Wednesday, October 03, 2007

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Lois Maxwell AKA/ Miss Moneypenny the flirtatious and dignified British Secret Service secretary to James Bond died on October 1, 2007 of Cancer. What an endearing legacy she left behind.

Ms. Maxwell played Bond's secretary in 14 movies spanning 23 years, starting in 1962 with "Dr. No," until 1985 "A View To A Kill." The character Moneypenny was always remembered because of the flirtatious nature she had with a smile, a glance or brief word; and she was an efficient secretary.

Bond's (That's James Bond) secretary also traded suggestive banter with Agent 007 who would occasionally perch himself on the edge of her desk. Believe it or not she uttered no more than 200 words in all of her Bond films and her total on time screen time amounted to no more than an hour or two.

According to the Washington Post (10/2/07), her lines were limited ... but the impact of delivery was huge: "James you're late." or "When are we going to have that dinner?" And once when he left for a mission, Bond asked Moneypenny: "What can I bring your from Amsterdam?" "A diamond ... in a ring," she responded. They agreed to settle on a tulip. Always suggestive with an undercurrent, and always coy : )

The real Ms. Maxwell was born 2/14/1927 in Kitchner Ontario and perfomed during WWII when she joined a Canaidan Military unit sent to Britain to entertain the troops. In England she received a scholarship into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where she actually went to school with Roger Moore (who would later become one of the James Bonds).

Maxwell made a few movies, married Peter Marriott and had 2 children. Her husband became ill, and with 2 small children and no money, she called producers she had worked with and asked for help. Terence Young who directed her in a 1948 drama "Corridor of Mirrors," gave her a choice of two roles in the first Bond Film. She chose Moneypenny.

In 1986 she returned to Canada where she operated a business and wrote a three-times-a-week column for the Toronto Sun.

Her orignal names was Lois Hooker. Considered a ihindrance to an acting career her last name was changed.