1) It is the second and so far the last time, that the producers’ names are included in text in the Gunbarrel sequence: Albert R. Broccoli & Harry Saltzman. The first film being “Dr No“.
2) “You only live twice” (1967) and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969) were filmed in the wrong order if you compare with the books. However, the producers couldn’t find the right location to shoot OHMSS in the Alps and with James Bond being popular in Japan the order of the Blofeld films was reversed. It is especially evident when Bond and Blofeld are face to face in OHMSS, Bond as Sir Hilary Bray and Blofeld as Count de Bleauchamp not recognising each other although they had met in the prevoius film.
3) George Baker dubbed George Lazenby in the scenes where Bond poses as Sir Hilary Bray. Lazenby did not like this and didn’t find out until the premiere. He had in fact done his best to get the accent spot on.
4) The Playboy issue that Bond reads in Gumbold’s office is February 1969.
5) The Dom Perignon ´57 that Bond orders in the hotel doesn’t exist.
6) Angela Scoular who plays Ruby Bartlett also starred in the 1967 Bond spoof “Casino Royale“.
7) Telly Savalas real first name is Aristotles, by coincidence the same first name as “For your eyes only” heavy Kristatos although he has a different nick-name: Ari.
8) George Lazenby convinced the producers that he was the right man for the role as 007 when he accidently broke stuntman Yuri Borienko’s nose during a screen test (Borienko also played henchman Grunther).
9) OHMSS was the first Bond film of to-be-director-of-five-James-Bond-films John Glen. He was the editor and second unit director. The producers were particularly impressed with his job on the bobsled action scene.
10) Terry Mountain who played one of Draco’s henchmen also played a Blofeld henchman in the following Bond film “Diamonds are Fovever“.
11) Two scenes were missing from OHMSS for a long time. The whole Gumbold’s safe scene and the scene where Campbell and Grunther have an argument by the cable car station were cut when the film was released for TV and Video. They didn’t make it back until OHMSS was finally released in a new format: DVD. Much to the liking of many Bond fans.
12) There is also another scene that was dropped altogether. It was an action scene in London where Bond follows Sir Hilary Bray’s assistant (played by Brian Grellis) from the College of Arms. This character works for Blofeld and has been listening in. Bond notices him and there is a chase. No known footage has survived but some stills.
13) The butterfly in M’s collection appearing on screen and in dialogue is a Nymphalis Polychloris.
14) Nina who sang the song “Do you know how Christmas trees are grown?” was born Nina Magdalene Möller-Hasselblach in 1932. At the time of OHMSS she was in a musical duo with her husband, the Baron von Pallandt. The duo was called Nina & Frederik. Although the couple divorced in 1975, she is still the Baroness von Pallandt.
Contradictory to what many believe the duo Nina & Frederik did not win the Eurovision for Denmark in 1963 with the song “Dansevise”. That duo was Grethe & Jörgen Ingmann.
15) German actress Ilse Steppat who played Irma Bunt died of a heart attack on 22 december 1969, aged 52. It was only four days after the film’s international release (18 december 1969).
16) Actor George Baker (Sir Hilary Bray) also appeared in “The Spy who loved me”, as Captain Benson and in an uncredited part as a NASA engineer in “You only live twice”.
17) OHMSS was the longest James Bond film by running time, officially 140 minutes until the release of “Casino Royale” in 2006 (officially 144 minutes).
18) George Lazenby is the youngest actor to portray James Bond. He was 29 years old when filming began. Lazenby was born 5 september 1939.
19) George Lazenby attended the Los Angeles screening of OHMSS together with actress and Bond-girl-to-be Jill St. John (Tiffany Case in “Diamonds are Forever“).
20) Tracy’s white guipure lace wedding dress was designed by Marjory Cornelius.
007 Under the Mango Tree 
Posted on July 9, 2013
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