Tracy Bond
Encyclopedia
Teresa "Tracy" Bond is a fictional character and the main Bond girl
in the James Bond
film
and novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In the film version of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Tracy was played by actress Diana Rigg
.
crime syndicate – not quite as large as SPECTRE
, but with substantially larger "legal" operations, including Draco Construction. Teresa goes by "Tracy" because she feels "Teresa" does not suit her. (As she introduced herself to Bond, "Teresa is a saint
; I'm known as Tracy.")
Tracy's mother died in 1955; her father then sent her to a boarding school
in Switzerland. Deprived of a stable home life, Tracy joined the "international fast set", committing "one scandal after another"; when Draco cut off her allowance, Tracy committed "a greater folly" out of spite. She later married Italian Count Giulio di Vicenzo who, during their marriage, got hold of a large portion of her money before eventually leaving her; he subsequently died while driving a Maserati
in the company of one of his mistresses. During this marriage, Tracy had a child, who later died of spinal meningitis.
Desperate with grief for her child, Tracy attempted suicide by walking into the sea in Portugal, only to be saved by James Bond.
When her father meets Bond, he pleads with Bond to continue to see her, claiming that their relationship had changed her for the better. Bond initially refuses, but he changes his mind when Marc-Ange offers his resources for anything Bond desires. Since the events of Thunderball and the demise of SPECTRE, Bond had been hunting for Ernst Stavro Blofeld
, and at one point was willing to retire from MI6 because he felt the hunt was folly and that his services and abilities could be used better. Using Draco's resources, however, Bond is able to track Blofeld to Switzerland
. In return, Bond continues to see Tracy and eventually falls in love with her. Tragedy strikes on their wedding day, however, when Blofeld and his henchwoman Irma Bunt kill Tracy in a drive-by shooting
to get revenge on Bond.
In the film, Tracy drives a red 1969 model Mercury Cougar
XR-7 convertible.
is forced to acknowledge that he is no longer fit for service. However he decides to give Bond one last chance and assigns him to an intelligence-related diplomatic affair in Japan. This in turn leads to a duel to the death with Blofeld in the climax of the novel, and Bond is finally awarded his revenge. In the aftermath, however, he is left with amnesia
.
In the film chronology, James Bond is tracking Blofeld in the pre-title credits sequence of Diamonds Are Forever
, but it is only assumed Bond is doing so to avenge Tracy's murder, as she is never mentioned. Originally, it had been planned that On Her Majesty's Secret Service would end with Bond and Tracy driving away from their wedding. The scenes where she was shot were filmed at the same time with the intention that they would form the pre-title sequence of Diamonds Are Forever. This was rendered inviable, as it would have meant either having two actors play Bond in Diamonds Are Forever or re-filming Tracy's death with the new actor as Bond, so the scenes were added to the end of On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Subsequent films reference the fact that Bond was previously married, but only fleetingly:
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"...
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
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
and novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In the film version of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Tracy was played by actress Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE is an English actress. She is probably best known for her portrayals of Emma Peel in The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service....
.
Biography
Born Teresa Draco in 1943, she is the only child of Marc-Ange Draco, the head of "The Union Corse", a powerful international MafiaMafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
crime syndicate – not quite as large as SPECTRE
SPECTRE
SPECTRE is a fictional global terrorist organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the films based on those novels, and James Bond video games...
, but with substantially larger "legal" operations, including Draco Construction. Teresa goes by "Tracy" because she feels "Teresa" does not suit her. (As she introduced herself to Bond, "Teresa is a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
; I'm known as Tracy.")
Tracy's mother died in 1955; her father then sent her to a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Switzerland. Deprived of a stable home life, Tracy joined the "international fast set", committing "one scandal after another"; when Draco cut off her allowance, Tracy committed "a greater folly" out of spite. She later married Italian Count Giulio di Vicenzo who, during their marriage, got hold of a large portion of her money before eventually leaving her; he subsequently died while driving a Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
in the company of one of his mistresses. During this marriage, Tracy had a child, who later died of spinal meningitis.
When her father meets Bond, he pleads with Bond to continue to see her, claiming that their relationship had changed her for the better. Bond initially refuses, but he changes his mind when Marc-Ange offers his resources for anything Bond desires. Since the events of Thunderball and the demise of SPECTRE, Bond had been hunting for Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is arguably...
, and at one point was willing to retire from MI6 because he felt the hunt was folly and that his services and abilities could be used better. Using Draco's resources, however, Bond is able to track Blofeld to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In return, Bond continues to see Tracy and eventually falls in love with her. Tragedy strikes on their wedding day, however, when Blofeld and his henchwoman Irma Bunt kill Tracy in a drive-by shooting
Drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
to get revenge on Bond.
In the film, Tracy drives a red 1969 model Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar
The Mercury Cougar is an automobile which was sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1967 to 2002. The name was first used in 1967 and was carried by a diverse series of cars over the next three decades. As is common with Mercury vehicles, the Cougar...
XR-7 convertible.
