On Her Majesty's
Secret Service (1969) is the sixth spy film in the James Bond
series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming,
and the only one to star George Lazenby as the fictional MI6 agent
James Bond. In the film, Bond faces Blofeld, who is planning on
unleashing a plague through a group of brainwashed "angels of
death" (which included early appearances by Joanna Lumley and
Catherina von Schell) unless his demands are met. Along the way,
Bond meets, falls in love with, and eventually marries Contessa
Teresa di Vicenzo. This Bond film is the second in what is
considered the "Blofeld Trilogy", coming between You Only Live
Twice (1967) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). This trilogy is of
interest not only for the three different Blofeld actors (Donald
Pleasence in You Only Live Twice, Telly Savalas in On Her Majesty's
Secret Service, and Charles Gray in Diamonds Are Forever) but for
its two Bond actors (Sean Connery, then George Lazenby, and back to
Connery). This is the only Bond film to be directed by Peter R.
Hunt, who before was a film editor or second unit director on every
previous film. Though its theatrical release was not as lucrative
as its predecessor You Only Live Twice and Lazenby's performance
was much criticized (despite his gaining a Golden Globe
nomination), On Her Majesty's Secret Service grossed over $87
million worldwide and was met with positive critical
reviews..