Miss Moneypenny
Miss Moneypenny | |
---|---|
James Bond character | |
Created by | Ian Fleming |
Portrayed by |
|
In-universe information | |
Gender | Female |
Occupation | Secretary to M Second Officer WRNS Former field officer |
Affiliation | MI6 |
Nationality | British |
Classification | Ally |
Miss Moneypenny, later assigned the first names of Eve or Jane, is a fictional character in the
Although she has a small part in most of the films, it is always highlighted by the underscored romantic tension between her and Bond (something that is virtually non-existent in
Although not given a first name by Fleming, the character was given the name Jane in the spin-off book series, The Moneypenny Diaries; in the films, she received the first name of Eve in Skyfall (2012), which is set in the new continuity opened by 2006's Casino Royale, where the character spent time as a field officer before becoming secretary to M. According to the film You Only Live Twice (1967), she holds the rank of second officer in the Women's Royal Naval Service.
Background
In
Summary
Miss Moneypenny is the private secretary of
Moneypenny was never given any
Role
"Of course she's in love with Bond, but she's too much a lady to go chasing after him. So she smiles and bides her time. In a way, you can't blame her. Every woman would like to live dangerously with James Bond, if only for 20 minutes, or half a night..."
Lois Maxwell[6]
In both the Bond novels and films based upon them, Moneypenny is smitten with Bond. For example, in the novel Thunderball (1961), Fleming wrote that she "often dreamed hopelessly about Bond." However, she never explicitly voices these feelings.
Miss Moneypenny's role in Fleming's novels is even smaller than her role in the films. In the novels, Bond also has his own secretary,
In most of the Bond films, there is a scene, usually Bond's arrival at M's office, in which Bond and Moneypenny exchange witty, flirtatious conversation. ("Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.") In the earlier films, these exchanges are more sexually charged, with Bond often kissing or caressing Moneypenny sensually. In Die Another Day (2002), she puts on Q's (John Cleese) virtual reality glasses and runs a simulation in which she and Bond finally consummate their relationship. Q interrupts her, and she pretends she was using it as a combat simulation.
In the original film version of Casino Royale, actress Barbara Bouchet plays M's current secretary and explains to Sir James Bond (played by David Niven) upon their first meeting that she is actually Miss Moneypenny's daughter. She is referred to thereafter, and in the closing credits, as Moneypenny.
Since the character's first appearance in Casino Royale, neither Fleming nor any succeeding Bond novelist gave Moneypenny a first name. In a number of books and at least one film, Bond refers to her by the nickname "Penny" (a shortened version of her last name). However, The Moneypenny Diaries gives her first name as Jane, while in Skyfall, the character is named Eve.
After Lois Maxwell's death, Roger Moore recalled that she would have liked to have become the new M after Moore's retirement. She had suggested herself for the role of M but had been turned down. "I think it was a great disappointment to her that she had not been promoted to play M. She would have been a wonderful M."[7]
The Moneypenny Diaries
On 10 October 2005, John Murray published The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel (2005), the first of three Ian Fleming Publications' sanctioned novels written by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook, from the point of view of Miss Moneypenny. The rest of The Moneypenny Diaries trilogy was released over the next three years, consisting of Secret Servant: The Moneypenny Diaries (2006) and The Moneypenny Diaries: Final Fling (2008).
Films
Moneypenny has been played by six actresses in the Bond films: four in the Eon film series, plus two in the non-Eon films. The last three actresses to play Moneypenny (Caroline Bliss, Samantha Bond and Naomie Harris) are all alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Eon Productions series
- Lois Maxwell
- Dr. No (1962)
- From Russia with Love (1963)
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Thunderball (1965)
- You Only Live Twice (1967)
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Moonraker (1979)
- For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Octopussy (1983)
- A View to a Kill (1985)
- Caroline Bliss
- The Living Daylights (1987)
- Licence to Kill (1989)
- Samantha Bond
- GoldenEye (1995)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
- The World Is Not Enough (1999)
- Die Another Day (2002)
- Naomie Harris (as "Eve Moneypenny")
- Skyfall (2012)[8]
- Spectre (2015)
- No Time to Die (2021)
Non-Eon films
- Barbara Bouchet
- Casino Royale (1967) (Bouchet actually plays Moneypenny's daughter)
- Pamela Salem
- Never Say Never Again (1983)
Other appearances
- Lois Maxwell portrays Moneypenny in the television special Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond (1967), which was produced by United Artists Television.[9]
- Lois Maxwell played herself in the Italian film Bons baisers de Hong Kong.
- Samantha Bond took up the role again in an advertisement for London's (ultimately successful) London 2012 Olympic bid. She appeared alongside Roger Moore, who played 007 between 1973 and 1985.[10]
- In the video game From Russia with Love (2005), Moneypenny appears with Lois Maxwell's likeness in the same film. She is voiced by Karly Rothenberg (who also voices Rosa Klebb in the game).[11]
- Moneypenny appears in Dynamite Entertainment's 2015 James Bond comic book series. Though the series is heavily inspired by the original Ian Fleming stories, this version of Moneypenny is black, much like Naomie Harris' portrayal in the movies.[12] This rendition of the character is both M's secretary and personal security agent, who tends to defend her superior from physical threats by all means at all cost. A spin-off one-shot created by Jody Houser and Jacob Edgar, starring this rendition of the character was published in August 2017.[13]
- Miss Moneypenny is a non-player-character to interact with in the role-playing game James Bond 007. She is described as a crack shot, having shot a would-be assassin trying to kill M; she placed six shots in the assassin that could be covered by a tea saucer. It is even a mild rebuke for an agent with poor marksmanship if M ever says, "My assistant can shoot better than you."
In other media
In The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe (2009), Douglas Rogers dedicated chapter 11 (titled "Miss Moneypenny") to his father Ian's black market currency dealer in Mutare.[14]
In the 2011 British TV drama series The Hour, set in the mid-1950s when Fleming's James Bond books first became popular, the characters Freddie and Bel address each other as 'Moneypenny' and 'James.'[15]
In the 1990s and early to mid2000s the famous Birmingham nightclub "Moneypennys" was based on her character fitting the theme of Glam-House Music. The insinuation of the brand instigating "Bond Girls Only" complete with its venues booked in High Class Outlets, Manor Parks and Designer Apparel wearing attendees clearly visible in the queues all fitting to the James Bond Glamour theme. In addition the High end Sports cars, supercars and luxury vehicles in the clubs car park a clear sign you had arrived at the right venue for the best night out. DJs from the world over were flown in including Roger Sanchez, Eric Morillo and Little Louie Vega.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Macintyre, Ben (5 April 2008). "Was Ian Fleming the real 007?". The Times. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ Steyn, Mark (15 October 2007). "Miss Moneypenny is forever". Maclean's. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
- ^ "Obituary". The Independent. 28 January 2009. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-84901-857-9.
- ^ "Fleming letters raise thousands". London: BBC News. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (18 June 1967). "Interview with Lois Maxwell". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ "Bond star Lois Maxwell dies at 80". London: BBC News. 30 September 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ "'Skyfall' director Sam Mendes addresses racial profiling of Bond films". Electronic Urban Report. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ "From Kent, With Love". 007 Magazine.
- ^ "The Official London 2012 Olympics Film.'Sport at Heart'". 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012 – via YouTube.
- MI6.co.uk, 26 March 2008.
- ^ James Bond #1
- ^ "Newsarama | GamesRadar+". 27 June 2023.
- ISBN 9780307407979.
- IMDb