Goldfinger

Goldfinger is the seventh novel by Ian Fleming, featuring James Bond, secret agent 007, published in 1959. In 1964 the novel was adapted into a film by EON Productions and starred Sean Connery in his third appearance as James Bond.

The film

Plot summary

In the film, which deviates somewhat from Fleming's novel but still contains many similar plot points, James Bond discovers "Operation Grandslam", a plot by Auric Goldfinger and his organization, sponsored by the People's Republic of China, to apparently steal the gold from the U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Bond later learns that Goldfinger's intention is not to steal the gold, a completely unfeasible goal, but to devalue it by detonating a nuclear bomb within the depository and contaminating the United States's gold reserve thus making all that gold unuseable, thereby increasing the value of his own gold.

Related Topics:
People's Republic of China - Fort Knox - Nuclear bomb - United States

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The most famous scene in the film — arguably the most famous scene in any Bond film — is Goldfinger's repartee with the recalcitrant Bond tied down in the path of a laser beam:

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:Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?"

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

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This scene differs from the corresponding scene in the novel: Goldfinger, using a buzz saw, spared Bond's life, not because of claimed knowledge of Goldfinger's plan, but in acceptance of Bond's offer to work for him. In addition, that same high power laser cannon is used to cut through the door to the main vault at Fort Knox.

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In the novel, Bond is issued a car with modifications such as revolving licence plates, reinforced bumpers, etc. The film greatly expands on the idea, with the spy receiving an Aston Martin DB5 with special modifications such as forward right- and left-wing machine guns, anti pursuit devices like an oil slick dispenser and a smokescreen burner, bullet-proof windscreens, telescoping tyre slashers, and, most famously, a passenger ejector seat for ejecting unwanted passengers. The popularity of this car in the film led to the increased inclusion of spectacular gadgetry, including other special vehicles.

Related Topics:
Licence plate - Aston Martin DB5 - Machine gun - Ejector seat

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Additionally, Goldfinger set the tone for how the secret agent would be introduced before the opening credits ? with a teaser showing Bond in mid-mission, which may or may not be related to the main plot of the movie. A teaser was used in the previous film, From Russia With Love, but it didn't feature the real James Bond.

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Cast & characters

• James Bond - Sean Connery
• M - Bernard Lee
• Felix Leiter - Cec Linder
• Miss Moneypenny - Lois Maxwell
• Q - Desmond Llewelyn
• Auric Goldfinger - Gert Fröbe
• Oddjob - Harold Sakata
• Pussy Galore - Honor Blackman
• Jill Masterson - Shirley Eaton
• Tilly Masterson - Tania Mallet

Crew

• Directed by: Guy Hamilton
• Written by: Ian Fleming
• Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum, Paul Dehn
• Produced by: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
• Music composed by: John Barry
• Film editing by: Peter R. Hunt
• Cinematography by: Ted Moore
• Production design by Ken Adam

Soundtrack

Goldfinger is the first of three James Bond films with a theme song sung by Shirley Bassey. Though she only performed three out of the many Bond film theme songs, her strong, brassy style became a Bond theme trademark. It was that powerful style that (according to Bassey in a televised interview) almost made her pass out upon reaching that final note while recording the Goldfinger theme. Recording production legend has it that singer Tom Jones did, in fact, pass out upon completing the big finale of the title track to "Thunderball." James Bond film series crew veteran John Barry composed, this, his second, credited James Bond film soundtrack.

