For now, we kick off our autumn-long 50th Anniversary Celebration of the James Bond Franchise. Yup, 50 years ago in 1962, the very first Bond film, DR. NO, was released - and changed the face of cinema forever. The Bond Series has become the most successful and longest-running franchise in film history. And with the release of SKYFALL (the 23rd Bond film) in November, the tradition is going strong.
Tonight, we celebrate the Women of Bond. When Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder rose out of the sea in DR. NO decades ago, an iconic archetype was born. My favorite thing about these movies are the female characters and how they impact the stories. Whether brunette, blonde, or redhead, these characters are more than the "bimbos" they were once unfairly thought to be - and are now being
recognized as some of the strongest and most atypical female roles to grace the silver screen.
Without further ado, we present to you our TOP 10 BOND WOMEN, counting down to # 1....
10. Tiffany Case
PLAYED BY: Jill St. John
STARRED IN: DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
PROFESSION: American jewel smuggler who crosses paths - and libidos - with James Bond (Sean Connery). Watch out.
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: Some trademark Yankee attitude - the kind of no-bullshit straightforwardness that all the American Bond Girls (Christmas Jones, Pam Bouvier, Bibi Dahl, Holly Goodhead) in the pantheon seem to have in abundance. Except Ms. Case unleashed it first. In fact, we think of her as Christmas Jones-Without-The-PhD, or Pam Bouvier-With-Bigger-Tits. She may not be as rough-and-tumble as Dr. Jones or Pammy B., but she has undeniable sex appeal and a disarming sassiness to her.
BEST SCENE: Giving a bratty kid the what-for in Las Vegas. Take that, you stupid punk.
FATE: Survives.
TRIVIA: Tiffany is so-named because her mother went into labor in the middle of the famous store - and gave birth to her right there. Could be worse. She could've been born in the middle of another store: somehow, I think K-Mart Case or Bloomingdale's Case just doesn't have the same ring, no?
9. Dr. Christmas Jones
PLAYED BY: Denise Richards
STARRED IN: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999)
PROFESSION: American nuclear physicist from the International Decommissioning Agency working on cleaning up some Russian nuclear bunkers in Kazakhstan. She correctly deduces that Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is impersonating a visiting Russian scientist, but in blowing the whistle on him, she allows baddie henchman Renard (Robert Carlyle) to escape with a nuclear warhead. Ooops. Right idea, wrong time, girl. As a result, she teams up with Bond to right her wrong.
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: The character of Christmas Jones is probably the most underrated and unfairly maligned Bond Girl in the pantheon - mainly due to the fact that she is played by Denise Richards. Hello - this is the Bond Universe: she's supposed to be improbably gorgeous. The truth is, the character is refreshingly contemporary and capable - and Richard plays her reasonably well. Smart, sassy, and decisive, Dr. Jones is a valuable ally whose technical savvy comes in very handy - and she saves Bond on more than one occasion. Plus, the accessible presence of twentysomething hottie Richards balances out the more "pedigreed" players like Brosnan, Carlyle, and Sophie Marceau as Lead Villain Elektra King. She may not get the showcase that Natalya Simonova got in GOLDENEYE, but she was never supposed to: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH was meant to be about Bond, Elektra, Renard, and M - with Christmas a more secondary role providing valuable support to Bond.
BEST SCENE: Christmas using her brains and hands to get herself out of a sealed missile bunker - and later saving Bond from a hurtling fireball. And also the scene where Bond unleashes some byzantine gobbledygook on her. Her response: "You want to put that in English for those of us who don't speak 'Spy'?" Ha ha. Got him.
FATE: Survives.
TRIVIA: Natasha Henstridge, Daryl Hannah, and even Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice") were reportedly considered for the role of Christmas Jones. Another rumor was that Sophie Marceau herself, who ended up playing Elektra, was considered for the role of Christmas when Sharon Stone was being eyed for the
lead role. Also, in the first draft of the script, Christmas was originally an insurance investigator on the same trail as Bond. However, the studio asked the writers to change this when Brosnan signed up for THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR remake, which was slated to be released a few months before THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. Reason? The heroine of THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR is an insurance investigator - and the studio were concerned about duplication. Hence, Christmas became a nuclear physicist.
8. Paris Carver
PLAYED BY: Teri Hatcher
STARRED IN: TOMORROW NEVER DIES (1997)
PROFESSION: She is the American socialite wife of international media tycoon (and villain) Elliott Carver (Jonathan Pryce) - and one of James Bond's (Pierce Brosnan) myriad exes. Awkward...
