Miss Moneypenny, later assigned the first names of Eve or Jane, is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. She is secretary to M, who is Bond's superior officer and head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).
Although she has a small part in most of the films, it is always highlighted by the underscored romantic tension between her and Bond (something that is virtually non-existent in Ian Fleming's novels, although it is somewhat more apparent in the Bond novels by John Gardner and Raymond Benson). On that note, she is not always considered to be a Bond girl, having never[clarification needed][citation needed] had anything more than a professional relationship with Bond.
Although not given a first name by Fleming, the character was given the name Jane in the spin-off book series, The Moneypenny Diaries; in the films, she received the first name of Eve in Skyfall (2012), which is set in the new continuity opened by 2006's Casino Royale, where the character spent time as a field officer before becoming secretary to M. According to the film You Only Live Twice (1967), she holds the rank of second officer in the Women's Royal Naval Service.
Background
In Ian Fleming's first draft of Casino Royale (1953), Moneypenny's name was originally "Miss 'Petty' Pettaval", which was taken from Kathleen Pettigrew, the personal assistant to MI6 director Stewart Menzies. Fleming changed it to be less obvious.[1] Other candidates for Moneypenny's inspiration include Vera Atkins of Special Operations Executive;[2]Paddy Ridsdale, a Naval Intelligence secretary;[1]Joan Bright Astley, whom Fleming dated during World War II, and who was noted for giving a warm and friendly reception to senior officers who visited her office to view confidential papers;[3] and Joan Howe, Fleming's red-haired secretary at The Times who had typed the manuscript of Casino Royale.[4] The BBC has used the term "Fleming's Miss Moneypenny" when referring to Jean Frampton, who typed out the manuscripts for Fleming's later works and made plot suggestions to him, even though the two never met.[5]
Miss Moneypenny is the private secretary of M, the head of MI6. She holds the rank of Second Officer in the Women's Royal Naval Service, which is a prerequisite rank for this position. She is cleared for Top Secret, Eyes Only, and Cabinet-Level intelligence reports, the last of which she is often required to prepare, and in some cases present.
M's personal assistant is utterly dedicated to her work, which means she has little time for a social life. A close confidante of her boss, she also enjoys a flirtatious—though never[clarification needed][citation needed] consummated—relationship with James Bond, whom she understands perfectly.
Moneypenny was never given any backstory until the film Skyfall (2012), when she was re-introduced to the series following the 2006 reboot of the series' continuity. Moneypenny, now played by Naomie Harris and given the first name Eve, is originally a field officer assigned to work with Bond on an operation in Istanbul. It ends in disaster when she is ordered to shoot through Bond while he is fighting hand-to-hand combat with the mercenary they are chasing. She hits Bond, who falls off a bridge and is assumed dead. She is temporarily suspended for this and reassigned to desk duty, assisting Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, who has been assigned to watch over MI6. When Bond resurfaces and returns to duty, she meets with him in Macau and aids in locating an agent of main villain Raoul Silva's (Javier Bardem) before returning to London. Later in the film, she is a participant in another shootout with Silva, when he ambushes a public inquiry into MI6. By the end of the film, she decides to retire from fieldwork and becomes Mallory's secretary once he takes over the role of M.
Role
"Of course she's in love with Bond, but she's too much a lady to go chasing after him. So she smiles and bides her time. In a way, you can't blame her. Every woman would like to live dangerously with James Bond, if only for 20 minutes, or half a night..."
In both the Bond novels and films based upon them, Moneypenny is smitten with Bond. For example, in the novel Thunderball (1961), Fleming wrote that she "often dreamed hopelessly about Bond." However, she never explicitly voices these feelings.
Miss Moneypenny's role in Fleming's novels is even smaller than her role in the films. In the novels, Bond also has his own secretary, Loelia Ponsonby and later Mary Goodnight, both of whose lines and relationships were often transferred to Miss Moneypenny for the films. As a rule, Moneypenny generally never directly participates in Bond's missions. However, in Skyfall, Moneypenny is an MI6 officer who directly assists Bond in the field before becoming the new M's secretary. In the film Octopussy, Moneypenny has an assistant named Penelope Smallbone (Michaela Clavell), who appears to be equally smitten with Bond, despite a "thorough briefing" on the subject by Moneypenny. Intended as either a foil or a replacement for Moneypenny, Smallbone appeared only that once.