Related Topics:
Shirley Bassey - John Barry

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Track listing

• Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey
• Into Miami
• Alpine Drive / Auric's Factory
• Oddjob's Pressing Engagement
• Bond Back in Action Again
• Teasing The Korean
• Gassing The Gangsters
• Goldfinger - (instrumental version)
• Dawn Raid on Fort Knox
• The Arrival of the Bomb and Count Down
• Death Of Goldfinger, The End Titles
• Golden Girl
• Death Of Tilley
• The Laser Beam
• Pussy Galore's Flying Circus

Vehicles & gadgets

• Aston Martin DB5 - The most famous of James Bond's company cars. It was his first car in the films, and is equipped with all of Q Branch's usual refinements (carried from adventure to adventure), including bulletproof front and rear wind screens, oil slick dispenser, smoke screen burner, front wing machine guns, rotating licence plate, and, most famously, the passenger ejector seat, which would again be used in Die Another Day, but in an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. While being the most recognized Bond car, it's actually only appeared in four Bond films: Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, and Tomorrow Never Dies. The car would also be driven by George Lazenby in the 1983 made-for-TV film ' and by Roger Moore in the 1981 spoof The Cannonball Run. This makes Timothy Dalton the only official Bond actor who has yet to be shown driving the DB5.
• The Tilly Masterson character drives the then all-new Ford Mustang in a duel with the gadget-laden Aston.
• Homer - Bond is issued two homing devices by Q Branch. The first, is the larger, and used by Bond to track the villain's Rolls Royce automobile to his base. The second, is the smaller, and allows MI6 to track Bond's whereabouts; it is hidden in the secret compartment in the heel of one shoe. He later slipped it on to the person of Mr. Solo who was taking his leave from Goldfinger's Fort Knox scheme, hoping that MI6 could then follow and capture Solo and question him about where he got the device. Unfortunately, the tracer was destroyed when Solo was murdered and his body was crushed in a car crusher along with the car he was in.
• The Jumbo Jet-like airplane is an Aviation Traders Carvair, an aircraft which was built for transporting automobiles and well-off passengers. This is confusing since only 21 Carvairs have been built and therefore is rather unknown, and the Boeing 747 first flew in 1969, five years after the movie came out.

Locations

Film locations

• Miami, Florida
• London, England
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Fort Knox, Kentucky
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Washington, DC

Shooting locations

• Pinewood Studios
• Switzerland

:*Pilatus Aircraft Factory, Stans and Furka pass (compare the pictures on http://www.jlippert.net/schweiz/goldfinger/goldfinger.html)

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• Miami, Florida
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Buckinghamshire, England
• Fort Knox, Kentucky - exteriors only

Asphyxiation argument

Although James Bond films are not known for their technical accuracy, but rather for outlandishly plausible action, one incident in this film bears mentioning.

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In one scene, the villain's girlfriend, Jill Masterson, is murdered by "skin suffocation." She was painted with gold paint and died, because her skin was unable to breathe. According to urban legend, the concept was based on the death of Swiss fashion model who painted herself and asphyxiated.

Related Topics:
Skin - Urban legend

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Though this is a plausible explanation for this unusual method of killing, it has been argued whether or not it is possible. Humans, being mammals, achieve respiration via their mouths and nostrils to fill their lungs with air. The only animals that breathe through their skin are insects and worms. In fact, were it true that people breathe, in auxiliary fashion, through their skin, it would, therefore, be impossible for people to engage in extended bathing, mud baths, scuba diving and, indeed, body painting - activities requiring extended covering of the skin. If one did try murder via gilding, the victim would die of heat stroke, but only after a long period and not in the manner shown in the movie. The gold paint would clog the pores and prevent perspiration, rendering the body unable to properly regulate its temperature. Dying in this fashion, however, would take several days and is a very inefficient manner of killing.

Related Topics:
Mammal - Respiration - Insect - Worm - Mud bath - Scuba diving - Body painting - Heat stroke - Perspiration

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The Discovery Channel series, MythBusters has twice attempted to prove or disprove whether skin suffocation due to paint was possible. In both experiments one of the hosts of the series was covered head-to-toe in gold paint. The first experiment was called off when the subject began experiencing breathing and blood pressure problems. In a follow-up experiment, a different subject was covered but this time showed no ill effects.http://debrief.commanderbond.net/index.php?showtopic=16572

Related Topics:
Discovery Channel - MythBusters

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