1965: "Thunderball" and the heavenly choirs of 007
Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 10:30PM By Deborah Lipp, author of The Ultimate James Bond Fan Book
But of course, I forgot your ego, Mr. Bond. James Bond, who only has to make love to a woman and she starts to hear heavenly choirs singing. She repents, and immediately returns to the side of right and virtue. But not this one.
The first, and arguably greatest femme fatale of the James Bond movies was introduced in 1965’s Thunderball, the fourth James Bond movie. Fiona Volpe, played by Luciana Paluzzi was both thunderously femme and stunningly fatale. We meet her as the very sensual, very beautiful lover of Francois Derval. Soon, though, she is supervising his murder and replacement by a surgical double. Next, she is the mysterious motorcyclist who murders a SPECTRE agent who was indiscreet.
So, before Bond ever encounters her, she’s shown us the full range of thrills and chills; sex, death, and speed...