotional story. Maybe if he’d had a chance to build up to it with three or four films his tenure would be viewed very differently. Anyway, fair play to him for not just chasing the money at the time, he’s still done pretty well out of it all.

[@Alphadec]

I think we have all done something relly dumb that we regret but none at this level.

[@rebfj86]

I recommend The Sea Wolves (1980) as a good sunday afternoon sort of WWII film with Roger Moore, Patrick Mcnee, David Niven and Gregory Peck for a future review. Also The Assassination Bureau (1969) with Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas and Curt Jurgen. After watching it I felt Oliver Reed could have made a good Bond.

[@MrJoebuck74]

Beeing a big George fan I saw this movie and as you pointed out it's almost a documentary about what George was at that point of his own life, a globe trotter that wanted to be free to do anything. Needless to say that the movie is a real mess but George is such a charismatic man that I enjoy either. Go see CHI L'HA VISTA MORIRE a sort of giallo/horror Dario Argento style, I'm lucky to be italian so I could easly find the original version and I don't know if there is a dubbed version available, for sure You can find The man from Honk Kong and that is a flik for you Calvin because it's the right blend between OO7 and Bruce Lee. The Kentucky fried movie is just a curiosity because George has a tiny but very funny cameo in it. Never saw Stoner and a movie of Peter Bogdanovich with George in it.

[@kristianljohnstone3764]

I've watched an English dub of Stoner. In some parts, it seems like Lazenby's take on Dirty Harry. He even says punk in one scene, I heard it was meant to star Bruce Lee, but he died before filming began and they reduced the budget

[@menkomonty]

I think the idea of Bond becoming more of a pacifist who doesn't want to kill anymore could work if we had a much older Bond who is reflecting on his life and starts to feel some guilt about gunning down people who were merely working for megalomaniacs that wanted to destroy the world. It might not make a great movie to the general public, but it can be an interesting take nonetheless.

[@TheSultan1470]

Hmmm... maybe. But I imagine an older Bond would give even less of a shit.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

TV Spinoff potential there certainly.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

It feels like something that might work for a novel but not a film [and certainly not in the pre-Craig era].

[@raoulmontefiore4803]

Now you're exploring some interesting tangents to the Bond series, can I recommend ’8 Bells Toll’? Great little early 70s action thriller starring Anthony Hopkins. Apparently intended as the first of a new espionage cycle based on the work of Alistair MacLean to rival Bond at the point when the franchise was looking uncertain. Sadly it flopped at the box office. Comparable to Michael Caine/Len Deighton's Harry Palmer films as one of the excellent 'not Bond' spy thrillers.

[@BungleBare]

+1 to this recommendation. There’s also a Bond connection in the cast, as Charles Gray provided the voice for Jack Hawkins’ performance (Hawkins having literally lost his voice, due to throat cancer).

[@Simpleburger1968]

Didn't Dennis Hopper follow up Easy Rider by directing a very weird , off-the-wall film....simply because he could . ?

[@taker68]

I heard The Man from Hong Kong is very good. I think Lazenby is the villain. Loved his cameo as "J.B." in The Return of the Man from UNCLE.

[@DarksaberForce]

George was the villain. Originally the movie was to star Bruce Lee. The taglines were "Bruce vs Bond" and "Lee vs Lazenby".

[@Officialtheslimer]

Calvin you should watch Roger Moore in The Cannonball run if you haven’t

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Roger told a great story that he was asked to play a loser who think's he's James Bond. Roger instead proposed he play a loser who think's he's Roger Moore as he had 'always wanted to send that guy up'!

[@efan2012]

Mmm talk about awesome plot twists due to you liking Pink Flamingos and Last House.. maybe reviews of those one of these days? I'd love to see your reactions to the weird comedy scenes of Last House. Plus hard to top the saga of Johnson, Babs Johnson.

[@calvindyson]

Haha, if I can figure out a way to tie them back to James Bond in someway then quite possibly! I saw Pink Flamingos at a packed screennig at the BFI years ago and I'd certainly encourage most people to seek it out with an audience. Hearing people laugh and gross out together certainly added to the experience!

[@efan2012]

@@calvindyson I'll have to deep think of some ways to connect the movies 🤣 that would be a killer April Fool's post or something. I've just now gotten into John's works; I've always loved him as a personality but never seen anything. Got 3 of his blu ray's for my birthday so I'm gonna start there. One of my friends went and he said that was one of his best experiences. I'm jealous!

