Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs

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Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs
Drgoodfootos.jpg
theatrical release poster
Directed by Mario Bava
Produced by Louis M. Heyward
Fulvio Lucisano
Written by Louis M. Heyward
Robert Kaufman
Pipolo
Based on an idea by Fulvio Lucisano (Italy version)
story by Robert Kaufman (US version)
Starring Vincent Price
Fabian
Franco Franchi
Ciccio Ingrassia
Laura Antonelli
Music by Les Baxter
Cinematography Antonio Rinaldi
Edited by Federico Muller (Italy version)
Ronald Sinclair (US version)
Production
company
Italian International Pictures
American International Pictures
Distributed by American International Pictures
Release dates
 July 29, 1966 (Italy)
November 9, 1966 (US)
Running time
 82 minutes
Country Italy
United States
Language English, Italian

Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs is a 1966 Italian spy-spoof Technicolor film directed by Mario Bava and starring Vincent Price, Fabian, Francesco Mulé, Laura Antonelli and the Italian comedy team of Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia.[1]

The film was shot in Italy by cinematographer Antonio Rinaldi and the Italian version is reported to be quite different from the English-language edition, with more screen time spent on the antics of Franco and Ciccio and less on Vincent Price and the other American cast members. The Italian title of the film is Le spie vengono dal semifreddo (Literally, "The Spies Who Came In From the Semicold"). The Italian title was a pun on The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

The "Dr. Goldfoot" of the English version is obviously a parody of James Bond's foe Goldfinger; 1964 film version was highly successful and still fresh in the public consciousness at the time the previous film in the series, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine was made.

Plot

Price plays the titular mad scientist who is working with the Chinese government to use exploding female robots to disrupt a scheduled NATO war-game by blowing up the various generals involved in the exercise (one of whom looks exactly like Goldfoot, and whom Goldfoot later impersonates). Fabian is the hero who works to thwart the plot, when he isn't busy chasing women such as Laura Antonelli's character. The film ends with an extended frantic chase through the streets of Rome, and Goldfoot attempting to start World War III between Russia and the United States by dropping a nuclear bomb on Moscow.

Cast

Production

Fulvio Lucisano, the head of Italian International Pictures, originally envisioned the film as a sequel to the Franco and Ciccio film, Due mafiosi contro Goldginger. AIP agreed to co-finance, provided it could be turned into a sequel to Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine. The Italian version of the film would emphasise Franco and Ciccio, while the American one would put forward Vincent Price's Goldfoot.[2]

Mario Bava was signed to direct. He did not want the job but Lucisano had him under contract.[2]

Frankie Avalon was originally announced for the sequel[3] but he pulled out due to the impending birth of his third child and his part ended up being taken by Fabian.[4] At one stage the movie was known as Dr Goldfoot and the Love Bomb[5] and Dr Goldfoot and the S Bomb.[6]

Filming started in April 1966 and took place in Rome, mostly at Cinecitta Studios but also such locations as Parco di Principe, the Rome Cavalieri Hilton, and Luna Park.[4]

Louis Heyward estimates the script was rewritten about nine times just prior to production and says there were difficulties satisfying the Italian and American backers; some different scenes were shot for each country, including emphasising brunettes in the Italian version and blondes in the American version.[7]

Reception

Two versions of the film were made, Italian and American. The American version was re-written, re-scored and re-edited without the participation of Bava.[2]

The film was not particularly successful, and is considered by many critics to be director Bava's worst movie,[8] yet it was his commercially most successful movie in Italy.[citation needed] Vincent Price's Goldfoot is the only character who appears in both movies.

Samuel Z. Arkoff said the film's commercial reception was hurt by the refusal of female lead Laura Antonelli to take her clothes off. Arkoff claims she was originally willing to, but then his nephew, Ted Rusoff, who was sent to supervise the film, developed a crush on her and persuaded her not to do it.[9]

Vincent Price later called the film "the most dreadful movie I've ever been in. Just about everything that could go wrong, did."[10]

Bibliography

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References

  1. ↑ Blake, Deal
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dr Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs at Mario Bava
  3. ↑ 'Whiskers' on 20th Slate Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 12 Jan 1966: c13.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Richard Harland Smith, "Dr Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs", Turner Classic Movies accessed 5 July 2014
  5. ↑ Universal Signs Margulies Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 29 Mar 1966: c15.
  6. ↑ Students Slam Deferment Test Reice, Sylvie. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 03 Apr 1966: d5.
  7. ↑ When in Rome, Don't Give Up: Schizophrenic Roman Holiday Champlin, Charles. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 26 June 1966: b1.
  8. ↑ Second 'Dr. Goldfoot' Film Really a Bomb, Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 02 Dec 1966: d24.
  9. ↑ Samuel Z Arkoff & Richard Turbo, Flying Through Hollywood By the Seat of My Pants, Birch Lane Press, 1992 p 136-137
  10. ↑ Vincent Risoli-Black, "Wrong Turn: the Fifth Season of Love: The Way... the Way Out... and the Wayward Dolphins" iUniverse, 23 Sep 2010 p 84 accessed 5 July 2014

External links

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