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: A cool poise and subtle vulnerability. Paris has only a few scenes, but Hatcher makes the most of her limited screen time, giving Paris complexity and dimension with a few skillful non-verbals and gestures. Watch how she ignores Bond or treats him with icy aloofness when they are together - but covers up for him and protects him from Elliott when the shit hits the fan. The concern on Paris' face as Elliott sends his goons after Bond pretty much tell us she still loves him. Solid acting from Hatcher. I can't help but wonder how much stronger TOMORROW NEVER DIES would've been if Paris and her past relationship with Bond would've been the emotional center - instead of a sub-plot. A real missed-opportunity for the franchise.
BEST SCENE: Paris risking her life to go to Bond's hotel suite to warn him that Elliott is going after him - but also to find out why he disappeared on her long ago. The answer? Because he fell for her. Love this scene.
FATE: Dies. Killed by her husband's goons for being loyal to Bond and protecting him.
TRIVIA: Brosnan and Hatcher reportedly did not get along during filming. Brosnan also reportedly wanted Italian former model Monica Belluci (TEARS OF THE SUN, THE MATRIX RELOADED) for the role of Paris - but the producers wanted a popular American actress. Also, Paris was much less likable in the original drafts of the screenplay. In the final shooting script and film, she was rewritten to be a much more sympathetic character - and Hatcher plays her well this way.
7. Melina Havelock
PLAYED BY: Carole Bouquet
STARRED IN: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981)
PROFESSION: Half-British/Half-Greek fashion model whose father is an underwater archaeologist that was murdered because of a Top Secret salvage operation he was spearheading for Her Majesty's Secret Service. Melina continues the scuba diving operation herself and also swears revenge on his assassin, and tracks him down to a Spanish resort. There, she finds him wearing some godawful early-80's swimming trunks - and thankfully kills him. Then Bond (Roger Moore) shows up - and all hell REALLY breaks loose.
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: Melina has a smoldering dark beauty and a quiet intensity that makes her completely believable as a woman determined to avenge her parents' murders. She also wields a crossbow like nobody's business. Bouquet's cool, feline, slightly exotic looks are the perfect contrast for her character's hard-boiled, relentless nature. All in all, not someone you'd want to piss off.
TRIVIA: Actress Carole Bouquet reportedly couldn't swim because of an ear condition, and since her character Melina is a scuba diver, the production team had to "fake" the underwater scenes using body doubles. For Bouquet's underwater close-ups, the team reportedly filmed above water, using slow motion and fans to blow her hair to simulate "floating" and an underwater "look."
6. Tatiana Romanova
PLAYED BY: Daniela Bianchi
STARRED IN: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
PROFESSION: Russian cryptography clerk stationed in Istanbul who is recruited by the sinister Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) to act as bait and set a trap for our boy James Bond (Sean Connery) - except she falls in love with him. Gosh, I hate it when that happens...
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: Tatiana is cut from the same cloth as Kara Milovy from THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987) - a fellow Russian who is just an ordinary girl going about her business when she gets pulled into the whole spy game, and falls for Bond. In line with the early 60's, Tatiana is a more passive Bond Girl than the ones who would come later, but Italian actress Bianchi plays her with a charming mix of innocence and wistfulness that makes her a refreshingly human and complex heroine. And she ultimately saves the day at the very end by rescuing Bond from certain death at the hands of Rosa. Go, Tati!
BEST SCENE: Tatiana's introduction scene with Bond: she sneaks into his hotel room, slides into his bed - totally naked - and surprises him when he comes into the room. Boner Alert! And also the scene at the end where she blasts a hole into that Rosa Klebb. Finally. Bitch...
FATE: Survives.
TRIVIA: Tatiana's bedroom scene with Bond is the standard audition piece that the Bond producers use when testing new, potential James Bond actors.
5. Pam Bouvier
PLAYED BY: Carey Lowell
STARRED IN: LICENCE TO KILL (1989)
PROFESSION: American ex-Army pilot and CIA operative who is the sole surviving informant on feared South American drug czar Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi). She teams up with Bond (Timothy Dalton), who is on a mission of vengeance after Sanchez attacks and maims his best friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison). Together, Bond and Pam head South of the Border to take down Sanchez - and find some decent tacos and cervezas along the way. Ay, papi!
