After calling it quits and moving on to other projects, Sean Connery was again approached to play 007 following the premature departure of George Lazenby. EON knew audiences wanted Connery back, and paid him a record-breaking figure to secure him for DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. Mr. Connery subsequently donated his tremendous paycheck to a charity he had started. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER tells of Bond's investigation of a diamond smuggling racket, involvement with professional underground diamond merchant Jill St. John, and eventual reunion with his most hated enemy -now plotting to hold the world ransom with a death ray from a satellite! Connery's presence helped make the film a record-breaking smash hit. There's a lot of good stuff here, including another hit theme tune from Shirley Bassey, but the climax isn't nearly as spectacular as it should be. I think DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER was one of the first Bond films I caught on television. Anyway, everybody involved knew that Sean wasn't going to stick around for another adventure, and began planning early on re-casting the part for the next film, LIVE AND LET DIE. Roger Moore would establish himself as Connery's successor over the next two decades, but Connery was to revisit his most famous role one last time in the independent NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.
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