Martine Beswick's Arc

Originally a "Bond Girl," Martine Beswick (Port Antonio, Jamaica, 9/26/1941-) acted in a variety of movies and TV shows from 1963 to 1995; since then, she has been interviewed for a host of documentaries and specials. Though she's not yet listed on the otherwise fascinating and fun website
Swinging Chicks of the Sixties, she most certainly should be.

After all, she appeared in Dr. No (1962, dancing silhouette only); as Zora the fighting Gypsy woman in the sumptuously involved From Russia, With Love (1963; the title alone is worth a million bucks); as Paula Caplan opposite Sean Connery's 007 in Thunderball (1965); as "Nupondi," who fights with Raquel Welch in the notoriously cheesy One Million Years B.C. (Creationists must love that one, since dinosaurs roam the Earth along with modern-looking -- if scantily clad -- humans: perhaps they show it in fundamentalist Vacation Bible School to prove their far-fetched beliefs?); let's not forget her promotion when she plays Queen Kari to the hilt in the bizarre Slave Girls (1967: not to be confused with Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity, 1987)-- dark-haired women keep blondes enslaved, but when they capture one lucky (if mystified) dude, all hell breaks loose; and, along with primal actor Klaus Kinski, in A Bullet for the General / El chuncho quién sabe? (1967). What more does it take to be counted among the 60s' "swinging chicks"?

In the 70s, Beswick understandably signed on for TV work and guest starred in any number of series. Remember Rod Serling's Night Gallery and Mannix? As Mary Woronov has pointed out in at least one interview, it was tough for strong women to get really choice acting roles in those days (not that it's changed much thirty years later). After appearing with Robert Wagner on It Takes a Thief and with the blind investigator Longstreet (remember that one?), she hit the big screen again with a "gender bender" variation of a classic: Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971). Yes, you guessed it -- she's Sister Hyde and carries it off with panache!

After an Italian flick, she was signed on as the Queen of Evil by Oliver Stone for his first feature film! Seizure (1974, also called Queen of Evil or Tango macabre) is even more over the top than Stone's later U-Turn (1997), featuring none other than Hervé Villechaize as Spider the Dwarf and Mary Woronov as Mikki! What a crew! What a crossing of paths! For some reason (and I can't imagine why), Stone seems reluctant to promote this early work of art!

Beswick was rarely able to break out of B movies or TV Land, but she soldiered on, playing Xavier Hollander opposite Adam West in The Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood (1980); and as a secondary character in Wide Sargasso Sea (1993).

A salute to Martine Beswick! She first caught my eye as the fighting Gypsy when I was a kid. Hard wiring kicks in early, I suppose. Ciao!