On October 5, 1962, the James Bond movies exploded onto the scene with the decisive victory of Dr. No, and it's a date that is now known to fans as Global James Bond Day. But it wasn’t until 1964’s Goldfinger that Ian Fleming’s literary creation really stepped into the cinematic form that’s been parodied for decades to come.
In fact, the Guy Hamilton-directed entry in Sean Connery’s James Bond run, which premiered on September 18th in its native UK, solidified several of the key hallmarks that have heralded a Bond movie throughout the classic era. In celebration of Global James Bond Day, I’d like to raise my martini to the movie that really defined the world of 007.
With that in mind, allow me to run through how Goldfinger solidified the classic James Bond formula for decades to come.
Goldfinger Gave Us The First Proper ‘Bond Opening’
Among the list of the best James Bond theme songs is none other than the title track to Goldfinger, sung by the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey. But in addition to that position of honor, the hit single that heralded the arrival of 007’s nemesis of the moment was also the first song to be presented with the traditional Bond opening.
Taking the vague notion of beautiful women with material related to the film projected on their bodies, Goldfinger replicated what From Russia with Love would introduce in 1962. While music played an important role in the James Bond legacy from its very beginning, this was the first time the title song would be front and center, setting the tone for what was to come.
Pussy Galore’s Name Is A Double Entendre That Landed The Formula
In the history of Bond women who are 007’s equal, Honor Blackman’s portrayal of Pussy Galore is still one of the all-timers. At the same time, her pulpy moniker drips of the sort of double entendres that Mike Myers and other comedians would be lampooning for decades after Goldfinger’s release.
The James Bond series certainly made it easy, as Bond Girls to come would have names like Diamonds are Forever’s Plenty O’Toole (Lana Wood), Moonraker’s Dr. Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) and even Quantum of Solace’s Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton). Even more punny entries like Die Another Day’s henchman Mr. Kil (Lawrence Makoare) have Ms. Galore to thank for landing such memorable names.
Auric Goldfinger Cements The World Dominating Bond Villain Archetype
Goldeneye director Martin Campbell rejected further Pierce Brosnan movies for one reason above all: he was tired of the stereotypical “nutcase trying to take over the world.” Yes, Dr. No’s titular menace (Joseph Wise) may have had a leg up when it came to having a control room and designs on world domination, but Goldfinger nailed that into the fabric of James Bond’s more immediate future.
Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) has everything the conquering Bond baddie would embody for several decades: an uncontrollable obsession, a vicious right hand henchman and a want to hold the world hostage. When your villain not only inspires your series’ future antagonists, but also a character like infamous Simpsons villain Hank Scorpio (Albert Brooks), you know you’re doing something memorable.
The Aston Martin DB5 Finally Arrived In James Bond History
Let’s take a moment to really appreciate the Aston Martin DB5. James Bond’s iconic signature automobile, most recently seen in Daniel Craig’s No Time To Die, is a legendary stunner, and still occupies a meaningful place in the ranks of movie automobiles. According to one of the preeminent 007 history texts, Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films, by Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury (via Slashfilm), that took a lot of pitching.
It was worth it though, as Aston Martin would then become the brand for Bond (save for a couple years where Pierce Brosnan was driving BMWs) and actually made a handful of replicas in 2020. It’s not hard to see why. 60 years later, Commander Bond’s impressive wheels are still the object of the affections of 007 fans, which only made the British auto brand synonymous with the man behind the wheel.
Goldfinger’s Gadgets Push The Series Into More Fantastic Weaponry
I’m as obsessed with the Aston Martin DB5 as the rest of you, so why don’t we stay on the topic of Goldfinger’s charismatic car? I have a good reason for that, as Sean Connery’s legendary mode of transportation helped push forward another important James Bond hallmark: the gadgets of Q Branch!
With a bunch of bells and whistles that include (but are not limited to) a retractable shield by the trunk, a GPS unit and, yes, the ejector seat, this was the movie that helped people identify 007 with high tech toys. Even the villains started to get some fantastic toys in Goldfinger, as Auric Goldfinger threatened our hero’s literal manhood with his infamous laser cannon!
Also, that killer “metal brimmed bowler hat” that belongs to Oddjob (Harold Sakata) is officially considered a gadget by the official 007 website. As we saw with Die Another Day director Lee Tamahori’s defense of the “invisible” Aston Martin Vanquish, what may seem ridiculous to the audience at large is usually not too far behind the actual science of today.
Oddjob Paved The Way For Imposing Henchpeople Of The Future
We’ll end with a tip of our own, non-lethal hats to Oddjob: a man of few words, but deadly aim. Imposing in stature and in the command of his horrific hat, Goldfinger’s henchman was a template for future associates that would make James Bond’s day a living hell. Though he would eventually see James Bond defeating him with a positively shocking death, Oddjob threw his hat in the ring of death, so that future successors could run, or in some cases chomp, his way into the hearts of Bond fans.
Without Oddjob taking the world by storm, we would have never gotten Jaws (Richard Kiel) taking a bite out of life, May Day (Grace Jones) providing the sort of threats that Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) couldn’t deliver, or Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista) helping dissatisfying SPECTRE agents see things a bit less clearly. The henchperson became an important part to any James Bond villains’ plans, and that trend still pops up in the Daniel Craig run of Bond movies.
If you look close enough at Goldfinger and its place in the history of 007, there’s bound to be even more connections that found a lasting foothold after this picture’s release. So much of the James Bond legacy’s identity comes from what the team behind this picture nailed into place, as its box office performance proved once and for all that its main villain’s rule of threes was, in its own way, proven to be correct.
60 years of Goldfinger is just the start of what you can celebrate when it comes to Global James Bond Day. It just so happens you can stream that movie, as well as every other Bond adventure (minus 2006's Casino Royale) through access to a Prime Video subscription. Happy anniversary, Commander Bond, and here’s to the occasion of whenever your cinematic resurgence may be. Because as we’ve come to learn over 62 years of movie history… James Bond will return.
