*Sobs over keyboard* I was just devastated to learn that Miss Moneypenny - the first, one and only Lois Maxwell - passed away yesterday evening. She'd been ill for many years, suffering from cancer, and eventually her 80 year old body gave in. Such tragic news, and so strange to imagine the World of Bond without James's greatest admirer. The one woman he can never avoid, and whom he'll never part from; the one who cares for him no matter what silly business he gets himself into, and whom he always comes back to, no matter how many other women's hearts he conquers along the way. A steadfast foundation in his restless life, and a main source of female advice. Tough and witty; to the limit of what secretaries could be at that point in movie history. With a shrewd mind and a sharp tongue, and a huge fondness for teasing James about his girlfriends. For the record, he's snogged her twice. (Albeit the last encounter took place solely in her imagination.) Furthermore, he's always jealous at her affairs - which she never fails to inform him of, shortly before requesting a bunch of flowers next time they cross paths. Their platonic friendship, the genuine affection for one another, is a heart warming element in all the Bond stories. Hence, proved a striking scarcity in the most recent production. (I still keep a small hope, Bond will get together with her in the end - when he's tired of all the roaming about, looking for random loving. Big question is: who will be Daniel Craig's Moneypenny? Will the Lady Bond, Samantha, be back? Fingers crossed!!) Surely, will be all miserable, watching the old films for a time to come; knowing that both the most frequently recurring staff members - Maxwell's Moneypenny and Desmond Llewelyn's Q (along with Bernard Lee's M who died in 1981, of course) - as they were in the original days, are gone. Their old school-style and 60's elegance is a shortcoming in many new action/crime flicks, Bond films in particular, and although I adore Samantha Bond as Maxwell's successor and John Cleese is priceless as the newest addition "R", a proper replacement is inachievable. As is only fair and square, of course, to give them the rightous honour they deserve for their oustanding work on the series. Roger Moore, who was a close friend of Mrs. Maxwell, says that she was a very talented actress and had a great sense of humour. And to me, like to most other Bond-fanatics, she was the touch of class; the classic factor, ever so predicably present; one person whom we could always count on would be there to reprise her traditional and popular role, when watching a new outing in the series. She helped create and develop one of the most remarkable small part characters ever seen on film, and she will be sorely missed. R.I.P, Lois, and give our best to Desmond & Bernard when you meet them! What a heavenly team you'll be! ;)Will finish off with some trivia and one of my favourite Bond/Moneypenny dialogues - or should I say 'flirtatious line exchanges' - from "Diamonds Are Forever". In which Moneypenny actually wore an übercool hat because she'd dyed her hair. That film also marked the end of the "official" Connery era - and The Ultimate Bond filmed his last seen on MY birthday, in 1971. Well, a bit of technical inaccuracies there, but Friday the 13th would have been my birthday, had I actualy been born. Anyways, enough said - I say farewell to an old friend with a sad smile;
James Bond (played by Sean Connery, as seen with LM in pic above): What can I bring you back from Holland?
Miss Moneypenny: A diamond? In a ring?
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