Goldfinger: YouTube Highlights Deleted Scene

Guy Hamilton’s Scene

The delete scene, long-sought as the Goldfinger “explanation” scene has been missing for many years. The film’s director, Guy Hamilton, originally fought to include the scene in the final cut since it explained one of the film’s important turning points, missing from the film itself: How did they convince all the fair citizens of Fort Knox, Kentucky to go along with this high risk maneuver in such a disciplined fashion. Well, it turns out the CIA agent, Leither, had quite a hand in making it all work as the scene suggests.

The actual scene was filmed on location at the Fort Knox Civic Center that could accommodate over 2,000 extras. It’s no wonder that Hamilton fought for the scene, although brief, it is large and complex. In a later interview, Hamiltion explained why this section was cut over his objections.

“They thought that the scene made Leither too much the hero. They kept saying that Bond looked like Barney Fife because he got himself handcuffed to the bomb and Leither organizes the town to save him. I had no bloody idea who Barney Fife was at that time,” Hamilton said.

The dialog, reproduced below, is transcribed from the deleted scene. As it begins, Leither is finishing some sort of presentation to the town’s population. He is using a clunky overhead project from the stage while dignitaries sit around him on a dais. The camera points upward toward him from behind the (naturally agitated)audience.

Felix

..so, that’s about it. We need everyone to fall to the ground and pretend you’re dead at around 10:04 tomorrow morning. Your cue will be the sound of some crop dusters overhead.

Mayor

But, that’s impossible, there’s 16,000 people in this town…

Felix

Difficult, but not impossible.

Townsperson #1

But, what if we’re walking down the street or driving a car?

Felix

It’s important not to be driving or walking…just plan ahead. We’re staging some car crashes to be realistic. I plan to have my car drive into a tree with my head hanging out the window…it’s a good effect.

Townsperson #2

But, what about the nuclear bomb! You mean they’re just going to drive a nuclear bomb into the middle of town! What about our children! I want to get out here…

Townsperson #3

You can’t leave, they’ve closed all the roads and the highway, too. They won’t let anyone out.

A Voice

What! No! You can’t hold us…

Mayor

Now, now, everyone settle down, those are just road improvements.

Townsperson #4

And what about our phones? None of them work!

The room explodes in excited conversation.

Felix

Those are just…phone improvements. C’mon everybody, this is as good of a plan that we could come up with on short notice. It’s just a few minutes out of your day. Just make a note to yourself, at 10:04: fall down and play dead. Listen folks, this is your town, not mine.

A Doctor

Do we all need to foam at the mouth? I can make up some home-made foam for anyone who wants it.

Felix

That’s the spirit! It’s the details, people.

Young Woman

Tell me about this British Secret Agent. Is he attractive?

Angry Man

What the flippy-flop difference does that make? They’re driving a dad-blame nuclear bomb into the middle of town! An all-out Atom bomb!

Young Woman

(starry-eyed)

I’m just trying to picture it all in my head.

As the scene ends there is general uproar, and we are supposedly left to wonder if Felix can pull this miracle off. Hamilton was still shaking his head years later in disgust, “The execs kept saying that Leither looks like Sheriff Taylor saving his bumbling sidekick Barney. They said that if a nuclear bomb had made its way to Mayberry, Barney would have ended up handcuffed to it, just like Bond. I just can’t get over it,” Hamilton said, “in many ways the scene makes the whole movie work.”

It’s unclear whether we’ll ever see this clip on YouTube again. But now, the script is out, so there is some chance that it might reappear on a DVD. Hmmm, James Bond and Barney Fife — Now that’s a movie I’d pay to see.