Sean Connery is back after his brief retirement from playing James Bond. In Sean Connery fashion as Bond, he’s back to disrespecting women in Diamonds Are Forever. He walks up to a woman on the beach, yanks her bikini top off, and wraps it around her neck, forcing her to provide information. Ugh…it’s definitely time for this Bond to retire for good.
I don’t have a lot to say about the plot, but here are some thoughts that stood out as I watched the movie.
Sean Connery is Back in Diamonds Are Forever
Sean Connery quit after You Only Live Twice, but when the new actor, George Lazenby, quit after just one movie, they paid Connery enough ($1.5 million) to get him to return as Bond.
Connery is now nearly ten years older than when it all began with his first Bond movie, Dr. No. It’s now the 1970s. He was 41 when he filmed this movie and he looks closer to fifty but still looks good because he’s Sean Connery. (And the hairpiece helps….you can read about that below.)
Sean Connery Wore A Hairpiece In All Bond Movies
Sean Connery wore a hairpiece in all the James Bond movies. I would never have known. That information was provided by Prime Video X-RAY feature. In a particular fight scene, his hairpiece came off and the scene had to be redone. (The bonus information Prime Video X-RAY provides is amazing.)
Sean Connery’s hairline started receding in his 20s and by his early 30s his hairline had receded significantly.
The Sean Connery Bond Era Is Over
I’ve watched three Bond films in the past two days so my head is spinning. I thought I better speed things up a bit when the Ian Fleming social media accounts said some type of announcement would be made on October 5th. Bond fans are speculating that they could be announcing the next James Bond. I don’t think so, but still, I thought it would be good to finish up the Connery era so I can see what Roger Moore is like as the next Bond.
Sean Connery returned to play Bond because the producers were in a bind with Lazenby quitting after just one movie. But after this movie, Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery left the role for good.
Connery did return as Bond one last time in 1983, in Never Say Never Again, but it’s not considered an official Bond film because it wasn’t produced by EON Productions.
Filming & Production Info
Diamonds Are Forever began filming in April 1971, and it was released in theaters in December 1971. Wow, I think that’s the fastest turn around yet!
One More Thing…
Surprisingly, James Bond only slept with one woman in this movie. That’s important to note since I am watching to see how Bond evolves over time, specifically with his treatment of women.
I made it through the Sean Connery era! Seven movies watched, including the George Lazenby era (all of one movie). Eighteen more to go.
By the way, if you don’t know why I, a non Bond fan, am watching all 25 James Bond movies, read here for the details: Who Is The Next James Bond? A Non Bond Fan Makes Her Prediction.