61 replies to this topic

[rafterman]

remember the scene where good old face within a face connery actually hangs up his suit, then waddles his belly over to tiffany?
tell me connery hadn't lost it by this point....

[Jim]

You can see him going a bit podge in YOLT, especially the scene in the garden by the castle, Ninja training school place thing. There's a side view of him, and he looks like a bloater.

The grey sideburns in DAF don't help. Compared to how he looked in Goldfinger, he just looks completely beaten up. He also wears some horrible things (according to my wife; she won't watch Diamonds are Forever "because he's wearing a pink tie". Does this say more about my wife than the film? I feel a row coming on).

[Blofeld's Cat]

Jim (02 Nov, 2001 02:02 p.m.):
...He also wears some horrible things (according to my wife; she won't watch Diamonds are Forever "because he's wearing a pink tie". Does this say more about my wife than the film? I feel a row coming on).

PINK ties and PASTEL colours were all the rage during the Miami Vice era.

1971's Bond was a man before the times.

PS: To really rub it in, I though I would add a bit of colour and size.

[Simon]

scaramanga (02 Nov, 2001 12:08 p.m.):
I thought it was a pretty lazy performance by Connery. The difference physically between Connery in YOLT and in DAF is unbelievable. Who ate all the pies? And what happened to his fashion sense?

It's for this reason I don't think the inclusion of Connery into OHMSS would have done the film any favours - I still maintain, as attractive as the contrary idea is initially, that Lazenby in OHMSS in 1969 was always to be better than Connery in OHMSS in 1969.

Hope I haven't totally alienated the reading population at this point!

[White Persian]

That's a good point Simon.
I'm inclined to think that Connery's acting experience would have balanced Lazenby's fitness and energy. Also, if Connery seemed ever so slightly past it, it might have made his decision to "settle down' with Tracy quite believable.
I love OHMSS as it is, though, and wouldn't change a thing (unless the rooftop chase could be restored).

[Jim]

Doughnuts are Forever

[freemo]

While I think it would ahve been great for Connery to have done OHMSS I can see what Simon needs. When people say a Bond film "would have been one of the best if Connery had done it" we all picture the FRWL-GF-TB Connery, the premier James Bond.

I think its actually YOLT where Connery looks his worse, some close shots really show the lines under his eyes and in that ninja suit his tummy graces us with its presence. "He walked though the film" is a common comment, and its true, but to be fair there wasn't really alot for him to do as Bond is pretty much a button pusher in this film. No casino game to act all suave and make cool comments at the villian, nothing like that. I like the thick eyebrows, podgy tummy and slightly weather face of Diamonds Are Forevers Connery more than the worn out YOLT look.

[Digitarius]

Diamonds Are Forever, for me, is a very poor Bond film.

As mentioned, Connery was out of shape, and although his performance there showed more enthusiasm than he did in YOLT, that's not saying a lot. He does look old, and the grey sideburns, as mentioned, didn't help at all. The poor script and ugly Bond girl (IMO) didn't help either, and with a relatively diabolical villain (Blofeld was almost laughable with his twin cats), it made it a minor disaster.

In Goldfinger, Thunderball and From Russia With Love, Connery was magnificent. In Diamonds are Forever, he's eaten a lot of pies.

[Alex Zamudio]

Connery looks terrible in DAF, he is the definitive Bond up to Thunderball, should

[JAWS]

After the producers viewed the scene where Bond gets into bed with Case, big belly in full view, they should've asked for their million dollars back and shown Connery the door. Don't get me wrong, I like Connery, but that scene is bad.
Personally though, I think Connery looked his worst in YOLT. Shoot, he looks better even in NSNA, many years later!

[General Koskov]

The movie kind of gives Connery a 'Henry Jones' goofy-style-role.
('Now, Junyah: we've both shcrewed the shame bad ghirl, and you're named after the dog. Thish family hash ishshuesh!')
I'm surprised Broccoli never told him to start jogging and dying his...wig! Just realised that it can't be too hard to dye a wig, then get his other hair to match. And how did his wig go grey anyway?

[zencat]

Connery was certainly out of shape when he did Diamonds (in fact, I don't think he's ever looked worse in his career) but I think his performance is one of his best. He has an "old-pro's grace" about him and seems more into the role than he did in YOLT where I feel like he just walked through the movie. He seems to be enjoying himself in Diamonds and that meshes perfectly with the lighter tone of the '70s Bond.