In most of the Bond films, there is a scene, usually Bond's arrival at M's office, in which Bond and Moneypenny exchange witty, flirtatious conversation. ("Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.") In the earlier films, these exchanges are more sexually charged, with Bond often kissing or caressing Moneypenny sensually. In Die Another Day (2002), she puts on Q's (John Cleese) virtual reality glasses and runs a simulation in which she and Bond finally consummate their relationship. Q interrupts her, and she pretends she was using it as a combat simulation.
In the original film version of Casino Royale, actress Barbara Bouchet plays M's current secretary and explains to Sir James Bond (played by David Niven) upon their first meeting that she is actually Miss Moneypenny's daughter. She is referred to thereafter, and in the closing credits, as Moneypenny.
Since the character's first appearance in Casino Royale, neither Fleming nor any succeeding Bond novelist gave Moneypenny a first name. In a number of books and at least one film, Bond refers to her by the nickname "Penny" (a shortened version of her last name). However, The Moneypenny Diaries gives her first name as Jane, while in Skyfall, the character is named Eve.
After Lois Maxwell's death, Roger Moore recalled that she would have liked to have become the new M after Moore's retirement. She had suggested herself for the role of M but had been turned down. "I think it was a great disappointment to her that she had not been promoted to play M. She would have been a wonderful M."[7]
Moneypenny has been played by six actresses in the Bond films: four in the Eon film series, plus two in the non-Eon films. The last three actresses to play Moneypenny (Caroline Bliss, Samantha Bond and Naomie Harris) are all alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Lois Maxwell played herself in the Italian film OK Connery (1967) and played Miss Moneypenny in the 1975 French film Bons baisers de Hong Kong.
Samantha Bond took up the role again in an advertisement for London's (ultimately successful) London 2012 Olympic bid. She appeared alongside Roger Moore, who played 007 between 1973 and 1985.[10]
Moneypenny appears in Dynamite Entertainment's 2015 James Bond comic book series. Though the series is heavily inspired by the original Ian Fleming stories, this version of Moneypenny is black, much like Naomie Harris' portrayal in the movies.[12] This rendition of the character is both M's secretary and personal security agent, who tends to defend her superior from physical threats by all means at all cost. A spin-off one-shot created by Jody Houser and Jacob Edgar, starring this rendition of the character was published in August 2017.[13]
Miss Moneypenny is a non-player-character to interact with in the role-playing game James Bond 007. She is described as a crack shot, having shot a would-be assassin trying to kill M; she placed six shots in the assassin that could be covered by a tea saucer. It is even a mild rebuke for an agent with poor marksmanship if M ever says, "My assistant can shoot better than you."
In other media
In The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe (2009), Douglas Rogers dedicated chapter 11 (titled "Miss Moneypenny") to his father Ian's black market currency dealer in Mutare.[14]
In the 2011 British TV drama series The Hour, set in the mid-1950s when Fleming's James Bond books first became popular, the characters Freddie and Bel address each other as 'Moneypenny' and 'James.'[15]
In the 1990s and early-to-mid-2000s the famous Birmingham nightclub "Moneypennys" was based on her character fitting the theme of Glam-House Music. The insinuation of the brand instigating "Bond Girls Only" complete with its venues booked in High Class Outlets, Manor Parks and Designer Apparel wearing attendees clearly visible in the queues all fitting to the James Bond Glamour theme. In addition the High end Sports cars, supercars and luxury vehicles in the clubs car park a clear sign you had arrived at the right venue for the best night out. DJs from the world over were flown in including Roger Sanchez, Eric Morillo and Little Louie Vega.
The James Bond series focuses on the titular character, a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have written authorised Bond novels or novelisations: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver, William Boyd, and Anthony Horowitz. The latest novel is With a Mind to Kill by Anthony Horowitz, published in May 2022. Additionally Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond, and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny.
Q is a character in the James Bond films and novelisations. Q is the head of Q Branch, the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service charged with oversight of top secret field technologies.
M is a codename held by a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond book and film series; the character is the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service for the agency known as MI6. Fleming based the character on a number of people he knew who commanded sections of British intelligence. M has appeared in the novels by Fleming and seven continuation authors, as well as appearing in twenty-four films. In the Eon Productions series of films, M has been portrayed by four actors: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes, the incumbent; in the two independent productions, M was played by John Huston, David Niven and Edward Fox.
A Bond girl is a character who is a love interest, female companion or (occasionally) an adversary of James Bond in a novel, film, or video game. Bond girls occasionally have names that are double entendres or sexual puns, such as Plenty O'Toole, Holly Goodhead, or Xenia Onatopp. The female leads in the films, such as Ursula Andress, Honor Blackman, or Eva Green, can also be referred to as "Bond girls". The term Bond girl may also be considered as an anachronism, with some female cast members in the films preferring the designation Bond woman.
