Domino Vitali
Encyclopedia
Dominetta Vitali, known simply as Domino, is a fictional character
and the main Bond girl
in the James Bond
novel, Thunderball. For the 1965 film adaptation with the same title
, her name was changed to Dominique Derval ("Domino" remains her nickname), and she was portrayed by French
actress Claudine Auger
. In the 1983 film adaptation Never Say Never Again
, her character was renamed Domino Petachi (derived from her birth name in the novel) and she was portrayed by American actress Kim Basinger
.
beauty who went to school in England
at Cheltenham Ladies' College
. She later studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
until being forced (after her parents' death in a train wreck) to return to Italy
, where she became an actress. She changed her surname to Vitali, a stage name. While in Italy she also became the mistress of Emilio Largo
, whom she calls a "guardian" of no relation.
Bond meets Domino while in Nassau
. She is staying on Largo's yacht, the Disco Volante, and believes Largo is in the area on a treasure hunt. For reasons she does not understand Largo makes her stay on land while he and his partners (whom she describes as shareholders) go prospecting for the hidden treasure. She also tells Bond that she has never been able to see the map that they use. Although Bond is successful in engaging Domino in conversation, she snubs him, but later agrees to meet with him again when she returns to land. She also becomes testy when Bond uses her given name, Dominetta, and bluntly tells him to call her 'Domino'.
When Bond and Domino meet again at the casino later, she has entirely changed. She tells Bond that she is tired of watching Largo show off and letting him use her. She explains to Bond that she is trapped like a bird in a gilded cage. Domino later reveals that Giuseppe Petacchi is her brother who she hasn't seen for quite some time. Bond finds out that Largo had Petacchi killed after Petacchi had hijacked bomber on SPECTRE
's behalf. He proves this to Domino, and recruits her as an ally to spy on Largo. Domino returns to Largo's yacht, the Disco Volante
, with a geiger counter
to verify the ship as the location of the two stolen nuclear bombs, however, she is uncovered and taken prisoner. Largo tortures her by burning her with a cigar for heat and then using ice cubes for cold.
Domino ultimately escapes as Largo attempts to carry out his plan. Before he can kill a weakened James Bond, she appears behind him and shoots him through the neck with a harpoon
from a spear gun, avenging her brother and for what he had previously done to her.
was cast as Domino, the character's surname was changed to Derval to reflect her nationality. In this film, the character's name was changed to Dominique Derval is seen when Bond is swimming in Nassau, her foot gets stuck in a form of ocean floor but Bond sets her free. She swims up to her boat and thanks Bond. Bond swims back to his boat with his Nassau contact, Paula Caplan. Paula takes care of their boat as Bond is about to learn more about Domino. Domino and Bond have lunch on the beach. But Quist
spies on the two. A sign that Domino had to go back to the Disco Volante. At the hotel Bond stayed in, Bond sees Domino with Largo, Domino was smoking a cigar, as Bond bid in the game against Largo. Domino tells Largo that Bond pressed her to a drink. Domino and Bond slow-dance outside but Largo collects her. At Largo's home, Palmyra, Domino is swimming when Bond visits. She leaves Bond with Largo to go make lunch. Largo invites Bond to the Nassau Junkanoo
.
After attending the Junkanoo with Bond, Domino tells Bond that Felix Leiter is trying to contact him. He leaves Felix with Domino, to go and search for Paula, who had been kidnapped by Fiona Volpe
. It turns out Paula committed suicide by swallowing cyanide. Domino sees Bond in the water the next day and they make love. They go on shore and Bond tells the rather mis-understood Domino the entire predicament that her brother was killed by Largo and Largo plans to make a nuclear holocaust
with the bombs SPECTRE gave him. She helps Bond kill Vargas and spies on board the Disco Volante but is caught and torture
d by Largo. Domino gets back at Largo and shoots him in the back with a harpoon
just as he is about to kill Bond. Bond and Domino jump off the yacht Volante as it is about to run aground and explode. The two are saved by the CIA and are carried off into the air by a sky hook
.
) is structured after Domino Derval. The character is called Domino, it is no longer just a nickname, but her last name has reverted to the novel's original Petachi. Unlike the character in the first film version where she refers him her "guardian," it is well-known that she and Largo are longtime lovers.
