The Bond Girl

"The nature of Bond's job rules out any long term commitments. For one thing, as soon as another mission comes along, he'll fall in lust with a new girl."

They are sex-pots and saviors. They might be threats to the hero's life or the most ornamental distraction. Whatever may change in the 007 series, you can't have a James Bond film without Bond girls. The Bond girl has become an omnipresent symbol of glamour, sophistication, and beauty. Everyone knows that she is the love-interest of James Bond and that the actress who gets to play the character of one of the most sought-after roles in the Hollywood film business will have her career made.

The first Bond girl, Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress in Dr No in 1962 rising from the sea in a white bikini, was a Playboy centerfold in smooth motion. This first film in the series set the Bond-girl standard, as spectacularly embodied by Andress, the coolly carnal Swiss miss, extremely high and the standard has not lowered since. One of the unique traits of the Bond girl is her name. The Bond girls have had some particularly unusual and pun-infused names that have also made way for some exceptionally wry and amusing script one-liners. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, 1964, is a perfect example. This aviatrix-dominatrix is the captain of Auric Goldfinger's all-girl pilot squad, “Pussy Galore's Flying Circus”. Her first name cued millions of teen-boy sniggers, but Blackman, fresh from TV's The Avengers, gave Miss G. a mature sensuality. At 38, she was the oldest Bond girl in the official series. Upon hearing Galore say, “My name is Pussy Galore”, Bond suavely replies, “I must be dreaming.”

The latest Bond offering, Skyfall, introduces another sultry actress playing one of the most important Bond girls to date as this year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Bond franchise. At age 33, Bérénice Marlohe, with a husky voice slightly north of Betty Bacall’s, a killer accent, and a substantial build, she is no walk-over. Unlike previous femmes de Bond, Marlohe’s does not have the pun-infused name. She is, simply, Sévérine.

The Bond girl will always be the perfect elixir of sex-appeal, girl-next-door, and femme fatale. And with Skyfall’s local release this Friday 30^th November 2012, tongues are set to be wagging in every cinema theatre at not just her form but the unmatched charm and allure.