Lois Ruth Maxwell was a Canadian actress who portrayed Miss Moneypenny in the first fourteen Eon-produced James Bond films (1962–1985), from Dr. No in 1962 to A View to a Kill in 1985. She did not appear in the 1967 adaptation of Casino Royale, nor in the 1983 remake of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again, as the production was not Eon's, though she did, as a similar character, appear in the spoof O.K. Connery.
Ian Fleming Publications is the production company formerly known as both Glidrose Productions Limited and Glidrose Publications Limited, named after its founders John Gliddon and Norman Rose. In 1952, author Ian Fleming bought it after completing his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale; he assigned most of his rights in Casino Royale, and the works which followed it to Glidrose.
The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel is the first in a trilogy of novels chronicling the life of Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. The diaries were authored by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook, who is depicted as the book's editor. The first instalment, subtitled Guardian Angel was released in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2005, by John Murray publishers. A United States edition was published by Thomas Dunne Books on May 13, 2008, although this edition has no subtitle.
The Moneypenny Diaries is a series of novels and short stories chronicling the life of Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary in Ian Fleming's James Bond series; it is considered an official spin-off of the Bond books. The diaries are penned by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook, who is depicted as the book's "editor." The series is a trilogy of novels, although in 2006, Weinberg also published two short stories: "For Your Eyes Only, James" and "Moneypenny's First Date with Bond", both of which appeared in UK magazines and were republished in September 2020 as a free ebook.
Secret Servant: The Moneypenny Diaries is the second in a trilogy of novels chronicling the life of Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. The diaries are penned by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook, who is depicted as the book's "editor." Published by John Murray publishers, Secret Servant was released on November 2, 2006, in the UK following the first instalment, subtitled Guardian Angel that was released in 2005. No North American release has been announced as of October 2008.
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film directed by Terence Young. It is the first film in the James Bond series. Starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman and Jack Lord, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather from the 1958 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, a partnership that continued until 1975. It was followed by From Russia with Love in 1963. In the film, James Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a fellow British agent. The trail leads him to the underground base of Dr. Julius No, who is plotting to disrupt an early American space launch from Cape Canaveral with a radio beam weapon.
Samantha Weinberg is a British novelist, journalist and podcaster. Educated at St Paul's Girls' School and Trinity College, Cambridge, she is the author of books such as A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth and the James Bond-inspired trilogy The Moneypenny Diaries under the alias Kate Westbrook. Since 2019, she has been a contributor to Tortoise Media. In 2023, she wrote and narrated Trace of Doubt, an eight-part true crime podcast series for Audible.
The Moneypenny Diaries: Final Fling is the third in a trilogy of novels chronicling the life of Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. The diaries are penned by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook, who is depicted as the book's "editor". The novel was published by John Murray publishers on May 1, 2008 in the UK in hardcover followed by the paperback on October 30, 2008. As with the second volume, no North American release has been announced as of May 2009.
In Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and the derived films, the 00 Section of MI6 is considered the secret service's elite. A 00 is a field agent who holds a licence to kill in the field, at their discretion, to complete any mission. The novel Moonraker establishes that the section routinely has three agents concurrently; the film series, in Thunderball, establishes a minimum number of nine 00 agents active at that time.
Vesper Lynd is a fictional character featured in Ian Fleming's 1953 James Bond novel Casino Royale. She was portrayed by Ursula Andress in the 1967 James Bond parody, which is only slightly based on the novel, and by Eva Green in the 2006 film adaptation.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to James Bond:
The James Bond series of films contain a number of repeating, distinctive motifs which date from the series' inception with Dr. No in 1962. The series consists of twenty five films produced by Eon Productions featuring the James Bond character, a fictional British Secret Service agent. The most recent instalment is No Time to Die, released in UK cinemas on 30 September 2021. There have also been two independently made features, the satirical Casino Royale, released in 1967, and the 1983 film Never Say Never Again.
Skyfall is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the villain, with Judi Dench returning as M. The film was directed by Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan. In the film, Bond investigates a series of targeted data leaks and co-ordinated attacks on MI6 led by Silva. It sees the return of two recurring characters, Miss Moneypenny and Q, after an absence of two films. Ralph Fiennes, Bérénice Marlohe, and Albert Finney are among the supporting cast.
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