Bond beauty Barbara Bouchet, 1967.
It’s a shame Hollywood didn’t know what to do with Barbara Bouchet. After fumbling about with the usual pretty-girl bit parts, the gorgeous German-American actress appeared in just a handful of memorable roles, including Miss Moneypenny in the 007 spoof Casino Royale (1967) and Ursula in Sweet Charity (1968). She did a little TV, appearing on Star Trek and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. But then, feeling like she wasn’t getting the interesting parts she deserved, she left. Just took off for Italy — arrivederci, baby. Since 1970, she has acted almost exclusively in Italian-language films. Glamorous, memorable, even iconic — but absent. The one that got away.
