The only Bond film in my collection is also, for me, the most assured of the canon.
With two Bond films already successful and a character - and actor - fast becoming iconic, Harry Saltzman and 'Cubby' Broccoli provided a much larger budget and sleek production values.
The Bond cliches were locked in with GOLDFINGER: deaths with a quip, hundreds of mown-down extras, a villain bent on world domination, the gadgets and glamorous locations used as mere backdrops, not forgetting the title credit sequence and song.
You have to wonder how these men became criminal masterminds when they give Bond so many chances to escape rather than just killing him when they have the chance.
For those used to the crunching non-stop action of the last 30 years of Bond, they are in for a shock as here first-time Bond director Hamilton focuses on plot over needless set-pieces.
Shelf or charity shop? Bond is saving the West from my plastic dvd storage box... I must admit I have usually lost interest by the climax at Fort Knox but by then we have had Honor Blackman fading into view and purring "My name is Pussy Galore", John Barry's exciting score, Shirley Bassey owning the title song (amazingly, neither GOLDFINGER or DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER were nominated for the Best Song Academy Award), Sean Connery has delivered a performance of charisma and charm, and the glorious Shirley Eaton has, in three short scenes, became iconic as the doomed Jill Masterson, found very dead and painted gold. Shirley - as I type - is the last surviving cast member. That also includes Nikki Van der Zyl - "who she" I hear you cry? She provided the dubbed voice of many Bond girls - Ursula Andress in DOCTOR NO and CASINO ROYALE, Eunice Gayson in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, Shirley Eaton in GOLDFINGER, Claudine Auger in THUNDERBALL, Mie Hama in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, Jane Seymour in LIVE AND LET DIE and Corinne Cléry in MOONRAKER! She was equally busy at Hammer dubbing Raquel Welch in ONE MILLION YEARS BC and Ursula Andress (again!) in SHE.
