Goldfinger – The Golden Girl – While Bond has won over Jill Masterson, was he naïve enough not to think that Goldfinger would retaliate?  We assume they went out to dinner, as he had suggested, and then back to his room to make love and have fun.   This clip picks up when Bond is recovering from being knocked out by Oddjob.  When he comes to, he walks from the kitchen area where he was retrieving more champaign to the bed area.

The shot is filmed perfectly as we see Bond walk in front of a mirror and we can see Bond from both sides – shocked at what he is seeing.   Jill Masterson is covered in gold paint lying on her stomach across the bed.  A strategically placed pillow blocks us from seeing her butt, which would not have been on screen in 1964, especially for the equivalent of a PG (parental guidance) audience rating.  In the book Jill Masterton – a slight spelling difference – is painted with gold as well.

We know it’s Bond’s room because when he picks up the phone, the person at the desk says, “Yes, Mr. Bond.”  He calls Felix and tells her the girl is dead.

Goldfinger – The Golden Girl is Dead – But Not Bond

As a viewer, we wonder again why not kill Bond too?   Oddjob got into Bond’s room, knocks out Bond, and then paints Jill Masterson from head to toe in gold paint.  Of course, we assume Oddjob or whoever painted her knew how long it would take and that Bond would be knocked out until they were finished.  Maybe they had a team in the room, painting her and watching Bond.  We don’t know.   But why not just kill Bond?

Perhaps Goldfinger does not yet know who Bond really is and just thinks he took his trophy-girl away from him.  As we know, Goldfinger likes to win.  So maybe Goldfinger was simply thinking to kill her, and Bond can’t have her anymore either.  Let Bond suffer through this loss.   But Goldfinger is connected, worldwide it seems.  How does he not know about Bond being an MI6 agent?

Of course, we will see this same type of megalomaniacal behavior in many Bond villains to come. And,  from the preceding James Bond 007 movies we see this as well, Dr. No and From Russia With Love. We will see it again in this film!

OK, our willing suspension of disbelief will get us to the next scene!