WASHINGTON 鈥� Whether it鈥檚 Ursula Andress鈥� famous saunter across the sand to Sean Connery in the James Bond flick 鈥淒r. No,鈥� or the tense train ride scene between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in 鈥淣orth by Northwest,鈥� one thing is for sure: Sex is synonymous with spying.
At the in D.C., experts and historians are forgoing the usual Valentine鈥檚 Day dinner on Feb. 14. Instead, they鈥檙e hosting a tell-all event called 鈥�: Spies, Lies and Naked Thighs.鈥�
Led by founding board member Keith Melton, attendees will learn how sex has been used to share secrets since the inception of intelligence gathering. In the early 1900s, for example, the Dutch dancer Mata Hari was recruited to spy on behalf of the Germans and the French during World War I.
鈥淧eople were just undone by her sensual nature and her gorgeous body,鈥� said Amanda Ohlke, adult education director at the International Spy Museum. 鈥淪he used her seductive powers on gentlemen throughout Europe, trying to get them to share their secrets.鈥�
Her pillow-talking life as a double agent had a less-than glamorous ending, however. She was killed by a firing squad in France in 1917.
鈥淏ut she blew a kiss right before she was executed,鈥� Ohlke added.
And then there鈥檚 the Soviet spy Dmitri Bystrolyotov, who would routinely go undercover and use his 鈥渕ovie-star handsome鈥� looks to gather intelligence.
鈥淗e just assumed these demeanors and got by on his charm, and he was very smart and he could just seduce any woman to the point where on his wedding night, he had to excuse himself from his wife because he had to go sleep with another woman,鈥� Ohlke said.
The museum鈥檚 event will also dive into more modern examples of 鈥渟expionage,鈥� including a Czech couple鈥檚 success using swinging to swap secrets with members of the CIA in the early 70s.
The hot dose of history is served with a cocktail and some sweet treats. There will be some lock-picking tips, 鈥渋n case you get stuck in your handcuffs,鈥� Ohlke said.
are $35; the 18-and-up event starts at 6 p.m.
Editor’s Note: The event is now sold out. However, the museum is offering its “”聽package through the rest of February.聽