[@jjrbarnett]

Easy Rider was good at the time but it's a hard watch nowadays.

[@thesecondloneranger4458]

I thought that the Licence To Kill in depth review would be coming out today, will it be coming out next Sunday?

[@efan2012]

I'm ready to see how he handles the man crush scenes with Sharky again. Those scenes in the original review were priceless lmao.

[@sashaking1115]

I hope so!!!!! I really can’t wait for it. It had better come out soon

[@DafyddBrooks]

oh man, it'll be an interesting review as a kid in the 90's all my freinds didnt know weather to like it or not for being so different and violent. and its the last movie to be made by alot of the same crew since 1962 and the last for 6 years. i'm ready for it

[@deliusmyth5063]

I wonder if he was influenced by Patrick MacGoohan, who made a similar transition, from Danger Man to The Prisoner.

[@BungleBare]

From Agent to someone railing against the whole system, you mean? The Prisoner would be worth an investigation on this channel, to be honest. Plenty of cast cross-over, and it did change the whole ‘60s spy-craze mood to some extent.

[@deliusmyth5063]

@@BungleBare And compare 007 to (“I am not a”) Number 6.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Only MacGoohan made a TV masterpiece and Lazenby made this trainwreck...

[@jorgezarco9269]

Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundren were superb in Universal Soldier. Oh, wait. Wrong movie.

[@sashaking1115]

Great review Calvin!! Will your Licence to Kill review be out soon? I’m really really excited for it!!!

[@klaudiagrob]

Such a shame that he listened to his agent. I wish there was a proper follow up to On Her Majestys Secret Service movie. Book addressed it better. It could have even been like a side plot like it was in the book. I still find it baffling how he simply lied to get a role. He wasn't an actor. He did well but his portrayal was inconsistent at most. Universal Soldier does seem weird but he wanted to try at least.

[@jjrbarnett]

I have an odd liking for Universal Soilder. It's actually got a lot of integrity but it's also unfocused. It was attempt to buck a trend. I read the movie made its money back on TV rights. Check out Cy's Hell Drivers. It features Sean Connery. I really enjoyed Lazenby's other movies. Man From Hong Kong, Stoner, Play for Today, Saint Jack and Who Saw Her Die.

[@nslayton5]

If nothing else, Lazenby proved that he is the best Bond at rocking a mustache.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@nslayton5 Connery had a beard/mustache in many movies [including all after Never say never again] so I'd probably give it to him for The Offense with the runner up being Timothy Dalton's in Hot Fuzz!

[@nslayton5]

@@jamesatkinsonja Pierce and Dalton both rock AMAZING beards in several movies and shows. But in terms of the 'stache, Lazenby wins.

[@rafael_500]

Brilliant review. This film is pretty much unwatchable. But I have to say Lazenby's best acting role is in Who Saw Her Die. This film is a Italio Horror art house crossover. By the time that film came out Lazenby's career was pretty much out of the window. OHMSS is a masterpiece. It has taken over fifty years for the public to realise what a gem it is. Lazenby's one off performance is strong there are some aspects where he is the best Bond on screen. Not sure how anyone claims he is "wooden", he is a much stronger Bond than Brosnan who was the worst 007 actor on the screen, despite being very popular with the multiplex audiences of the day. Funny how in the calamity of No Time To Whatever, they had to resort to the main OHMSS song to lift a franchise killing film in realm of the Rise of Skywalker standards. Be good to hear your review of Who Saw Her Die......

[@MacNille]

Hmmmm, how can we connect this movie to the JCVD films….

[@Thatguy55595]

Hey man can we get an update on the Licence to Kill review? It’s been 5 months since you did a review I miss them

[@bernardscott4875]

Wow, George Lazenby really messed up. All the Time in the world for his career to die. Great video Calvin.

[@MarvellousLookingBeggar]

I think Cy Enfield would say that Jean Luc Godard was main his influence with the meandering conversations, unmixed sound and choppy editing but as with Godard's own films what was bold and innovative at the time provokes indifference in contemporary audiences. Calvin, if you're interested in post-Bond Lazenby, The Man From Hong Kong is supposed to be quite good and Lazenby recalling a particular fight scene very entertaining.

[@JohnSmith-oe4ci]

I absolutely love this film - its like Easy Rider meets Frederick Forsyth's Dogs of War and a wonderful time capsule of post-swinging, post 60's London.