Goldfinger: Your Three Favourite Scenes!

This one is a little difficult for me - the first half of the film is classic Bond. But the first scenes that come to mind:

1. Golfing with Goldfinger
Perfectly establishes the 'Bond beats the villain' sequence for the Bond film - so much so that like everything else in the film, created a formula for many Bond films to follow.

2. "My name is Pussy Galore"
Can you imagine waking up to that? One of the best entrances and names for a Bond girl, and Honor Blackman is perfect.

3. "No Mr Bond I expect you to die"
Say it how it is, Goldfinger! Bond stripped down to nothing but his wits and quick talking. Great use of technology in the scene, performances are on point, music, set design. Brilliant.

Hmm, it's tough.

In no particular order:

1) when Bond trumps Goldfinger at the Miami Hotel ("Now listen up, Goldfinger..."). Following hot on the heels of Bond's introduction to Jill and the Bond theme.

2) "Shocking, positively shocking". For a start one of the best Bond puns but if we may include Bond's expression when the charges go off. Also the fact our hero is not beyond using the damsel as a shield (after apologising for his gun holster getting in the way).

3) "Dawn Raid on Fort Knox", it's the music if anything. Seeing all those soldiers fall flat -seeing it for the first time you are forgiven perhaps for thinking, well, Bond has failed.

Honourary mention of "Oddjob's Pressing Engagement". Not the scene as such I suppose but the music is glorious on the screen.

1. Dawn Raid on Fort Knox
Epic feeling scene especially due to Barry's masterful score.

2. The Pre-Titles Sequence (all of it)
Pretty much everything that is James Bond in a matter of minutes.

3. Oddjob Blows a Fuse
A good fight with a brutal end. Oddjob's smug grin throughout is also pretty amusing especially his calm walk over to get his hat from the bars after Bond tosses it at him.

This is tough with so many contenders

1. Bond tailing Goldfinger in Austria
2. Playing Golf
3. Goldfinger's quick switch into his US army outfit

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

This one is a little difficult for me - the first half of the film is classic Bond. But the first scenes that come to mind:

1. Golfing with Goldfinger
Perfectly establishes the 'Bond beats the villain' sequence for the Bond film - so much so that like everything else in the film, created a formula for many Bond films to follow.

2. "My name is Pussy Galore"
Can you imagine waking up to that? One of the best entrances and names for a Bond girl, and Honor Blackman is perfect.

3. "No Mr Bond I expect you to die"
Say it how it is, Goldfinger! Bond stripped down to nothing but his wits and quick talking. Great use of technology in the scene, performances are on point, music, set design. Brilliant.

Having given it a rewatch, I might give this a bit of an update. Keeping in mind it's full of iconic imagery and brilliant scenes, it's perhaps a matter of what resonated most this time around. In others words, it's subject to change.

1. My Name Is Pussy Galore.
(as above)

2. Smithers briefs Bond and M
I've always quite liked this scene, but the striking character work interwoven in plot exposition (that rarely feels as such) in such a grand, almost royal setting is both perfectly fitting for a film entitled 'Goldfinger' but also rather riveting to watch. It's a wonder why briefings rarely happen outside the office post-Goldfinger, particularly when they can do it so well.

3. PTS
Strangways&Quarrel nailed it in his post above. All that makes Bond brilliant in the opening minutes.

Honourable mentions to the rest of the film.

No real order here. Also, this is tough, since I think *most* of the individual scenes in GF work like gangbusters.

1. "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE!"

2. Jill Masterson (from Bond's introduction to thwarting Goldfinger to the bedroom to the golden girl).

3. PTS

God there are so many I want to put here. Damn. Golfing scene, car chase, "My name is Pussy Galore," and on and on.

1. The initial sight of Jill painted gold. Shook me badly when I saw GF on the boob toob at a very young age.

2. Car crushing sequence.

3. Bond and Auric discussing Goldfinger's plan over mint juleps.

Great choices Xenia and PK!

Actually, you reminded me that Bond and Goldfinger discussing Operation Grand Slam at the ranch really was sublime work from both actors (and the voice over artist, too!), the writers and of course Hamilton. I did think while watching it recently that it might one of of my top 3 scenes in the film. So I might even slip it in number 3rd spot.

Agonizing to name only three...

1. Fort Knox vault fight. Second best fight in the series and one of the most iconic, nail biters in the history of the medium.
2. Bond-GF plot discussion on the veranda. So much ego and revelations happen here and Bond is always on the offensive trying to squirrel out information without seeming obvious. This should be one of the test scenes for any potential actor.
3. Tailing GF across Switzerland in the DB5

I really think you could do no wrong with one's top 3 scenes in Goldfinger. Of your options:

1. One of Adams' finest sets, an excellent fight and end to Oddjob, Goldfinger army outfit, a ticking clock, the army shootout. So, so good.

3. Connery's 'discipline 007. Discipline' is the icing on the cake.

The go to movie for most non Bond fans and sighted by many as the best of the series and the point at which Bond mania was at it's height. As good as it is i don't share the same enthusiasm but it would rank in my top 10.

1. Pre title sequence....pure class from start to finish and the scene that started the trend for a kind of mini movie which has no relationship to the rest of the film.

2. DB5 introduction with Q....Love this scene as Q struggles to get past Bonds cynicism, watching Q explain the "few added extras" is always a treat.

3, DB5 chase.... never forget seeing this for the first time, i was blown away, i had the pleasure of driving a DB5 myself recently,(see my avatar) still the most beautiful car ever.

It's a tough gig to pick three of the best scenes from GF, a film ripe with so many iconic moments. I don't think anyone would argue with your choices!

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

It's a tough gig to pick three of the best scenes from GF, a film ripe with so many iconic moments.

I find that it is usually much easier to pick three favourite scenes from a bad film than from a good film.