Saida was a belly dancer in Beirut, Lebanon and former lover of the late British Secret Service agent, Bill Fairbanks (aka 002). The character appeared in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun and was portrayed by Carmen du Sautoy.
Biography[]
Little is known about Saida including whether "Saida" is her surname, first name or simply her stage-name. It is known that she was a belly dancer at a cabaret in Beirut with something of a coquettish, sensual and seductive nature. In 1969, she was in a relationship with Bill Fairbanks (aka 002) when professional assassin Francisco Scaramanga shot him through the neck. Having been informed by Moneypenny that Fairbanks was with Saida when he died, and that the bullet that killed him was never found, James Bond takes the lead and tracks Saida down. Taking in the belly dancer's performance, dressed as she is in an extremely revealing (and colourful) bedleh, Bond notices that she is wearing the bullet in her belly button. Knowing the bullet to be a vital clue to Scaramangas' whereabouts Bond resolves to steal it, and follows Saida back stage. Unaware that he is being observed by a group of men, whose agenda remains a mystery, but are most likely bouncers of the cabaret who believe Bond to be a rowdy customer.
Saida takes a liking to Bond at first sight and he introduces himself as a mutual friend of Fairbanks. She reveals that she found the golden bullet lodged in the wall, and subsequently pocketed it as a good luck charm before the police arrived. Saida attempts to seduce Bond, who seizes the opportunity to try and steal the bullet. His initial attempts to casually pluck the bullet from her navel fail, and 007 resorts to knocking a tube of lipstick from her table in faux clumsiness. Apologizing, he kneels down supposedly to retrieve it, placing him, as planned, level with the girl's bare midriff which he proceeds to kiss; telling her that she has a "magnificent abdomen". As he takes the bullet in his mouth, the group of men enter and strike 007 from behind, causing him to swallow the bullet. After a brutal brawl, Bond makes his escape via a side door into the street. Saida notices the bullet missing from her belly button, and screams in alarm clutching her midriff: "I've lost my charm!" she wails tearfully. "Not from where I'm standing" smirks Bond as he leaves her wrecked dressing room. On the street, Bond hails a taxi and requests to go to the nearest apothecary. The bullet was last seen being analyzed by Q and his men.
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