Sean Connery passed away on October 31, 2020, and while he’s best-known for his iconic portrayal of James Bond, he also popped up in frock flicks over the years and thus deserves a look-back. He was a proud Scotsman, having supported Scottish independence, but he also had a questionable history of misogyny. Still, his work lives on, and we thank him for these performances.
Harry Percy, surnamed Hotspur, in An Age of Kings (1960)
Essentially Shakespeare’s Richard II & Henry IV for an early TV serial.
Macbeth in Macbeth (1961)
More Shakespeare on TV.
Alexander, King of Macedonia, in Adventure Story (1961)
Lots of history on the BBC!
Count Alexis Vronsky in Anna Karenina (1961)
And classic literature on the Beeb!
Pvt. Flanagan in The Longest Day (1962)
The famous WWII film.
Shalako in Shalako (1968)
Gotta love a ’60s western starring a Scotsman & Brigitte Bardot :D
Roald Amundsen in The Red Tent (1969)
About the 1928 Arctic expedition that resulted in this famed explorer’s disappearance & death.
Jack Kehoe in The Molly Maguires (1970)
Irish miners fight for better working conditions in Pennsylvanian coal mines of 1876.
Col. Arbuthnot in Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
The Agatha Christie classic!
Daniel Dravot in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Based on a Rudyard Kipling story and set in the 1880s.
Robin Hood in Robin and Marian (1976)
Set 20 years after the events of the well-known Robin Hood tale.
Pierce in The Great Train Robbery (1978)
A wild caper set in 1855.
Don Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez in Highlander (1986)
There can be only one!
William von Baskerville in The Name of the Rose (1986)
Mystery with medieval monks.
Jim Malone in The Untouchables (1987)
Mob mayhem during Prohibition.
Professor Henry Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
We named the dog Indiana!
King Richard in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
The only reason to hang around till the end (after Alan Rickman).
King Arthur in First Knight (1995)
A take on the King Arthur story.
Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
Part of that whole steampunk thing!
What’s your favorite historical costume role played by Sean Connery?
Toss up for me between ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and ‘ Robin and Marion’. Loved having an old Robin Hood; that sword fight was wonderful.
My two favorites as well. Although I do love Dr. Jones.
Dr. Jones Sr. forever!
“She talks in her sleep.” Sean always had a wonderful poker face. (And Ford’s double take on hearing this observation…) Am not crazy about the series, but the casting here was perfect.
Sean Connery AND Harrison Ford! Ilsa was one lucky villainess!
Yeah, I have to go with Dr. Jones, too. It’s just too fun of a movie, and he hit all the right notes between serious and not taking it too seriously.
Also, I never remember he’s in The Longest Day, which has TONS of big names in small parts, probably because he really looks quite different without the beard. I think the beard (and facial hair generally) suited him well, and the man looks good in a hat (all sorts of hats, in fact).
I’ve always been fond of The Wind and the Lion. He and Candice Bergen have excellent chemistry and Brian Keith as Roosevelt is a real treat.
I also enjoy the fact that he can’t really manage a non-Gaelic-type accent, but is still obviously having a wonderful time. Joy in performing is not that common.
Does Time Bandits count? He played Agamemnon- a minor role I know, but still effective. :)
Time Bandits most certainly counts!
Yay!
You’ve forgotten The Wind and the Lion (1975). It takes place in Morocco, 1904. It’s very good as a movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_and_the_Lion
The sexiest man in film. The only reason to watch Highlander or First Knight. Adorable as Dr. Jones sr. and a memorable aging Robin Hood. So sorry he’s gone.
I don’t know about sexiest, I’ve seen clips of Zardoz…
Hey, we all make mistakes, LOL. I saw that movie, and it was…very interesting.
We don’t talk about Zardoz!
The Man Who Would Be King. Alba go bragh!
I agree. What a cast! My favorite Connery role.
Agree. Connery, Caine, Plummer.
PS: I think The Hill should be included, since it’s set in WWII.
Agreed. An intense drama, (rather like Tunes of Glory). Brutal and not for the light of heart. Also, not a frock in sight.
The Man Who Would Be King! I watch it every year.
I absolutely adore him as King Arthur in First Knight. He was so splendid and majestic, I never understood why Guinevere would look at that goober Lancelot. :P
His death saddened me, but I thank him for so many great cinematic memories.
Darby O’Gill and the Little People! The only role where he sang.
OMG, I remember seeing DO’G back when I was a rug rat. That was Sean?! Just Googled it; Sean is faux-adorable and the songs are revolting. Misogyny and all, I’m glad he became Mr. Bond.
He sang a line or two of “Underneath The Mango Tree” in Dr. No, and his voice wasn’t half bad…
I understand that it was his role in Darby O’Gill that brought him to the attention of Cubby Broccoli, and the rest is history.
Darby O’Gill was my first encounter, as a small child back before the first Bond movie was made. But my favorite will always be Robin & Marian (“he was my king”). Also Indiana Jones, Time Bandits (fabulous Minoan-Mycenaean moment!), The Name of the Rose, and The Wind and the Lion.
It was very amusing to see him play so many Anglo-Saxon icons with that accent. I do wish he hadn’t been such a pig, though.
My fave role is a tie between Jim Malone in The Untouchables and Dr. Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. That said, I loved him as King Arthur in First Knight and as Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentleman–those movies weren’t great, but he was excellent in his roles. And, yes, he totally brightens up the ending Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves! He will be missed!!
Funny how I don’t think of Indy as period movies, but they really are.
Of the rest…gotta love “The Name of the Rose.” The story goes that the director had ZERO thought of casting Connery as William of Baskerville and Connery basically bulled his way into his office and said “Let me read you ONE LINE.” And he delivered one line and had the role. They never said what line it was. I’d love to know.
I fell in love with Connery as Hotspur on the telly when I was a teenager in England. Also saw him on stage as Holofernes, costumed in what was essentially a g-string. Seared into my memory.
I gotta admit, given the way FF usually leans feminist, I’m surprised there’s no mention if the fact that he endorsed beating women and abused his wife.
I’m sorry to hear that but it doesn’t change my opinion of his work. It’s the actor I admired, not the man.
That was his first wife. I believe he grew up after that and had a good, long second marriage.