An American actor, a younger man, was working on a film with Sean Connery..As he recalled, when it came time to shoot the scene, Connery showed up shortly before still in his golfing outfit — the man loved his golf!.They shot the scene and Connery hit every line perfectly, just as it should be, and, well, probably even better than it should be..This was no ordinary actor, this was the legendary Sean Connery..The American was impressed, and when he got the chance, he shuffled over to the great man, and said, “Mr. Connery, it’s such an honour, to work with you, etc., etc … “.The usual dialogue between newbie and veteran actor..“And it was really amazing,” he continued, “that you hit your lines so well, after just coming back from golfing.”.Connery smiled, looked at him and said: “I’ve been to the barbecue before.”.Indeed he had!.A lot has been written about who was the best 007, but for me there’s no argument..I still remember my older brother Jim coming home thoroughly excited after seeing a cool new movie, Dr. No, at a local theatre..He told me all about this amazing guy, James Bond, Agent 007, who was different from other heroic characters. This guy was smart and used anything and everything around him to battle bad guys..He could also be ruthless and cold-blooded..Of course, I was enthralled and begged my mom to take me. She did and I was hooked..When James Bond coldly dispatches Professor Dent in Dr. No, saying: “That’s a Smith and Wesson, and you’ve had your six,” it opened up a whole new world – a world of Ian Fleming and 007. .Ever since then, I’ve been a huge James Bond/Sean Connery fan. .The “irresistible cool” of his Bond character has lasted me a lifetime – I still collect Bond stuff to this day. Books, toys, magazines, coins, stamps, lighters. Literally any kind of 007 merchandise you can imagine..I’ve read every Fleming novel at least twice..In Istanbul, I spent days trying to find the locations for From Russia With Love..And yes, absolutely, he was the best Bond ever..To me, he encapsulated everything that was Bond. His razor-sharp looks in a dark suit, his cool demeanor, his cruel violence and his humour. To me, it seemed real..As the famed critic Roger Ebert put it: “Basically, you have Connery and then you have all the rest.” .Dr. No was shot in Jamaica on a shoestring budget of US$1 million. Bernard Lee played M, the crusty old secret-service chief, and Lois Maxwell played his lovelorn secretary, Moneypenny..Also on hand were television’s Jack Lord as Felix Leiter, James Bond’s CIA buddy; Joseph Wiseman as Dr Julius No; and – oh, yes – Ursula Andress, who made one of the most stunning bikini debuts in screen history.. Screen-Shot-2021-10-08-at-9.40.43-AMDo No. .“The thing that looked great right when it was being filmed was that scene with Ursula Andress coming out of the water,” said Chris Blackwell, who worked as a location scout..“When that scene was done, everybody applauded.”.John F. Kennedy, a big Fleming fan, was given a private screening of the film, to which he remarked: “I wish I had James Bond on my staff.”.And those opening credits, my God – what full-blooded young man didn’t anticipate the latest Bond adventure after watching the artistry of film title designer Maurice Binder?.And then came From Russia With Love. Perhaps the greatest Bond film ever..It was filmed on location in Turkey with a splendid cast that included Robert Shaw as the blond SPECTRE assassin and, perhaps most memorably, Lotte Lenya as the crypto-lesbian Rosa Klebb..The film also featured one of my favorite fight scenes ever, a breathtakingly realistic battle aboard the Orient Express between Connery and Shaw that was scheduled for several days’ shooting but was wrapped in a single day when the actors decided to forgo their doubles and do the fight themselves..“I had $2 million for From Russia With Love,” said director Terrence Young..“That was a good budget, and it was in my opinion, the best of all the Bond films – because it was the best of the Bond books.”.Then came Goldfinger and one of the most dramatic battles in cinema history, with Bond facing the imposing Korean bodyguard OddJob, surrounded by gold at Fort Knox (cleverly recreated at Pinewood Studios).. Screen-Shot-2021-10-08-at-9.41.16-AMGoldfinger .Actor Harold Sakata actually severely burned his hand while reaching for his hat when filming his death scene but he was determined to do it right, so he held on until director Guy Hamilton yelled “Cut.”.The underground volcano complex in You Only Live Twice was also ground-breaking, and at age 12, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Ditto the underwater fight scenes in Thunderball — no CGI folks, what you see is what you get..And unlike many Bond fans, I actually liked Roger Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, I thought he did fine but it was not to be..Producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman wanted Connery back for Diamonds Are Forever, and gave him a hefty sum of $1.25 million, which he promptly donated to the Scottish International Education Trust..I must admit Roger Moore was good in his Bond debut, in Live and Let Die … but I never really liked him in the role. Too much of a pretty boy.. Screen-Shot-2021-10-08-at-9.42.01-AMRoger Moore in To Live and Let Die .Moore didn’t have the “dark, rather cruel good looks” described by the author. Remember, in the novels, Bond was not a nice guy. .Nor did I like the Bonds that followed. Neither Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan could adequately fill 007’s shoes, IMO, and neither were memorable..And, God forbid — the worst ever Bond scene and arguably the lowest point in the franchise, was when Brosnan escaped a tsunami in a glider in Die Another Day..By that time, Bond had become a caricature of his former self. While the films continued to make money, a new direction was clearly needed..Wisely, the producers decided to reboot the character with a darker, grittier approach. .It worked and it saved the franchise..Casino Royale, which closely followed the story in Fleming’s original novel, saw James Bond re-invented for a new generation with actor Daniel Craig in the lead..Slammed by some Bond fans when given the licence to kill (some predicted he would be another Lazenby, others wanted Clive Owen, others just didn’t like him), Craig’s portrayal would later be compared with Connery, as possibly the best Bond ever..And that is a fair comparison..I have seen all of Craig’s films, including the most recent one, No Time To Die. And while they’re all good, his best remains Casino Royale.. Screen-Shot-2021-10-08-at-9.40.17-AMDaniel Craig in No Time To Die .In saying that, at the end of the day I just don’t think Craig’s 007 films hold a candle to the collective works of Sir Sean. .In conclusion, maybe your favourite Bond is the one you grew up with, when you first started watching the movies. I really don’t know..I just hope Bond stays as Bond. I don’t care what colour he is, as long as he’s a mean, macho MI6 point-of-the-spear, SOB..As Bond says to Ali Karem Bey, after he pings off KGB agent Krilencu who climbed out of “the mouth” of a billboard featuring Anita Ekberg: “She should have kept her mouth shut.”.No one could have delivered that line better than Sean Connery. No one else could carry that magic on a big screen. He was beyond compare..Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. .,He has worked in the media for decades, including as an editor for the Calgary Herald. He is also the military editor for the Asia Times.,.makichukd@gmail.com
