AT THE CUTTING EDGE

In some cases, Bond’s creators were ahead of their time, says Dr Harkup.

In another iconic moment in Goldfinger, Connery’s 007 is strapped to a table with an industrial laser moving towards him, but the scientist says he needn’t worry as such lasers wouldn’t have harmed him.

She said: ‘I’d be worried now but I wouldn’t be worried in 1964 because lasers simply weren’t that powerful at the time and red lasers are not good at cutting through flesh, or metal. Metal cutting lasers weren’t developed until after that film.

‘Sean Connery was in some danger though because, to get that effect, there was a guy under the table with a blowtorch melting a line of solder. Apparently he got a little closer than Connery was happy with.’