Opinion You know my name
As James Bond turns 50,the revelation of Nikki van der Zyl as the voice behind many Bond girls gives addicts a reason to revisit their DVDs
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An intriguing piece of Bond history will have come as a revelation to many Bond addicts. Nikki van der Zyl,77,dubbed the voices of many Bond girls of the first two generations. We have got to know of her only after she has been banned from events marking 50 years of Bond films,apparently because her presence would have embarrassed some of those Bond girls.
History has often been unkind in matters of dubbing,though the unkindness has usually worked the other way. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) mocked the silent movie star (Jean Hagen) whose voice was so bad it had to be dubbed in sound films. In My Fair Lady (1964),Audrey Hepburn’s songs were dubbed by Marnie Nixon; this denied Hepburn an Academy Award nomination for her unforgettable portrayal of Eliza Doolittle. This time,we see the dub artiste as the victim of unfairness.
How much did van der Zyl contribute to the making of the Bond legend? Plenty,as Miss O’Toole might have said. The contribution did not include “Hi,I’m Plenty!” — that was Lana Wood as Plenty O’Toole in Diamonds are Forever (1971) — but what van der Zyl did say was still plenty. Her voice,it turns out,was involved in some of the most memorable conversations in Bond history.
It seems to have begun with Bond’s very first appearance,playing chemin de fer at a casino in Dr No (1962) and fleecing Sylvia Trench,who keeps throwing her money away. “I admire your courage,Miss?”
“Trench. Sylvia Trench. I admire your luck,Mr?”
“Bond. James Bond.”
That’s how the world was introduced to the secret agent with Sean Connery’s face. And at the end of the game: “Tell me,Miss Trench,do you play any other things? I mean,besides chemin de fer.”
“Golf,” she replies,“amongst other things.”
Whose voice was that? Several web sources,including Wikipedia,credit van der Zyl with having dubbed all female voices in Dr No except those of Lois Maxwell and Zena Marshall. That would include Eunice Gayson as Miss Trench but no one has been specific about it. We do know van der Zyl dubbed Gayson’s voice when she appeared again as Miss Trench in From Russia with Love (1963). The IMDb page for Dr No credits van der Zyl with “voice (various)” while her own website mentions only Ursula Andress from that movie.
Andress — or “Ursula Undress”,as we called her in the old days,and not without reason — is known as the first Bond girl,though she comes after Gayson in order of appearance in Dr No. But what an appearance! Honey Ryder emerges out of the ocean in a white bikini,singing,“Underneath the mango tree” and then finding a stranger (Bond) on the beach. “Are you looking for shells?” asks Miss Ryder,in van der Zyl’s voice. “No,” replies Bond,staring at her,“I’m just looking.”
That sequence was voted TV and cinema’s sexiest ever by Channel 4 viewers (100 Greatest Sexy Moments,2003). At the end of the documentary,Andress discusses the sequence but makes no mention of van der Zyl. They had a long tryst. Van der Zyl’s site says she dubbed Andress’s voice in non-Bond films She (1965) and The Blue Max (1966). IMDb mentions Casino Royale (1967),not to be confused with Casino Royale (2006); the 1967 version is a spoof.
How could the event organisers shut out such a contributor? The rift runs deep. She has snapped her ties with bondstars.com,a site endorsed by former Bonds Roger Moore and George Lazenby and countless Bond girls. From van der Zyl’s site,a hotlink to supposed praise by Moore redirects you to a page that “does not exist”.
The stated reason for banning her is that Shirley Eaton has objected strongly to her presence. Eaton,if you remember,is Jill Masterson,whose naked body,cast in gold,is found by Bond in Goldfinger (1964). Earlier in the film,Bond breaks into a hotel room and shocks the telescope-wielding Miss Masterson (“Who are you?” “Bond. James Bond.”).
Van der Zyl spoke also for Corinne Cléry,whom even non-addicts may remember from Histoire d’O (1975) and who,as Corinne Dufour in Moonraker (1979),gives Bond a lift in her helicopter before she is sadly fed to Hugo Drax’s dogs. There also were Mie Hama (Kissy Suzuki in You Only Live Twice,1967) and Claudine Auger (Domino in Thunderball,1965). Their lines are now mostly bits and pieces of memory. “I am only a humble pilot in the Drax Company” (Miss Dufour). “Get in!” (Miss Suzuki offering Bond a getaway car). “What sharp little eyes you’ve got!” (Domino; Bond responds: “Wait till you get to my teeth.”)
Do you remember any of the lines of Bonita (played by Nadja Regin in Goldfinger) or Chew Mee (played by Françoise Therry in The Man with the Golden Gun,1974)?
I cannot. Van der Zyl also spoke a few lines as Solitaire ( played by Jane Seymour in Live and Let Die,1973) but I can’t remember a word the fortune-teller said,let alone tell van der Zyl’s lines apart from Seymour’s.
All that makes van der Zyl’s emergence welcome indeed. It gives every addict a good excuse to revisit his complete set of Bond DVDs. Thank you,Nikki.
kabir.firaque@expressindia.com
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