Considered the quintessential and definitive Bond film, the third instalment in EON Productions' James Bond series set the template for many of the subsequent films, with its tongue in cheek humour, extensive use of gadgets and technology and multiple foreign locations. The first Bond blockbuster, 1964's Goldfinger was also the first Bond film to utilise a standalone pre-credits sequence, the first to employ a pop star to sing the theme song and the first to win an Academy Award. The plot saw 007 uncover a plot to contaminate the United States gold reserve at Fort Knox while investigating the smuggling activities of powerful gold magnate Auric Goldfinger. The film's lasting image is of the gold-painted girl, featured here on the sought after 'Style A' British Quad poster for the original UK release in 1964.

Robert Brownjohn designed the British campaign posters, taking many of the elements from the film's distinctive title sequence, for which he was also responsible. Recognising that the semi-nude female was key to Bond's imagery, Brownjohn painted a bikini-clad girl in gold and projected scenes from Goldfinger, as well as the first two Bond films, onto her still figure to form a moving collage. A photographic still from the celebrated sequence, showing Sean Connery's Bond with Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore projected onto the golden girl, was chosen for the poster. Although Shirley Eaton played the unfortunate Bond girl who was smothered by gold paint in the film, it was glamour model Margaret Nolan who appeared as the golden girl in Brownjohn's seductive opening title sequence and is pictured here on the poster. Nolan also played Bond's masseuse 'Dink' in the movie. A second 'Style B' poster design featuring a golden hand instead of the bikini-clad figure was produced for the more conservative Irish market.

Provenance

Excellent (A-)

Conservation backed on linen. Prior to backing the poster had 3 vertical and 3 horizontal machine folds (as issued), minor edge wear, clean staple holes to corners and occasional pin holes to edges, including an enlarged pin hole to the right of "007." Backing has smoothed and diminished the standard machine folds and minor imperfections. The most minor spots of colour touching to folds and the odd pin hole. Tiny crease through "HA" in "Hamilton." Image and colours excellent.