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: Like Christmas and Tiffany, Pam is your typical loud-and-sassy American - and she packs a mean shotgun, too. Carey Lowell gives Pam a potent combo of sexy in-your-face attitude and intelligence, with some welcome girlishness. While her relationship with Bond doesn't have the same touching quality as Kara Milovy's (Maryam D'Abo) from the THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, it was also never meant to since LICENCE TO KILL is a meaner, grittier Bond film. Plus, Pam paved the way for the more assertive and take-charge chicks of the Brosnan and Craig eras.
BEST SCENE: Pam's introduction scene to Bond at the Barrelhead Bar on the island of Bimini. Let's just hope that the owner has some good insurance. Also, the finale of the film where Pam flies a plane over Bond and Sanchez's racing tanker trucks - like some sort of guardian angel (with a crop duster). Then there's the scene where Pam flashes some leg to skeezy charlatan Professor Joe (Wayne Newton). Let's just say that the term "racehorse legs" was invented for Carey Lowell's gams.
FATE: Survives.
TRIVIA: A former Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren model, the normally sleek and elegant Lowell went to her audition wearing jeans and a leather jacket to mimic Pam's rough-and-tumble, tomboyish persona. It worked - she got the part. Go, girl.... She went on to star on several seasons of LAW AND ORDER.
4. Camille Montes
PLAYED BY: Olga Kurylenko
STARRED IN: QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)
PROFESSION: Half-Russian/Half-Bolivian secret service agent who goes rogue in an effort to infiltrate baddie Dominic Greene's (Matthieu Amalric) nefarious organization - and gain access to the slimy fat bastard who killed her parents when she was a child. So she can pop a cap in his corpulent ass. Then Bond (Daniel Craig) shows up - and all hell REALLY breaks loose. Again.
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: Like Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet) from FROM YOUR EYES ONLY, Camille is also hell-bent on revenge for her parents's deaths and is every bit as unstoppable and relentless. Kurylenko brings a slinky, crafty, cat-like grace coupled with a tremulous vulnerability that makes this role the best of the "Female Bond" heroines. Camille is interesting not just because of her resourcefulness, intelligence, cunning, and skill - but also because of her fragility and weaknesses. Watch for the scene at the end where she is paralyzed by the sight of approaching flames in a burning hotel - and flashes back to the death of her parents. Great scene that Kurylenko and Craig play well.
BEST SCENE: Camille confessing to Bond what happened to her parents while they are both trapped in a sinkhole. Also, the aforementioned scene in the hotel fire. Then there's the scene where Camille crashes Greene's party and basically ruins his fundraising activities.
FATE: Survives.
TRIVIA: Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima reportedly auditioned for this role, as well as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Jessica Gomes. But Kurylenko, herself a former model, won the part from hundreds of other actresses when she wowed the producers with her audition. Also, Camille was originally meant to be full Bolivian, but the producers were so impressed by Kurylenko that they incorporated her real-life Ukrainian heritage into the script and made the character a half-breed.
3. Teresa "Tracy" DiVicenzo
PLAYED BY: Diana Rigg
STARRED IN: ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
PROFESSION: Rich heiress daughter of an Italian Count. Fun-loving, brazen, and unpredictable party animal/playgirl whom Bond rescues from drowning - kicking off a long game of cat-and-mouse that has got to be one of the sexiest courtships ever to be captured on film. Now that is seduction...
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: Tracy has a playful, intelligent recklessness and audacity that is both sexy and disarming. She also has the distinction of being the only Bond Girl to, believe it or not, actually marry James Bond (George Lazenby). If you're going to have a woman capture an inveterate poonhound like him, there better be something amazing and special about her. In Diana Rigg's hands, Tracy is an endlessly fascinating character, with many different colors. Even when she's in potential "damsel-in-distress" scenes, Rigg makes Tracy seems completely in control and have the bad guys eating out of her hands with her alluring charm and smarts. Even when she is being victimized, she refuses to be a victim - which is far more interesting than an invulnerable superwoman. Just like many of the other Bond Girls in this list, it's not just Tracy's strengths that make her interesting - it's also her imperfections and weaknesses. Great character.
BEST SCENE: Bond proposing to Tracy. Period.
FATE: Sadly, killed by Bond's arch-nemesis Blofeld after their wedding at the end. Heartbreaking.
