Zena Marshall’s Miss Taro in Dr. No has an intriguingly unique role in the Bond universe as a seemingly innocent secretary turned seductress, and ultimately a capable yet outmatched henchwoman. When Bond visits Pleydell-Smith seeking information on Dr. No, Miss Taro is quickly pursued by Bond, if not at first for romance, at least secondarily as a lead.
Bond’s pursuit of leads to one of the movie’s more unusual encounters. Nearly run off the road en route to her home, Bond arrives to find Miss Taro unfazed, slipping seamlessly back into her role as the composed, seemingly innocent assistant. The strength of her performance comes from how Marshall mixes charm with betrayal in welcoming Bond into her bed while plotting his demise.
Although she projects confidence, Bond quickly outplays her, and her composure collapses as she spits in his face while being taken away. The moment shows that her elegance and soothing voice merely disguises her true crude and calculating nature.
