James Bond 007: Goldfinger (1964)

James Bond 007: Goldfinger: Directed by Guy Hamilton. With Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman, Shirley Eaton. While investigating a gold magnate’s smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.

“Forty years after itu0026#39;s initial release, the third u0026#39;James Bondu0026#39; film, GOLDFINGER, remains the quintessential 007 film for many fans, with a level of hysteria upon itu0026#39;s initial release that younger fans may not fully appreciate. It set records at that time as the fastest-grossing film in history (making back itu0026#39;s $3,000,000 production cost in a mere 2 weeks, on only 67 screens), spawned the first massive 007 merchandising u0026#39;blitzu0026#39; (with everything from jigsaw puzzles, dolls, and lunchboxes, to shoes and cologne, and even Aston Martin DB5 automobiles offered as u0026#39;collectiblesu0026#39;), launched a whole new genre of u0026#39;spy thrillersu0026#39; to TV and film (with the debut of the Ian Fleming-approved TV series, u0026quot;The Man from U.N.C.L.E.u0026quot; in America, and the increased popularity u0026quot;Danger Manu0026quot; and u0026quot;The Avengersu0026quot; would enjoy in Britain), and gave the franchise itu0026#39;s first worldwide #1 hit song, sung by Shirley Bassey. Everyone was crazy about 007, with a resulting pandemonium that rivaled the adoration of the Beatles in itu0026#39;s intensity!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story, pitting the British secret agent against a megalomaniac whose master plan was to explode a u0026#39;dirtyu0026#39; nuclear device at Fort Knox, thus poisoning the American gold supply, and making his own gold reserves infinitely more valuable, would benefit from u0026#39;perfectu0026#39; casting. German actor Gert Frobe (his voice dubbed, as he barely spoke English), was an ideal Goldfinger, a rotund, piggish monster who always u0026#39;cheatedu0026#39; to win, at cards, golf, or dealing with adversaries. His u0026#39;right-hand manu0026#39;, Oddjob, played by Hawaiian wrestler Harold Sakata, became the prototype of every subsequent villainous henchman; silent, nearly invulnerable, with an evil grin and a steel-edged bowler hat he would toss that could cut the head off a marble statue.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBondu0026#39;s women were never sexier; Shirley Eaton, 27, created a sensation in a 5-minute appearance as u0026#39;Jill Mastersonu0026#39;, who betrays Goldfinger for a tryst with 007, and ends up a nude corpse covered in gold paint; and 27-year old u0026quot;Avengersu0026quot; alumni Honor Blackman, as the lesbian pilot u0026#39;Pussy Galoreu0026#39; (yes, the name DID cause problems with American censors), who discovers the joys of male lovers after Bond pins her in a fight. Sean Connery, at 34, was simply irresistible in his third outing as 007!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDirector Guy Hamilton, making his first Bond movie, said that the character of 007 only needed a u0026#39;pushu0026#39; to become a Superman, and he provided it, by increasing the humor and ever-present gadgets, most memorably the prototype Aston Martin DB5, complete with armor plating, machine-gun turrets, rotating license plates, and an ejector seat.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUnforgettable moments abound, from the u0026quot;shockingu0026quot; pre-title sequence, to the golf match between Goldfinger and Bond (introducing Connery to the sport that would become his lifelong passion), to the famous laser torture scene (u0026quot;Do you expect me to talk?u0026quot; u0026quot;No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE!u0026quot;), to the climactic fight between Bond and Oddjob (during which Connery was actually injured, and Sakata burned his hand, badly).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e007 author Ian Fleming passed away during production, after a last visit to the Pinewood set (although the story takes place in Florida, Switzerland, and Kentucky, nearly all of the film was shot in England). He was very pleased at the success his creation had achieved, thus far, thought Connery made an ideal Bond, and was confident in the future of the series, in the hands of producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enAnd speaking of the future…A few months later, in Ireland, twelve-year old Pierce Brosnan would view GOLDFINGER (the first Bond film heu0026#39;d ever seen), and decide to become an actor, fantasizing about playing the spy, someday…”