[8]

In the third James Bond film, agent 007 (Sean Connery) is trying to stop the title character, a nefarious gold tycoon, from breaking into Fort Knox. Goldfinger is a standalone story, without any connection to the overarching SPECTRE storyline, but it remains one of the most popular entries in the long-running franchise because it has everything we’ve come to expect in a Bond flick.

Goldfinger himself (Gert Frobe) is the quintessential Bond villain. He knows it’s not enough just to have a wicked plan. You’ve got to have a luxurious high-tech hide out and a laser gun to go with it. The scene where he points that laser between 007’s legs is one of the most famous (and parodied). Equally famous is the primary ‘Bond girl’ this time around. Honor Blackman plays Pussy Galore, a mercenary who runs an all-female flying circus. (It’s as awesome and ridiculous as it sounds.) We also get Harold Sakata as Oddjob, the dastardly mute henchman with the lethal bowler hat. Shirley Eaton gets one of the flashier supporting roles, a young woman who betrays Goldfinger by sleeping with Bond. She dies by being covered head to toe in gold paint — perhaps the most striking visual in the series to date. The welcome returning cast includes Bernard Lee as M, Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny, and Desmond Llewelyn as ‘Q’, who this time presents 007 with one of his greatest inventions — a mightily tricked out Astin-Martin, complete with a passenger seat ejector button.

Goldfinger, the first of four films in the series directed by Guy Hamilton, is a little more silly than the preceding films, with Connery becoming less reticent and more openly snarky. While the series would sometimes go too far with comedy (especially in the Roger Moore era), it feels appropriate and fun here. The film’s budget is expanded compared to the first two films, so the sets are bigger and more elaborate — especially Goldfinger’s layer, full of rotating platforms and walls that rise and fall into place. John Barry’s music is more aggressive than ever, and Shirley Bassey belts out what is still the most recognizable of all Bond theme songs. In summary, I think most Bond fans would agree: Goldfinger is when the James Bond franchise really found its groove.

With Tania Mallet, Martin Benson, and Cec Linder.

Academy Award: Best Sound Effects