Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe)
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Datastream
Actor: Gert Frobe
Character: Auric Goldfinger
Movie: Goldfinger
Date of Birth: 25 February 1913
Height: 6' 1"” (1.85m)
Distinguishing Feature: Gold obsession
Appearance: Medium height, overweight build, dark glaring eyes. Yellowish-blonde
hair, round face and medium complexion.
Status: Terminated
Organisations & Alliances: Auric Enterprises, Odd Job, Pussy Galore
Profile
Auric Goldfinger is an obsessive megalomaniac, hell-bent
on stockpiling his wealth in gold, by whatever means necessary.
He hides much of his criminal activity behind a bustling
company industry and import/export conglomeration. If there
is one thing that drives Goldfinger, it is his compulsive
need to win. He bribes and cheats his way through every-day
life and is happiest when taking someone's money. |
“Man has climbed Mount Everest,
gone to the bottom of the ocean. He's fired rockets at the Moon, split
the atom, achieved miracles in every field of human endeavour.. except
crime! ”
His intelligence is above reproach and his personality
appears jovial and hospitable, but Goldfinger harbours a short temper
and a sharp tongue. Goldfinger puts his meticulous mind to planning his
criminal movements and will get away with it, if not for 007.
Scheme
Goldfinger longs to be remembered as the greatest criminal mastermind
and, in true criminal genius style, forges a plan to increase
his bullion of gold by a factor of ten. His master plan involves
infiltrating Fort
Knox - the largest gold repository in the USA - dispensing
his "home-brewed" and very fatal Delta-9 nerve gas, and
last of all, planting a nuclear bomb (supplied by Red China)
in the heart of the bullion. If the plan is conducted successfully,
the world's largest gold
stockpile becomes unreachable with a radioactive half-life of
fifty-eight years. This puzzled Bond
at first as to why Goldfinger wouldn't want to steal the gold,
then it was unraveled, by doing this the Western economy would
be in crisis, Goldfinger's gold stocks would be worth a great
amount more and Communist China would rejoice as they would not
be effected by the downfall of the economy. 007 must infiltrate
the mission and, with the help of the feisty Pussy
Galore, prevent the bomb from triggering
I've Been Expecting You
"Now hear this, Goldfinger. Your luck has just changed. I doubt very much that
the Miami Beach Police would take kindly to what you're doing. Nod your head
if you agree."
Bond is sent to Miami Beach to keep an
eye on the gold-smuggling villain and discovers him cheating
at cards. From a hotel window the ill-kept Jill
Masterson spies on Goldfinger's bridge partner,
informing the cheat of every hand. Bond quickly puts a
stop to the skullduggery, but keeps a close eye on the
villainous Goldfinger - tracking him to his Austrian production
factory. |
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Headquarters
Wealthy enough to have outposts across the globe, Goldfinger spends
time in England, Austria and Kentucky, USA. His expansive stud
ranch in the Americas is his stronghold for meeting shady business
associates while the "Auric
Enterprises, A.C." production factory in Austria acts as an important
stop-off on his gold smuggling route.
Bond: "Do you expect
me to talk?"
Goldfinger: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"
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Gadgets & Vehicles
Goldfinger's pride and joy is no doubt his Rolls
Royce Phantom 337. A classic and priceless car demonstrates
the perfect image for the arrogant and compulsive Goldfinger.
The personalized plate reads "AU1" and the yellow
and black colour scheme is sure sign of the villain's
gold obsession. Goldfinger also has "Pussy Galore's
Flying Circus" to distribute the nerve gas at his command.
Dress Code
Goldfinger indulges in expensive tailoring, preferring a tweed-coloured jacket and golfing trouser.
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Goodbye, Mr Bond
Pussy Galore: "Where's Goldfinger?"
James Bond: "Playing his golden harp."
Goldfinger
escapes the failed Fort Knox raid unscathed, but foolishly
tries to dispense of Bond by hijacking his private jet bound
for the White House. A fight erupts in which the pressurised
cabin of the jet is breeched
and Goldfinger is violently blown out of a broken
window.
Biography
Gert Frobe (born Karl-Gerhart Froeber) was born in Saxony, Germany in 1912. In
his lifetime Frobe performed in over 100 film productions and came into the
western public eye after his menacing role in 1964's "Goldfinger" as
the title character. Before this role, Frobe was an established actor in
his first language, but contrary to the character, Frobe was a jolly and
humorous man and comedy was his natural forté. On the James Bond production
the dubbing artist Nikki van der
Zyl taught Frobe to recite his English lines. He was, however, ultimately dubbed
in the final cut of the film.
After his introduction to the western
world in "Goldfinger", Frobe performed in another
Broccoli film, the film adaptation of Ian Fleming's children's
novel "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"..
Other notable productions included 1965's
"Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines"
and numerous German language films. |
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His final screen appearance was "The Little
Vampire" in 1986. Frobe played the lead role of Detective Geiermeier
in this German horror flick. Frobe passed away in Barvaria, Germany
on the 5th of September 1988. His legendary performance as
the villainous Goldfinger remains today, a fan-favourite Bond
moment.
