That time James Bond went undercover as a gay man in 1969’s ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service released in theaters.The 1969 film has always held a special distinction within to official 007 franchise because, for the first time, the iconic spy was played by someone other than Sean Connery, with Australian model George Lazenby slipping (arguably) not-so-seamlessly into the role.
It would also be his last time playing Bond.But OHMSS (as we’ll be abbreviating from here on out) is also notable for what it means to the spy series’ sizable queer fanbase.
For one, it’s the first 007 movie with a gay director: British filmmaker Peter R. Hunt, who lived with his partner Nicos Kourtis for decades, though it wasn’t widely known until after his passing in ’02.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.Hunt no doubt brought an artful eye to the series, crafting a spy story that was more patient, less action-packed, and more invested in its hero’s relationship with the villain (Telly Savalas’ Blofeld) and especially the “Bond Girl,” Countess Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), who was the first woman James ever fell in love with—if only for a tragically short time.Largely for these reasons, OHMSS was received less warmly by the public than its predecessors upon its initial release, though many serious fans have since reclaimed it as one of the better Bond films in retrospect—especially the gay fans.Which brings us to the other reason OHMSS stands out in our memory: For nearly a fourth of its runtime, the movie features James Bond going undercover as a gay man!Yes, years and years before the spy slyly hinted he’s hooked up with men before in Skyfall, Bond took on an entire mission under the guise that he was homosexual—and he was pretty convincing!
Well, mostly…We’re shaken and stirred.In the film, 007 is using his romantic entanglement with the Countess to get closer to tracking down criminal mastermind Blofeld.
