Major Dexter Smythe was a fictional British marine biologist and former Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6) operative. Portrayed by British actor Lew Hooper, the character was briefly mentioned in EON Productions's 1983 James Bond film, Octopussy.
Biography[]
After a brilliant military career, Major Dexter Smythe joined the British Secret Service. He was sent on a mission to locate a cache of Chinese gold, seized in North Korea. Smythe and his local guide never returned and the gold remained ostensibly lost — stolen by the Major himself. He subsequently devoted himself to to the study of octopi, becoming a leading authority on the subject. His enthusiasm was such that he nicknamed his daughter "Octopussy". When her father's gold ran out, the people in Hong Kong who'd disposed of it for him offered her a commission to smuggle diamonds. Discovering that she had a talent for it, she followed in Smythe's illicit footsteps and went into business as a smuggler. Two decades after the gold affair, the corpse of Smythe's native guide was discovered, with a bullet inside his skull matching the Major's service revolver. The Service dispatched James Bond to search for Smythe, whom he tracked down to Sri Lanka. He gave Smythe twenty four hours to tidy up his affairs before returning for him; during which time Smythe committed suicide rather than face the disgrace of a court martial.
Trivia[]
- Smythe was never directly seen on screen. He was only mentioned by name and a photograph.
- The character of Smythe was the only element from Ian Fleming's short story, Octopussy which made it into the screenplay.