Auric Goldfinger | |
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James Bond character | |
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First appearance | Goldfinger (1959 novel) |
Last appearance | 007 Legends (2012 video game) |
Created by | Ian Fleming |
Portrayed by | Gert Fröbe |
Voiced by |
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In-universe information | |
Full name | Auric Goldfinger |
Gender | Male |
Affiliation |
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Classification | Villain (Former; regular) |
Henchmen | Oddjob Pussy Galore Jill Masterson Mei-Lei |
Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Ian Fleming's 1959 seventh James Bond novel, Goldfinger, and the 1964 film it inspired (the third in the James Bond series). His first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning "of gold". Fleming chose the name to commemorate the architect Ernő Goldfinger, who had built his home in Hampstead next door to Fleming's; he disliked Goldfinger's style of architecture and destruction of Victorian terraces and decided to name a memorable villain after him.[1] According to a 1965 Forbes article and The New York Times, the Goldfinger persona was based on gold-mining magnate Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.[2]
In 2003, the American Film Institute declared Auric Goldfinger the 49th-greatest villain in the past 100 years of film. In a poll on IMDb,[when?] Auric Goldfinger was voted the most sinister James Bond villain, beating (in order) Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Dr. No, Max Zorin and Emilio Largo.[3] Goldfinger's oft-quoted line "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die," (after Bond asked him while tied to a table in front of a laser, "Do you expect me to talk?") was voted the number-one best moment in the James Bond film franchise in a 2013 Sky Movies poll.[4]
Auric Goldfinger was played by German actor Gert Fröbe. Fröbe, who did not speak English well, was dubbed in the film by Michael Collins, an English actor.[4] In the German version, Fröbe dubbed himself back again.
Goldfinger was banned in Israel after it was revealed that Fröbe had been a member of the Nazi Party. However, he left the party before the outbreak of World War II. After several years, the ban was lifted, as it was found that Fröbe likely saved the lives of two Jews by hiding them in his basement during the war.
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