Goldfinger (1964)

Goldfinger
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Written by Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn
1964/UK
Eon Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[box] James Bond: Do you expect me to talk?

Auric Goldfinger: No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die![/box]

The perfect entertainment.

James Bond’s  (Sean Connery) next target Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe)  is believed by the Bank of England to be stockpiling gold.  In Miami, Bond discovers that Goldfinger must win every game at all costs.  When he breaks up a rigged card game, Goldfinger/Bond girl Jill Masterson becomes a golden corpse.

Bond’s travels then take him to Geneva, where he first meets Pussy (!) Galore (Honor Blackman), Goldfinger’s cold professional pilot.  Bond narrowly escapes death multiple times while discovering that “Operation Grand Slam” is intended to contaminate the gold reserve at Fort Knox by means of a dirty atomic bomb.  The stakes get higher and higher as we get closer to the US gold depository.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.  I keep saying that every Bond film is the one that solidifies the franchise but I now admit Goldfinger has got to be that one.  Everything from the puns to the product placements is firmly in place.  The gadgets are awesome and the situations are thrillingly over-the-top.  Recommended.

Goldfinger won the Academy Award for Best Effects, Sound Effects.  It should have received at least a nod for Best Music, Original Song.