An Icon Passes
RIP Sean Connery, 90, who polled as The Greatest Living Scot and Scotland’s Greatest Living National Treasure. In 1989 he was proclaimed Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine, and in 1999, at 69, he was voted Sexiest Man of the Century. He was also a hell of an actor. Before breaking into the business, he worked as a milkman, lorry driver, laborer, artist’s model, coffin polisher and bodybuilder. He took dancing lessons for eleven years. He had a chance to play soccer professionally but chose acting instead. There is nothing in his bio about formal training. He was a natural. His run spanned 1954–2012. There are 94 titles under his name, including Shakespearean roles early in his career. He skyrocketed to fame playing James Bond in seven films, but he refused to be pigeonholed by the part and went on to star in many memorable roles. He was a tough customer who drew a lot of heat for comments he made about the treatment of women. These days such ideas would severely damage a career. He soldiered on. Here are my favorite non-007 roles: The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Outland (1981), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Entrapment (1999). Although he received a supporting actor Oscar for The Untouchables (1987) and was terrific in the part, I believe the film is vastly overrated. He won a ton of other awards, including three Golden Globes. Here’s a great bit of trivia: He was once stopped for speeding by an officer named Sergeant James Bond. And here’s a telling quote attributed to him: “I’m an actor — it’s not brain surgery. If I do my job right, people won’t ask for their money back.” Each generation has its favorite Bond. As much as I like the work of others who have played the icon, Connery will always be the definitive superspy and ladykiller. Thank you, sir.
Headline at foxnews.com: “Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorses Trump for handling of economy.”
Here’s a pic from FN of folks waiting to attend a Trump rally today in North Carolina. One Tweet estimated it was a half-mile long:
I decided not to put out candy this year. It proved to be the right move, as not a single Trick or Treater knocked at my door. I didn’t hear the phrase being called in the hallway, either. Sad.
Since I was up an hour earlier than usual due to the clock being pushed back, I was done with my morning PC chores by 8:00. And with the forecast for afternoon rain, I decided to alter my schedule. The book shop was set up by 9:30. It was a good plan, as the rain started just after noon. My thanks to the young man who bought a collection of the novels Stephen King wrote under the Richard Bachman pseudonym, Affinity by Sarah Waters and Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly; and to the woman who purchased three books in Russian and then boarded a bus for Atlantic City; and to the couple who selected translations of Sidney Sheldon and Nora Roberts after a visit to the Chase ATM; and to the elderly woman who did a swap and buy of novels in Russian before heading to 86th Street to shop.
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