20 Things You Didn’t Know About On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

13. “Fancy Meeting You Here, Fräulein!”

George Lazenby Bond OHMSS
MGM/UA

Despite George Lazenby's resignation from the role of James Bond, Diamonds Are Forever was originally intended to be a direct sequel to OHMSS. Richard Maibaum wrote a treatment featuring Bond mourning Tracy, set to a sadder rendition of composer, John Barry's theme “We Have All The Time in the World”.

Isle Steppat was expected to return as Blofeld’s vicious “personal secretary” and Tracy Bond’s murderer, Irma Bunt who, as the script developed, would have perished in the pre-credits sequence either by falling onto an electrified third rail in the underground Post Office Railway or in a crashed Land Rover. Double-0 Seven would then have discovered a packet of diamonds on Bunt's body.

However, Steppat died of a heart attack less than a week after OHMSS was released and, out of respect, Irma Bunt was dropped from the script for Diamonds Are Forever, soon followed by most of the revenge aspects of the plot given the negative response to OHMSS.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.