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Linda Christian, TV's First Bond Girl, Dies at 87
by Alex Moaba, posted Jul 25th 2011 11:40AM
Linda Christian, the Hollywood bombshell who became the first-ever Bond Girl in the 1954 TV adaptation of 'Casino Royale,' has died. According to a report in People, the actress lost her battle with colon cancer over the weekend at the age of 87.Christian, born in Mexico as Blanca Rosa Welter in 1924, was discovered by Errol Flynn, and later married Hollywood leading man Tyrone Power in 1949. The couple had two children before their divorce in 1956.
The 'Casino Royale' TV adaptation aired on CBS as part of the drama anthology 'Climax!' In it, Christian starred as Valerie Mathis, the romantic interest of Barry Nelson, who played an early incarnation of the iconic British spy.
Ian Fleming's series was then in such an early stage of development that the 007 character went by the name of 'Jimmy.'
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