Martine Beswick, Claudine Auger and Luciana Paluzzi are captured together in this iconic color publicity photograph associated with THUNDERBALL (1965). Walking hand-in-hand through the shallow surf on a beach in Nassau, Bahamas, the three actresses wear distinctly different swimsuits as they stride toward the camera surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd, creating one of the most memorable ensemble glamour images from the film’s extensive publicity campaign.

MARTINE BESWICK, CLAUDINE AUGER & LUCIANA PALUZZI - THUNDERBALL (1965) Iconic Beach Swimsuit James Bond 007 Publicity Photo

Pictured from left to right are Martine Beswick as Paula Caplan, Claudine Auger as Dominique “Domino” Derval and Luciana Paluzzi as Fiona Volpe. Each actress brings a dramatically different visual identity to the photograph: Beswick wears a colorful floral bikini, Auger appears in the distinctive black-and-white swimsuit associated with Domino in the film, while Paluzzi wears a striking black-and-white two-piece ensemble. Together, the three create an extraordinary portrait of the glamour surrounding the Bond phenomenon at its mid-1960s peak.

The wider composition adds enormously to the photograph’s character. Rather than isolating the actresses in a controlled studio portrait, the image captures them walking directly through the water while beachgoers and onlookers surround them. Several men visibly turn their attention toward the trio, reinforcing the sense of excitement generated by the THUNDERBALL stars during the Bahamas production.

The photograph is especially significant because the three actresses represent very different women within Bond’s Bahamian adventure. Beswick’s Paula Caplan is Bond’s local ally; Auger’s Domino Derval becomes central to Bond’s investigation of Emilio Largo; and Paluzzi’s Fiona Volpe is the glamorous and lethal SPECTRE operative sent against 007. Bringing all three performers together transforms the photograph into an exceptional ensemble record of THUNDERBALL’s female cast.

Directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery as James Bond, THUNDERBALL was the fourth film in the Eon Productions 007 series. Its extensive Bahamas location work, spectacular underwater sequences and enormous international publicity campaign helped make the film one of the defining cultural events of the classic Connery Bond era.

For the 007 collector, this photograph has exceptional appeal: three of THUNDERBALL’s most memorable actresses together, three distinctive swimsuits, a vibrant Nassau beach setting and the spontaneous reactions of the surrounding crowd. It preserves not merely the glamour associated with the film, but something of the extraordinary public attention surrounding James Bond at the height of 1960s Bondmania.

Carefully restored and professionally printed from archival source material, this museum-quality photograph is a distinctive collectible for admirers of Martine Beswick, Claudine Auger, Luciana Paluzzi, THUNDERBALL, Paula Caplan, Domino Derval, Fiona Volpe, James Bond 007, Bahamas location photography, classic Bond glamour and iconic promotional imagery from the Sean Connery era.

THUNDERBALL was exceptionally successful: its worldwide box office receipts of $141.2 million exceeded not only that of each of its predecessors but that of every one of the five Bond films that followed it. Thunderball remains the most financially successful film of the series in North America when adjusted for ticket price inflation. In 1966, John Stears won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and BAFTA nominated production designer Ken Adam for an award.

Some critics and viewers praised the film and branded it a welcome addition to the series, while others found the aquatic action repetitious. The movie was followed by 1967's You Only Live Twice. In 1983, Warner Bros. released a second film adaptation of the Thunderball novel under the title Never Say Never Again, with McClory as executive producer.

Guy Hamilton was invited to direct, but considered himself worn out and "creatively drained" after the production of Goldfinger. Terence Young, director of the first two Bond films, returned to the series. Coincidentally, when Saltzman invited him to direct Dr. No, Young expressed interest in directing adaptations of Dr. No, From Russia with Love and Thunderball.

Years later, Young said Thunderball was filmed "at the right time", considering that if it was the first film in the series, the low budget (Dr. No cost only $1 million) would not have yielded good results. Thunderball was the final James Bond film directed by Young.