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Goldfinger (1964)
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Krel
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An example of how Ken Adams knew what he was doing. I saw an interview with Ken Adams once, where he talked about the gold vault set. He said that in real life you would not store gold like that. It is just to dangerous due the weigh of the gold. He said that the gold in Fort Knox was probably kept in small vaults. He was correct.

Not long after seeing the interview, I saw a program on Fort Knox. They interviewed a man, that when he was in high school on the football team, he and his teammates were hired to help with the inventory of the gold in Fort Knox. He said that the gold was kept in small, deep closet-like vaults.

On either side of the door there were ledges about knee high. These ledges were a few inches shorter than a gold bar, to help in handling the gold. You have to be very careful because the bars weigh about 50 pounds (it could be more, it has been a few years), and they would break your foot if you dropped one on it. The gold isn't stacked very high because of the weight, and the danger, I don't remember how high though. He did it for years, until the government stopped the yearly inventory.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

A large part of the reason I think of Goldfinger as quasi-science-fiction is that wonderful Fort Knox set. The story might not be sci-fi, but this element of the setting is clearly "futuristic".

This is the best picture I could find of the set ??? and even it needed quite a lot of adjustments to the brightness, color, and sharpness.






The most puzzling thing about the entire Bond series during the Connery era is the way the producers learned how to improve it during the first three films ??? and then blew it completely with the next three! Sad

Thunderball was the eagerly awaited sequel, but it completely failed to capture the charm of Goldfinger, much less surpass it, despite a much bigger budget!

The biggest mistake it made was setting so much of the action underwater — especially the climax. Legions of soldiers in wet suits desperately fought each other in slow motion. That's about as exciting as time lapse photography of blooming flowers!

I'm sure the idea sounded great in preproduction, and that's why the artist who produced the great cover for the soundtrack album created this, which I got for Christmas from my sister the year this movie came out.






I love the music and I love the artwork . . . but I was deeply disappointed in the movie. To me it's the worst of the Connery Bond films.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

As I mentioned in the posts I made today for both Dr. No and Diamonds Are Forever, after I watched Angelina Jolie in Salt (a great movie), I was suddenly in a Bond mood, so I went looking for things to say about some of my favorites.

IMDB trivia has a few nice items for this film (the blue text below).
________________________________

Some of Pussy Galore's all-woman Flying Circus were played by men wearing blonde wigs.

(Note from me: Uh . . . no. I don't buy this one at all. Very Happy)

When Shirley Bassey recorded the theme song, she was singing as the opening credits were running on a screen in front of her, so that she could match the vocals. When she hit her final high note, the titles kept running, and she was forced to hold the note, until she almost passed out.

(Note from me: When you hear that last note in the song, you can easily believe this claim!


__________________ Goldfinger Theme Song


__________



The recreation of the Fort Knox repository at Pinewood Studios was incredibly accurate considering no one involved in the film had been allowed inside the real location for security reasons. The set looked so real that a 24-hour guard was placed on the Fort Knox set at Pinewood Studios so that pilferers would not steal the gold bar props. A letter to the production from the Fort Knox Controller congratulated Ken Adam and his team on the recreation.

(Note from me: This claim puzzles me. I've scene documentaries about Fort Knox, and the interior looks nothing like the spectacular set in the movie! Here's an excerpt from an article about the one-and-only public tour of Fort Knox, which was conducted in 1974 for politicians and newsmen. The video below is the news report that aired in 1974.)


TF Metal Reports wrote:
In the fall of 1974, a tour of Fort Knox was arranged for a few elected representatives, all to be dutifully recorded by the press. The tour was not an audit of any kind, nor would the entire facility be open to the Congressmen and the press. Instead, the outing was nothing more than a bizarre PR event, carefully limited to the viewing of a single chamber which was said to be just one of thirteen such vaults on the premises.

__________________ Inside Fort Knox 1974


__________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Krel
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
This claim puzzles me. I've scene documentaries about Fort Knox, and the interior looks nothing like the spectacular set in the movie!

I believe that he was referring to the exterior Fort Knox set, not the gold vaults.

The "Goldfinger" theme was originally sung by Anthony Newley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pyJd_rFrlo

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Krel wrote:
I believe that he was referring to the exterior Fort Knox set, not the gold vaults.

Well, I think the author of the trivia item must have confused his facts then, because he does say —

"The recreation of the Fort Knox repository at Pinewood Studios was incredibly accurate considering no one involved in the film had been allowed inside the real location for security reasons."


Krel wrote:
The "Goldfinger" theme was originally sung by Anthony Newley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pyJd_rFrlo

Yep, you mentioned this on the previous page of this thread (word-for-word, compete with the link), on April 2, 2015 — a little over two years ago. Laughing

And my reply was this (referring to Anthony's tendency to use trebelo excessively).


