Honor Blackman 1925-2020

Sorry to read, chaps, that Honor Blackman passed today.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52189803

A fine innings, as we say and one of the most memorable Bond girls there was. Outside of Bond, one of the last connections to the golden era of British cinema postwar appearing in one of my favourites, A Night to Remember, amongst many others and of course on television, The Avengers (indeed, I fear she is the first of Steed's sidekicks to pass). In fact I say, Bond girl, Bond woman is more accurate. She gave Pussy some guts, strong character and was Bond's equal in some ways.

RIP

A very fine innings, as you say. A big loss for the Bond family and cinema generally.

R.I.P.

Very sad news to wake up too. An icon, and one of the few Bond girls to really make a footprint on the series. Perhaps in part to such an outrageous name, but I think it has more to do with Honor herself.

A "different" and "strong" Bond girl before it became fashionable to market oneself as so. And perhaps the only one who truly qualifies on that scale.

Yes, Pussy Galore was headstrong, independent, and unique because the character was written that way to be interesting and entertaining, not because the producers wanted kudos on spreading a social message.

Quite. And her relish over getting interviewers to say her character's name demonstrates a great deal more empowerment than current/recent Bond girls trying to compare their character to Bond's. Embrace that sexuality and own it!

Sad news indeed. A truly iconic Bond Girl/Woman.

Who do we consider the true Bond "women" of the series (as opposed to the girls)? I'd say Pussy, Tracy, Octopussy, Stacey, Natalya, Paris, Wai Lin, Elektra, Lucia. Maybe Fiona and Pam too.

Tiffany could have been. Vesper could have been.

Isn't Honor the first leading Bond girl to pass?

I imagine her and Sir Roger are sharing martinis in that great casino in the sky.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Isn't Honor the first leading Bond girl to pass?

Claudine Auger passed last year.

Quote :

I imagine her and Sir Roger are sharing martinis in that great casino in the sky.

"Sean and I first did it in a barn."

*cocks eyebrow* "Well let's see if we can't make hay."

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli's statement upon sharing the news of Honor's passing.

007.com wrote:

"Today we mark the passing of a film icon, Honor Blackman who shall forever be remembered as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. She was an extraordinary talent and a beloved member of the Bond family. Our thoughts are with her family at this time.”

And they quoted Honor discussing Pussy Galore over the years:

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“It all sounds terribly immodest to say but there was really hardly anybody else about that was as right for Pussy as me,” she once said. “Since the character demanded a knowledge of Judo, and I was a hot property at that time, it seemed dead right that I should play Pussy.”

Quote :

“It was very funny when we did the so-called fight because I had been used to doing Judo in the TV studio on a cement floor,” she observed. “For the film they had banks and banks of straw and all sorts of things and they said, ‘Will that be all right? Can you land on it? Will you be safe?’ I mean, it was a luxury for me.”

Quote :

"Pussy Galore was girl power, let’s face it,” she once said. So was Honor Blackman.

https://www.007.com/honor-blackman/

Would have been nice for Sir Sean and Shirley Eaton to make some kind of statement.

Sad news indeed. What a wonderful spirit she was and someone I immediately liked as a kid. Not simply because she was gorgeous and could do a perfect judo throw but because there was such a sparkle in her eyes and a steely grit.
Growing up with the films always running brings a certain sort of kinship that isn't quite the same as being a regular fan. I get genuinely sad at these announcements and judging by every interview, other performance or soundbyte Honor was a lovely person.

There's apparently a tie in LP from back in the day where it's a sort-of GF crossover where she got to sing some standards. I'll bet its a fun listen.