Tag Archives: oldest bond girl

May 22, 2010

Top 10 Definitive Bond Girls – No.1 Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman)

Character: 87 Hotness: 90 Impact: 91 Overall Score: 712,530
(click here for scoring methodology)

The number one Definite Bond Girl is Pussy Galore, beating all her rivals quite comfortably by scoring very high in all categories. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder may have set the standard for Bond Girls, but Honor Blackman in 1964’s Goldfinger raised the bar so high that no one else has been able to surpass it.

This achievement is all the more impressive when you consider the name Pussy Galore is really quite absurd and juvenile, but Honor Blackman’s performance gives it complete credibility. She was also 38 years of age when she made the film, making her the oldest Bond Girl and is nearly 5 years older than Sean Connery.

Pussy Galore makes her first appearance halfway through the film when James Bond wakes up inside the private jet of baddie Auric Goldfinger and being the pilot she introduces herself to him.

Pussy Galore: My name is Pussy Galore.
James Bond: I must be dreaming.

Pussy is more mature, not just in age, than most Bond Girls and she is actually a villain who is helping Goldfinger carry out his dastardly plan so she can make a lot of money, buy an island in the Bahamas and ‘go back to nature’.

Pussy Galore: I’m Mr. Goldfinger’s personal pilot.
James Bond: Oh? Just how personal is that?
Pussy Galore: I’m a damn good pilot. Period.

James tries to win her over when they first meet, but she is having none of it.

Pussy Galore: You can turn off the charm, I’m immune.

As well as being an expert aeroplane and helicopter pilot, she runs her own air show team, Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus, who are instrumental in Goldfinger’s plan to break into Fort Knox, killing off the surrounding army base by spraying Delta 9 nerve gas into the air.

James Bond is being held prisoner at Goldfinger’s Kentucky stud farm and when Goldfinger is informed people are watching the farm (CIA’s Felix Leiter), he asks Pussy to entertain James to make it look like he is not in any trouble.

James Bond: Well, well, the new Miss Galore. Where do you hide your gold knuckles in that outfit.
Pussy Galore: Oh, I never carry weapons after business hours.
James Bond: None at all?
Pussy Galore: I’m completely defenseless…
James Bond: … so am I.

They take a walk arm in arm around the farm and Bond spots a barn for them to go into. Their banter has been friendly up until that point but he expresses his dislike of her being caught up in the plan and states that Goldfinger is quite mad.

James Bond: What would it take for you to see things my way?
Pussy Galore: A lot more than you’ve got.
James Bond: How do you know?
Pussy Galore: I don’t want to know.

He grabs her and then she shows off her judo skills (written into the film especially for Honor Blackman) and they proceed to have a tumble together which leads directly to a more passionate and intimate moment. We later realise this time with Bond has helped her see the light and Pussy and her flying circus team only pretend to use the nerve gas, allowing the army and CIA to prevent Goldfinger’s plan.

Pussy Galore is a talented and independent woman who knows how to handle herself, yet is also very beautiful and sexy without any need for gratuitous bikini shots. Her character is interesting and develops over the film as she is involved in something quite bad, but ultimately her actions allow Bond to succeed. Her impact was and, 46 years later, still is huge, being one of the most well-remembered and highly-regarded Bond girls.

Therefore, Pussy Galore fully deserves her place as the number one definitive Bond girl.