Quote:
Well, gee, it started out real nice but about thirty seconds into it Anthony started doing what Anthony always does, and I started cringing and giggling, both at the same time.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I enjoyed this slide show, which includes text at the bottom of the pictures with interesting facts about the film.

I turned off the sound while watching it, because "The Blue Danube Waltz" just didn't work well with a Goldfinger slide show. Rolling Eyes


_________ Behind the Scenes Photos: Goldfinger


__________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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ralfy
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The jail scene's great. No gadgets needed.
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Krel
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Something I forgot to put in my post on the Fort Knox vaults. When handling the gold, they wore steel shells over their shoes. This is a safety precaution to save their feet in case they dropped a gold bar on their foot.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

This seven-minute video will put to rest any ideas that the gold vaults at Fort Knox bear the slightest resembles to the grand and gorgeous set in Goldfinger.

It also contains some fascinating info about Fort Know.
Cool

__________Fort Knox Gold | Kentucky Life | KET


__________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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The Spike
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 8:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bond, Bowler Hats, Galore and the Man With the Midas Touch.

Goldfinger is directed by Guy Hamilton and adapted to screenplay by Richard Maibaum & Paul Dehn from the novel written by Ian Fleming. It stars Sean Connery, Gert Frobe, Honor Blackman, Shirley Eaton & Harold Sakata. Music is by John Barry and cinematography by Ted Moore.

Operation Grand Slam.

Connery's third outing as James Bond sees 007 investigating the movements of wealthy gold dealer Auric Goldfinger (Frobe). Little does 007 or MI6 know, but Goldfinger is hatching a master plan that will spell disaster for the world's financial climate.

Undeniably the turning point in the James Bond franchise, Goldfinger is also one of the most fondly remembered by the cinema loving public. Here is when Bond not only went go-go gadget crazy, but he also impacted on pop culture to the point the waves created are still being felt today. Bond traditionalists are often irked by the mention of the change Goldfinger represents, and with just cause, because this really isn't Fleming's core essence Bond. Bond has now become a gadget using super agent, a man who laughs in the face of death, a quip never far from his lips. Yet the hard facts are that this Bond is the one the world really bought into, ensuring for the foreseeable future at least, that this type of Bond was here to say. Marketing was high pitched, fan worship became feverish and the box office sang to the tune of $125 million. Toys, gimmicks and collectables would follow, the Aston Martin DB5 would become "The Most Famous Car in the World", in 1964 Bond truly became a phenomenon.

Purely on an entertainment front, Goldfinger delivers royally, the sets, casting and the high energy set-pieces all seep with quality. This in spite of the actual plot being one of the weakest in the whole franchise. As great a villain as Auric Goldfinger is, with a voice dubbed Frobe simply joyous in the role, his motives are rather dull and hardly cause for some worldwide Bondian panic. But the film rises above it to the point it only really registers long after the end credits have rolled. We have been treated to Odd Job (Sakata instantly becoming a Bond villain legend), that laser, the DB5 and its tricks, the delicious Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore (still an awesome name today and still sounding like a character from a Carry On movie), the golf match, Shirley Eaton's golden girl and the ticking time bomb finale played out during the chaotic scenes involving Ken Adam's brilliantly designed version of Fort Knox.

Bond staples also serve the production well, the title sequence is neatly strung together as scenes from the movie play out over a writhing golden girl, who was model Margaret Nolan and who briefly appears in the film as Dink. The theme tune is a blockbuster, sang with gusto by Shirley Bassey and the locations dazzle the eyes as we are whisked to Switzerland, Kentucky and Miami. Stock characters continue to make their marks, with M, Moneypenny and Q (setting in motion the wonderful serious v jocular axis of his "to be continued" relationship with Bond), starting to feel like old cinematic friends. Only let down is Cec Linder's turn as Bond's CIA counterpart, Felix Leiter, gone is the swagger created by Jack Lord in Dr. No, and while Linder is no bad actor, he doesn't sit right in the role, he's looks too world weary. A shame because he is integral to how the plot pans out.

Director Guy Hamilton was helming the first of what would end up being four Bond movies on his CV, he made his mark by bringing more zip and quip to the Bond character. Connery was firmly ensconced in the role of Bond, he was a mega star because of it, but cracks were beginning to appear in how Connery viewed this gargantuan success and the impact it was having on his hopes to be viewed as a serious actor. However, he was signed up for Thunderball, the next James Bond adventure, and Terence Young would return to the director's chair, could they top the success of Goldfinger? 9/10

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I'm watching my Goldfinger Blu-ray, and I'm impressed anew by the way this movie portrayed the spy craze about one year after the Kennedy era ended tragically when a bullet blew off the top of the president's head, while hundreds of loyal Americans watched in horror! Shocked

Up until that moment, Kennedy was the "James Bond" president in the White House — a man who challenged us to land a man on the Moon and who stood up to Nikita Khrushchev when he told him he'd better get his damn missiles out of Cuba or there'd be hell to pay! Evil or Very Mad

Kennedy was a handsome young man with a heroic service record, a gorgeous wife, a cultured manner, a suave appearance, and a rumored relationship with (be still, my foolish heart . . . ) Marilyn Monroe!






