1975: Connery (briefly) discusses Bond films

James Bond (Sean Connery) just before an action sequence in You Only Live Twice

In 1975, Sean Connery and Michael Caine were promoting the movie The Man Who Would Be King, directed by John Huston.

At that time, the main way to promote a film in the U.S. was The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Both stars were guests in early December 1975, Caine came on first, Connery second. It was Connery’s first appearance on Carson’s show.

When Connery came on stage, Carson asked a few questions about James Bond films.

“It was very difficult,” Connery said about the 1960s spy craze. He cited intense attention from the Japanese press related to 1967’s You Only Live Twice. “I was under a great deal of pressure.”

Carson observed the Bond movies were “fantasy pictures.”

“I enjoyed a lot of the work one did in the films,” Connery responded. “Many people enjoyed them.”

At that point, Carson’s audience applauded.

Connery also said in the interview he didn’t want to lose his Scottish accent for movies.

The Caine-Connery clip is below. The excerpt from The Man Who Would Be King is not included (presumably for rights issues). Trivia: Carson began his long run on The Tonight Show in October 1962, the same month that Dr. No debuted in the U.K.