Pointless trivia alert: in an early script draft Dr. No was in fact a monkey. Yes, that kind of monkey. A definite Sliding Doors moment for the series.

I’d love to reveal that Honey Rider was nearly an ostrich but tragically I can find no evidence of this. She is a wonderfully exotic creation and, like Dr. No, appears later than you’d expect. Personally, I feel Honey’s celebrity leans heavily on that entrance and the sight of Ursula Andress in a bikini. Give me Pussy Galore or Domino any day. But then neither caused the cultural splash of Honey so I’m probably in the minority here.

In the novel, Honey is distinguished by a broken nose. Obviously in the film this wouldn’t do: physical deformities are strictly villain-only. Indeed, no cinematic Bond girl has ever been anything other than physical perfection. This I think is a shame. A scarred heroine, or perhaps one paying homage to Honey’s broken nose, would be genuinely revolutionary. I’d love to see a Bond film bold enough to subvert the stereotype but I’m not holding my breath.

Have you ever noticed how early Bond girls sound weirdly similar? They share this sexy, sultry, slightly exotic accent that is rather difficult to place. Search YouTube for some clips of Honey Rider and Sylvia Trench and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The reason they sound so alike is because most literally have the same voice: that of German actress Nikki van der Zyl.

Nikki is the great unsung heroine of the franchise. She dubbed actresses in ten (10!) different Bond films. Amongst others she supplied the voice of Honey, Sylvia Trench (twice), Jill Masterson, Domino, and Kissy Suzuki. Indeed, excluding Moneypenny and Miss Taro, every female character in Dr. No is voiced by Nikki. Nowadays she is rightly miffed by her lack of acknowledgement from the franchise, so she can have some here.