Claudine Auger
Encyclopedia
Claudine Auger is a French actress best known for her role as Bond girl
Dominique "Domino" Derval
in the James Bond
film Thunderball
(1965). She earned the title of Miss France Monde
and was also the first runner-up in the 1958 Miss World
contest.
Born in Paris
, France
, she attended St. Joan of Arc College and later Paris Drama Conservatory, where she performed dramatic roles. She made her film debut when she was still at school. Jean Cocteau
cast her in an uncredited role as a tall ballerina in The Testament of Orpheus (1960). When she was 18, she married the 41-year-old writer-director Pierre Gaspard-Huit, and he cast her in several films, including The Iron Mask
(1962) and The Vengeance of Kali (1963).
When she was on holiday in Nassau
, writer-producer Kevin McClory
who was also on holiday there, saw her and recommended that she audition for his film Thunderball
(1965). The role of Domino was originally to be an Italian woman: Dominetta Petacchi. Auger impressed the producers so much that they re-wrote the part to that of a French woman to better suit Auger. Although she took lessons to perfect her English, her voice was eventually dubbed by Nikki van der Zyl
in this movie. Auger would claim that she related to her character Domino, as she and Domino were involved with older men. The most immediate by-product of Claudine's stardom was a semi-nude Playboy
spread and a guest shot on an American TV special starring Danny Thomas
and Bob Hope
.
Thunderball launched Auger into a successful European movie career, but did little for her otherwise in the United States.
In 1971, she starred with two other Bond girls, Barbara Bach
and Barbara Bouchet
, in Black Belly of the Tarantula
, a giallo
mystery. She had some roles in European films as Triple Cross (1966) (reuniting her with her James Bond director Terence Young) and The Killing Game (1967).
She was married to businessman Peter Brent until his death in August 2008.
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
Dominique "Domino" Derval
Domino Vitali
Dominetta Vitali, known simply as Domino, is a fictional character and the main Bond girl in the James Bond novel, Thunderball. For the 1965 film adaptation with the same title, her name was changed to Dominique Derval , and she was portrayed by French actress Claudine Auger...
in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965). She earned the title of Miss France Monde
Miss France Monde
Miss France Monde is a title that has been officially and unofficially conferred upon French representatives to Miss World since 1951. Since 2007, the winner of Miss France attends Miss World.- Titleholders :...
and was also the first runner-up in the 1958 Miss World
Miss World 1958
Miss World 1958, the 8th annual Miss World pageant, was held on October 13, 1958 at Lyceum Theatre, London, United Kingdom. 22 contestants competed for the Miss World...
contest.
Born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, she attended St. Joan of Arc College and later Paris Drama Conservatory, where she performed dramatic roles. She made her film debut when she was still at school. Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
cast her in an uncredited role as a tall ballerina in The Testament of Orpheus (1960). When she was 18, she married the 41-year-old writer-director Pierre Gaspard-Huit, and he cast her in several films, including The Iron Mask
The Iron Mask
The Iron Mask is a part-talkie film adaptation of the last section of the novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of The Man in the Iron Mask...
(1962) and The Vengeance of Kali (1963).
When she was on holiday in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, writer-producer Kevin McClory
Kevin McClory
Kevin O'Donovan McClory was an Irish screenwriter, producer, and director. McClory was best known for the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, which was the result of a long legal battle between McClory and Ian Fleming over the writing credits and later the film rights to...
who was also on holiday there, saw her and recommended that she audition for his film Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965). The role of Domino was originally to be an Italian woman: Dominetta Petacchi. Auger impressed the producers so much that they re-wrote the part to that of a French woman to better suit Auger. Although she took lessons to perfect her English, her voice was eventually dubbed by Nikki van der Zyl
Nikki van der Zyl
Nikki van der Zyl is a German voice-actress most famous for providing the voice of Ursula Andress in the movie Dr. No She also revoiced all the other female voices in that same movie, except that of Miss Moneypenny and that of a Chinese girl...
in this movie. Auger would claim that she related to her character Domino, as she and Domino were involved with older men. The most immediate by-product of Claudine's stardom was a semi-nude Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
spread and a guest shot on an American TV special starring Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy . He was also the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
and Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
.
Thunderball launched Auger into a successful European movie career, but did little for her otherwise in the United States.
In 1971, she starred with two other Bond girls, Barbara Bach
Barbara Bach
Barbara Bach is an American actress and model known as the Bond girl from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me . She is married to former Beatle Ringo Starr.-Early life:...
and Barbara Bouchet
Barbara Bouchet
Barbara Bouchet, is a German-American actress and entrepreneur.She has acted in more than 80 films and television episodes and founded a production company that has produced fitness videos and books as well as owning a fitness studio...
, in Black Belly of the Tarantula
Black Belly of the Tarantula
The Black Belly of the Tarantula is a 1971 Italian film directed by Paolo Cavara. It is one of many Italian giallo films to be inspired by Dario Argento's successful debut thriller The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. The film was shot on location in Rome, Italy in 1970...
, a giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
mystery. She had some roles in European films as Triple Cross (1966) (reuniting her with her James Bond director Terence Young) and The Killing Game (1967).
She was married to businessman Peter Brent until his death in August 2008.
Selected filmography
- Sons of SatanSons of SatanSons of Satan is a 1968 Italian crime film directed by Duccio Tessari and starring Rita Hayworth.-Cast:* Rita Hayworth - Martha* Giuliano Gemma - Jason* Klaus Kinski - Adam* Margaret Lee - Karen* Claudine Auger - Barbara* Serge Marquand - Jimmy...
(1968) - Secret PlacesSecret Places (1984 film)Secret Places is a 1984 British drama film directed by Zelda Barron and starring Marie-Theres Relin, Tara MacGowran, Claudine Auger and Jenny Agutter....
(1984) - Bay Of Blood aka Twitch Of The Death Nerve aka Carnage (1971) Dir. Mario Bava