Blofeld Not Recognising In OHMSS

Owen44 · June 2007

I'm Working my way through all the bond films...

Why Does Blofeld not recgonise Bond in On Her Majestys Secret Service... even though they met in You only live twice??/

Jarvio · June 2007

Owen44 wrote:

I'm Working my way through all the bond films...

Why Does Blofeld not recgonise Bond in On Her Majestys Secret Service... even though they met in You only live twice??/

Think it's based on the novel, where they meet for the first time

Golrush007 · June 2007

This question has been asked many times, and yes, it is because the timelines are different between the novels and films. In the books, OHMSS comes before YOLT, whereas in the films, YOLT came first. However, when scripting OHMSS it was decided that they ought to keep closely to the plot of the novel, and as a result, the continuity issue was ignored. (A wise decision in my opinion, as it is a very good plot).

Owen44 · June 2007

i thought it might be something like that... thanks for clearing it up!!

taity · June 2007

Did he not recognise Bond?

Think about this...Bond and MI6 had known enough about Blofeld to track him down. Blofeld also has Bond in a position where he cant easily escape. Additionally when Bond asks to leave the mountain, Blofeld doesnt let him. Chances are Blofeld did recognise him and wanted to see how it would play out, see what tricks Bond had up his sleaves.

Jarvio · June 2007

taity wrote:

Did he not recognise Bond?

Think about this...Bond and MI6 had known enough about Blofeld to track him down. Blofeld also has Bond in a position where he cant easily escape. Additionally when Bond asks to leave the mountain, Blofeld doesnt let him. Chances are Blofeld did recognise him and wanted to see how it would play out, see what tricks Bond had up his sleaves.

That's a pretty interesting point. I haven't seen OHMSS in a while now, but when I re-watch it I might just take that in mind.

taity · June 2007

Look at some other things too. When Bond arrives at the Piz Gloria, Blofeld searches his bags. He talks to Bunt on the phone and she orders someone to do it.

Next, Bond is pretty much stuck inside his room which is inturn stuck on a mountain FAR away from civilisation. He's a prisioner.

Bond isnt told the names of any girls.

Blofeld says that having Bond with him would help convince the UN he's telling the truth.

Listen to Blofeld's delivery of the line "but youve already had the morning off, Sir Hilary."

Blofeld is after all a rather intelligent criminal, and recognised Bond without meeting him in YOLT. I dont think he'd be dumb enough to forget him only two years later.

Lazenby · June 2007

I haven't read the books so I can't comment from that angle, however wrt the continuity between the films I have always dealt with it by treating OHMSS as anachronistic from the series at that time. The film, in terms of its spirit anyway, isn't really a follow up to YOLT and nor is it a precursor to DAF (for many more reasons than the different actor). In terms of the spirit and tone in which it was made DAF is the logical follow up to YOLT and OHMSS stands nicely apart from them, a brief glimpse out of the Bond universe that existed at the time into that "ideal Bond universe" that had not seen in full since FRWL and to a lesser extent TB and GF.

Napoleon Plural · June 2007

Interesting stuff, but c'mon. They've both met. So there'd be the recognition factor on both sides, between Bond and Blofeld. It would be odd for them to just carry on like nothing had happened. Esp as other agent, the climber trying to get into Piz Gloria, is killed straight off.

Jarvio · June 2007

Maybe he didn't recognise Bond because it was Lazenby instead of Connery

)

Barbel · June 2007

I would think that the glasses Bond wears in his Sir Hilary guise might have Clark Kent properties which prevent him being recognised- except he isn't wearing them when he meets Blofeld!

darenhat · June 2007

Bond waltzing into Piz Gloria pretending he's someone else without being recognized? It was such a ludicrous plan that it may have just worked! Blofeld would never have expected it!

Lazenby · June 2007

Jarvio wrote:

Maybe he didn't recognise Bond because it was Lazenby instead of Connery )

Winner.

Willie Garvin · June 2007

The original plan was to film the "Blofeld Trilogy" in it's proper chronological order as per the Ian Fleming novels:Thunderball,OHMSS,and You Only Live Twice.Sean Connery was announced to play 007 in all three movies.

Unusual weather conditions in Switzerland in 1967(inadequate snowpack)forced the switch in productions,putting YOLT ahead of OHMSS.

