Monday, October 01, 2007

"Moneypenny, what would I do without you?"

Sad news for James Bond fans. Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in fourteen James Bond films, died Saturday at age 80.
Her death on Saturday at Fremantle Hospital, in Western Australia, from a combination of lung and vascular disease, followed several weeks of treatment there. She was 80.

The Canadian-born actress, a constant in 14 James Bond movies as the starring role changed hands, took on the Miss Moneypenny role in 1962 alongside Sean Connery in "Dr No."

And she continued to play the secretary to spy chief M, constantly flirting with her 007 agent, until 1985's "A View To A Kill" with Roger Moore.
The banter between her and James Bond was an indespensible part of the movies, especially evident in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" when she prevents Bond from resigning by submitting a vacation request instead.
Bond: Request granted. Not even with regret.

MP: What did you expect? A knighthood? Why don´t you read it?

Bond: Two weeks´ leave!

MP: Well, you didn´t really want to resign, did you?

Bond: Moneypenny, what would I do without you?

MP: My problem is that you never do anything with me.
Bond fans will always remember the wedding scene as Mr. and Mrs. James Bond drive off leaving Moneypenny holding the bouquet.

Maxwell was an adventurer in real life: a world traveller, pilot, amateur race car driver, "and sailed across the South China Sea on an armed boat in case of pirates."

RIP, Miss Moneypenny.