On Her Majesty`s Secret Service celebrates 40th anniversary today

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service", the sixth James Bond film and one-time appearance of George Lazenby in the role of 007, celebrates its 40th anniversary today.

The film premiered on this day (18th December) back in 1969 at Odeon Leicester Square, London, UK. Lazenby met his public for the first and only time officially as Bond, accompanying Diana Rigg and disappointed many by turning up with decidedly un-Bond-like shoulder length hair and a heavy beard.


In "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", 007 must thwart Blofeld's plan to use biological warfare to threaten the world. In the process, he meets Tracy di Vicenzo, a countess whose courage and charismatic spirit earns her the name Mrs. James Bond.

O.H.M.S.S. opened in Los Angles on the same day as the UK, and a day later it went up against Alfred Hitchcock's "Topaz". Also on general release were "Hello Dolly!" and "John and Mary".

The film went on to make a slow but healthy return of $22,800,000, $82,000,000 total Worldwide. O.H.M.S.S. out grossed its nearest competitor approximately two to one at the US box office for it's first 3 weeks of release, where according to Variety, it was the most popular film in the country for four solid weeks - clocking up $9,117,000 in US theatrical rentals.

It set 3 box office records in it's opening week, including largest opening day gross, largest one-day gross, and largest opening weekend gross. After four weeks at number one at the box-office it fell to second place as it was replaced in the top spot by "Easy Rider". O.H.M.S.S. was the second highest grossing movie at the box office released in 1969, after only "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid", which took the top spot for the year.

Click here for complete coverage of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" on MI6.

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