This weekend marks the birthdays of two recurring characters in the Bond franchise. Walter Gotell’s birthday was yesterday. He was born March 15, 1924 and died in 1997. Gotell played KGB head General Gogol in five Bond movies (TSWLM-AVTAK), and played the same character, now with the Soviet Foreign Office, in a sixth film (TLD). (The actor also appeared as Morzeny in From Russia With Love, in which he was killed).

Eunice Gayson was born on March 16, 1931, and appeared in the first two Bond movies, Dr. No and the aforementioned FRWL. She played the very first Bond girl, appearing during Bond’s introduction at the baccarat table. Terence Young intended the character of Sylvia Trench to come back each picture, and to have each tryst interrupted when Bond is called away to his next mission. When Young left the franchise and Guy Hamilton took the reigns of the next picture, Gayson went with him.

The idea of a recurring head of the KGB was a good one. His appearances in the Bond films were natural and sensible during the Cold War. They also had an unexpected quality; you didn’t know when or if Gogol would show up, and he didn’t overstay his welcome.

On the other hand, I think the recurring girlfriend idea was a bad one. I am terribly reluctant to say that. First, because I like the character of Sylvia Trench very much; she is something of a favorite of mine. She is bold, classy, sexually aggressive, and fun. In addition, the books assure us that Bond did have women he saw when he was in London, usually—as noted in Casino Royale—married women.

But I think the interrupted tryst schtick would have gotten very old very fast. It would have been a drag to see Sylvia get left in the lurch over and over. She’d have been another Moneypenny, and we already have Moneypenny. Really, I never thought I’d say this, but in retrospect I’m glad Sylvia Trench didn’t get portrayed the way Young wanted her to be. If a recurring character like Sylvia is to exist, it can’t be done as a formula. As with Gogol, she should appear whenever she appears, as context allows.

I like to imagine that Paris Carver is “really” Sylvia Trench; Paris could be a nickname, and we don’t know Mrs. Carver’s maiden name. But that’s real fangirl stuff and kind of silly.