Goldfinger

Date: 1964
Director: Guy Hamilton
Production Company: Eon, Danjaq

Stars: Sean Connery, Gert Frobe, Honor Blackman, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Harold Sakata, Cec Linder, Martin Benson, Bernard Lee
Location(s): Buckinghamshire, Switzerland, Florida, Kentucky

Region(s): , ,

Storyline:

Bond pursues Goldfinger, who wants to irradiate Fort Knox, thus enhancing the value of his own private supply of gold. SJ

Additional Information:

This title was “re-booted” in May 2021 with correct chronology and much additional detailed information from Manuel Gurtner on the Swiss and USA scenes.

For the real James Bond fan there is the 007 MAGAZINE and Website that is full of information concerning locations, sets and facts about this and all James Bond films. Click here for a direct link to www.007magazine.co.uk

Jimmy Snow worked on special effects at both Pinewood and Denham Studios but a name that often remained uncredited, as with this film, despite designing and building the ejector seat in Bond’s car. An interesting Biography and her Memories of him has been written for us by his granddaughter Brigitte, all of which can be read here.

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If you have any information regarding this production, the locations or, even better, some comparison shots please contact us. Images submitted must be in Landscape orientation, as would be seen on the cinema screen, not Portrait.

We are aware that there are films on the site that were added when the criteria for the inclusion of locations was very different from today and, as a result, there may be scenes missing from some productions. Please do not forward additional screen captures to us but bring the detail to our attention, for we do, and are, 're-addressing' these older entries as time allows.

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A Mexican oil refinery, apparently in Hanwell, Middlesex... H suggests between Heathrow Airport and Staines Road with this google map link: http://goo.gl/maps/ufRwDof9KHfGYrTt9... And nearly 5 years later, Michael Bradley adds, "Filmed at the time the tanks were empty, this is the Esso West Terminal at Stanwell, situated on Bedfont Road, which runs parallel with the Southern Perimeter Road in Heathrow. It is located on 33 acres of land, close to the airport and the M25. It serves a large tributary area stretching from Milton Keynes in the north, to Brighton on the south coast, from Swindon in the west to much of London to the east."

Establishment shot of the Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami also seen in Hole in the Head, The Bellboy, Scarface, The Specialist and The Bodyguard.

An artistic sun is all very well but RJ should've booked a higher room!

But a legitimate location as Cec Linder was actually there though the next scenes show Connery in the studio.

Nearly a good match. RJ

Stoke Poges golf club from the professional's shop, as pointed out by Stephen. (I had said clubhouse previously, with my apologies).

From the professional's shop, no longer there. SJ.

The 16th hole.

This plaque commemorates the golfing sequence near the 17th hole. SJ

The 18th hole.

Still is. SJ.

This is standing in for Royal St George's, Sandwich.

Nice statue. RJ.

Stoke Poges has been seen in Bridget Jones' Diary, Tomorrow Never Dies, Layer Cake, Otley, Dead of Night among others.

But the weather wasn't so nice for younger brother. RJ.

There's the pro's shop in the background.

But it's no longer there. SJ

Looks like the golf club but isn't.

And here's the proof, albeit off angle. Pinewood Studios. RJ.

Goldfinger's Rolls Royce Phantom III on the then still unpaved section close to the Hotel Belvédère and the then visible Rhone glacier, located on the west side of the Furka Pass, Canton of Valais, Switzerland.

Jon Opstad send this picture following this recent visit. (RL)

Jon Opstad adds this additional screen grab. (RL) We see Bond's Aston Martin DB5 in the outskirts of Realp, located in the Canton of Uri and the eastern starting point to the Furka Pass.

.......and adds this shot recently taken, no Aston Martin in sight. (RL)

Goldfinger's car on the east side of the Furka Pass. But in this shot the Phantom III drives in the wrong direction. The Hotel Galenstock in the background was the accommodation for the cast and crew during filming.

Photographed by Jon Opstad on the Furka Pass. (RL)

Bond has already passed the top of the pass, with the Furka-Hospiz hotel seen in the background, as Tilly Masterson's Ford Mustang Cabriolet approaches from behind. The building was demolished in 1982.

