Goldfinger

"Do you expect me to talk?"

"No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"

James Bond (Connery) is sent to Miami to observe wealthy jeweler Auric Goldfinger (Blackman).  Goldfinger has been buying up large amounts of gold, and MI-6 believes he has nefarious purposes for it.  Bond and Goldfinger take an immediate dislike to each other, which only escalates with each encounter.

Bond is caught on Goldfinger's property by his bodyguard Oddjob (Sakata).  Goldfinger initially plans to kill Bond, but decides it is better to keep him on hand until the plan is done.  Bond is whisked to Tennessee by Goldfinger's pilot Pussy Galore (Blackman).  Can he alert Felix Leiter (Linder) and the CIA in time to foil Goldfinger's plot?


The third film in the James Bond series (after Dr. No in 1962 and From Russia with Love in 1963).  This film set in place many of the tropes that would be associated with the series: the opening credit sequence (with original song), the good-natured ribbing between Q and Bond, the tricked out car, etc.  The title song, "Goldfinger" sung by Shirley Bassey, is one of the most iconic Bond songs.  During the 2013 Academy Award celebration of 50 years of James Bond films, Shirley Bassey performed the song live (it was the only song from the franchise to be performed at that ceremony).  The James Bond theme is the most iconic, but "Goldfinger" is a close second.

Like the previous films in the series, the story is based on Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger, which was published in 1959.  Screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn made some changes to the story, but kept most of the plot in tact.

Auric Goldfinger is the perfect menacing villain.  As played by Gert Frobe, he is suave and sophisticated with flashes of the darkness.  He is an iconic Bond villain, over the top enough to keep you entertained.  Harold Sakata also delivers an iconic performance as Oddjob.  Sakata was an Olympic weightlifter, that coupled with his intimating stare drew the attention of Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli.  Oddjob is a silent character, but he still ranks among the top villains.  This is my favorite Bond film; Sean Connery is my favorite Bond and this is his best outing.

This film has it all: lasers, a ridiculous plot to foil, the iconic image of Shirley Eaton covered in gold paint, death by hat (how many films can boast that?), and many more moments that make this film a "must-see."  It may not bear the same weight it did when it was first released, but it is a strong part in popular culture.  It has been mocked (Mike Myers Austin Powers: Goldmember) and other spy movies have duplicated the iconic moments from it.  It also appeared on 4 of AFI's top countdowns: 100 Years...100 Thrills, 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains (Goldfinger is on the Villain list), 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes (this film was the first time Bond asked for "A Martini. Shaken, not stirred"), and 100 Years...100 Songs (for the theme song "Goldfinger")

Goldfinger (1964) 110 minutes
Director: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Sean Connery as James Bond
Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore
Gert Frobe as Auric Goldfinger
Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson
Harold Sakata as Oddjob
Tania Mallet as Tilly Masterson
Bernard Lee as M
Cec Linder as Felix Leiter