Paula Caplan was a fictional character in the James Bond film, Thunderball who aids Bond when in the Bahamas. She was played by Martine Beswick.
Film biography
Nassau
When Bond journeys to Nassau to make progress on the operation Thunderball, he is partnered with local Bahamian MI6 contact, the very young and beautiful Paula Caplan. Together they pose as a couple to first make contact with Domino Derval, the sister of François unaware of his recent death. Watching Bond flirt with Domino in the sea and feeling a little bit jealous, Caplan, only wearing a sexy bikini, plays him at his own game, flirting with him when he rejoins her on their boat.
Pretending that their motor has broke, Caplan offers to wait alone for the service boat while Bond gets a lift back to shore from Domino in her boat as he has an important meeting to attend. Bond and Caplan part ways while still undercover.
Hotel Coral Harbour
After several days working in the MI6 bunker with Bond, Felix Leiter and fellow contact Pinder, Caplan plans to rendezvous at Bond’s hotel with the pictures taken from Emilio Largo’s boat.
Waiting for Bond with the photographs and seemingly dressed for a dinner date, Caplan is laying on a couch while smoking a cigarette and reading a magazine. She is surprised when Fiona Volpe arrives instead claiming to have a date that evening with Bond too. When a knock is heard in the connecting room, Caplan goes to fix her hair and open the door, expecting Bond, only to be shocked when henchmen working for Largo and Volpe barge in and hold her to the bed. The poor Paula tries to break free from the men but has no luck and is subsequently kidnapped by them and taken to Largo’s estate.
After Bond breaks into Largo’s estate, he finds Caplan dead; committing suicide so that she doesn't end up being tortured for information, plus leaking information.
Behind the scenes
Martine Beswick also played the part of Zora in From Russia with Love two years earlier.
Trivia
- Paula is unique as the only woman to have a relatively long-term role in Bond's life that he has never been hinted as being physically involved with (M, as his boss, naturally doesn't count in this category).