20 Things You Didn’t Know About You Only Live Twice (1967)

9. "Take Him To Number 11."

Sean Connery James Bond You Only Live Twice
United Artists

Helga Brandt was a highly sought-after role as, out of the three main Bond Girls, SPECTRE Number 11 is the only European; nevertheless, only ten actresses were screen-tested for the part.

The filmmakers wanted a blonde German actress to play Helga. They were impressed by Karin Dor, who wanted to break out of her traditional onscreen "type" as a “good girl”, but she was a brunette.

However, Dor's acting skills were too good for them to ignore, despite her hair colour. It was agreed that she would dye her hair red for the role, recalling Luciana Paluzzi’s Fiona Volpe in Thunderball.

For her audition, which was held on the set of the duplicitous Ling’s apartment at Pinewood Studios, Dor performed the torture-seduction sequence set aboard the Ning-Po opposite director, Lewis Gilbert who stood in for Sean Connery as James Bond.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock saw Karin Dor’s performance as the ill-fated Helga Brandt in You Only Live Twice and subsequently cast her as the tragic Juanita de Cordoba in Topaz (1969).

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.