She meets Bond at a spa in Monte Carlo
, where he poses as a masseur and massages her. This gives her immense pleasure, though she later realizes he is not who he appears to be. She encounters him again at a casino where Bond introduces himself to her. They have drinks together before being interrupted by Largo. The two dance briefly, where Bond informs her about the death of her brother Jack. Bond is then invited to Largo's yacht, where Largo spies on them kissing in her cabin. He leaves Bond for dead near Palmyra, while Domino is auctioned off as a slave to some unsavory Arabs. Bond eventually escapes and rescues her. They are then chased by the Arabs on horseback until the horse jumps off a cliff into the ocean. They are rescued from the water by Felix Leiter
and a team from MI6. After their rescue, Domino and Bond track Largo to a location known as "The Tears of Allah," located below a desert oasis. The two take a shower together, and Bond kisses her before heading off to stop Largo. The circumstances of her spearing Largo as he and Bond fight are altered from the original film – it here takes place underwater, with all the characters in scuba gear. The films ends with Bond indicating his intention to retire from MI6 and settling down with Domino.
In a poll conducted by Moviefone.com, Basinger was ranked #3 in the top 10 sexiest Bond girls for her portrayal of Domino.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the main Bond girl
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
novel, Thunderball. For the 1965 film adaptation with the same title
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
, her name was changed to Dominique Derval ("Domino" remains her nickname), and she was portrayed by French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
actress Claudine Auger
Claudine Auger
Claudine Auger is a French actress best known for her role as Bond girl Dominique "Domino" Derval in the James Bond film Thunderball . She earned the title of Miss France Monde and was also the first runner-up in the 1958 Miss World contest.Born in Paris, France, she attended St...
. In the 1983 film adaptation Never Say Never Again
Never Say Never Again
Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film based on the James Bond novel Thunderball, which was previously filmed in 1965 as Thunderball...
, her character was renamed Domino Petachi (derived from her birth name in the novel) and she was portrayed by American actress Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
.
The novel
Born Dominetta Petacchi, she is an ItalianItalian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
beauty who went to school in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at Cheltenham Ladies' College
Cheltenham Ladies' College
The Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.-History:The school was founded in 1853...
. She later studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
until being forced (after her parents' death in a train wreck) to return to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where she became an actress. She changed her surname to Vitali, a stage name. While in Italy she also became the mistress of Emilio Largo
Emilio Largo
Emilio Largo is a fictional character and the main antagonist from the James Bond novel Thunderball. In the novel he is depicted, according to the British stereotypes about Italians, as a large, heavyset, olive-skinned, powerful man exuding animal charm, with the profile of a Roman emperor, and...
, whom she calls a "guardian" of no relation.
Bond meets Domino while in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
. She is staying on Largo's yacht, the Disco Volante, and believes Largo is in the area on a treasure hunt. For reasons she does not understand Largo makes her stay on land while he and his partners (whom she describes as shareholders) go prospecting for the hidden treasure. She also tells Bond that she has never been able to see the map that they use. Although Bond is successful in engaging Domino in conversation, she snubs him, but later agrees to meet with him again when she returns to land. She also becomes testy when Bond uses her given name, Dominetta, and bluntly tells him to call her 'Domino'.
When Bond and Domino meet again at the casino later, she has entirely changed. She tells Bond that she is tired of watching Largo show off and letting him use her. She explains to Bond that she is trapped like a bird in a gilded cage. Domino later reveals that Giuseppe Petacchi is her brother who she hasn't seen for quite some time. Bond finds out that Largo had Petacchi killed after Petacchi had hijacked bomber on SPECTRE
SPECTRE
SPECTRE is a fictional global terrorist organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the films based on those novels, and James Bond video games...
's behalf. He proves this to Domino, and recruits her as an ally to spy on Largo. Domino returns to Largo's yacht, the Disco Volante
Disco Volante (ship)
The Disco Volante is a fictional ship in the James Bond novel Thunderball and its 1965 film adaptation of the same name. It was a hydrofoil craft owned by Emilio Largo, an agent of SPECTRE. It was purchased with SPECTRE funds for £200,000. The craft plays a pivotal role in the seizure and...
, with a geiger counter
Geiger counter
A Geiger counter, also called a Geiger–Müller counter, is a type of particle detector that measures ionizing radiation. They detect the emission of nuclear radiation: alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays. A Geiger counter detects radiation by ionization produced in a low-pressure gas in a...
to verify the ship as the location of the two stolen nuclear bombs, however, she is uncovered and taken prisoner. Largo tortures her by burning her with a cigar for heat and then using ice cubes for cold.
Domino ultimately escapes as Largo attempts to carry out his plan. Before he can kill a weakened James Bond, she appears behind him and shoots him through the neck with a harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
from a spear gun, avenging her brother and for what he had previously done to her.
