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1964

 

Sean Connery as James Bond

Gert Frobe as Auric Goldfinger

Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore

Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson

Harold Sakata as Oddjob

Screenplay by Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn; novel by Ian Fleming; uncredited adaptation and story by Johanna Harwood and Berkely Mather

Directed by Guy Hamilton

 

“Miss Honey and Miss Galore Have James Bond Back for More!”

I mean, Miss Honey was a couple of years ago…and we all know how quickly James Bond goes through the ladies…

Bond is tasked with spying on the title villain, Auric Goldfinger (Frobe, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), a jeweler who is suspected of smuggling gold into the US. He learns how ruthless this man is when he observes him blatantly cheating at cards at a resort, then again when they hit the links. Bond’s career is very nearly ended in this film, right after a classic hero/villain exchange: “Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr. Bond! I expect you to die!” Luckily for the franchise, however, he makes it through, and is able to visit more amazing locations before the end of the movie, including Fort Knox.

Wow. Wow wow WOW. What a fun movie! It’s a lot more serious than most of the others that don’t star Timothy Dalton, but the enjoyment level is high. How so?

  • Shirley Bassey’s theme song. Girl’s got some PIPES! Mike Myers clearly ripped her off for Goldmember (as he did the rest of the film), but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
  • The golf game (of course this is dad’s favorite scene, when he was forced to pick a favorite). Oddjob’s “AHA!” is amazing and totally repeatable. James’s caddy is so funny, and clearly up to help his charge win at all cost.
  • Oddjob vs. James inside Fort Knox. Someone’s gotta win. It’s a highly-charged way to go.
  • James taking over the card game. What a turd. I mean, it’s funny at the same time. And he was sent to figure the guy out. But it did seem a little bit like a cheap trick to screw the first girl on-screen that isn’t Moneypenny.
  • The ACTUAL climax of the movie, which happens in the middle. I love the laser scene. It’s dark and creepy, and Frobe is really villainous.

 

It could be #5 on its own, but I’ll be damned if Golden Gun isn’t just as good in its own way. So it’s a tie—Goldfinger and the Golden Gun. Quite the pairing.

Bond rating: 007. He’s basically perfect. Love him in this movie.

Baddie rating: 005. He’s not really mean, just a manipulator. Sure, he’ll kill dudes who get in his way, but so do most bad guys. He doesn’t do much other than plan. I still like him a lot, though.

Bond girl rating: 004. Jill’s only with the villain for money, but that doesn’t last too long. Same for her sister, who at least packs a gun/ice skates. Honor Blackman (Bridget Jones’s Diary) is able to handle herself, but 1. She still goes for James, even after trying to shoot him out of a plane, and 2. Her name is PUSSY GALORE. Jesus.

Photo credit: © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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