Ursula Andress in Dr. No: 12 Behind-the-Scenes Images of Bond Girl 001

      In Dr. No, Ursula Andress set the standard for the Bond girl archetype that has persisted in every subsequent James Bond film. Here are 13 behind-the-scenes photos of her during the filming of the inaugural 007 movie.

      But First

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Indeed, Ursula Andress, who portrays Honey Ryder in Dr. No, is preceded on screen by Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson, left) and Miss Taro (Zena Marshall, above center).

      While both characters contribute significantly to the film, Ryder (Andress, above right) stands out as the more notable and iconic figure.

      Below, we can see Sean Connery as James Bond in a promotional still for Dr. No.

      Enter Bearing Shells

      United Artists

      Honey Ryder's role involves shell diving, and fittingly, she enters Dr. No carrying shells.

      If her first outfit in the film—a white swimsuit and belt—appears somewhat revealing, keep in mind that in the Ian Fleming novella on which Dr. No is based, she only wears the belt.

      We appreciate your discretion, Dr. No, although we suspect the 1963 censors also played a part in this choice.

      Also Read: 12 Bond Girl Names Ranked, From Silly to Sensational

      ‘It Was Going to Be a Low-Budget Flop’

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      The shell sequence, featuring Ryder emerging from the sea while singing “Underneath the Mango Tree” alongside Connery's Bond, changed the film's trajectory.

      “‘It was going to be a low-budget flop,’” says Chris Blackwell, son of Ian Fleming’s muse Blanche Blackwell, in the new Nicholas Shakespeare book, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man. “Everything changed after we saw the rushes of Ursula Andress surfacing from the ocean.”

      He further remarked: “It was electrifying. We suddenly thought, ‘Wow, we have a movie.’”

      ‘Shooed Off Like Little Boys’

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      According to Shakespeare’s book, Fleming nearly ruined a take of the memorable beach scene. While walking with two friends along Laughing Waters—the beach where the scene was filmed—he almost wandered into the shot.

      Director Terence Young shouted at them to “Lie down!” which they promptly did. Shakespeare notes: “Composer Monty Norman had arrived in Jamaica to write the film’s score and witnessed Young bark at them — ‘They were shooed off like little boys.’ Ian and his friends were left lying behind a dune, forgotten, until someone finally remembered to let them go an hour later.”

      That’s Andress with Ian Fleming, above.

      ‘This Bikini Made Me Into a Success’

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      Besides enhancing the success of Dr. No—which launched the 007 franchise—this scene also boosted Andress’ acting career.

      She stated: “This bikini made me into a success. Starring in Dr. No as the first Bond girl provided me the freedom to choose my future roles and achieve financial independence.”

      She made this comment after finding the bikini in an attic and auctioning it through Christie’s in 2001, fetching over $52,000.

      She and the bikini are pictured above with Dr. No director Terence Young, center, and Sean Connery.

      Language

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Andress, a Swiss national, is fluent in several languages—English, French, German, and Italian—but the producers chose to dub her dialogue with Nikki van der Zyl’s voice and her singing with that of Diana Coupland.

      She is seen above alongside Connery and Young.

      Also Read: 18 Bond Girls Behind the Scenes Through 007 Decades of James Bond

      Chemistry, Raw Chemistry

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Of course, she didn't just shine in one scene. The promotional images for Dr. No showcase the radiant and palpable chemistry between Connery and Andress, which was exactly the aim.

      “He was very protective towards me, he was adorable, fantastic,” Andress remarked in a 2020 interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, following Connery’s passing at 90. “He adored women, and he was undeniably very much a man.”

      ‘My First Film and Maybe My Last’

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      Andress recounted to Corriere della Sera that when she joined the film, “I didn’t know Sean, and I thought this would be my first film and possibly my last.

      “However, it took off—the chemistry between us worked, and it was the perfect combination.”

      At Sea

      United Artists – Credit: C/O

      She further shared in the Corriere della Sera interview: “We spent a lot of evenings together, and he would invite me to various places—Monte Carlo, London, New York. From the time we met until