The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia remembers the late, great director and editor Peter Hunt ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia presents This Day in James Bond Movie History, remembering the late British director/editor Peter Hunt on the anniversary of his birth. Hunt (1925-2002) must be given credit for the slam-bang pace of the first four James Bond films, and the extraordinary achievement of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,†which marked his feature directing debut in 1969. Hunt told me in 1977 that some of the editing style he brought to the Bonds came directly from the quick-cutting manner of television commercials of the day. Hunt was a true wizard in the cutting room, and there are those who believe he saved “Goldfinger†after an early screening of the rough cut was termed disastrous. After cutting the first four films, and shooting second unit on “You Only Live Twice,†Hunt was given OHMSS as a reward and he dove into this epic Bondfilm with enough passion, commitment and determination to weather a very difficult shoot, and a leading man (George Lazenby) with literally zero acting experience. When you take a look at the film today, realize how carefully it was directed by Hunt, making it seem like Lazenby had been Bond all along. The latter’s comfort in the 007 role is extraordinary, and Hunt must be given credit for every frame. His revolutionary editing style is perfectly on display in that first explosive fight on the beach in Portugal, where Bond triumphs but winds up with only Tracy’s (Diana Rigg) shoes – followed by his quip, “This never happened to the other guy.†So let’s salute this dynamic talent who raised the standard of the series to new heights. Stay safe.
Loved the film and Diana Rigg beat out Michelle Yeoh as the greatest Bond girl of all. Plus, George Lazenby was such a nice man and actually didn't do a bad job in the role. Got to work with him some time later. A real gent. As for Hunt, deserves more adulation than he was received. He was also a great editorial guy!
Physical Security Consultant
4 å¹´Peter Hunt definitely had the Bond pedigree beginning with “Dr. No.â€?Saltzman and Broccoli found more than just a talented film editor when they hired Peter Hunt, as he expanded his abilities into the director’s chair.?He also had a keen eye for able production crews, as he brought members of the “Chtty Chitty Bang Ban†team aboard when he directed “On Her Majesty's Secret Service.â€