12 Behind-the-Scenes Images of Goldfinger Showcasing Bond at His Finest

      Here are some images from *Goldfinger*, arguably the finest James Bond film and the third installment to feature Sean Connery as 007.

      Do you believe there’s a superior Bond movie than *Goldfinger*? Please share your thoughts in the comments. We promise to remain unshaken or stirred.

      Now, here are 12 behind-the-scenes images from *Goldfinger*.

      Shine On

      United Artists

      *Goldfinger* is perhaps most renowned for the bizarre manner in which the villain eliminates his aide, Jill Masterson, played by Shirley Eaton.

      He does so by having her covered in gold paint, which results in her death due to skin suffocation.

      In the image above, Sean Connery ensures that the real Eaton is not experiencing any skin suffocation despite her gold paint. She appears to be doing well.

      Sharp-Dressed Man

      United Artists

      For once, a Bond girl isn’t donned in the most revealing outfit. Here’s Connery with Eaton and Bond creator Ian Fleming, who passed away the month prior to the release of *Goldfinger*.

      If you're curious about the relationship between Connery and Fleming, you can explore how Fleming eventually accepted the idea of casting Sean Connery by reading this excerpt from Nicholas Shakespeare’s excellent work, *Ian Fleming: The Complete Man*.

      We recommend it as essential reading for serious Bond enthusiasts.

      Roles in the Hay

      United Artists

      Connery and Honor Blackman, who portrays, um, Ms. Galore, practice a well-known fight scene in the *Goldfinger* behind-the-scenes image above.

      We’re uncertain if we can safely type Ms. Galore’s first name since our stories are published on various media platforms that have understandably strict filters.

      It is rather feline, however.

      True Love

      United Artists

      Sean Connery as James Bond with his one true love: his iconic Aston Martin, one of the most stunning movie cars ever.

      A fully restored *Goldfinger* Aston Martin DB5 fetched $6.4 million at auction in 2019.

      The auction house RM Sotheby's noted that it featured “hydraulic over-rider rams on the bumpers, a Browning .30 caliber machine gun in each fender, wheel-hub mounted tire-slashers, a raising rear bullet-proof screen, an in-dash radar tracking scope, oil, caltrop and smoke screen dispensers, revolving license plates, and a passenger-seat ejection system.”

      Odd Job

      United Artists

      Harold Sakata, who portrayed Oddjob, jokes around on set, proving he’s not a bad guy behind the scenes.

      He’s one of our all-time favorite Bond villains, who set the bar for many more to follow.

      None, however, matched the coolness of his flying hat routine.

      The Fall Guy

      United Artists

      From left to right, actor-stuntman Bob Simmons, who played Bond in the gunbarrel sequence, Connery, and Nadja Regin, who portrayed Bonita.

      The gunbarrel sequence is the opening part of the film where Bond, wearing a hat, walks across the screen in profile and suddenly turns to fire his gun at the audience while the Bond theme plays. Did you think that was Connery? We can relate. So did we.

      Make-Up

      United Artists

      Eaton's gold paint reportedly took 90 minutes to apply, but it was worth it: her gold-painted image appeared on the cover of *LIFE* magazine as part of the promotional campaign for the film, which is the third in the 27 Bond film series.

      If you're a collector, her *LIFE* magazine issue is the November 6, 1964 edition.

      She’s shown above being painted by makeup artist Paul Rabiger, who also worked on Bond films like *Thunderball*, *You Only Live Twice*, and *From Russia With Love*.

      Good as Gold

      United Artists

      Shirley Eaton is all smiles, even while covered in gold paint.

      Eaton, a British actress known for her roles in the *Carry On* films, retired from acting in 1969 to focus on her family but published her autobiography, aptly titled *Golden Girl*, in 1999.

      It became a bestseller, and she went on to write three more books.

      In the Club

      United Artists

      Harold Sakata as Oddjob and Gert Fröbe as Auric Goldfinger.

      Orson Welles was among the contenders considered for the role of Goldfinger, a gold magnate obsessed with the metal, but he demanded too high a salary. (Ironically, shouldn’t that have made him more suitable for the role?)

      Fröbe, a German actor, was dubbed by actor Michael Collins, continuing a Bond tradition: Ursula Andress had also been dubbed in the original Bond film, *Dr. No*.

      From Russia With Love

      United Artists

      Tania Mallet, who played Jill's sister T