"A still image taken from an in-car video recorded in 2016. The car wasn’t an Aston Martin, unfortunately. I was on my way over the Furka Pass to stay at the Grimsel Hospice, which has a particularly fascinating wine cellar – quite up to Bond standard." Hamilton McMurray makes us all rather envious. (SJ)

Goldfinger's car has stopped by a fruit stand, situated at the last hairpin curve of Furkastrasse towards Realp. Beneath along the Furkareuss river Schweigstrasse is partially visible.

Jon Opstad with a head for heights. (RL)

Bond observes the scene from one of the serpentines higher up …

Jon Opstad must jinx the appearance of Aston Martin's.(RL)

... while it appears Tania Mallet as Tilly Masterson is targeting 007.

Sent in by Hans, though this looked like quite a warming and steep hike to find the very spot. Note the rifle-resting rock still retains the notch on the right hand side. (SJ)

After Bond slashed the right rear tyre of the Mustang when overtaking, Tilly ends up in the road ditch. Filmed on the dead straight section of Furkastrasse between Realp and Hospental. In the background the track and catenary of the then Furka-Oberalp-Bahn can be recognized, used by the famous Glacier-Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz.

The exact matching spot in the Urseren Valley between Realp and Hospental, with the help by Google Earth. By the way, the Glacier-Express still runs along this track, but is now operated by the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn.

Jon Opstad couldn't quite get the angle for 016 so he sent this screen grab to match his own. I've never thought of doing that! And it's a bonus shot of Tilly Masterson. (RL) ... And also a close-up of the pre-production 1964 Mustang Convertible, adds Manuel.

The matching angle captured by Jon Opstad. (RL)

James drops off Tilly at the next service station, located at Gotthardstrasse 163 in Andermatt, and then starts chasing Goldfinger again.

Goldfinger's Tilly Masterson returns to Furka Pass. It is from www.classicandperformancecar.com Nov 2010. This is the garage in front of the Aurora hotel in Andermatt. Google pics are rare on this. So here is a pic taken from the magazine web article. Neil Rigby. But in the meantime the gas station has gone.

The Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG stands in for Goldfinger's Auric Enterprises AG. The only Swiss aircraft factory was then located at Ennetbürgerstrasse 101 in Stans, main town of the Canton of Nidwalden, and is now at Pilatusstrasse 1. At the time filming took place, Ennetbürgerstrasse did not yet run nearby the company premises.

It's next to Buochs airfield, north of the Engelberg exit from the 2/E35. The clearing on the hill has new growth. SJ

The former clearing shows new vegetation, as SJ already has mentioned. The aircraft factory is located at the foot of the Bürgenberg Forest, which is crowned by the rocky Seewli Ridge with a height of about 1000 meters. The comparison shot was taken at the end of the runway of Buochs ​​airfield near Lake Lucerne, with direct access way to the factory grounds, crossing Ennetbürgerstrasse. Manuel with the research and photo. (SJ)

Bond takes up his observation post on the steep slope above the factory grounds and waits until it is dark. An added still from Manuel, originally not included as it seemed a little inaccessible, and quite a haul for Connery and the camera crew, but ...

... Manuel managed it! and he says, "This unique comparison shot was taken by the same location on steep terrain of the Bürgenbergwald. The factory has clearly grown considerably over the six decades, as the original facilities – the assembly hall and the hangar – are now completely surrounded by other structures." (SJ)

But Gert Frobe and Burt Kwouk are actually at Pinewood.

On the case. RJ.

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Northolt Aerodrome, Middlesex. Near the hangar 5 area. Northolt was also used in The World is Not Enough and Octopussy.

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The "Kentucky" stables, a set? Rob Beckwith confirms that this was a set, in particular, the Pinewood back lot northern end. (RL)

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Goldfinger introduces Bond to Mr. Solo (Martin Benson), who unfortunately has a "pressing engagement".

Meant to be Kentucky but probably Miami where Linder filmed other scenes. This may well be a still standing KFC on Royal Castle and 7th Avenue.

