The Sean Connery Era

"Bond, James Bond." One of the most famous lines in cinematic history. The first man to utter these words? Sir Sean Connery! Yes, folks! In case you didn't know, this man was the first actor to portray James Bond on the big screen! Starring in seven films over the course of 20 years, Connery himself, a household name known throughout the world, was the man everyone wanted to be.

Now, Sean wasn't always destined to be James Bond. Born in Edinburgh, Scottland in 1930, Sean left school at age 15, Connery did many oddjobs...no pun intended. Starting off as a coffin polisher, Connery later joined Manchester United. After a few years, Connery was a Mr. Universe winning at second place!

After doing a few early film, his first recognized role in the Disney film Darby O'Gill and the a Little People. From here, future James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli saw his man to play the British agent. When the first movie was a go, Mr. Broccoli had Connery on board to the resentment of James Bond author and creator, Ian Fleming. Fleming didn't want a big, rugged, burly man playing the part of his sophisticated British agent;  he was Scottish!

Sean made his first appearance as James Bond in Dr. No. Now this film was void of the cars and gadgets we all came to know and love. It was really more of a detective story. James Bond is sent to Jamaica when a fellow British agent is killed when investigating a mysterious island run by Dr. No off of Crab Key. Bond is nearly killed himself numerous times when getting closer to the source of the danger. Arriving off the coast, Bond teams up with Honey Rider (Ursula Andress) to stop and infiltrate the evil Dr. No from disrupting the U.S. space program in Cape Canaveral by sending it's rockets off course. Bond defeats the Doctor and rescues Honey as credits roll. This was the end of the beginning for Sean Connery. More films are yet to come!

Sean Connery's debut as James Bond in Dr. No (1962).

In Connery's second outing, we finally see the first Bond film with the pre-titles sequence. For those unaware of what the pre-titles sequence is, it's a Bond tradition to have a small action sequence that sometimes is a standalone mini-movie before the actual main story line begins. After the credits, we then get started on our movie. Sometimes a pre-title sequence can have something to do with the rest of the story, and sometimes it can have nothing to do with it. Either way, it is a way to get the audience pulled-in to the movie and tell us, we are in for a wild ride and it will only get better as we watch the entire movie. Dealing with SPECTRE, the Special Executive for Counterintelligence Revenge and Extortion, James Bond is sent to Istanbul to uncover a Lektor decoding machine in order for it not to fall into the hands of SPECTRE.

Connery's return as 007 in From Russia With Love (1963).

Now, we get to what is probably the most popular James Bond film in cinema history. This is the one that made James Bond a household name. I'm talking about Goldfinger! Now that Sean Connery is settled in as the infamous James Bond, you know this is going to be a wild ride! While on a vacation in Miami Beach, James Bond is sent to investigate Auric Goldfinger, a millionaire who has a soft spot for gold and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. His ultimate goal is to raid Fort Knox, Kentucky and contaminate the gold there for the next 50 years. As Bond and Goldfinger first meet during a game of golf, Bond wins the game to the chagrin of Goldfinger. Warning him to stay away and leave it be, Goldfinger has a edge on 007. Before Bond's assignment, he is sent to Q-Branch-the military and equipment division of MI6-where he is given the most famous car in movie history: the Aston Martin DB5. Now, this car is equipped with the coolest of gadgets for his mission. Who wouldn't want a car with bullet proof windows, an ejector seat, revolving license plates and left and right machine guns hidden behind the turn signals? I certainly would! In any event, this movie also featured probably the most famous henchman in cinema history: Oddjob. Oddjob was played by Hawaiian actor Harold Sakata, who intern was playing a North Korean. Having a the ability to kill with a hat was a ridiculous and unique way for being a henchman. The end fight with Sean Connery and Harold in the Fort Knox gold vault is one for the ages.

What made James Bond a household name: Goldfinger (1964).

