Pussy Galore's Flying Circus

Pussy Galore's Flying Circus
Organisation information
Status	Unknown
Key people	Pussy Galore (Leader and Trainer) Denise (Second-in-command) Sydney (Agent)
Parent	Auric Enterprises
Affiliations	Auric Goldfinger
Behind the scenes
First seen	Goldfinger (film)
Last seen	Goldfinger (film)

The Pussy Galore's Flying Circus, or simply Flying Circus, is a female aviator team led by Pussy Galore and were in the employ of infamous billionaire, Auric Goldfinger. It is a supporting antagonistic faction in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.

One american model, Sharon Higdon (aka Sharon Sellinger), is the first pretty blonde with the ponytail you see when the planes land. Her scene was filmed at Bowman Field. The camera lights on her as she climbs from a plane.

There were only 5 pilots and 5 planes in the movie. The original cast prior to the shooting of the movie, included Aleta Morrison, Maggie Wright, Jane Holland, Jane Murdoch, Maise Farrell. Many publicity shots were included from this group, including the actress Alexandra Dane. However, when the film was shot less than 2 months later, Murdoch and Farrell were replaced by Caron Gardner and Lesley Langley (Miss World one year more later, in 1965).

In addition, Tricia Mullerplayed "Sydney", Pussy Galore's co-pilot when Pussy transported Bond to Goldfinger's Kentucky residence.

History

Being under the employ of Auric Goldfinger, the Flying Cirus is tasked to spread the Delta 9 Nerve Gas across the area of Fort Knox that will kill sixty thousand people in order for Goldfinger to lead his task force (led by Oddjob and Kisch) to smuggle an Atomic Bomb (created by Mr. Ling) into the vault. Such an action would make the gold radioactive and useless for fifty eight years, and that the value of Goldfinger's gold will increase many times, thus making Goldfinger the richest man in the world.

Upon the arrival of James Bond (as he wis invited to personally witness the preparations of the operation after being captured by Goldfinger), the Flying Cirus pilots are seen landing their planes before greeting Galore, who assures that they will get their assignments tomorrow night. She then dismisses them for the day before transporting Bond to Goldfinger's ranch, where Bond learns of Goldfinger's plot.

With that in mind, Bond seduces Galore into foiling Goldfinger's plan, so she has the Flying Circus to replace the nerve gas with a harmless one while alerting the U.S. government about Goldfinger's plan. It is unknown what happens to the Flying Circus following the deaths of Goldfinger and his men.

Behind the Scenes

Between the shooting at Northolt airstrip on May 13th 1964, and additional shots completed on July 2nd, 1964, of the five original girls who played the pilots, two had been replaced. The original May line up was with Aleta Morrison, Maggie Wright, Jane Holland, Jane Murdoch and Maise Farrell. By July Jane Murdoch and Maise Farrell had been replaced by Caron Gardner and Lesley Langley. So 10 girls played the 5 pilots, but three of them were eventually only used for photos and never seen in the film, one of them the actress Alexandra Dane.

Sharon Higdon (aka Sharon Sellinger), was chosen by the film's producers and directors who asked to meet some blonds at a local model agency and she got the part because she was Miss Jefferson County 1963.

Gallery

Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and her pilots in a promotional still from Goldfinger (1964).

Another promotional still of the Flying Circus from Goldfinger (1964).

Trivia

• Contrary to some reports, Aleta Morrison - not Maggie Wright - is the Squadron Leader who does the talking when the girls gas Fort Knox.
• In some scenes they were played by stuntmen in blonde wigs.
• The majority of them were english or american models, actresses, and beauty Queens.
•  Shots of Bowman Field  in USA were cut with film from Northolt Aerodrome, London, where Pussy Galore´s flying circus land in Goldfinger. That´s not Honor Blackman in the foreground, it´s a stand-in.
• Sharon Higdon (aka Sharon Sellinger)  raised in the Catholic faith, she wanted to be a nun at 15 but was rejected for being too Young, and in 1963 she won Miss Jefferson County. She is Pastor, Prophet, and Missionary  nowdays.
• Lesley Langley, british actress, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 1965, she previously was crowned Miss United Kingdom 1965.
• The typeface on the banner in Monty Python's Flying Circus is the same as in the banner of Pussy Galore's Flying Circus.