It's KFC still! The "701" gave it away. 701 Northwest 119th Street, Miami, Florida 33168-2334, at the corner with Range Line Road. And there's the same curved corner detail. Thank you, Google and Neil Rigby.

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Driven by Goldfinger's henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata) the 1964 Lincoln Continental, with Mr. Solo on the backseat and Bond's transmitter in the trunk, reaches the intersection of Opa-Locka Boulevard at the then Royal Castle restaurant …

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... and turns into northbound Northwest 27th Avenue.

The 1964 Ford Thunderbird Convertible with Felix Leiter is crossing the canal next to the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue with Opa-Locka Boulevard, …

Thanks to Google the view from Opa-Locka Blvd towards the stone bridge over the canal, as mentioned by Eddie Clegg several years ago.

... while tracking the transmitter signal from the Lincoln Continental, …

Neil and Google prove that the Royal Castle restaurant at the corner on the left side has gone, having closed around 2005.

... which is still driving northbound on Northwest 27th Avenue.

A web search for J D Ball, Ford dealers, gave the 1960's address. A new dealer operates under the name Metro Ford. At 9000, NW 7th Ave Miami Florida 33150. Great detective work from Neil.

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The Lincoln Continental with Oddjob and Solo runs now on the southbound Northwest 7th Avenue. It seems, that the eye-catching building in the background has disappeared over the years.

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Odd Job continues northbound on South LeJeune Road instead of taking the exit to Northwest 21st Street. In the background the then Miami Skyways Motel can be recognized, completed in 1958.

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Due to Solo's objection that Oddjob missed the exit to the airport, the almost mute Korean turns into the next side road, stops the car and kills the Mafia boss with one shot from a Colt M1911 pistol with silencer. Behind, on the right side the overpass of Northwest 21st Street towards Miami International Airport can be seen. And beyond the greenery there is still the Tamiami Canal, connecting Blue Lagoon and Miami Canal.

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The transmitter signal ensures that the two CIA agents also turn into the same side road, which has since disappeared due to the later expansion of the connection between the expressways of Northwest 42nd Avenue and Northwest 21st Street and could only be located thanks to the airport tank farm shown in the background.

112 highway with the 95 highway bridge crossing over. Near Moore Park Miami FL33127.

Neil and Google at work for all to admire and enjoy.

After passing the level crossing on North River Drive Oddjob's car reaches the place for "Mr. Solo's pressing engagement" …

3200 Northwest, North River Drive, Miami, Florida. Neil and Google.

Sakata drives into the car crushing plant. "Solo's pressing engagement."… so the Lincoln Continental enters the then Atlantic Iron & Metal Co. scrapyard.

Meanwhile the area is used as container transshipment. The scrapyard can be find now at 3338 Northwest North River Drive, as the comparison by Google proves.

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Meanwhile there is no more transmitter signal ... Already shot in Kentucky, as the shown T-Bird of Felix Leiter is no more that the one used in Florida (compare the rear fender).

Coming from the opposite direction Oddjob's 1964 Ford Falcon Ranchero brings the Lincoln Continental, pressed to a metal cube, back to the Goldfinger Ranch.

Neil Rigby has established that by this stage filming had actually moved from Miami into Kentucky and that the Ritz Motel is now a storage facility. 31W Dixie Highway, Muldraugh, Kentucky. An interesting Website covering this film and providing some of Neil's supporting evidence can be found via our Menu, Links ? Film Location Related Sites ? Goldfinger. (RL)

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Fort Knox, Kentucky. Establishment shot only, and, as our "special secret agent H" points out, the five Piper Cherokees took off from Bowman Field, Louisville, Kentucky.

Muldraugh, Kentucky. After Pussy Galore's Flying Circus put the Fort Knox troops out of action, Goldfinger's private army makes its way to the now unprotected gold depot.

Muldraugh, Kentucky, with the Google comparison shot at the corner of Main Street with Harris Street.

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A Fort Knox mock-up near Pinewood, possibly the old favourite Black Park.