Golden girl Shirley Eaton in Tennessee to sign new poetry book
21-Oct-2007 • Event
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Since then, Eaton has been living her life like it's golden. She will share slivers of that life at 6:30 p.m. on October 22nd at the Linebaugh Library with her most recent book.
Her association with the film is one she has embraced as is evident in the book's title, "Shirley Eaton's Golden Touch: An Intimate Diary of Poems," as well as her autobiography, "Golden Girl." But Eaton is quick to add that the role was neither the totality of her career, nor of her life.
"I was only in it for five minutes," she said about the movie. But because it has become a classic, many Bond fans still come to see her at film festivals and other venues.
Eaton said she began acting at age 12 while attending a stage school in London.
"I did 21 films before 'Goldfinger.' I did my first film at 16 with Dirk Bogart."
After "Goldfinger," she appeared in several other films including, "Ten Little Indians," the film adaptation of Agatha Christie's murder mystery; "Around the World, Under the Sea," and "Eight on the Lam" opposite Bob Hope.
But after she and her husband had their second child, Eaton decided to give up acting after more than 20 years on screen to devote more time to her family.
"It is the woman's dilemmaâ spreading yourself between all responsibilities."
Eaton found other outlets through which to express her creativity including crocheting, painting and writing, which led to her two books. One of her most recent paintings incorporated her most famous role as Jill Masterson. It depicts a hilly landscape with a hidden image of a woman lying on her side that brings to mind the image of Eaton in the movie.
With her latest book, Eaton hopes to reach a wide audience: Poetry lovers, and her faithful movie buff fans.
"This book is so special to me. It's a treasure of a collectors book, really," Eaton said.
The book is filled with poems covering a variety of topics such as motherhood, love, nature and the death of Princess Diana. It is peppered with personal photos of Eaton and her family, as well as her famous costars.
She wrote the poems over a span of time while living in the south of France where she lived with her husband. Their home had a view of the sea, a theme that is also prevalent in her poems.
"All of these thoughts, everybody can relate to them," she said.
She said that her book of poetry was inspired by the events of daily life.
" I write when I experience something â a beautiful day on the beach. And we experience something everyday, I suppose, don't we?"
Accompanying Eaton will be her good friend and Murfreesboro native, Fred Goodwin, the Grammy-nominated music historian whose company published her book of poetry. Goodwin owns Concept Productions, a company specializing in music and movie memorabilia. Goodwin and Eaton often travel the country together for various film festivals in the United States and Europe.
Goodwin is most known for his work involving Cowboy-Western music like that of The Sons of the Pioneers. He co-authored a book documenting the career of the group. That book will also be for sale at the library.
"Shirley is just a nice person. That's why the fans love her so much," Goodwin said of his friend of eight years. "And she'll never tell you all the things that she's done and the people she's worked with. She's so nice to her fans and to the people.
"At the festivals, a lot of the actors will come and pay their respects to Shirley."
"Publishing the book was the joy," Eaton said. "To share the human experience, to share all the basic thoughts we all have. To share stuff â happy, sad, inspirational."
The event is free and open to the public. Books by both Eaton and Goodwin will be available for those who wish to purchase them.
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