Thunderball
In early drafts of the film's screenplay, the character's name was Dominetta Palazzi. When Claudine AugerClaudine Auger
Claudine Auger is a French actress best known for her role as Bond girl Dominique "Domino" Derval in the James Bond film Thunderball . She earned the title of Miss France Monde and was also the first runner-up in the 1958 Miss World contest.Born in Paris, France, she attended St...
was cast as Domino, the character's surname was changed to Derval to reflect her nationality. In this film, the character's name was changed to Dominique Derval is seen when Bond is swimming in Nassau, her foot gets stuck in a form of ocean floor but Bond sets her free. She swims up to her boat and thanks Bond. Bond swims back to his boat with his Nassau contact, Paula Caplan. Paula takes care of their boat as Bond is about to learn more about Domino. Domino and Bond have lunch on the beach. But Quist
Quist
Quist, sometimes also spelled -kvist in its compound versions is a Swedish surname meaning 'twig, branch.' Quist may refer to:-People:* Adrian Quist , Australian tennis player* Anne Quist , Dutch rower...
spies on the two. A sign that Domino had to go back to the Disco Volante. At the hotel Bond stayed in, Bond sees Domino with Largo, Domino was smoking a cigar, as Bond bid in the game against Largo. Domino tells Largo that Bond pressed her to a drink. Domino and Bond slow-dance outside but Largo collects her. At Largo's home, Palmyra, Domino is swimming when Bond visits. She leaves Bond with Largo to go make lunch. Largo invites Bond to the Nassau Junkanoo
Junkanoo
Junkanoo is a street parade with music, which occurs in many towns across The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands every Boxing Day , New Year's Day and, more recently, in the summer on the island of Grand Bahama. The largest Junkanoo parade happens in Nassau, the capital...
.
After attending the Junkanoo with Bond, Domino tells Bond that Felix Leiter is trying to contact him. He leaves Felix with Domino, to go and search for Paula, who had been kidnapped by Fiona Volpe
Fiona Volpe
Fiona Volpe, played by Luciana Paluzzi, is a fictional character in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. The character is a creation of the film-makers, an addition to Ian Fleming's original plot...
. It turns out Paula committed suicide by swallowing cyanide. Domino sees Bond in the water the next day and they make love. They go on shore and Bond tells the rather mis-understood Domino the entire predicament that her brother was killed by Largo and Largo plans to make a nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
with the bombs SPECTRE gave him. She helps Bond kill Vargas and spies on board the Disco Volante but is caught and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d by Largo. Domino gets back at Largo and shoots him in the back with a harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
just as he is about to kill Bond. Bond and Domino jump off the yacht Volante as it is about to run aground and explode. The two are saved by the CIA and are carried off into the air by a sky hook
Sky Hook
Sky Hook was a science fiction fanzine published by Redd Boggs from 1948-1957. It was nominated for the 1954 Retro Hugo for Best Fanzine.....
.
Never Say Never Again
Domino Petachi (played by Kim BasingerKim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
) is structured after Domino Derval. The character is called Domino, it is no longer just a nickname, but her last name has reverted to the novel's original Petachi. Unlike the character in the first film version where she refers him her "guardian," it is well-known that she and Largo are longtime lovers.
She meets Bond at a spa in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, where he poses as a masseur and massages her. This gives her immense pleasure, though she later realizes he is not who he appears to be. She encounters him again at a casino where Bond introduces himself to her. They have drinks together before being interrupted by Largo. The two dance briefly, where Bond informs her about the death of her brother Jack. Bond is then invited to Largo's yacht, where Largo spies on them kissing in her cabin. He leaves Bond for dead near Palmyra, while Domino is auctioned off as a slave to some unsavory Arabs. Bond eventually escapes and rescues her. They are then chased by the Arabs on horseback until the horse jumps off a cliff into the ocean. They are rescued from the water by Felix Leiter
Felix Leiter
Felix Leiter is a fictional CIA agent created by Ian Fleming in the James Bond series of novels and films. In both, Leiter works for the CIA and assists Bond in his various adventures as well as being his best friend. In further novels Leiter joins the Pinkerton Detective Agency and in the film...
and a team from MI6. After their rescue, Domino and Bond track Largo to a location known as "The Tears of Allah," located below a desert oasis. The two take a shower together, and Bond kisses her before heading off to stop Largo. The circumstances of her spearing Largo as he and Bond fight are altered from the original film – it here takes place underwater, with all the characters in scuba gear. The films ends with Bond indicating his intention to retire from MI6 and settling down with Domino.
In a poll conducted by Moviefone.com, Basinger was ranked #3 in the top 10 sexiest Bond girls for her portrayal of Domino.