Auric Goldfinger

"No mister Bond, I expect you to die!"

- Goldfinger's most famous quote

Auric Goldfinger is the titular main antagonist from the 1964 film Goldfinger. He is portrayed by Gert Fröbe, whose voice was dubbed over in post-production by Michael Collins.

Film Biography
Goldfinger was a wealthy jeweler who worked mainly with gold, being known as the biggest gold collector of the world. He had his own gold resources, but he was being investigated for smuggling illegal gold. James Bond was ordered to investigate him, discovering that Goldfinger smuggled gold in the parts of his own car, which was completely made of gold.

When Goldfinger learned about the investigation, he invited Bond for a friendly golfing game, where he threatened 007 to stay out of his business, ordering his bodyguard Oddjob to give 007 a demonstration, so Oddjob took out his hat and threw it at a statue, cutting it by the neck. Despite the threat, Bond continued investigating, which led to his capture. Goldfinger only spared him thanks to a bluff from Bond, instead imprisoning the agent at his ranch. Overhearing a meeting of Goldfinger and his associates, Bond eventually learned that Goldfinger was planning to invade Fort Knox, USA's fortified gold reserve.

Scheme
Thinking that Goldfinger was planning to steal the gold, Bond convinced the leader of the female pilots of Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, to help him thwart Goldfinger's plans, but he was shocked to learn that Goldfinger was not planning to steal from Fort Knox, but to destroy it instead. He planned to plant a radioactive bomb inside the fort, which would render all the gold on it worthless, thus valorizing Goldfinger's gold and making him the richest man in the world. He sends the pilots to spread a nerve gas on the vicinity of the fort, allowing him to enter the fort without resistance.

Oddjob carries the bomb inside, and Bond manages to sneak in as well, but the two are trapped inside the vault with the bomb. Oddjob fights Bond, but is electrocuted while trying to take his hat out of a grate. Bond manages to flee the place with the bomb, being helped by the guards of the fort who never died because the gas used by the pilots was not lethal, as Goldfinger had planned. Goldfinger leaves the scene while his men and Oddjob die fighting the U.S. forces. After the battle is won, Bond is sent to Washington in a private jet to meet the president, only to find out that Goldfinger has boarded the plane earlier, left the tied up pilot in the hangar and had Pussy Galore pilot the jet. During a moment of carelessness, Goldfinger is attacked by Bond and the two fight in the airplane. During the fight, Goldfinger accidentally shoots a window of the cabin and is sucked out of the plane and falls to his death.

Trivia

 * Goldfinger is one of the most iconic Bond villains in history - due in part to the legendary "Goldfinger" theme, which has been considered by many as one of the best themes to any Bond film.
 * Goldfinger is the first main villain to appear that isn't affiliated with SPECTRE, and the only one to appear before Blofeld's defeat in Diamonds Are Forever.
 * Originally, the main villain in Diamonds Are Forever was supposed to be Goldfinger's twin brother, but Fröbe refused to play him, so he was replaced by Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
 * In the original novel, Goldfinger's plan was to rob Fort Knox's gold depository, but this was changed in the movie after critics pointed out the flaws of said plan.
 * Goldfinger's name is thought to have been taken from Erno Goldfinger, a Hungarian architect who lived in London. Fleming had previously objected to the pre war demolition of Victorian cottages to make way for Erno's modernist designs. When Erno consulted his lawyers following the publishing of Goldfinger, Fleming threatened to rename the character "Goldprick". Eventually, Erno decided not to sue Fleming, whose publishers had agreed to pay his costs and gave him six copies of the book.
 * Goldfinger was initially banned in Israel due to Gert Fröbe's past affiliation with the Nazi Party. However, Fröbe had left the party before WWII, and the ban was lifted several years later after it came to light that he had helped two Jews by letting them hide in his basement during the war.