The Fake Life - Love movies? We do too!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Geek Pin-Up #16: Moneypenny

There are lots of bond girls that are worth covering here: Jane Seymour's Solitaire, who had mystical powers as long as she stayed a virgin... or how about Grace Jones' Mayday who had the nerve to go on top, or how about Eva Green's Vesper Lynd, who I would turn into dribble in my shoes if I ever met. But the subject of the last of our Bond themed pin up girls is M's secretary, Moneypenny. No this is not a cop-out.

Most Bond girls turn up wearing a ball gown, run about a bit and then are either killed by a bad person or shagged by Bond. The films suggest they are similar fates, as they never turn up in the franchise again. Moneypenny, however, is a constant in Bond's life, always there in the office to scold, inform and flirt with him while always holding a secret love for him that is, importantly, never requited. While Bond almost always acts a predatory cad around her, seemingly playing with her affections, he never actually beds her, suggesting that he feels differently about her than about the other girls. If M is Bond's father, Moneypenny is his mum, which raises all sorts of juicy Oedipal interpretations to those who haven't figured out by the end of the credits that these films are best watched with the brain turned decidedly off.

Lois Maxwell is by far the most famous of the various Moneypennys, playing her from the first film Dr. No all the way through to A View to a Kill.

She had the stern look and sometimes frumpy dress of a headmistress but also the style and worldly-wiseness of the maiden aunt who would smoke and drink gin at the family christmas dinner, sharing stories you didn't quite understand but your mum didn't want you to hear. Also her big featured face suggested a more old fashioned sensuality than the sharp featured young hotties of later decades.

But she got old (though she aged a lot better than Roger Moore) and was pensioned off in the 80's when Timothy Dalton took over the tuxedo of Bond. Moneypenny was then played by Caroline Bliss, a young, blonde, sharp-featured hottie.

Yes she was hot, but she was basically another Bond-bimbo hiding behind a sensible blouse and big glasses. Her 80's glamour also didn't seem to fit right with Dalton's rather dour take on Bond. Dalton only lasted two films, and Caroline went with him. Bye!

Then came the Brosnan years and the role of Moneypenny was given to Samantha Bond. Maybe she only won the role because of her last name, but she was a great fit.

She had the school-teacher looks and the sharp tongue that could knock James down a peg or two if he got a bit too 'old fashioned' in his attitude towards women. She also had the button-down, slightly mousy demeanour that suggested a passion that would go off like a rocket if you got her out of her sensible shoes. She also looks a bit like dominating she-wolf Anne Robinson from The Weakest Link (or Points of View for our English readers), which plays into the slightly ambiguous relationship the usually strong, dominating Bond has with her.

She was also played by Barbara Bouchet for the unofficial Bond movie Casino Royale, who looked like a 60's go-go dancer (though technically she was Moneypenny's daughter) and by Pamela Salem in the equally unnoffical Never Say Never Again who was fine but basically a not-quite-as-good version of Lois Maxwell.

So my vote has to go to Lois Maxwell, mostly for the way she could fit motherly-care, teenage-yearning and husky-desire all into the simple 'Oh, James' line that became the character's trademark.

The 2006 version of Casino Royale is distinctly missing Moneypenny, though Judi Dench's 'M' character seems to be filling that motherly role quite nicely. Perhaps we shall get her back in the next film. For casting, I suggest Stephen Fry.