Roger Moore and Caroline Munro in The Spy Who Loved Me (Image: PH )
James Bond is back on our TV screens today in The Spy Who Loved Me. Although it was named after one of Ian Fleming’s 007 novels, it was the first entry in the franchise to have an original plot. The author himself had never been happy with the printed version, even blocking the publisher from printing the book in paperback until after his death.
It was also the last film that Elvis Presley saw in a cinema before his death in 1977.
It made sense that there was a completely new story by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum, since Bond actually only appears in chapters ten to fourteen (out of fifteen) of the book, which was written from the point of view of one of 007’s lovers.
However, the making of a film always ends up with completely unpredictable moments that are not part of the script, as poor Bond Girl Caroline Munro discovered.
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Caroline Munro in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (Image: GETTY )
Munro had moved to London to pursue modelling at 17, and a year later was an extra in the 1967 Peter Sellers Bond spoof Casino Royale. She later said: “I was one of a million extras in that film… They used a lot of photos of me in the posters, but even I couldn’t see myself in it (the film).”
Small film roles lead to a contract with Hammer Horror films, and she also had leading roles in 1973’s The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and 1976 fantasy epic At The Earth’s Core.
Munro was also recognised across the UK as the face of a well-known drink in sexy eye-catching posters, which she told Bond podcast Really, 007! helped land her the role of vampy villain Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me.
Munro said: “I had done an ad for Lamb’s Navy Rum, these great big posters, quite risqué. They made a wetsuit for me that opens down to my navel and I had a big knife strapped to my thigh and Cubby (Broccoli, the James Bond producer) had seen these posters. They were all over England. I went to meet him and we got on well.
“I was offered it at the same time as the role of Ursa (in Superman with Christopher Reeve). I asked my agent, ‘What do you think?’, and he said, ‘We know Bond, it’s tried and true…'”
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Caroline Munro in Lamb’s Navy Rum advert (Image: PH )
Like so many others, Munro only has glowing memories of Roger Moore: “He was very sweet, charming, funny. What you see is what you got. Quite funny and twinkly. He would tell risqué jokes, usually just before you went on. It was great because it would relax you.
“The crew absolutely loved Roger because he was so respectful from the tea boy to the director. They admired and respected and loved him so much…He would come and say good morning to all the crew.
“A lot of big actors don’t want to be there for the lines off (the reverse close-up shots close of the other cast) and Roger was there for me. I have utmost respect. And what he did for UNICEF. He didn’t just talk the talk.”
Unfortunately, there was nothing calm about poor Munro’s very first James Bond scene, shot in a speedboat off the coast of Sardinia with the director Lewis Gilbert.
Munro said: “I had to get in with the driver and one of the assistant directors, who would lie down at my feet. We drove out to sea, and then we did one run-through. And then we went out again.
“Lewis said, “Now, get ready. On my ‘Action!’ you will sit down. And then as we come forward at full speed, you will stand up, and then you will be ready to meet Roger.’
“I thought, ‘OK I’ve got this.’ I was all ready in my robe, and the speedboat built up speed and noise and I thought, ‘That sounds a bit odd, I can hear something a bit strange.’ I thought it must be the speedboat.
“So I sat down and I thought ‘Oh my goodness me.’ I felt pain in my bum. I thought ‘OK, this is my big moment, my big entrance.’ So I stood up and my bottom is on fire at that point…”
Caroline Munro in The Spy Who Loved Me (Image: SG )
Munro added: “I’m coming in to meet Roger I get up and I’m looking incredibly fierce because basically I’ve actually sat on a bee. That was the noise I’d heard. Poor bee… That was my big entrance and it was a bit sad… But I looked right for it because I looked fierce.”
The scene remains one of the iconic Bond moments for the typically witty responses of Moore’s Bond in the script as he watches Naomi slink away as he classically says, “Such a handsome craft, such lovely lines,” and an unimpressed Anya (Barbara Bach) glares at him.
Munro beautifully hid her agony from the cameras at the time, but as soon as the scene was over, someone noticed her distress.
As smooth off-screen as on, Munro said fondly of her co-star: “Roger made some quick quip about it when the wardrobe lady noticed and rushed over.
Munro also injected some humour of her own, in the classic helicopter scene when her boss Karl Stromberg sends Naomi to shoot Bond and Anya’s car off the road.
The main sequence was shot from further away with the stunt pilot, who Caroline hilariously revealed was a man dressed as her in a dark wig with a beard and hairy arms.
She added: “I was in the helicopter, but when we realised we hadn’t done the close-ups, we had to recreate the scene back in London. We did a few waves and kisses, and then I did the wink.”
That cheeky improvised personal touch has ensured that Munro remains one of the most beloved Bond Girls, something she is very happy about: “I feel very honoured and I feel so lucky to be chosen to be a little part of it. It does follow me, and it’s a great honour to have been in a Bond film.”
Listen to Caroline Munro’s full interview with Really, 007! here