Sean's forth outing as James Bond, Thunderball, was meant to be the first Bond film, but due to a legal dispute between co-author Kevin McClory and Ian Fleming, the film wasn't made until 1965. In 1958, Fleming, McClory and a fellow by the name of Jack Whittingham, created a screenplay which was intended to be a movie. All of a sudden, in 1960, Ian Fleming decided to pull the idea of making a screenplay and turn it into a book taking all the credit as author. This, obviously, infuriated McClory. How on Earth could a good friend ask me for help on a movie only to disband the idea and take all the credit? When Kevin McClory sent out to sue Mr. Fleming, he was offered 2 million pounds to pay him off. This did not end well. Now, Fleming had an issue on his hands. So, by the time Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman created the first Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962, Mr. Fleming was dealing with the High Courts in England to get this situation settled. In the end, Fleming lost the case and Kevin McClory was given the rights to SPECTRE and the Blofeld character. In 10 years time, he could then make his own 007 movie with the character. By 1965, the only way for the Bond producers to make the film Thunderball, was if they could somehow get Kevin McClory involved. After making a deal, McClory was the sole producer of the film. Now, to clear the water, Ian Fleming was indeed the creater of James Bond. Kevin McClory was the creater of his arch nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. So, after the success of Thunderball on the big screen, Kevin McClory could then have the ultimate revenge on Ian Fleming and have his own James Bond film. But, this movie could only be based on the Thunderball screenplay and nothing else.

The Bond film with the most controversy: Thunderball (1965).

Now, by the time of Sean Connery's fifth outing as James Bond, You Only Live Twice, in 1967, you can see the actor is the only one not having the best time in the performance. Filming in Japan, which was a drastic change of the norm for the James Bond producers, was found to be quite a bit of a pain for Mr. Connery. At one point, Connery was taking a break from shooting and was in the bathroom when a crazed fan came up to him and started harassing him. This, along with other incidents during the filming, drove him mad. He was unable to enjoy his time on set when there were so many onlookers and crazed fans and photographers around. At one point, Connery was seen a big haggard and not looking as spiffy as Mr. Bond would look with baggy shorts and flip flops when someone came up to him questioning him if he was really James Bond. Connery replied, "Fuck off." This upset several of the people in Japan. While filming was in production, Sean said that it was time to move on from James Bond. The stories have become to fantastical with a lack of "character development." Announcing his departure from the role, EON Productions was now in search for a new 007.

Connery goes to Japan in You Only Live Twice (1967).

Three years later, in 1971, Sean Connery was lured back to play Agent 007 in Diamonds Are Forever. The only way to get him to come back and resume playing James Bond, was for the then-unheard of sum of 1.25 millions dollars specifically for the Scottish Educational Trust. Connery was given a deal by United Artists for a two-picture deal. One for the 007 film and the other for any film of his choice, whether it be 007 or something else. Even though Connery was onkly 41 years old, he looked quite a bit out of shape, even more so than he did three years earlier in You Only Live Twice. After his final film as James Bond, Sean Connery publicly announced that he would "never again" play James Bond. Or would he?

Sean enters the 70s in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Come 12 years later, during the years of Sir Roger Moore as James Bond, Sean Connery came back for one more go around as 007. In 1983, the co-author of the novel Thunderball finally was able to use the rights to his character Blofeld and SPECTRE and come back with a remake of Thunderball. This rival 007 film could not use any of the Bond elements that made James Bond famous. Under no circumstances could he use the iconic James Bond theme, gun barrel or the 007 logo. The only real selling point for the film was that they got Sean Connery to return in a tuxedo. Kevin McClory was finally about to make his rival James Bond film, and this was also Sean Connery's final turn at playing James Bond. James Bond swore he would never again play James Bond after filming wrapped in Diamonds Are Forever. Now, credit must be due to his wife Micheline for coming up with the title. Even though Connery is about 53 in this movie, he looks in the best of shape, especially compared to how he looked in his previous two outings. This is a Bond who is in shape. As I had mentioned before, Kevin McClory was not allowed to make a totally original film. It had to be one that followed the Thunderball scipt he wrote. Yet, in all honesty, this movie paces better than Thunderball and it has it's own touches that make it stand our from it. This is why I consider this to be as worth of a Bond film as any other.

Sean Connery's seventh and final shot as James Bond in Never Say Never Again (1983).

Well, there you have it folks! All seven films starring the one and only Sean Connery as James Bond 007! Indeed, Sean Connery would return once more as the voice of 007 in the 2005 PlayStation 2 game From Russia With Love. I've never played it myself, but you know as they say...never say never again.