Goldfinger (1964)
Goldfinger (1964)
This quintessential (third) James Bond movie features Sean Connery at his most debonair & sassy and two of the series’ best villains Gert Fröbe in the title role and Harold Sakata as his lethal hat-throwing henchman Oddjob. Directed by Guy Hamilton it won a Best Effects Sound Effects Oscar for Norman Wanstall on his only Academy Award nomination. This Ian Fleming story about the exploits of British Agent 007 was adapted by Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn (Seven Days to Noon (1950)). Honor Blackman plays Pussy Galore perhaps the best Bond girl moniker ever; Bernard Lee repeats as spy boss ‘M’ as does Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny and Desmond Llewelyn as ‘Q’. Although blondes Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet appear only briefly as sisters their subsequent departures are two of the more memorable deaths on film. The setting for Auric Goldfinger’s bold plot is the seemingly impregnable Fort Knox Kentucky. Bond (AFI’s #3 hero) trades his Bentley for a souped-up Aston Martin and the soundtrack includes the first of Shirley Bassey’s three title song performances. "Bond James Bond” is #22 on AFI’s 100 Greatest Movie Quotes list; the film is #71 on AFI’s 100 Most Heart Pounding Movies list.