What if Lazenby had fulfilled his contract?

[Kristatos]

I've always been fond of alternate history, so I thought I'd invite some speculation here. Imagine Lazenby hadn't listened to his agent's lousy advice and had stayed on for the full length of his 7-film contract, ending with FYEO in 1981 (when, lest we forget, he still would have been younger than Craggy is now). How do you think the films themselves would have been different? Would the public have overcome their initial objections to Lazenby and eventually taken to him the way they took to Sir Roger? Would he have grown into the role of Bond? Post your thoughts here.

[bjmdds]

People were anti-anyone that replaced Connery in 1969 in the USA. That was working against Lazenby. It would have been interesting to see him try more films and I thought he looked a lot like Connery to begin with. Moore would never have been utilized if Lazenby stayed on.

[Capt. Sir Dominic Flandry]

I think that the extravaganzas ( TSWLM and MR) may have still happened as C. Broccoli wanted to go in that direction for numerous reasons.

[Kristatos]

I think TMWTGG would have been a better movie with Lazenby. Given that it it was designed to cash in on the martial arts craze sparked by his mentor, Bruce Lee, it would have been tailor-made for his talents.

[Mazer Rackham]

I think it worked out Lazenby announced he was out before his movie hit the screens, has to have an affect on the public who wanted Connery back.

I don't think Moore would be a loss to the series because despite how nice a guy Moore is he was never physically up to the role which I feel had big a part in why he played the character as he did. That said I think the Bond producers were having a melt down as the golden age came to an end, it would happen again in another ten years.

DAF brought Connery back after four years looking too old for Bond, added late 1960 camp to the formula, would DAF 1971 with Lazenby be a close follow up to OMHSS stylistically? There is a chance, maybe.
When there is a failure on any level especially back in those day it's kind of the Hollywood fallback to shake up. Try to make people forget how bad the last one was even if it wasn't really so bad. I think back then the studios and producers truly believe Bond would only continue to grow as it had from Dr No to Thunderball, YOLT was the first backslid for the series, a major loss in attendance after the heyday ending in TB, also the first time a two year break in releasing movies happened. YOLT happened huge attendance loss, OHMSS widened the loss by another twenty million, DAF improved attendance by maybe ten million, you can tell LALD numbers are BS from how quickly Saltzman was ready to bail after TWTGG (fifty-one million tickets). TSWLM and MR saved Bond until the 1980s.
If Lazenby had stayed on and if Sean Conney could have been hired to stop by the set every sixty days to gut punch Lazenby so he'd remember he needs bit of humility, I think Lazenby works as Bond if they do not go the camp route Moore is associated with now. Given how the attendance numbers worked out with Conney and Moore, Lazenby likely would have done he same and possibly better was he grew into the role with the audience accepting him more.

One thing a Lazenby 19070s might have done is stop the producers desperate scrambling around to find outside influences to make Bond bigger. Bond might have stayed the Bond the 1960s knew, keeping the series more grounded in the original formula than when Cubby desperately tired to save the series on his own.

[English Agent]

Oh dear.....George Lazenby, if only he hadn't been so head strong, and listened to that awful manager of his Ronan O'Rahilly.

I think Lazenby could of been a very good Bond in the Seventies.........and still to this day he regrets not continuing with the Bond role.

What a shame, eh?

[commander0077again]

Well, with alternate history for THMWTGG, it would be a smash if Bruce Lee had lived; his personna would have been such that he would have likely overshadowed Lazenby in scenes together; sort of when Green Hornet and Kato appear, everyone is watching Kato. Lee would likely have directed the fight scenes, too, so that would have been interesting. But aside from that, even without Lee, Lazenby would have done a good job of it, considering OHMSS. As the series progressed, he wouldn've become more seasoned and confident, hopefully kicking out 'that advisor' long before

And what if Peter Hunt had directed a few more? Bond would have been more grounded in 'reality' .... he would always remember Tracy. Maybe he would've met Marc-Ange Draco; that would've been a melodramatic scene. Draco would likely be all out for revenge, and perhaps Bond would restrain him, "a dish served cold."

FYEO with Peter Hunt could have been another OHMSS.

[Dr. No]

That's good question what if Peter Hunt had stayed on.

[A Crag-like face]

I tend to believe the conventional wisdom on this point - i.e. that if Bond hadn't gone down the lighter route that they went with the Tom Mankiewicz and Christopher Wood penned movies Sean and Roger starred in during the 1970s, the series wouldn't have survived. I can't see Lazenby doing well in the spoofier Bonds of the 1970s. So, if the conventional wisdom is right, then Lazenby would have killed the series.

On the other hand, plenty of tough movies came out and were successful in the 70s (Dirty Harry, anyone?). So there is an interesting alternative scenario I'm toying with. What if the Bond movies had gone R rated? The violence and sex would be more literally depicted, the swear words Fleming wrote like this ------- actually spelled out and the fight scenes brutal and intense. I'm not thinking R rated in the gore-fest meaning of today (or with the endless f--- words and endless sex scenes either). But I am thinking of Bond pushing the envelope a bit with the censors the way it did in the 1960s. Certainly more brutal fight scenes would have suited Lazenby well (Kristatos' idea about having actual karate in TMWTGG is intriguing). I'm not necessarily sure about this idea, but it intrigues me, which is fair enough for now.

[Mexican Staring Frog]

Sorry he couldn't be around, but I'm happier we got Roger Moore to make seven fantastic Bond films!

[oscartheman]

Not sure Lazenby could have pull off the rigorous scheduled.Physically he was the best all over,not to bulked,not too skinny.Mentally?A new every two he might of walked off in the middle of filming.If the audience accepted him at all.His first trailer was a mistake because it stressed different ever other word.DAF with Lazenby?Couldn't be much worse.

[Mexican Staring Frog]

DAF is awesome! Connery was so cool in it, he was a real movie star. Then you have an excellent script by Tom Mankiewicz, one of the best script writers in the business who did great outside of Bond like SUPERMAN. I can't imagine a revenge movie with Lazenby being better than what came out.

[Daltonite Toothpaste]

For someone of 41, Connery looked dreadfull. Clearly carrying too much weight, lacking any kind of interest in the film (he only did it for the money) and having an obvious wig that changed colour throughout the film. I don't think i'd want Lazenby for 7 (6 more?) films, but I would have rather Lazenby taken DAF, if only to stop Connery returning.

[Mexican Staring Frog]

Are you kidding? He looked like was having fun in the role and Maniewicz praised Connery for being a professional, often approaching him about contributing to the script. Connery had no interest? That's a lie.

[Daltonite Toothpaste]

Opinion, my friend. He was being paid enough money, you'd think he would at least try to look like he's enjoying himself.

[Mexican Staring Frog]

But he was enjoying himself. He looked like he was having a lot of fun in it especially with the script he worked with. That dialogue was class.

[oscartheman]

Connery was less of a problem.4 years away took its toll.The 70s camp was too thick nothing to do with Connery although he was a little more on his game in NSNA another movie with director and producer problems.

[Mexican Staring Frog]

Not a fan of NSNA. Connery should have left DAF as his one and only swan song! Of all the last Bond movies for the actors, not counting OHMSS, it's the best of them all!

[commander0077again]

As a fun ride, I like DAF with a paunchy Connery looking decades older than his real age. There's plenty of classic scenes where Connery pokes fun at his character, overplaying with winking bushy eyebrows; have to laff that his toupee changed color The John Barry score is more than suitable, especially the scene on the ocean liner, with Bond waxing about potent aftershave and culinary choices. Then again, I can understand that DAF could also have been a top straight Bond film, with tough and suave Bond taking on the Mob.