Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs
Encyclopedia
Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs is a 1966 Italian spy-spoof 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
.
The film was shot in Italy
by cinematographer
Antonio Rinaldi
and the Italian version is reported to be quite different than 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. The Italian title of the tilm is Spie vengono dal semifreddo (Literally, "The Spies Who Came In From the Frozen Custard"). The Italian title was a pun on The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
and the name of a thick Italian ice cream dessert, semifreddo
(literally semicold).
The "Dr. Goldfoot" of the English version is clearly a take off 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.
, and Goldfoot attempting to start World War 3 between Russia and the United States by dropping a nuclear bomb on Moscow
.
, which had been a minor success in America and a major financial success in Italy. In order to further exploit the "Goldfoot" name in Italy, the producers shot the film in Italy, hired an Italian director, Mario Bava, and cast popular Italian stars Franco and Ciccio in major roles. (AIP later released several dubbed Franco & Ciccio films in America, but the duo never found a Stateside audience.) The resulting Girl Bombs sequel was not particularly successful, however, and is considered by many critics to be director Bava's worst movie, yet it was his commercially most successful movie in Italy. Vincent Price's Goldfoot is the only character who appears in both movies.
In Britain this film was released as "Dr. G. and the Girl Bombs" following legal action against the distributors of the first film by a London-based Doctor Goldfoot.
Mario Bava
Mario Bava was an Italian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the "golden age" of Italian horror films.-Biography:Mario Bava was born in San Remo, Liguria, Italy...
and starring Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, Fabian
Fabian (entertainer)
Fabiano Anthony Forte , known as Fabian, is an American teen idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He rose to national prominence after performing several times on American Bandstand. Eleven of his songs reached the Billboard Hot 100 listing.-Early life:Fabian was the son of Josephine and Domenic...
, Francesco Mulé
Francesco Mulé
Francesco Mulé , was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 74 films between 1953 and 1979. He was the son of composer Giuseppe Mulè.He was born and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:* The Bachelor...
, Laura Antonelli
Laura Antonelli
Laura Antonelli is a retired Italian film actress, who appeared in 45 movies between 1965 and 1991.- Early years :Antonelli was born Laura Antonaz in Pola, then capital of the province of Istria, Italy ....
and the Italian comedy team of Franco Franchi
Franco Franchi
Franco Franchi was an Italian comedian.He was born in Palermo, Sicily and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s...
and Ciccio Ingrassia
Ciccio Ingrassia
Ciccio Ingrassia was an Italian comedian.He was born in Palermo, Sicily and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. He starred in many comedies, mainly as a duo with comedian Franco Franchi...
.
The film was shot in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
by cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
Antonio Rinaldi
Antonio Rinaldi (cinematographer)
Antonio Rinaldi was an Italian cinematographer and camera operator. He worked exclusively for director Mario Bava on several films, including Planet of the Vampires , Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs , and Danger: Diabolik ....
and the Italian version is reported to be quite different than 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. The Italian title of the tilm is Spie vengono dal semifreddo (Literally, "The Spies Who Came In From the Frozen Custard"). The Italian title was a pun on The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold , by John le Carré, is a British Cold War spy novel that became famous for its portrayal of Western espionage methods as being morally inconsistent with Western democracy and values. The novel received critical acclaim at the time of its publication and became an...
and the name of a thick Italian ice cream dessert, semifreddo
Semifreddo
Semifreddo is a class of semi-frozen desserts, typically ice-cream cakes, semi-frozen custards, and certain fruit tarts. It has the texture of frozen mousse because it is usually produced by uniting two equal parts of ice cream and whipped cream. Such a dessert's Spanish counterpart is called...
(literally semicold).
The "Dr. Goldfoot" of the English version is clearly a take off of James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
's foe Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. His first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning of gold...
; 1964 film version
Goldfinger (film)
Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
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
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine is a 1965 American International Pictures film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart and Deborah Walley...
was made.
Synopsis
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 RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and Goldfoot attempting to start World War 3 between Russia and the United States by dropping a nuclear bomb on Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Production
This sequel was an attempt to fully capitalize on Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini MachineDr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine is a 1965 American International Pictures film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart and Deborah Walley...
, which had been a minor success in America and a major financial success in Italy. In order to further exploit the "Goldfoot" name in Italy, the producers shot the film in Italy, hired an Italian director, Mario Bava, and cast popular Italian stars Franco and Ciccio in major roles. (AIP later released several dubbed Franco & Ciccio films in America, but the duo never found a Stateside audience.) The resulting Girl Bombs sequel was not particularly successful, however, and is considered by many critics to be director Bava's worst movie, yet it was his commercially most successful movie in Italy. Vincent Price's Goldfoot is the only character who appears in both movies.
In Britain this film was released as "Dr. G. and the Girl Bombs" following legal action against the distributors of the first film by a London-based Doctor Goldfoot.