AFI SALUTE STRENGTHENS CONNERY'S BOND WITH HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS.Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer Steven Spielberg Noun 1. Steven Spielberg - United States filmmaker (born in 1947) Spielberg described him as ``the man who leaves us both shaken and stirred,'' Harrison Ford simply called him ``Dad,'' and Mike Myers Mike Myers may refer to:
As Scottish bagpipes bagpipes Noun, pl a musical wind instrument in which sounds are produced in reed pipes by air from an inflated bag bagpipes npl → gaita sg bagpipes played, the 75-year-old Connery did a spirited jig as he took to the stage at the Kodak Theatre The Kodak Theatre is a live theatre in the Hollywood and Highland retail, dining, and entertainment complex on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. after a night of tributes and clips from many of his 60-plus films. But he was uncharacteristically emotional as he addressed the crowd of family, friends and industry heavyweights. ``I had no idea that this was such a big deal, I just had no idea. ...'' Connery told a crowd that included previous AFI AFI American Film Institute AFI Awaiting Further Instructions AFI Armed Forces Insurance AFI A Fire Inside (band) AFI Air Force Instruction AFI Australian Film Institute AFI Agencia Federal de Investigación recipients Ford, Spielberg and George Lucas Noun 1. George Lucas - United States screenwriter and filmmaker (born in 1944) Lucas . ``I was given a list of the people who had received this fantastic honor and I began to get a little nervous. ``I'm more than pleased that you liked my work. I have to admit that it looked pretty damned good from where I was sitting ... and it brought back a lot of memories.'' Connery joins an exclusive group of actors and directors that also includes Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Billy Wilder Noun 1. Billy Wilder - United States filmmaker (born in Austria) whose dark humor infused many of the films he made (1906-2002) Samuel Wilder, Wilder , Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, Sidney Poitier Noun 1. Sidney Poitier - United States film actor and director (born in 1927) Poitier , Clint Eastwood, and Elizabeth Taylor, among others, to receive the honor for a career in movies that has greatly contributed to the enrichment of American culture. Ford, who starred with Connery in 1989's ``Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,'' presented the man who played his father in that film with the AFI award and called him ``a man of action, a man of passion, and a man for the ages.'' ``Sean did not just show up and read the lines,'' Ford said. ``He brought ideas to the table. For those of us who love movies, that passion (and) that wisdom is the reason we are here tonight.'' A good portion of the evening, of course, was spent focused on Connery's most famous role: the suave, sophisticated British agent James Bond. In addition to scores of clips from ``Dr. No,'' ``To Russia With Love,'' ``Goldfinger,'' ``Thunderball,'' ``You Only Live Twice,'' ``Diamonds are Forever'' and ``Never Say Never Again,'' singer Tom Jones made a surprise appearance to sing the theme song from ``Thunderball.'' Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond in four films, was present and remembered being transfixed and inspired as an 11-year-old boy when he went to the movie theater and saw Connery in ``Goldfinger'' in the summer of 1964. Flash-forward more than 30 years later, and Brosnan was paid a surprise visit on the set of one of his Bond films by the ``the big man.'' Connery had witnessed Brosnan perform in a difficult and potentially dangerous action scene and greeted his successor by asking, ``Are they paying you enough?'' Myers, wearing a Scottish kilt kilt Knee-length, skirtlike garment worn by men as part of the traditional national garb, or Highland dress, of Scotland. It is made of permanently pleated wool and wrapped around the wearer's waist so that the pleats are in the back and the flat ends overlap in front. , opened the show by telling the crowd that his most successful big-screen alter ego A doctrine used by the courts to ignore the corporate status of a group of stockholders, officers, and directors of a corporation in reference to their limited liability so that they may be held personally liable for their actions when they have acted fraudulently or unjustly or when , Austin Powers, is based in large part on Connery's portrayal of Bond. ``No James Bond, no Austin Powers,'' Myers said. ``No Austin Powers, no private jet for me.'' Tippi Hedren, who starred with Connery in 1964's ``Marnie,'' remembered being told by director Alfred Hitchcock that the man who had just debuted as sexy Bond had just been cast. Since her character was supposed to be frigid, Hedren said ``acting was never more of a challenge ... and it was never more fun.'' The AFI tribute also touched on Connery's roots growing up in Scotland and getting his first job as a milk delivery boy at the age of 9 before leaving school at 13 to work full time. He went on to join the British Navy, then undertook bodybuilding bodybuilding Developing of the physique through exercise and diet, often for competitive exhibition. Bodybuilding aims at displaying pronounced muscle tone and exaggerated muscle mass and definition for overall aesthetic effect. and ended up taking third place in the 1953 Mr. Universe contest. ``My childhood was less than auspicious but at the time, we didn't know that we lacked for anything,'' Connery said during an acceptance speech in which he paid tribute to his mother and father. Greg Hernandez, (818) 713-3758 greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Sean Connery shushes photographers as he arrives with his wife, Micheline, to pick up the 34th Life Achievement Award at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/Associated Press (2) Mike Myers arrives in a kilt for the star-studded tribute to Sean Connery on Thursday. |
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