Woman of Straw

Also starring Gina Lollobrigida, and Ralph Richardson, Sean plays Anthony Richmond in this complicated cat and mouse murder tale where he for the first time plays a baddie! Shot in Majorca and the UK the plot has a cantankerous old man and his playboy nephew (Sean) who is awaiting his death to get his hands on the inheritance. Together Sean and the new nurse (Gina) plan an elaborate way to kill the old man and inherit his money. Plenty of twists and turns and sometimes farcical the film met with tepid reviews from the press and had only moderate box office success.

Sean is mesmerising as the coldhearted yet charasmatic murderer, and this is his only role as a truly evil character - can you count the Avengers? A firm favourite amoung Connery fans. Directed by Basil Dearden the cast were very short-tempered and Sean was sick and tired of Gina's lapses, in one scene Sean character was supposed to hit Gina's and furious after a previous arguement he hit out too hard and sent her reeling, he later apologised.

Made during 007 territory, Woman of Straw did nothing to enhance Sean's reputation past Bond, and Richardson got all the credit. However Sean was by then so wrapped up in making Goldfinger that it all passed him by.