I still think an engaged Connery in OHMSS would have been the ultimate Bond. He was a far better actor than Lazenby, who IMO was wooden and had very little charm compared to Connery. OHMSS had the best story/script to me, but it goes down in my rankings because it’s basically ruined by Lazenby’s wooden acting. I get that if Connery was bored and phoning it on, it wouldn’t have been great either, but even a somewhat disengaged Connery (on the level of Diamonds are Forever) would have been far preferable to me. DAF suffers to me from a silly script and Connery was a little out of shape, but it’s hard to compensate for a charmless actor. Lazenby may have improved as an actor as time went on, but it would have been nice if he came into Bond as a more skilled actor to start with (even if from low profile indie films if the producers wanted someone not identified with previous roles). And the fact that he didn’t display any charm, aside from the acting, is also something hard to overcome.
Aside from a TV commercial or two Lazenby had no acting experience before OHMSS. It seems that his primary qualification as far as Broccol was concerned was that he more-or-less looked the part.
Imagine what CGI might deliver in a few years. A ‘re-imagined’ film inserting Connery in place of Lazenby. But who voices Sir Hilary Bray this time? Madness I tell you.
I’m sure it won’t happen, alas. It’s frustrating as the books and the films remain as popular as ever, and there’s no reason at all why they couldn’t do largely faithful adaption of each, in book order, period correct. Not sure who could fill the shoes though, and not age too switftly film-to-film, book-to-book. They’d have to churn them out at a Harry Potter-esque rate.
Usually the new Bond actor is revealed shortly after the last Bond film is out. I’ve a feeling it’s going to be a black actor.
Looks like all Bond films on Amazon Video if you chaps need any refreshers. I think I'll go back and scope some of the Connery Bonds.