Is it any wonder that America adored James Bond, because he was a fictional version of our own president, a man who promoted bold new space programs, pinned medals on astronauts, gave speeches that thrilled the nation, and inspired an entire generation to become the heroes of the world's greatest nation. Cool

Folks, we haven't had a president like that since then — although some us feel that Barack Obama was pretty damn good (but others disagree with that). Oh well . . . Smile

However, John F. Kennedy and James Bond gave us the Age of Camelot, a medieval time when a noble king inspired his own country.

In the Bond films, a fictional knight called Sir James sallied forth to battle the enemies of the realm. And he actually served Queen Elizabeth II, royal ruler of the British Empire at the time this movie was made! Very Happy

This tale of Sir James' quest involves the protection of a fabulous treasure, a fortune in gold, stored in the Royal Treasury of a friendly nation. The evil Duke Goldfinger plots to despoil the treasure with radiation just so he can ruin the Kingdom of America! Sad

And the evil Duke Goldfinger possesses the frightening power to slay his enemies by turning them in gold — as he does to the fair Lady Jill when she dares to defy his will!






Ah, but his dastardly plot is thwarted by Sir James — with the help of the beautiful Princess Pussy, who alerts the Royal Guards (also known as the CIA).

Sir James has the powerful assistance of a great wizard named Q, a veritable Merlin who arms Sir James with magical objects — including a wheeled conveyance more miraculous than any pure white steed could ever be!








The thrilling climax occurs down inside the Royal Treasury, where Sir James must battle a powerful foe known as Oddjob, an Ogre in Bowler with a hat that decapitates! Shocked

The valiant knight must defeat the ogre and prevent a powerful magical spell which will put the Royal Treasury under a terrible curse for a fifty years! Shocked

But the brave knight summons the power of lightning to destroy the almost indestructible ogre, and then he neutralizes the spell that will render the fortune in gold completely worthless , bankrupting the Kingdom of America.






In the final battle, Sir James and Duke Goldfinger battle each other while flying across the sky in an enchanted coach!

But Sir James manages to cast Duke Goldfinger into the abyss below . . . and then he rescue Princess Pussy by transporting her magically to the earth below, where they celebrate their victory in a sweet physical union. Wink

My Lords and Ladies, there is no doubt that this tale of heroism, bravery, and noble deeds is a legendary adventure worthy of being told for generations to come. Cool

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2020 11:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As much as I love a number of other movies, one thing I have to admit is that GOLDFINGER is the PERFECT movie!

I saw it a number of times on the wide silver screen and was mesmerized by the images, sounds and feelings presented to me!

Although I had seen the two previous Bonds (Dr. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE) GOLDFINGER had the whole enchilada!

And...NO!... There is no gold at Ft. Knox! It's all been sold off by the Govn'mnt!

Thank God I still have the 143 bars of Nazi gold my dad gave me buried in the back yard!


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filmdetective
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:20 pm    Post subject: James Bond and Ian Fleming Reply with quote

Since, on the Queen of Outer Space thread, my reference to pre-credit sequences in films, must have included a reference to the James Bond films, and motivated Bud to re-watch Goldfinger (trailer, and/or entire feature) again, and the 1960s Bond films bumped to the top, and the fact that many Bond enthusiasts consider Goldfinger the zenith of the Bond film series, I'll post my thoughts on the Bond films, and Ian Fleming here on the Goldfinger thread.

The verbose sentence above is enough for one post to a thread, so I'll move forward in my next post.
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filmdetective
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:24 pm    Post subject: This Post Is Reply with quote

Not getting off the topic of the James Bond films, but the recent revival of the 1960s films and related discussions reminded me of something on the NBC Tonight Show when Johnny Carson was host.

Anyone remember Johnny's Mighty Carson Art Players skits?

And, one skit parodying the Bond films titled, "(I Can't Remember the First Part), or, Kiss My Fleming?

I know that a lot of the old Tonight shows are lost, and I can't remember actually seeing the ??? or Kiss My Fleming by the Mighty Carson Art Players, or only an advance notice that the skit was upcoming.

Anyone here remember that one?

And, what the first part of the whole title was?
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Eadie
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could it be The Kissing & Fondling Bandits?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1CXXp1Zb8g

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