Goldfinger Minute by Minute
Goldfinger (1964) Guy Hamilton
Starring Sean Connery, Gert Frobe, Honor Blackman, Harold Sakata
00:15 The classic early jazz like theme kicks in, and it’s not Connery in the gun barrel sequence, but Bob Simmons, the legendary stuntman.
01:05 The first piece of whimsy announces a new age for Bond. Its no longer the serious spy movie of the first two movies, but a more wise-cracking laid back incarnation that wears a fake duck on his head.
01:42 One of the reasons Connery got the Bond role was because Fleming thought he moved like a cat. Watch him prowl.
02:27 Bond’s costume change truly announces Bond’s new incarnation. This frippery will last until Daniel Craig appears over forty years later.
03:25 The film follows the book closely and this pre-credits sequence is the first which contains a mini-adventure completely unrelated to the main story. Bond ruminates over killing a Mexican in the first chapter ‘Reflections in a Double Bourbon’.
04:05 Bond lets the girl take the hit. Connery became noted for his rough treatment of the ladies. Something which did not sit easily with Moore.
04:35 A brutal and ingenious end for the Mexican.
04:45 Goldfinger established the blueprint for Bond for years to come. Connery’s ‘shocking’ quip set the tone.
04:55 Bond adjusts his jacket by pulling the back down. It’s different from the pulling in of the lapels that we are so familiar with in Bond movies – see Jaws after he is thrown from the train in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ – and seems much more realistic.
05:00 Not Maurice Binder, but Robert Brownjohn created the opening sequence. Images from the movie are projected onto golden ladies. The narrow modern font complements the imagery perfectly. Along with a classic theme sung by Shirley Bassey, it’s a winning combination. It still looks great today – one can only imagine what it must have been like viewing this in 1964? No wonder Goldfinger was a sensation. Brownjohn would later die from a heroin overdose.
08:43 Felix Leiter’s latest incarnation.
09:03 Sexism 1964 style.
09:17 What’s he wearing? It’s like a light blue romper suit.
10:00 Gert Frobe had all his lines dubbed after it was decided that his German accent was too strong.
To be continued
Posted in Bond Films