Coming s007n: Barbara Bach/ Caroline Munro ~ For Your Spies Only

.

.

Talent…

.

… These are the lovely ladies and gorgeous girls of eras gone by whose beauty, ability, electricity and all-round x-appeal deserve celebration and – ahem – salivation here at George’s Journal…

.

Yes, the release of the latest entry in the cinematic Bond canon is less than two weeks away now and, as we get closer to this latest dose of the big-screen Bond, this very blog is ramping up its anticipatory mini-season dedicated to all things 007 (under the loose title ‘Coming s007n’) with a couple of posts dedicated to supreme Bond Girls of past and, well, future. Back to the past first, though (after all, that’s what this blog’s really about) – and in particular the summer of 1977 – for that season’s sensational superspy blockbuster The Spy Who Loved Me gave us both the adorably beautiful Barbara Bach and the bodaciously buxom Caroline Munro; the latest double-entry in this blog’s Talent corner then? Indubitably so, mes amis…!

.

Profiles

Names: Barbara Goldbach (stage name: Barbara Bach)/ Caroline Munro

Nationalities: American/ English

Heights: 5’ 7” (both)

Professions: Actress and model (both)

Born: August 27 1947, New York City, United States/ January 16 1949, Windsor, Berkshire, England

Known for: Barbara – as iconic Bond Girl Major Anya Amasova (codename XXX) of the KGB in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, a character created to somewhat address the perceived chauvinism of the character of 007 and his movies. Four years later, on the set of slapstick comedy Caveman (1981) she met and fell in love with former Beatle Ringo Starr, whom she married shortly afterwards. Around this time she also appeared in several risible fantasy adventures such as 1979’s L’umanoide (The Humanoid) as well as the watchable Force 10 From Navarone (1978), sequel to the 1961 classic The Guns Of Navarone; intriguingly, also appearing in both movies was Spy co-star Richard Kiel. At first she worked as a fashion model, finding herself on many major magazine covers and has two children from a former marriage, including the movie director, writer and musician Francesca Gregorini.

Caroline – appearing as ace helicopter pilot femme fatale Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me, as well as several ’70s Hammer horrors  – The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), Dracula A. D., 1972 (1972) and Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter (1974) – and UK/ US adventure flicks The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad (1974), At The Earth’s Core (1975) and maybe most notoriously of all the crap-tastic sci-fi-er Starcrash (1980) opposite one David Hasselhoff. A very familiar face throughout Britain for at least 20 years, she was the go-to-girl for Lamb’s Navy Rum print ads for a decade from 1968, appeared alongside Dusty Bin as a hostess on ITV game show 3-2-1 (1978-88) and in videos for both Adam Ant and Meat Loaf, plus cut a barely-selling single (1984’s Pump Me Up) on a label set up by post punkster Gary Numan.

Strange but true: Following her acting career, Barbara gained a masters degree in psychology from UCLA, which saw her subsequently set up the Self Help Addiction Recovery Program (S.H.A.R.P.) with Beatles ‘associates’ George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd/ Caroline was the first choice to play the super-strength-endowed ice maiden villainess Ursa in Superman (1978) – a role which eventually went to Sarah Douglas and all of whose scenes ended up carried over to 1980’s sequel Superman II – but turned it down to appear in Spy instead.

Peak of fitness: Barbara – in Spy, wearing her incredibly becoming nightdress while on board a train to Sardinia as she fights off Jaws and supplies Bond with her, er ‘bandage’/ Naomi – as slave girl extraordinaire Margiana in The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad, every second of her appearance making the most of her quite extraordinary décolletage.   

.

.

CLICK on images for full-size

.

 

  

.

 

 

.

 

.

 

.

  

.

 

 

.

 

.

  

.

 

.

.

  

.

 

  

.

  

 

 

.

 

.

   

  

.

  

.

  

  

  

.

.

 

  

  

.

 

.

  

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

.

.

 

.

 

  

.

  

.

  

   

.

 

.

 

 

.

.

.

.

.