On Her Majesty's Secret Service - HMSS vs Playboy Chess Warriors

A short while ago it was the 85th birthday of Ursula Andress, who became a star and icon when as the first Bond girl she stepped out of the sea off the shores of Kingston, Jamaica in Dr No in 1962 and set a standard for all Bond girls to follow – the bikini she wore that day sold a few years back at auction for over £41K. Legend has it she was cast as a result just of a producer seeing a photo of her in a wet T-shirt and her strong accent meant she had to be dubbed for the film. It did not stop her from a successful career, and her contribution to Bond saw her as a character in the book of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 1963. She won a Golden Globe 1964 as New Star of the Year, then made Fun in Acapulco 1963 with Elvis, 4 for Texas also 1963 with Sinatra & Martin, Hammer’s She and What’s New Pussycat ? 1965 with Woody Allen & Peter Sellers (that year she also featured in Playboy), The Blue Max 1966 with George Peppard, was Vesper Lynd in the spoof Casino Royale 1967 again with Allen & Sellers and another Bond link, then made minor films whilst living with Jean-Paul Belmondo in Paris 1965-72 till Perfect Friday 1970 with Stanley Baker & Red Sun 1971 with Charles Bronson, then again forgettable films until The Fifth Musketeer 1979 when publicity was about her relationships, which were constantly revolving, until 1981 and Clash of the Titans when she played Aphrodite and starred with Harry Hamlin, with whom she had her only child, a son. She returned to Italy to raise him and only worked occasionally in film after, but this included the acclaimed Peter the Great 1986 & Falcon Crest 1988. Born in Ostermundigen, Bern, Switzerland she was always restless to see the world and studied painting, sculpture & dance in Paris, then started work as an art model in Rome and had walk-on parts in three Italian films. She came to Hollywood in 1955 and was linked with James Dean for four months, which gained her publicity, then at 19 she met John Derek and they eloped to marry in Las Vegas. For decades linked with many men, she now divides her time between family in Switzerland (lived Gstaad), friends in Berryville, Virginia (where she stores her mementoes) plus homes in Ibiza, Spain, Los Angeles (lived Beverly Hills & Malibu) and Rome, plus she owns a condo in Florida, having invested her earnings wisely & occasionally earns for photography as for Elle and Paris Match. We believe her more than worthy of a match in her honour and hope you agree – if the number or ratings do not suit, then please make contact.