In order to make the YOLT movie independent of OHMSS,the YOLT screenplay by Harold Jack Bloom and Roald Dahl, bears little resemblance to the contents of the Fleming novel- apart from the locale and a few character names.There's no SPECTRE or a hideout in a supposedly dormant volcano or "Little Nellie" or a satellite-swallowing rocketship in the Fleming book.(In the YOLT novel a relentless James Bond, seeking revenge for the murder of his wife Tracy,hunts Blofeld across the globe.Eventually 007 finds Blofeld hiding in Japan...)

While making YOLT, Sean Connery announced that it would be his last James Bond film.Eon tried to talk him into remaining with them,but Connery--who was at that time the most popular actor in the world but who had also become typecast as 007--was adamant about leaving.(Of course,in 1967 no one could forsee that in 1969,George Lazenby would announce that he was quitting the Bond series before he'd even completed his first 007 film,thus ending all of his chances to ever work with Eon again, and thereby clearing the way for Connery to return to Eon one more time--United Artists who insisted on Connery--and for a then record sum,to appear in a greatly revised version of Diamonds Are Forever, with a couple of new subplots loosely tying this film's story to OHMSS.)

The On Her Majesty's Secret Service motion picture is based very closely on Ian Fleming's novel, and it thus retains most of Fleming's plot--including the scene with 007 posing as Sir Hillary Bray and coming face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld(who is using an assumed name) for the first time.The film also contains the book's tragic ending.Director Peter Hunt insisted on making this movie as faithful to the original novel as possible (He had to do a great deal of convincing in order to talk the uncertain producers into retaining the story's unexpected climax).

I think it's a great shame these movies were filmed out of sequence because,IMO, the You Only Live Twice novel has a superior story to the one used for the movie of that name.It would've made a great film.

rennervision · June 2007

You know, it really makes no difference whether or not Bond met Blofeld in YOLT - it still makes no sense. Bond's face is so well known to SPECTRE they were using his likeness for a training mask at the beginning of FRWL! Forget about the continuity error of YOLT. How the heck could Blofeld not recognize Bond after FRWL???

Owen44 · June 2007

LOL {[]

Owen44 · June 2007

Willie Garvin wrote:

The original plan was to film the "Blofeld Trilogy" in it's proper chronological order as per the Ian Fleming novels:Thunderball,OHMSS,and You Only Live Twice.Sean Connery was announced to play 007 in all three movies.

Unusual weather conditions in Switzerland in 1967(inadequate snowpack)forced the switch in productions,putting YOLT ahead of OHMSS.

In order to make the YOLT movie independent of OHMSS,the YOLT screenplay by Harold Jack Bloom and Roald Dahl, bears little resemblance to the contents of the Fleming novel- apart from the locale and a few character names.There's no SPECTRE or a hideout in a supposedly dormant volcano or "Little Nellie" or a satellite-swallowing rocketship in the Fleming book.(In the YOLT novel a relentless James Bond, seeking revenge for the murder of his wife Tracy,hunts Blofeld across the globe.Eventually 007 finds Blofeld hiding in Japan...)

While making YOLT, Sean Connery announced that it would be his last James Bond film.Eon tried to talk him into remaining with them,but Connery--who was at that time the most popular actor in the world but who had also become typecast as 007--was adamant about leaving.(Of course,in 1967 no one could forsee that in 1969,George Lazenby would announce that he was quitting the Bond series before he'd even completed his first 007 film,thus ending all of his chances to ever work with Eon again, and thereby clearing the way for Connery to return to Eon one more time--United Artists who insisted on Connery--and for a then record sum,to appear in a greatly revised version of Diamonds Are Forever, with a couple of new subplots loosely tying this film's story to OHMSS.)

The On Her Majesty's Secret Service motion picture is based very closely on Ian Fleming's novel, and it thus retains most of Fleming's plot--including the scene with 007 posing as Sir Hillary Bray and coming face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld(who is using an assumed name) for the first time.The film also contains the book's tragic ending.Director Peter Hunt insisted on making this movie as faithful to the original novel as possible (He had to do a great deal of convincing in order to talk the uncertain producers into retaining the story's unexpected climax).

I think it's a great shame these movies were filmed out of sequence because,IMO, the You Only Live Twice novel has a superior story to the one used for the movie of that name.It would've made a great film.

WOW, Thanks for clearing that up!!

darenhat · June 2007

rennervision wrote:

You know, it really makes no difference whether or not Bond met Blofeld in YOLT - it still makes no sense. Bond's face is so well known to SPECTRE they were using his likeness for a training mask at the beginning of FRWL! Forget about the continuity error of YOLT. How the heck could Blofeld not recognize Bond after FRWL???

Wow! Your'e on a roll, rennervision! This and your astute observations about TMWTGG are spot on. I think 007 has finally met his ultimate nemesis!