Legacy
In the novel chronology, Bond is a broken man after Tracy's death. In You Only Live Twice, he has begun drinking heavily, is compromised in his abilities as an agent and MM (James Bond)
M is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, as well as the films in the Bond franchise. The head of MI6 and Bond's superior, M has been portrayed by three actors in the official Bond film series: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown and since 1995 by Judi Dench. Background =Ian Fleming...
is forced to acknowledge that he is no longer fit for service. However he decides to give Bond one last chance and assigns him to an intelligence-related diplomatic affair in Japan. This in turn leads to a duel to the death with Blofeld in the climax of the novel, and Bond is finally awarded his revenge. In the aftermath, however, he is left with amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
.
In the film chronology, James Bond is tracking Blofeld in the pre-title credits sequence of Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (film)
Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
, but it is only assumed Bond is doing so to avenge Tracy's murder, as she is never mentioned. Originally, it had been planned that On Her Majesty's Secret Service would end with Bond and Tracy driving away from their wedding. The scenes where she was shot were filmed at the same time with the intention that they would form the pre-title sequence of Diamonds Are Forever. This was rendered inviable, as it would have meant either having two actors play Bond in Diamonds Are Forever or re-filming Tracy's death with the new actor as Bond, so the scenes were added to the end of On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Subsequent films reference the fact that Bond was previously married, but only fleetingly:
- In The Spy Who Loved MeThe Spy Who Loved Me (film)The Spy Who Loved Me is a spy film, the tenth film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Roger Moore as the fictional secret agent James Bond. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and the screenplay was written by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum...
, when Bond meets Anya AmasovaAnya AmasovaMajor Anya Amasova is a fictional character and the deuteragonist in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, portrayed by Barbara Bach...
in the Mujaba Club bar, in CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt, she recites a few facts about his life, including that he had been married only once and that his wife was killed. Bond's eyes briefly glaze over and he then quickly changes the subject; Anya comments upon Bond's unexpected sensitivity regarding his marriage.
- In For Your Eyes OnlyFor Your Eyes Only (film)For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
, in the pre-titles sequence, Bond lays flowers at Tracy's grave (in an English churchyard) before boarding a helicopter which Blofeld has booby-trapped. It is in this sequence that Bond ultimately avenges his wife's murder, by lifting an uncredited Blofeld's wheelchair with one of the helicopter's skids and eventually dropping him (wheelchair and all) down a tall industrial chimney. The headstone clearly reads: "TERESA BOND, 1943–1969, Beloved Wife of JAMES BOND, We have all the time in the WorldWe Have All the Time in the World"We Have All the Time in the World" is a James Bond theme and popular song sung by Louis Armstrong. Its music was composed by John Barry and the lyrics by Hal David. It is a secondary musical theme in 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the title theme being the instrumental "On...
" – referring to the final words in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and the Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
song. - In Licence to KillLicence to KillLicence to Kill, released in 1989, is the sixteenth entry in the Eon Productions James Bond series and the first one not to use the title of an Ian Fleming novel. It marks Timothy Dalton's second and final performance in his brief tenure in the lead role of James Bond...
, after Felix LeiterFelix LeiterFelix Leiter is a fictional CIA agent created by Ian Fleming in the James Bond series of novels and films. In both, Leiter works for the CIA and assists Bond in his various adventures as well as being his best friend. In further novels Leiter joins the Pinkerton Detective Agency and in the film...
's wedding, Felix's new wife Della throws her garter at Bond, teasing him, "the one who catches this is the next one to..." Bond looks visibly pained; when Della asks Felix about it, Felix makes a short, sad reference to Bond once having been married, "but that was a long time ago." - In GoldenEyeGoldenEyeGoldenEye is the seventeenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Martin Campbell and is the first film in the series not to take story elements from the works of novelist Ian Fleming...
, Alec TrevelyanAlec TrevelyanAlexander "Alec" Trevelyan , also known as Janus, is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, portrayed by actor Sean Bean...
asks Bond if he has "found forgiveness in the arms of all those willing women for the dead ones you failed to protect?" Although the statement could refer to several women in Bond's past (including AkiAki (James Bond)Aki, played by Akiko Wakabayashi, is a fictional character in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice.- Creation :Aki does not appear in Ian Fleming's 1964 novel. She was originally named Suki in Roald Dahl's screenplay...
or Corinne DufourCorinne DufourCorinne Dufour is a fictional character in the James Bond film Moonraker.Corinne Dufour is Sir Hugo Drax's personal pilot and assistant. She first appears when Bond arrives in Los Angeles to investigate Drax: she pilots the helicopter that collects Bond from Los Angeles International airport,...
), Tracy is obviously the most prominent woman he has "failed to protect." - In The World Is Not EnoughThe World Is Not EnoughThe World Is Not Enough is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond film series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Michael Apted, with the original story and screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein. It...
, when Bond meets Elektra KingElektra KingElektra Vavra King is a fictional character, and primary antagonist in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. She is played by Sophie Marceau.- Fictional character history :...
at the construction site for the King Pipeline, she asks Bond "Tell me...Have you ever lost a loved one, Mr. Bond?", making a brief reference to the fact that she just lost her father (who was killed in the bomb's explosion at MI-6 headquarters). Bond again appears visibly pained, and changes the subject quickly.