The actress passed away on Friday (22Jul11) in Palm Desert, California after a battle with colon cancer.
Born Blanca Rosa Welter in Mexico, the star moved to Los Angeles after a chance meeting with Australian icon Errol Flynn, who convinced her to try acting.
She made her film debut alongside Danny Kaye in the 1944 musical Up In Arms, before playing Mara in Tarzan and The Mermaids.
In 1954, she landed the role of James Bond’s love interest in a TV adaptation of the novel Casino Royale, becoming the first ever Bond girl and paving the way for future 007 sidekicks including Halle Berry and Ursula Andress.
She married Hollywood heartthrob Tyrone Power in 1949 but the couple divorced in 1956.
Christian is survived by her daughter Romina Power and eight grandchildren, according to the Associated Press.
