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All that Glitters is Goldfinger: In Conversation with Guy Hamilton

The late, great Guy Hamilton discussing the making of a classic Bond film,

On 31 July 2010, BAFTA welcomed Guy Hamilton to Somerset House in London for an onstage interview as part of the Film4 Summer Screen programme.

With a film career spanning six decades, Hamilton was best known for his work on the James Bond series. Having passed up the opportunity to work on Dr No, he took on the challenge of directing Goldfinger in 1964. His distinctive mix of action, sex and humour in many ways formed the blueprint of the Bond franchise for years to come.

Guy Hamilton talked to Bond composer David Arnold about his directing career and the making of Goldfinger, from working with Sean Connery to navigatihng the boundaries of 1960's censorship laws.

Goldfinger Bond girl Shirley Eaton joins the pair on stage to discuss clips from the film and recount memories of working on the 1964 classic.

A director’s job is to show off his star to his very best advantage. All actors have strengths and weaknesses….cash in on their strengths and cover-up their weaknesses.

More About Guy Hamilton

Hamilton began his directing career in 1952 with the film The Ringer after which he made a further 22 films between the 1950s and 1980s. After the success of Goldfinger, Hamilton went on to direct Diamonds are Forever in 1971, Live and Let Die in 1973 and finally The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974. Beyond the Bond classics, the director worked on notable critical and commercial hits including An Inspector Calls, Manuela, Battle of Britain and Force 10 From Navarone.

Somerset House & Film4