Goldfinger
60th Anniversary
1964–2024

Honor Blackman joined the production on April 21, 1964 and filmed her introductory scene on board Goldfinger’s Lockheed JetStar. Filming of the golf match between Goldfinger and James Bond began on April 30, 1964 at Stoke Poges Golf Club close to Pinewood Studios, but was abandoned due to bad weather, with the crew returning to complete the scenes in late May. Sean Connery and Honor Blackman then filmed the scenes where Bond seduces Pussy Galore in Goldfinger’s barn at ‘Auric Stud’ on the Pinewood backlot. The exterior of Goldfinger’s Kentucky Stud Farm and house were also filmed at Pinewood, with cinematographer Ted Moore expertly convincing the audience that the action was not taking place in rainy Buckinghamshire! In addition to the façade of Goldfinger’s house on the Pinewood backlot, Production designer Ken Adam also constructed the exterior of Fort Knox to match the aerial shots already captured of the real gold bullion depository in Kentucky.

On June 2, 1964 Sean Connery and Honor Blackman filmed in the barn set on Pinewood’s backlot, with Bob Simmons [pictured above left with Honor Blackman] and Phyllis Cornell [pictured above right with Sean Connery] doubling for the stars where necessary. This scene was one of several extensively photographed by the world media for publicity in newspapers and magazines ahead of the release of Goldfinger.

Filming on Ken Adam’s vast Fort Knox gold bullion vault set on Pinewood’s ‘A’ Stage began on June 12, 1964 and continued for 10 days. The climactic fight between Sean Connery and Harold Sakata was choreographed by action arranger Bob Simmons, with Peter Perkins [who had been the stunt arranger on From Russia With Love (1963)] doubling for Sean Connery in some of the shots. Simmons himself performed the 40ft fall from the top of the set when Kisch (Michael Mellinger) is thrown to his death from a balcony by Oddjob. The death of Oddjob himself was one of many changes to the novel, with Goldfinger’s henchman being electrocuted in Fort Knox rather than being sucked out of an airplane window as described in Ian Fleming’s 1959 novel. It is Goldfinger himself who is afforded this more cinematic exit in the film version. Harold Sakata performed the sequence where Oddjob is electrocuted as he holds on to his steel-brimmed hat when it becomes lodged in the metal bars of the set. This spectacular scene begins with the hat hitting the bars (in the finished film, the film is reversed and the hat is pulled out from in between the bars on a wire), before John Stears’ pyrotechnic effects supposedly electrocute the Korean henchman as he falls face-down onto the floor in one single unbroken movement. Sakata’s core strength and wrestling skills certainly paid off, and his casting in the role of Oddjob assured his popularity and association with the character for many years after the release of Goldfinger. Sakata continued his wrestling career after appearing in Goldfinger – now often billed as ‘Oddjob’ – and later spoofed the role (dressed in the same clothes as in Goldfinger and wearing a version of his signature hat) in a series of American television commercials for Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup. In 1974 Sakata popped up as ‘Odd Job’ in The Wrestler – an independent US film starring Edward Asner. Five months before his death on July 29, 1982 Harold Sakata’s final public appearance was as Oddjob alongside Richard Kiel as Jaws. The pair reprised their iconic characters as part of a James Bond inspired musical segment to accompany Sheena Easton’s performance of the Oscar nominated song ‘For Your Eyes Only’ at the 54th Academy Awards ceremony on March 29, 1982.

Desmond Llewelyn had made his debut as Q in From Russia With Love (1963) and his role was expanded for Goldfinger (1964), which was the first film of the series to show Q Branch itself, and showcased the team testing several gadgets. Also seen briefly in the background of the scene was a modified red Royal Mail van which was designed to hold three men along with surveillance equipment and a machine gun. Assistant art director Michael White produced a detailed sketch of the van and its contents that were to originally appear more prominently in the scene. Although these shots did not make it into the finished film, an out-take was used by Robert Brownjohn in the main title sequence of Goldfinger (1964). The short sequence accompanies special effects John Stears’ credit, and is followed by another out-take from the helicopter chase in From Russia With Love (1963), which the title designer used to accompany his own credit – thereby reminding audiences he had created the titles for both films.

Filmed on May 22, 1964 Desmond Llewelyn’s scene as Q introduced the character’s exasperation with James Bond as he explains the features of the gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5 which became an iconic element of the films from 1964 to the present day. The car itself was modified by John Stears and his special effects team earlier in the year, and was used in the chase scenes which began filming on March 9, 1964. The driveways between studio buildings at Pinewood stood in as the Auric Enterprises factory, with nearby Black Park doubling for Switzerland during the hectic night-time chase. The end of the sequence where James Bond’s Aston Martin crashes into a brick wall was filmed on July 15, 1964 – with stuntman Bob Simmons driving the car into a wall of foam bricks. As the fake wall offered no resistance when hit at speed, the car continued into the real brick wall damaging the front of the Aston Martin. Following hasty repairs the scene was re-shot the following evening, this time with the car driven by stuntman George Leech, who performed the stunt to director Guy Hamilton’s satisfaction. The original take with Bob Simmons driving through the foam bricks can be seen in the theatrical trailer for Goldfinger.

The Aston Martin returned in the next James Bond film Thunderball (1965), and has since become known as “The Most Famous Car in the World”. To tie-in with the release of Thunderball CORGI Toys issued a gold-coloured 1:46 scale model edition of the Aston Martin DB5, which would include several of the gimmicks seen on the full-sized version made famous in Goldfinger (1964). A second slightly larger version (now in the silver birch livery seen in the films) with additional gadgets was released in 1968. A key component in the continued popularity of Goldfinger, the Aston Martin was an instant success following a huge promotional campaign, and went on to win awards for ‘Toy of the Year’ and ‘Best Boys Toy’ of 1965 at the January 1966 British Toy Fair. Although the Aston Martin DB5 has been re-issued many times in various packaging (and by other manufacturers), it is the original 1960s CORGI Toys editions that have become two of the most iconic children's toys ever created, selling over four-million units in the two years following its initial release at the height of ‘Bondmania’.

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