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Honey Ryder and “No. I’m Just Looking”

Honey Ryder and “No. I’m Just Looking” – OK, Sylvia Trench was the first real Bond Girl. Then, you had Miss Taro. But, come on. Honey Rider is remembered as the first WOW Bond Girl as she walks out of the waters at Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica in Dr. No. Ursula Andres, who played Honey Rider, set the standard and a very high bar for all Bond Girls to come. This is a classic must-see scene. It reveals a lot more to us about Bond’s character. Remember – most people are being introduced to James Bond in this film – and hadn’t read the Ian Fleming stories.

When Bond wakes up to Honey Rider singing “Underneath the Mango Tree” as she steps out of the ocean – which has become of the most famous scenes in any movie – he starts singing the song too, and she then notices him. She asks him what he is doing here, and asks if he is looking for shells, to which Bond quips, “No, I’m just looking!”

Dunn’s River Falls

We have been to Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, and have climbed the falls. It is a tourist attraction now and very crowded and busy – but still worth the visit. Climbing the falls (maybe 180 feet from shore to top) is tricky and requires your guide and the help of people in your group to hold you and pull you up. It is slippery and can be dangerous – but was fun to do. And to think, this was in Dr. No adds to the thrill knowing Ursula Andres and Sean Connery were just steps away! They filmed here and on Laughing Waters beach, which used to be a private section of Roaring Falls.

Here we see Honey Ryder as a very strong woman. When Bond says I promise not to steal your shells, she quips, “I promise you, you won’t either” as she wields her knife that was held on her side by a wide belt. In the original manuscript, which we examined, Honey Ryder walks out of the ocean to the shore wearing just the belt and knife!

As a side note, Ursula Andres sold this bikini at auction on February 14, 2001, for the equivalent of about $60,500! Belt was included! Honey Rider and “No. I’m Just Looking” Yes! We’d be looking too!

The Dragon – Runs On Diesel Engines! Quarrel has talked about the island legend of a fire-breathing dragon on Crab Key and that is why no locals want to venture to this island. After Bond and Quarrel arrive at Crab Key, after meeting Honey Rider, they find that they must do battle with this fire-breathing dragon. It is a dark scene, in all respects: a night scene, and a battle with the dragon operated by merciless killers. A tough scene for Quarrel, to be sure.

The Dragon is of course, is some type of specially equipped vehicle outfitted with a flamethrower and run by some of Dr. No’s henchmen. It’s the intro of technology to do things you need to do –here, to scare people away from Crab Key. Of course, later we see Dr. No’s real technology – interfering with the USA Missile launches with a sophisticated nuclear facility and radio beam (in the movie version of course).

Beyond the Dragon – Gadgets in Spy Movies

In future Bond films and in virtually all spy movies after, we will see all kinds of technological gadgets – some to aid the spies on the good side, some to aid the evil villains they combat. But in Dr. No, there are not a lot of gadgets for Bond to use. He is pretty much on his own, finding himself in certain situations and trying to figure his way out, MacGyver-like. Yes, he got his new Walther PPK with a silencer. Yes, he uses a Geiger-counter sent from MI6. But what else? Just his wits and abilities and training as a good spy. So in our first glimpse of Bond stepping off the pages of Fleming’s novels and into the movies, we see a man who is well-trained, is suspicious of much in his surroundings and is ready to deal with whatever might come his way.

The Dragon Smokes Quarrel

Quarrel, who had believed in the dragon, is consumed in its flames, and Honey Rider and Bond are captured. Notice, Bond goes back to look at Quarrel after he is handcuffed, and the henchman says, “sorry we ain’t got any flowers.” When Bond walks over to look at Quarrel, it is a revealing moment where we see Bond’s more human side – where he feels bad that the guy who became his buddy in Jamaica has been killed so violently.

We learn again, that this spy business is a brutal business. Quarrel was a very likable character in this film. While The Dragon – Runs On Diesel Engines, this scene runs on adrenalin.

I did some research on the name Quarrel and could not find it as a first name. It is a surname, meaning your family probably originally lived near a quarry. Of course, in the dictionary, it is an argument, etc. If anyone of our listeners knows, shoot us an email! Dan@SpyMovieNavigator.com or Tom@SpyMovieNavigator.com

The swamp where they filmed this scene is at Falmouth, about 40 miles west of Ochos Rio.