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Report from the screening of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service at The Culver Theater in LA
By: Mark Cerulli
Published:
2026-01-28
2026-01-28
Bond community notables like former Ian Fleming Foundation president & co-founder Michael VanBlaricum mingled with hosts Steve Kilcullen (resplendent in a full Scottish kilt) and Neil McNally (looking very Golden Gunish in a tan safari shirt and slacks). Bond authors Matthew Field and Raymond Benson were also on hand. The lobby boasted an array of rare On Her Majesty’s Secret Service posters courtesy of a local collector and Jeff Marshall’s stunning portraits of George Lazenby and Diana Rigg flashed on a lightbox display.
Mark Cerulli, Matthew Field, Greg Bechtloff and Mike VanBlaricum at the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service screening at The Culver Theater in Los Angeles. All rights reserved.
Bond theme songs wafted over the sound system and even the lobby bar got into the act, offering 007-inspired drinks. (Their vodka martini would have done Bond nicely!)
The Culver Theater bar’s drinks menu at the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service screening. All rights reserved.
Before the film, the hosts lined up some choice entertainment: a vintage BBC interview with a bearded Lazenby deftly answering questions about his harsh treatment from the British press and a rousing trailer for his 1975 actioner, The Man from Hong Kong (1975) followed by a video of a live performance of “We Have All the Time In the World”, still one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed for a Bond film.
Watch the full pre-show clips from the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service screening at The Culver Theater:
Then Raymond Benson introduced the film, offering insights and tidbits from some of the drama surrounding Lazenby’s jaw-dropping casting. He also addressed the perennial “what if” question about had Sean Connery done On Her Majesty’s Secret Service saying, “Connery would have been great, but we got George!” He also introduced a special guest – Lorrie Menconi, the Playboy centerfold in the February 1969 issue that George was happily perusing as he cracked the Swiss lawyer’s safe in the film. She remarked that she was unaware she was even in a Bond film until Raymond mentioned it to her at an event!
Raymond Benson intros the film as former Playboy model Lorrie Menconi and hosts Neil McNally and Steve Kilcullen look on.
Lights down, two familiar faces appeared on screen – lovely Jenny Hanley, who explained how she was cast as “the Irish Girl” and “Rafael” himself, Terry Mountain, guiding the crowd through shooting the now-iconic beach fight (it involved plenty of brandy)... and then the familiar Bond theme came up and our George walked into the gunsight. The film looked pristine in 4K – from George’s brown eyes to the shimmering waters of Guincho Beach in Portugal, every colour popped off the screen.
The audience was, as you can imagine, warmly receptive, cheering George Lazenby’s immortal line, “This never happened to the other fella.”
Watching the film for the umpteenth time, I was able to truly appreciate what Lazenby accomplished in his own brash, no f*cks given way – manoeuvring his way into a major film with no acting experience yet having the self-confidence and talent to totally pull it off. He swaggered through his scenes, radiating charisma and sex appeal. When it came to the action sequences, he totally dominated with a raw energy that no other Bond displayed. In fact, as Raymond Benson pointed out, it was his knocking out a seasoned stuntman during an audition that convinced the producers he was their man. Sadly, George only did one Bond film (thanks to some awful career advice by his then-manager) but it still remains one of the series’ best and that wily former car salesman from Australia totally earned the right to be called “James Bond.”
Raymond Benson signing copies of his books at On Her Majesty’s Secret Service screening. All rights reserved.
Many thanks to Steve Kilcullen and Neil McNally of To Live and Die in LA for putting together this memorable night.
Text and photos by Mark Cerulli. Copyright © 2026 From Sweden with Love. All rights reserved.
Editor’s Note:
If you’re in the Los Angeles area and want to see Bond as he was meant to be seen, check out the To Live and Let Die LA website for all of their upcoming events, screening information, and links to purchase tickets.
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