Goldfinger
60th Anniversary
1964–2024

KEVIN HARPER looks back at the production of Goldfinger, released 60 years ago as the third entry in the long-running James Bond film series. The film went on to become a box-office sensation upon its release in September 1964, and is still widely regarded as one of the high points of the franchise. Goldfinger initiated the global phenomenon of ‘Bondmania’ that consolidated the series’ success in the 1960s.

Also coming on board was screenwriter Paul Dehn, who delivered a third draft screenplay on December 23, 1963. Dehn polished the two earlier drafts of the script into the version we know today, and went on to corner the market in the spy movie boom that followed after the success of Goldfinger – going on to write the screenplays for The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965) and The Deadly Affair (1967) – both based on novels by John Le Carré. The idea of Bond returning from a previous mission (featured in Ian Fleming’s novel) was retained as the pre-title sequence, which unlike its predecessor, had no connection to the rest of the film, serving purely as an action-packed teaser to start the film with a bang – an idea that carried through most of the rest of the series.

As the script neared completion casting got underway in November 1963 with Harold Sakata – a 1948 Olympic weightlifting Silver Medal winner (then enjoying a wrestling career under the name “Tosh Togo”), testing for the part of Oddjob opposite Charles Gray [who later played Henderson in You Only Live Twice (1967) and Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever (1971)] playing Auric Goldfinger. However, Indian-born British actor and professional wrestler Milton Reid – who had played one of Doctor No’s bodyguards in the first James Bond film, and currently appearing in yellow-face make-up in several Hammer horror films, felt the role should have been offered to him first as he had more acting experience than Sakata. Reid, who fought under the name “The Mighty Chang” issued a challenge and offered to fight the Hawaiian-born Sakata, with the winner given the role of Oddjob in Goldfinger. The story of the wresting match was later given a full-page write-up in the Daily Mirror on February 3, 1964, by which time Sakata had already been offered the role. EON Productions applied to the Ministry of Labour for a permit to allow Sakata (an American citizen) to appear in the film, but the actors union Equity did not originally support the application. An Equity spokesman said, “Milton Reid is one of our members.” Harry Saltzman responded: “Milton Reid appeared in another James Bond film ‘Dr. No’. We want new faces in the series and Togo fills our bill admirably. We will not be blackmailed into giving Reid the part. There is no favouritism about Togo being offered the part. Our policy is to make the films as authentic as possible. If a suitable part comes up in one of our films – other than the Bond series – Reid may be offered it.” Reid would later play one of Mata Bond’s (Joanna Pettet) palace guards in Casino Royale (1967), but would play a more prominent role in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) as one of Stromberg’s henchmen Sandor, although the tenth James Bond film was now produced solely by Albert R. Broccoli, following Saltzman’s sale of his rights in DANJAQ to United Artists in 1975.

On the same day as Sakata’s test (November 28, 1963), British model and actress Margaret Nolan was tested in a special gold-coloured skin suit, and also partially painted gold for the role of Jill Masterson. Although Shirley Eaton was ultimately cast as the ill-fated Jill Masterson, Margaret Nolan later tested for the small role of Dink on December 13, 1963, alongside English model and actress Jacqueline Jones [who went on to portray several Bond Girls in a special feature for September 1964 issue of SHOWTIME Magazine], and American-born Dolores Wettach. Irish-born actor James Kerry (1937-1994) provided the off-screen voice of James Bond in the tests filmed on Pinewood’s ‘E’ Stage. Margaret Nolan also appeared as the ‘Golden Girl’ in Robert Brownjohn’s iconic main title sequence and the posters he designed for the film. When it came to the casting of Auric Goldfinger the producers had more of a challenge. First to test at Pinewood Studios on December 12, 1963 was Austrian-born actor Theodore Bikel (1924-2015), who was suggested by Harry Saltzman. The test was photographed by Ted Moore and directed by Guy Hamilton, who also provided the off-screen voice of James Bond. On the same day Greek actor Titos Vandis (1917-2003) also tested for the key role of Goldfinger, but both actors failed to impress as they performed in different make-up and wigs.

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