Bail Bond: Goldfinger (1964)

 One last Bond before October spirits take over!

This is Goldfinger, the 3rd and arguably the most famous of Sean Connery's Bond Films.

It has it all- a Shirley Bassey Theme, a great Intro, that one lady covered in that stuff, Pussy Galore and more.

Guy Hamilton takes over the Directing Duties for the first of FOUR Bond Films (with more planned, but I'll get to that later).  Does he make things even better?

The Plot involves Auric Goldfinger and his elaborate plan to get even wealthier via an atom bomb in Kentucky.  It will make sense- mostly- later.

Is this the new peak of Bond?
To find out, read on...

In our Cold Open, Bond makes his first transition from wetsuit to fancy suit as he takes out some drugs that were going to be smuggled.

Afterwards, he hits on a lady, fights some guys and kills a guy with a lamp.

After the iconic Opening, we get lovely shots of the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami (still open btw) and...some less than convincing Rear Projection Shots of our Actors (since Connery and Gert Frobe were never in Miami!).

Bond is hired to observe Goldfinger, but makes him lose a game of cards AND sleeps with his Assistant instead.

The next morning, Bond is knocked out by a stealthy guy (which gets sillier when you realize who did it) and his new lady is smothered to death in gold paint.

Yes, Snopes- we all know that this didn't really happen and couldn't happen.

Enjoy the Austin Powers-style Nudity blocking though.

Back at Base, we get a double whammy of Bond Requirements.

Bond meets with Q in his lab, where we see many gadgets in the background.
We also see Bond's iconic Aston Martin for the first time, which is outfitted with spy gadgets.

Thanks for inspiring Spy Hunter.

Bond meets up with Goldfinger again when the Government learns that he's up to something evil.

It involves smuggling and then melting gold across the World.

Until then, Bond will force a fat, orange guy who is bad at Golf (and cheats) to lose.

Bedminster is nice these days, eh?

If I'm being honest, this whole Subplot involving the Sister of the lady killed via gold paint is pretty pointless- in the Film version.

She tries to kill Goldfinger twice, fails and then is killed unceremoniously by Oddjob before Act 2 ends.

Bond is captured and we get the famous Laser Scene, at least.

Bond negotiates his life by acting like he is too dangerous to kill, since 008 would have all of his intel.

So he's spared and meets Pussy Galore, whose name is given an even more 'on the nose' response in the Book.

She seems to resist his charms and keeps him under control (or so she thinks) while Goldfinger plans his big mission.

His plan involves getting lots of money for tech from some mobsters...and then killing them.

He uses that to gas the soldiers guarding Fort Knox, break in (with the laser) and then irradiate the gold, therefore increasing his own gold's value.

Bond is left to die with the bomb and fights Oddjob, going for what looks like a Jumping Tornado DDT from this still frame.

It's sadly not that cool.

He eventually defeats Oddjob (not easily though) and the bomb is defused with 3 seconds to go...I mean 7 seconds (changed in post-production for a fun 007 gag).

Oh and Galore didn't really kill the Soldiers, turned to good by the power of Bond's....manhood, I guess.

Of course, Bond Villains/Henchman get one last hurrah, so Goldfinger is killed on the Plane transporting Bond home by being sucked out the window.

The End.

A very enjoyable Bond Film that seems to hit all of the right notes.

This one fully consolidates the ideas and visuals into a 'true Bond' Film.  All of the pieces are finally in place.

We get fun action.  We get a globe-trotting Plot.  We get a famous Villain AND a more famous Henchman.

By the way, if you played Oddjob, you suck.  You know why!

Does the Plot make much sense?  Does it feature quite a few holes?  Yes...and?

This really is a classic Bond Film, with all of the fun stuff and all of the dated stuff.
Bond quipping after killing henchman- fun.  Bond forcing himself on women- not so much.

Goldfinger is as good, silly and fun as you remember it being.

Now...I just have to explain to Bond why I have to skip his next Film for a month or so...

He didn't take it well.

Next up, it is October and Horror takes focus.  Let me start with...oh right, there's an Elm Street Film I've missed.  Stay tuned...