I love the Connery of Diamonds are Forever, belly and all.

[ThomasCrown76]

Picturing Lazenby in the opening...oh, that's good. I wish he had done the movie as well. Connery has his moments, and some of you are right when you say he was in better shape in Never Say Never Again, one of the most pointless movies ever made. Diamonds was not a good way for the "best Bond over" to go out on.

[Tanger]

Jim (27 Nov, 2001 08:07 a.m.):
Doughnuts are Forever

:-D LOL!!!!! Superb :-D

[Blue Eyes]

Connery was very out of shape in DAF, but Zencat's right. He has that old-pro grace to it. He's almost smug that Lazenby didn't surpass him.

He does a fantastic acting job. But he looks almost past it. Face it, he looks darn old as Bond there. Moore in LALD (who is older than Connery anyway) looks about 10 years his junior.

[Alex]

Yeah, he looks like crap in DAF, and it really should've been Lazenby in that movie.

[JAWS]

General Koskov (19 Feb, 2002 05:25 p.m.):
The movie kind of gives Connery a 'Henry Jones' goofy-style-role.
('Now, Junyah: we've both shcrewed the shame bad ghirl, and you're named after the dog. Thish family hash ishshuesh!')

Almost snorted Pepsi out of my nose while reading your post!

[Tanger]

Alex (20 Feb, 2002 04:32 a.m.):
Yeah, he looks like crap in DAF, and it really should've been Lazenby in that movie.

I think that if Lazenby starred in this one, then it may have taken a better turn. That pink tie would be gone (could you imagine him in that), and next time you watch the pre-titles, turn the sound down a little, and instead of Connery, imagine George's voice. It suits him so well.

[Blofeld's Cat]

He was over-weight, and his face looked craggy, but he still played it as if he was worth a million dollars - literally.

[White Persian]

I wish I were in half as good shape as Connery was in DAF.
Hell, I wish I were in half as good shape as Connery is NOW.

[Tiger]

Right On Zencat!
I agree completely. Well put!
"Diamonds" is my favorite Connery Bond performance---soooo relaxed & self-assured. He's only gotten better w/age....
Plus---your attachment MAY be the coolest Connery/007 photo I've ever seen. Nice!!!

[rafterman]

I still don't think it's his best performance, but not as bad as YOLT, but as for physically he was past his prime, the man is in better shape now....

[scaramanga]

I thought it was a pretty lazy performance by Connery. The difference physically between Connery in YOLT and in DAF is unbelievable. Who ate all the pies? And what happened to his fashion sense?

[MovieManOO7]

Connery was not only out of shape in DAF but he also had that terrible hair-piece. Of course, it doesn't help that DAF is, in my opinion, the worst Bond film. On the plus side, however, Connery's performance was indeed better that in YOLT. Strangely, I always found that Connery seemed to be in better shape in NSNA than in DAF!

[11 11]

Has anyone else noticed how when Connery quit after YOLT, Bond fans were upset with Lazenby and did not want him as Bond, because Connery still seemed to be Bond, but when Connery quit after DAF Bond fans were happy Moore came along, because Connery no longer seemed like Bond anymore?

If Connery would have made OHMSS, then DAF, then quit, then people would have loved Lazenby, as he looked so much younger and so much more attractive than Connery at that point. Also Roger would have never been Bond then.

If Connery would have made OHMSS and DAF then quit, I believe it is Lazenby who would have been Bond in LALD-LTK era, and that Moore and Dalton would have never played the role.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

what i want to know is how connery looked so bad in daf when it had only been 4 years since yolt and he looked ok then, nobody can go down that bad in only 4 years can they?

[11 11]

I read an interview once where Connery just basically said that he spent all of his time drinking, smoking, and eating when he was in his 40's.

[1q2w3e4r]

Certinally sounds like a worthy ambition to me.

[11 11]

Fair enough I hear you on that one. I have to admit I smoke and drink too so I wasn't really talking down on him.

[rafterman]

Connery's easily in better shape now than in DAF or NSNA, seems in his forties and fifties he just went, but then he got gray, stopped wearing the rug and grew out the beard...changed his whole look and it works better than the DAF paunch...