A supervillain, an assassin, a chase with a mountain car and an Aston Martin equipped with art objects – the alpine scenes from the 1964 “Goldfinger” set a new landmark for the archetypal James Bond sequence. And, in addition to being probably the most iconic six minutes and 37 seconds in the franchise’s history, it is also one of the best documented.
In an unprecedented advertising move, journalists and photographers were invited to the Swiss Alps for seven-day filming, where they mingled with cast members and crew. The strategy seemed to work – “Goldfinger” became, at the time, one of the biggest box office movies.
This fully accessible approach has led to a rich archive of backstage photos. Waelty brings together over 200 of these in his book, along with appeal sheets, annotated scripts, and production documents.
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The late Sean Connery was with Bond’s Aston Martin DB5. Scroll through the gallery to see more images from the backstage of the “Goldfinger” alpine sequence. Credit: EON Productions / Promotional filming by Arthur Evans
One of the first images shows the late Sean Connery who arrived at the airport in Zurich with a surprisingly thin hair (he wore a tupee in the role of James Bond). Subsequent photos capture the crew preparing photos and actors relaxing during breaks on set. Among the best-known images are those from an impromptu fashion shoot with actress Tania Mallet, who is pictured brandishing a real AR-7 rifle, not a replica.
“A lot to drink”
The famous sequence revolves around Bond’s encounter with Mallet’s character, Tilly Masterson, as they follow the rich villain Auric Goldfinger separately. After Masterson’s failed assassination attempt on Goldfinger nearly hits Bond, the British agent chases after her and forces her into the car to get out of the way before easily showing up and driving her to the nearest garage.
Director Guy Hamilton, along with his production designer and location manager, chose Furka Pass, which crosses the Urseren Valley in central Switzerland, for filming. The one-week production saw a crew of 50 people settling in the small mountain village of Andermatt.
Rehearsals for the scene in which Tilly Masterson tries to assassinate Bond’s enemy, Auric Goldfinger. Credit: EON Productions / Promotional filming by Arthur Evans
“Surprisingly, the Swiss government gave its approval, which is really amazing,” Waelty said, explaining that the locations were close to various military sites. “But they always had to have two soldiers and two policemen there (during filming). The police were installed to keep the traffic going, and the soldiers were there to make sure they didn’t film anything classified.”
Waelty interviewed a number of people involved in the filming, from the doctor on the set to a bartender at the crew’s hotel. And, while the photo captures what happened on set, the anecdotes tell what happened on it.
They paint a picture of a heavy production, with many late nights. “It was a lot of drinking and a lot of hassle,” Waelty said. In the book, a member of the hotel band, Arthur Dänzer, remembers Harold Sakata, the Japanese-American actor who played Goldfinger’s father, Oddjob, as a “huge attraction”.
“On the dance floor of the club he gathered all kinds of wooden planks and bricks every night. He cut everything in half,” said Dänzer of Sakata, who was both a fighter and a weightlifter who won Olympic medals.
Although Connery was married at the time, Waelty’s book says that every woman journalist she spoke to during the research received “a more or less clear proposal” from the actor. Tom Carlile, then a press officer for the distributor of the film United Artists, is quoted as saying that, in order to provide an interview with Connery, “all a newspaper has to do is send a girl.”
Signed images
Despite her notorious charm, not everyone was in love with Connery. The Swiss magazine Schweizer Illustrierte published its story about filming under the title “James Bond – ein humorloser langweiler” (or “James Bond – a humorless boredom”).
The villagers of Andermatt also seemed indifferent to the whole affair.
Prior to the trip, the film’s production company sought to secure hotel rooms in the area, with local owners both ignoring the Bond franchise and having “doubts about the solvency of the British,” according to Waelty’s book.
“They didn’t really care,” Waelty said. “Can you imagine a James Bond movie crew coming today? Any village, any town would go completely insane. But not those guys.”
Sean Connery is joined by Tana Mallet’s double stuntman Phillys Cornell (left) and director Guy Hamilton’s wife Miriam Charrière (right). Credit: EON Productions / Promotional filming by Arthur Evans
However, Bondmania will not reach fever until the film is released later that year. While his predecessors, “Dr. “No” and “From Russia with Love” had performed quite well, “Goldfinger” received a significant budget of more than $ 3 million, which he recovered several times, earning $ 46 million worldwide. in the first box driven by the office.
According to Waelty, this is due in part to the Alpine sequence, which not only helped generate buzz, but also set a visual plan for future Bond films.
“When Sean Connery died, so many pictures of him standing on Furka Pass with Aston Martin were published,” he said. “This seems to be the image of James Bond’s signature.”