007 Girls, part 1

My best bud THJ and I were having a heated discussion about the merits of the various 007 girls. Before it got to fisticuffs, we decided we needed to have more information. I seflessly volunteered to do the back-breaking work of research on this weighty subject.

We needed to set some guidelines. I figure that there are 2 classes of James Bond "girls" (Ok, women, but what the hell). The first is the fantasy fueling co-star of a Bond flick, the Main Babe. Then there are Secondary Babes, who Bond might dally with (especially Roger Moore's 007, who seemed to have no inner voice saying "no!").

There are also the girls who just kind of decorate the set, the Eye Candy, and finally, Miss Moneypenny who we're not counting here.

This is going to be spread out over several  many posts, seeing as to how there are 22 or so "official" James Bond films and a couple of unofficial ones. God what a horrible task I have ahead, looking through all these pictures and films....I must be strong!

I'm not taking these in any order, but I am starting with the first Main Babe, Ursula Andress

She rose from the sea like Venus in A White Bikini in the second half of the first "official" James Bond film adaption, Dr. No (1962).

She was born in Switzerland in 1936, making her about 26 when she appeared as Honeychile Ryder.

Andress won a 1964 Golden Globe award for New Star of the Year for her performance in Dr. No. She co-starred with Elvis Presley in the 1963 film, Fun in Acapulco, with Frank Sinatra in 4 for Texas (1963), opposite Marcello Mastroianni in The 10th Victim (1965), and as the countess in The Blue Max (1966). She also appeared in the Bond satire Casino Royale (1967) as Vesper Lynd, an occasional spy who persuades Evelyn Tremble, as played by Peter Sellers, to carry out a mission. Her heavy accent was dubbed over in Dr. No, but she used her own voice in Casino Royale

 Appearing onscreen at the beginning of the film, even before Bond, is the first Minor Bond Girl,  Sylvia Trench as played by Eunice Gayson, who was born in 1928.



She appeared in the same minor role in the next 007 film, From Russia with Love.

Both women are clearly rooted in the 1950s ideal . Gayson started in films in 1948 and ended her career in 1972 with some British TV shows.