The 007 Files: Goldfinger

1964’s Goldfinger, the third entry in the James Bond series, is considered by very many to be the gold standard in 007 world. It is generally considered the best Bond picture of all time. From a box office point of view, it built on two very successful first adventures and then shattered box office records with its own performance. The DeMille movie theater in New York City chose to stay open 24 hours after Goldfinger was released due to its incredible business. The film would earn an astonishing $51 million dollars in the U.S., placing it second for the year behind only My Fair Lady.

While Dr. No and From Russia with Love certainly set up the basic framework that we’ve come to know for 007 movies, they are all on display in Goldfinger, really for the first time.

In From Russia with Love, Q’s gadgetry gives us Bond’s famous briefcase. In this one, it’s the car. Oh, the car! The Aston Martin DB5. The Bond vehicle that’s so famous that they’d bring it back again and again. It’s tricked out with all kinds of amazing features, from the ability to deploy an oil slick to machine guns on the side to that ejector seat used so effectively. The Aston Martin used in Goldfinger is widely regarded as the most famous vehicle in cinema history.

There’s the pre-title credit sequence that has really nothing to do with the rest of the film. It’s a brilliant one, culminating with Bond seeing that henchman coming at him in the reflection of his latest conquest’s eyes. And that famous Bond quip at the scene’s close: “Shocking”.

And one of the celebrated Bond villains ever: Auric Goldfinger, played by German actor Gert Frobe. His scheme to rob Fort Knox is pretty ingenius. Of course, Mr. Goldfinger doesn’t count on Bond getting assistance with the main Bond girl, Pussy Galore, who he manages to woo over to his side. It is Galore more than anyone who eventually helps foil Goldfinger’s dastardly plans. Of course, the name Pussy Galore is likely the most remembered of the Bond gals. Honor Blackman is the first Bond girl that seems to be close to Bond’s level. She’s not just window dressing. While she’s not the classical beauty that we got in Dr. No and From Russia with Love, Blackman’s performance provides one of the very best 007 love interests. Their introduction in the film gives us one of the most well-known 007 moments of the series.

There is so much more in terms of classic scenes. Most notably, Bond’s discovery of Jill Masterson, a Goldfinger employee, suffocated in gold paint after she betrays the villain and sleeps with 007. And there’s the laser beam scene, where Goldfinger nearly kills Bond. It’s dialogue will never be left out of a 007 best of reel:

Bond: Do you expect me to talk?

Goldfinger: No, Mr. Bond! I expect you to die!

Finally, there’s the wonderful final battle in Fort Knox, which includes Bond’s classic showdown with Goldfinger’s main henchman Oddjob (played by wrestler Harold Sakata) and his world famous hat. The art direction of Fort Knox is a triumph for Ken Adam, who put together the fantastic sets in many a 007 flick.

The final encounter between Bond and Goldfinger is also great, where Bond’s earlier warning about firing guns in an airplane is proven quite true.

Terence Young directed the first two Bond features. Here the reins are turned over to Guy Hamilton. He employs a faster pace than the first two films and a mastery of the action sequences. He’s helped by a healthy $3 million dollar budget (for 1964), triple the Dr. No budget and a million more than the From Russia with Love budget. It’s all up there on the screen. Richard Maibaum returns as screenwriter for the third time in a row, along with co-writer Paul Dehn.

And then there’s the always terrific musical score by John Barry, along with one of the greatest Bond theme songs sung by Shirley Bassey. It is this theme song that nearly all others are judged against.

It is easy to see why Goldfinger is considered the quintessential 007 feature. The film turned a highly successful franchise into a true phenomenon. Goldfinger earned nearly $125 million worldwide which was an absolutely astronomical figure in that era. There is no question that it’s a great film, but it is the greatest Bond ever? That’s a tough one for me, especially after just re-watching From Russia with Love, which is brilliant as well. And, of course, there’s the other ones I’m getting ready to evaluate again, too. When all is said and done, Goldfinger is likely to be regarded as the best. You’ll have to wait until I’m all done when all blog entries before I reveal my list, though. So stay tuned!

Here are the facts:

Film: Goldfinger

U.S. Release Date: December 22, 1964 (September 18, 1964 in the UK)

Director: Guy Hamilton

Screenplay: Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn

Bond: Sean Connery

Main Villain: Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe)

Main Bond Girl: Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman)

Theme Song: “Goldfinger” – performed by Shirley Bassey

Budget: $3 million

Worldwide Box Office: $124.9 million

My James Bond blog series will return in “The 007 Files: Thunderball”