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Goldfinger at 60: The Midas Touch
Today (Tuesday 17th September) marks 60 years since Goldfinger premiered in London, so I thought it would be appropriate to have a celebratory thread.
Releasing to massive hype, the film truly cemented 'Bond-mania', and on a budget of $3m USD in 1964, the film went on to gross more than $125m worldwide, around $1.25 billion in today's marketplace.
Goldfinger is credited by many for being the film in which the Bond formula was fully established, refined to perfection, and became the template going forward. Whilst Dr. No and From Russia with Love feature many of the Bond elements we know and love, Goldfinger, under the direction of Guy Hamilton, perfected them, along with adding in so many new elements:
- The OTT Villain, Henchman and Plot
- The leading lady with the double-entre name
- The opening titles sequence and main song (woven into the soundtrack)
- The Q Briefing scene
- The gadget filled supercar.
- Quite possibly one of the most iconic film lines ever - "No Mister Bond, I expect you to die!"
The 007.com site have done a good roundup of this:
https://www.007.com/celebrating-goldfingers-60th-anniversary/
I could go on about Goldfinger but all I say is, here is to it's 60th anniversary (and raise a glass of Dom Peringnon, at the right temperature of course) and a legacy that endures to this day!
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Comments
DN introduced us to Bond with the iconic Bond theme, but the formula and music had yet to evolve. FRWL came close with its hard driving open theme and the 007 theme.
But nothing prepared audiences for the bombastic, knock you back in your seat title song. And what came after that opening theme song was a great film.
I don’t think thats true, no more than with any other film anyway. It might have those special memories seeing it at the time in the cinema (we all have those Bond films) but I think it’d be quite sad if you couldn’t appreciate it outside of that context (it’s also not true as many people who saw it on home media for the first time have loved it, including me). If it could only be appreciated in that context it likely wouldn’t be a very good film. As it is it’s a great film.
https://x.com/LaLaLandRecords/status/1836154703744578024
One cannot help but notice their chosen typeface is identical to the one used in a certain classic film's logo, which may or may not be relevant to this thread...
(Reference: https://dyn1.heritagestatic.com/lf?set=path[1/7/4/0/4/17404786],sizedata[850x600]&call=url[file:product.chain])
I thought someone said there wasn’t much more on the tapes to release, but who knows. It would certainly make sense for Eon to have asked them to make it considering the effort going into the 60th.
Fair enough. I am glad you like Goldfinger. Yes, it can be appreciated in other contexts.
It was a unique experience seeing it for the first time in a theater with only DN and FRWL as the only two previous films.
This film to me represents the very best of Bond. A rare occurrence where the film improves on the book. Having GF contaminate instead of steal the gold was brilliant. Not sure who deserves credit for that idea. Having Jill and Tilly both die at the hands of the villain propel the story forward. This is a case of three Bond women working well within the story. Compared to YOTL where it had a feel of "we must tick these boxes".
The film treads a fine line between a farce and a serious movie. Connery sells it and makes you believe that a car could have all these fantastical gadgets. Compared to the audience reaction when Q unveils the "Vanish" to laughs.
The Barry score is such a big brassy sound that fits with the big brassy movie. I love that cool ariel shot into the Fontainebleau and the music only makes it better.
The M Bond relationship is further explored here. M sniffing the brandy and then looking at Bond never fails to bring a smile to my face. M tearing into Bond about Jill's death and asking him to remain cool and objective is powerful. He lets Bond know whose the boss.
I could gush more but I will stop! Happy 60th to a wonderful film that is a hallmark for the series!
I think the nightclub dance at the pre-title sequence and when Bond shoots the mirror, thinking it's another car. Those are ones I can think of right now...or maybe Oddjob's hat sound effect too.
It's definitely a unique experience with such an iconic film. GF is one I've always wanted to see on the big screen in general.
Goldfinger is a Christmas bag full of iconic Bond elements, and one that keeps giving, no matter how often you've seen the film (which is several dozens of times in my case). Is it the best Bond? I don't think so. Is it the quintessential Bond, the iconic Bond, the überBond? Absolutely!
I guess there’s the Kentucky stud music, is the Into Miami variant as Felix walks through the pool crowd there?.. there’s not a whole lot missing though is there?
Oh, yeah. Those too. Also, when Pussy Galore comes out dressed attractive for Bond and Goldfinger approves. Then the playful fight between Bond and Pussy.
And the bit on Goldfinger's plane when Mei-Lei is 'keeping an eye' on Bond.
Oh! Yes. Although, I think that track is on the expanded score as "Bathroom Voyeur/Pussy Galore's Flying Circus".
<3
As a massive fan of both Bond and Frasier, the surprise of this scene delighted me to no end.
I don't think the "Bathroom Voyeur" bit is an official release, is it? On the expanded score I've seen it's just the Flying Circus.
Oh, Ok. The one I've seen, has got those two tracks merged together, though. Maybe La-La Land can give it to us officially this year. Although, my feeling is, this year is for Moonraker & Licence To Kill from La-La Land. Just a guess, though. Just maybe.
Just listening to the Fraiser riff is a reminder of how iconic that film is.
I certainly hope so. It is Eon who specifically tell LLL which scores to release though according to an interview with the main guy which came out earlier this year though, hence GF probably being on the way, as they’ve put a lot of work into this 60th anniversary.
I made this version, which part of me half prefers!
I’ve always found her a touch shrill, but I did get to see her singing it live at the 60th concert, and I must admit it was pretty magical.