Miss Moneypenny

Miss Moneypenny was the long time serving secretary to James Bond’s boss, “M”.  She was portrayed as a welcoming, easy-going secretary to M who flirted with Bond and indirectly promoted Bond’s image of irresistibility to women.  Her qualities were many:  highly efficient, tolerant, loyal, and had a good sense of humour.  She was totally different from the rest of the Bond girl characters who appeared on missions with Bond.  Miss Moneypenny dreamed hopelessly about Bond, but was never successful to establish a relationship with him.  On a serious side, Miss Moneypenny used to deliver important information about the movie plot.  Her character was unique as Ian Fleming based her on two real women.  The first woman was “Paddy” Bennett who worked with him in Naval Intelligence.   The second woman was Miss Pettigrew, the private secretary to SIS Chief Stewart Manzies.  Her character was based on these two women and her name came from his brother’s book.  She supported Bond in many movies.

Moneypenny had never been addressed by her first name by Bond other than her nickname Penny in one of the Bond films.  Her first name was never revealed but there was no secret that her relationship with Bond varied from film to film with some gradual amorous development over the years.  Moneypenny flirted with Bond, never showing hopelessness.  She had actively attempted to interest Bond in a relationship even making comments about marriage.  She even wanted Bond to use “I love you” as a recognition code, which Bond quickly dismissed.   She helped Bond write his letter of resignation.  She had attended Bond’s wedding with a look of tenderness and admiration.  She could be considered his sexual equal, flirting on her terms as much as his.  The only time she had been alone with Bond is in virtual reality.  She can only imagine a relationship with him. 

There have been many actresses playing different roles of Miss Moneypenny over the years.  Lois Maxwell was the author’s favourite choice of Miss Moneypenny in the first Bond movies as she was tall, elegant and was described as having the most kissable lips in the world.   Next was Caroline Bliss who brought beauty hidden behind large spectacles with a taste for Barry Manilow songs.  Samatha Bond was another actress who was Bond’s sexual equal. Currently, Naomie Harris in “Skyfall” portrayed the Miss Moneypenny character with more of a field agent role than a secretary. In this last Bond movie, her first name Eve was revealed.  The character Miss Eve Moneypenny had evolved and grown to become part of the secret agent team in the latest Bond movie. 

In the last “Skyfall” Bond movie, Eve Moneypenny was also portrayed as a professional sniper.  After being asked to “take the shot” when there was little hope of not hitting Bond, she obeyed the order as part of her loyalty to the job.  She “killed” 007 and ended up with a suspension until she took the job of assisting the Intelligence and Security Committee Chairman Gareth Mallory in a time of transition between M’s retirement and the next successor’s announcement.  In the role of Eve in the last movie, she still was an aid to Bond and flirted with him as she had in all the movies.  She acted as Bond’s backup in the field and completed a gun battle against Silva (the Bond villain) at M’s board of inquiry hearing.  After presenting Bond with the last M’s bequest of her Royal Doulton British Bulldog, Eve announced her desire to work as M’s secretary.  With her background, M was well protected with his own unassuming body guard at the front desk. Eve’s promotion and change of duty during the last Bond movie seems to hint that she will lead a larger role in Bond’s life and that she will have a bigger part in future Bond movies.