0030: A Security Risk

2019-11-08

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How did the character of Moneypenny evolve from page to screen? In light of the news that Naomie Harris has suggested an independent Moneypenny adventure, we delve into the character of M’s long-serving secretary and the other women of the MI6 offices – both in Fleming’s work and the film adaptations. We discuss the way the characters of Loelia Ponsonby, Mary Goodnight, and Miss Moneypenny merged to form the screen incarnation of the latter and Fleming’s grappling with the reception and charact...

How did the character of Moneypenny evolve from page to screen?

In light of the news that Naomie Harris has suggested an independent Moneypenny adventure, we delve into the character of M’s long-serving secretary and the other women of the MI6 offices – both in Fleming’s work and the film adaptations. We discuss the way the characters of Loelia Ponsonby, Mary Goodnight, and Miss Moneypenny merged to form the screen incarnation of the latter and Fleming’s grappling with the reception and characterisation of women in the workplace. Along the way we wonder where the other 00s have gone, stumble into Moneypenny’s wardrobe, and upon Desmond Llewelyn’s fridge, muse on Moneypenny’s missed opportunities, Rami Malek’s least-likely character name in No Time To Die, our Netflix spin-off that will never get made, catch up with Honey Ryder and her journey through the encyclopaedia, and return to the topics of unsurprising surprise castings, the attitudes of filmmakers and treating audiences with respect.

The recording took place on October 25th in the USA, Spain, and New Zealand.

Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Lisa Funnell (@CinemaOnFire) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma

Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

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