'No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die': Showdown between Goldfinger and Sean Connery voted greatest James Bond moment

Iconic 007 action sequences in pictures

Matilda Battersby
Wednesday 02 January 2013 11:44 GMT
Comments

“No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die” has trounced “Bond, James Bond” as the best quote from the 23 movies inspired by Ian Fleming’s spy novels.

The line from 1964 film Goldfinger is in response to Sean Connery as Bond saying: 'You expect me to talk?' It comes as Bond appears to be about to meet his maker at the hands of a giant laser and is uttered by his evil nemesis Auric Goldfinger played by Gert Fröbe.

But the immortal words “No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die” were not actually Fröbe’s, however, as the German actor’s lines were dubbed into English by Michael Collins. Nevertheless the film, in which Auric threatens to destroy 007 with a giant laser, has become so iconic its stars cannot escape the association.

Fröbe once remarked: "I am a big man, and I have a laugh to match my size. The ridiculous thing is that since I played Goldfinger in the James Bond film there are some people who still insist on seeing me as a cold, ruthless villain - a man without laughs."

“No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die” was voted the best moment in the franchise’s 50 year history in a poll of 2,500 people by Sky Movies with 10.3 per cent of the votes.

Runner-up was the moment in The Spy Who Loved Me when Roger Moore’s incarnation of the British spy skis off the edge of an Austrian mountain, his parachute a Union Jack flag, to smoothly say the words “Bond, James Bond” which garnered 7.6 per cent of the vote. It beat the first utterance of “Bond, James Bond” by Connery in 1962 film Dr No, which came third with just 5.7 per cent of votes.

Current Bond actor Daniel Craig, whose latest film Skyfall has become the highest-grossing Bond film so far taking more than £100m at the UK box office and £1bn globally, responded to the poll by saying: “Yes, that [quote] would take some beating”.

Craig makes an appearance in the list of top Bond moments in fourth place for his chase across a building site in Casino Royale; while Roger Moore’s daring car jump in The Man With The Golden Gun came fifth.

Pierce Brosnan’s turn as Bond appears to be the least iconic. He only appears in the top ten once, in sixth place, for the tank chase in Golden Eye after which he suavely straightens his tie.

Click here or on "View Gallery " for the ten greatest James Bond moments in pictures

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in