Universal Soldier is a 1971 film directed by Cy Endfield and starring George Lazenby.

He travels to London to meet former war comrade Jesse Jones, and his associates Freddy Bradshaw and Temple Smith.

After helping fellow mercenaries test and ship weapons to South Africa, Ryker begins to have ethical concerns about his involvement.

Ryker reveals that his real plan was to sabotage the gun running operation, not to take all the money.

As Ryker bundles Jesse into a car to seek medical treatment, Rawlings shoots them down with rifle fire.

[6] Lazenby had just achieved international fame playing James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service but decided not to repeat the role.

The two men had worked with each other previously - it was Endfield who had directed Lazenby in the advertisement for Big Fry chocolate that helped the actor be cast as James Bond.

[5]Lazenby and Endfield took the project to Frederick Schwartz of Appaloosa Productions, who raised the finance.

Half the budget of £300,000 was raised from a bank with the rest coming from the cast and crew agreeing to deferred payment.

[9] Lazenby did not take a fee for his performance; indeed, he invested his own money to make the movie happen.

If anyone told me today there was an advancing army just outside Botany Bay, I wouldn't want to pick up a gun and fire away at it.

A lot of my friends are into yoga and I went to India to find out what it's all about" saying they taught him "There's another way if you don't like this one", and that the intuitive self should take over from the conditioned self.

[6] Lazenby said the film was made with an improvisational style: We wrote it as we went along, watching just what each member of the cast could best do, and adapting accordingly.

There are no elocution experts around our outfit and no one talks in that foreign Hollywood language, which has nothing to do with how people speak in the street.

[13] After finishing the main shoot, Lazenby returned to Australia for a brief visit where he told a reporter: No one yet knows exactly how the film will end.

[5]Lazenby was optimistic he could use this method for other movies: The nine months I spent on the Bond film I learnt about the old-fashioned way of doing things-and a lot about what not to do.

[5]Lazneby said Endfield wanted to end the film with Lazenby's character being killed and the actor disagreed.

"[13] Dilys Powell of the Sunday Times reviewed the movie and said "I am glad to recommend... this story... a notable performance in the lead role by George Lazenby, relaxed, reflective but solidly resolved, very different from that misfire a year or two ago as James Bond.

"[19] Judith Crist of New York found the actor to be a strong point of the earlier movie, which was no failure at the box office (budget: $8 million, worldwide box office: $82 million[20]), stating that "This time around there's less suavity and a no-nonsense muscularity and maleness to the role via the handsome Mr.