)

youknowmyname · June 2007

Thanks for the detailed info on the filming process Garvin. When I watch OHMSS I also look at it as a different series. Of course, I find the books much more enjoyable than the films, mostly for the fact that there are no continuity problems (as far as I can see). Of course if we want to talk continuity then there are a lot more questions than just the Blofeld recognition in OHMSS...

Sweepy the Cat · November 2007

I think blofeld did recognise bond but put on an act so there wasn't much of a fuss because Blofeld has surgery while bond hasn't (Well, I doubt it)

Krassno Granitski · November 2007

One of the many reasons that I would pick OHMSS, if I could only choose one Bond film. You wouldn't have to explain why these two do not recognize each other.

Honey Rider · November 2007

Krassno Granitski wrote:

One of the many reasons that I would pick OHMSS, if I could only choose one Bond film. You wouldn't have to explain why these two do not recognize each other.

But you would have to explain why Tracey gets killed twice.

)

taity · November 2007

Honey Rider wrote:

But you would have to explain why Tracey gets killed twice. )

Because to only live twice you must get killed ...tiwce. But twice is the only way to live (whatever the hell that means)

Dan Same · November 2007

taity wrote:

Because to only live twice you must get killed ...tiwce.

In that case you would die another day.

)

taity · November 2007

Dan Same wrote:

taity wrote:

Because to only live twice you must get killed ...tiwce.

In that case you would die another day. )

All in the line of work on her Majesty's Secret Service.

bondaholic007 · November 2007

I have never noticed this. Might be because of order of novels ???

pixie_twinkle · November 2007

Not to mention that after Blofeld's miraculous recovery baldness and having his neck injured from the bob-sled accident by the next film "Diamonds Are Forever", he then goes right back to being bald and paralyzed for the pre credit scene from For Your Eyes Only! The continuity errors are endless. Best just to enjoy each individual film on its own merits, otherwise I just get a headache.

blueman · November 2007

The whole continuity thing points to how EON, even early on, were content to/hellbent on doing their own thing--making money off of Bond, period, full stop. Yes, a number of great and semi-great Bond films came out of the first 10-20 years, but as soon as the icon emerged circa GF EON was off to the races. By the mid 70s (arguably earlier...) they were spoofing themselves, other films, other films spoofing them...kinda sad, however profitable.

If there's one thing about the reboot I've enjoyed so far is how streamlined Bond is in CR, the trappings have all fallen by the wayside, and thankfully so. I suspect they'll be picked up along the way, but how refreshing to see just plain old Bond for a change. And very similar to what Hunt did in OHMSS, within limits. The not-recognizing-Blofeld conundrum is one of the few bits on anti-continuity I've always appreciated, as it's telling Fleming's story, EON's film efforts be damned. After the dreadful botch-up of YOLT, they needed to do it IMO. Amazing it took 37 years for another like go round. I blame Cubby. B-)

darenhat · November 2007

Wow. We actually made almost two full pages before someone turned the conversation into a CR reboot topic.

Sir Hillary Bray · November 2007

blueman wrote:

The whole continuity thing points to how EON, even early on, were content to/hellbent on doing their own thing--making money off of Bond, period, full stop. Yes, a number of great and semi-great Bond films came out of the first 10-20 years, but as soon as the icon emerged circa GF EON was off to the races. By the mid 70s (arguably earlier...) they were spoofing themselves, other films, other films spoofing them...kinda sad, however profitable.

If there's one thing about the reboot I've enjoyed so far is how streamlined Bond is in CR, the trappings have all fallen by the wayside, and thankfully so. I suspect they'll be picked up along the way, but how refreshing to see just plain old Bond for a change. And very similar to what Hunt did in OHMSS, within limits. The not-recognizing-Blofeld conundrum is one of the few bits on anti-continuity I've always appreciated, as it's telling Fleming's story, EON's film efforts be damned. After the dreadful botch-up of YOLT, they needed to do it IMO. Amazing it took 37 years for another like go round. I blame Cubby. B-)

)

)

Hey Mods, can we start an award called Clumsiest Hijacking of a Thread, immediately award it to blueman, then safely retire it forever? Thanks.

Dan Same · November 2007

Sir Hillary Bray wrote:

) ) )

Hey Mods, can we start an award called Clumsiest Hijacking of a Thread, immediately award it to blueman, then safely retire it forever? Thanks.

) It seems that JFF isn't the only politician around here.

Blofeld Not Recognising In OHMSS

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