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James Bond, Declassified: 50 Things You Didn’t Know About 007

On Oct. 5, 1962, the first Bond film, Dr. No, hit theaters. Five decades and 22 films later, the spy has been immortalized as a legendary screen hero. TIME has compiled the most interesting stories, anecdotes and tidbits from the franchise

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Ursula Andress Helped Make Her Famous White Bikini

By Sept. 25, 2012
Everett

Ursula Andress

Ursula Andress set a precedent for Bond Girl sexiness that has lasted a half-century when, playing Honey Ryder, she emerged from the sea in Dr. No. But the famous white cotton bikini she dons didn’t fit her like a glove by chance. Andress herself worked with costumer Tessa Prendergast Welborn to sew one that fit just right. A knock-off white bikini appeared on a Playboy cover model, Cynthia Maddox, in 1964.

(MORE: Designing 007: James Bond’s Style Celebrated in Major New London Exhibit)

Years later, after the Swiss actress found the bikini in her attic, according to the BBC, she put the item up for auction. It was predicted to take in £50,000, in a Bond-themed auction at Christie’s in London on Feb. 14, 2001, but sold for a bit less than that—£35,000 before taxes (a bit more than $50,000 at the time). The winner of the auction was Robert Earl, co-founder of Planet Hollywood.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3lAjyUUS1g]

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