SIR THOMAS SEAN CONNERY - (THE JAMES BOND)

 From Sampath’s Desk:

  

   

SIR THOMAS SEAN CONNERY

(THE JAMES BOND)

(25 August 1930-31 October 2020)

  

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (1930-2020) who first donned the hat of a James Bond in the tinsel world is no more. With his departure, a great saga of the original James Bond that enthralled cine-goers for decades has come to an end.

 

Needless to say, he was a sensation, trail-blazer for the type of movies he acted in during his halcyon days and famous for, and the heartthrob of millions of cine-goers in general and those who liked detective movies in particular. At his acme, he was the highest-paid actor. The Scottish actor was admired by generations of film fans as the original and best 007 and went on to create a distinguished body of work in films such as ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ (1975), The Name of the Rose (1986) and The Untouchables (1987), to mention a few among others.

 

He was born in 1930 and grew up in the tough Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh, and a school dropout at age 14 to work as a milkman for a cooperative. In 1948, he joined the Royal Navy but was later discharged on medical grounds. Taking to bodybuilding at 18, he got work as a life model, among many other jobs before entering the shadow industry. Keenly interested in acting, Connery used his Mr Universe visit to London to audition for a stage version of South Pacific and landed a role in the chorus. That was his humble beginning. In a rub of the green at age 30, for the first film adapted from Ian Fleming’s series of James Bond novels viz. Dr. No, the opportunity fell on his lap as he was lucky enough to be preferred as against some already better-known actors, owing mainly to his charmful and handsome look that cemented his screen status to new peaks. The film produced on a comparatively low budget and released in 1962 proved to be a sensational success and a great box-office hit in whichever country it was released. Thereafter, there was no looking back for him. He went on to appear in four more Bond films in succession – between 1962 and 1967 – From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. His dramatically increased star status also allowed him to take films outside the series, notably the psychological thriller Marnie for Alfred Hitchcock, and The Hill, a military-prison drama directed by Sidney Lumet. He had other films in Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Highlander (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October 1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996) and Finding Forrester (2000). He officially retired from acting in 2006, although there was a brief return by him for voice-over roles in 2012.

 

In his departure, the silver-screen world has lost a sensational James Bond who did breathtaking roles in many thrillers that excited and enthralled millions of cine-goers. He will always be remembered by people for his James Bond roles in movies.

 

 

R.SAMPATH

2/10/2020