TRIVIA: When crafting the character of the enigmatic Elektra King in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, the producers reportedly instructed the writers to use Tracy DiVicenzo as a template: a strong, passionate, determined, outspoken, talented woman whom Bond is irresistibly drawn to. The only difference is, Elektra ultimately turned out to be a villain. The producers felt that it was important that Elektra be similar to Tracy so we can understand why he would fall for her so fast. Or as lead producer Barbara Broccoli said about Elektra: "Bond thinks he's found Tracy again - but she's really Blofeld..."
2. Kara Milovy
PLAYED BY: Maryam D'Abo
STARRED IN: THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987)
PROFESSION: Russian cellist who is conned by mentor Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbe) into helping him defect to the West, only to betray her and set her up to be assassinated. Thank goodness, then, for James Bond (Timothy Dalton), who basically becomes her guardian angel as they embark on a trans-Continental race to stop Koskov and his dumbass cohorts from doing whatever the hell they're supposed to be doing.
WHAT SHE BRINGS TO THE TABLE: A sweet naivete that is also limned by resilience and spunkiness. While she is not as "kick-ass" as Camille Montes and other "Female Bond"-type of heroines, Kara is a very relatable heroine whose shoes we can imagine walking in. In short, she is that classic Hitchockian archetype: an ordinary person caught in extraordinary circumstances. Maryam D'Abo uses Kara's vulnerability and fragility to enhance the character's appeal and strength. Her relationship with Bond also gives THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS a solid emotional center that only a few other films in the franchise have achieved.
BEST SCENE: Kara's introductory scenes where she poses as a KGB sniper trying to help Koskov escape - then later when Bond meets her upclose and we find out she's nothing like we initially thought.
FATE: Survives.
TRIVIA: Maryam D'Abo was originally just hired to read lines opposite the potential replacements for Roger Moore, who was stepping down after A VIEW TO A KILL (1985). However, the producers were so impressed with her "performance" that they offered her a chance to actually audition for the lead role of Kara Milovy. Also, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS is the only Bond film where there is only one Main Bond Girl - which contributes considerably to the film's atypically romantic feel, something that only a few other movies in the series possess.
AND OUR # 1 BOND GIRL OF ALL TIME....
1. Natalya Simonova
PLAYED BY: Izabella Scorupco
STARRED IN: GOLDENEYE (1995)
PROFESSION: High-level Russian computer programmer who luckily survives an attack that kills all of her colleagues at an isolated satellite tracking station. She escapes from the wreckage of the station, makes her way back to civilization, and discovers that the only person she can trust is a lil' guy named James Bond (Pierce Brosnan), who is tracking down a mysterious baddie named Janus (Sean Bean) who may have stolen a deadly technology from Natalya's station to incite a global financial meltdown. Oh, wait... that just actually happened. Yup, you guessed it: all hell REALLY breaks loose.
WHY SHE'S # 1: Courage, resourcefulness, humor, emotion, and some real gumption. What's great about Natalya is how much solo screentime she gets away from Bond. We meet her waaaaaaaaay before she crosses paths with Bond. By the time she encounters him, she's already survived and endured so much on her own. Izabella Scorupco nails this role and kicks it into the net. She makes Natalya into the perfect example of my favorite kind of Bond Girl: "The Ordinary Girl." Essentially, this kind of character is someone who gets tossed into the deep end and must really step up to stay alive. Needless to say, she does. Natalya, like Kara Milovy from THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, acts as our "eyes" and "ears" into the story. Essentially, we walk in their shoes - and Izabella Scorupco makes Natalya's journey an exhilaratingly exciting one. Best Bond Girl - ever.
BEST SCENE: Pretty much any scene she's in. But if we had to pick, it would be the attack scene on the satellite tracking station that changes Natalya's world forever.
FATE: Survives.
TRIVIA: In the original drafts of the GOLDENEYE script, Natalya was named "Marina." Also, supermodels Paulina Porizkova and Elle MacPherson were offered the role, but thankfully turned it down - I just can't see anyone else playing this part as perfectly as Izabella Scorupco. Go, girl....
So... with the release of SKYFALL in November, we will be getting two new Bond Girls: (1) the tough field agent named Eve (Naomie Harris), and (2) the mysterious half-French/half-Chinese femme fatale named Severine (Berenice Marlohe). Will they land a place in our Top Ten Bond Girl List?
Time will tell. For now, please expect BOY A to post tomorrow, as well as our Fall Movie 2012 Schedule. And later on in the Fall, we will have more TOP 10 Bond Lists: Best Movies, Best Villains, and Best Songs.
Buona serata, folks....
In closing, please see some YouTube vids commemorating the history of 007's Girls:
Ciao ciao...
