Fleming told the New Yorker in an interview in 2012, “When I wrote the first [Bond Novel], in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened.”

That was the conception of James Bond that existed pre-1962. The humour and wit often thought of in relation to James Bond is notably absent in the novels. That is not to say that James Bond was dull and boring in the novels; however, much of the original identity of James Bond retains a dark and more serious tone.

This identity of a deadly serious secret agent for the British Government made sense in the early 1950s. The collapsing British Empire saw a further decline in the global stage. The Russians and Americans stood as the global superpowers post World War 2. Fleming, a highly ranked veteran, created a character which encapsulated the British resentment of their lack of world influence and represented Britain on the world stage. David Cannadine describe Fleming’s novels as taking, “refuge in an international fantasy world where decline never happened.”

This image, however, could not exist with the changing landscape of the 1960s. Further cultural concerns needed to be addressed and the Fleming Bond needed an update for modern audiences. The increase awareness towards women’s rights, the sexual revolution, the increase prominence of Asia on the global stage; these were all issues that Bond was ill-equipped for in his original form, thus necessitated a change.

The result was a James Bond that liberated women through sex, defeated a Chinese mad scientist and a group of Chinese businessmen, and took his martinis shaken not stirred.

The James Bond of the novels had been transformed into a sex symbol with a penchant for violence. Relative newcomer Sean Connery delivered a confident Bond with a fine taste in both wine and women. Sex was not a distraction, but a means of freedom and victory.

Connery’s Bond was not only a lover, however, as his Bond was licensed to kill and willing to use it. Questions of morality arose as Connery’s Bond acted almost as ruthlessly as the villains. According to Film Critic Roger Ebert, “When his eyes narrowed and his body tensed up, you knew the playing was over and the bloodshed was about to begin.” This tendency towards violence gave Bond a distinction from the stalwart detectives of past cinema.

The villains of this era are updated versions of their cold war counterparts from the novels. Their goals still pertain to sowing discord and weakening the West, but several steps are taken to distance the villains from the anti-soviet rhetoric of the 50s and ease cold war tensions. No longer are any of the villains working for the soviets. Instead, the villains are funded through a separate terrorist organization. These villains allow for the Bond films to comment on the veil of fear covering the world, without having to resort to direct identification.

Sean Connery’s first three films as James Bond; Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger; were experiments; experiments to find the perfect formula for a bond film. Fleming had attempted to bring his creation to the cinemas multiple times before; however, there was always doubt in the property proving successful. Dr. No proved that the series could work, but it was not until Goldfinger that James Bond became a cultural icon.

With nearly a billion dollars in net profit if adjusted for inflation (‘James Bond’ Box Office), Goldfinger represents the moment that the James Bond had been discovered. A careful mix of secret lairs, outlandish villains, and many women for Bond to seduce was the Bond template first codified by Goldfinger. Sight and Sound editor argued the films success was due to its ability to convey the culture of the times, stating, “One must give the sociologists best and admit that Goldfinger really is rather a symbolic film.”

After the release of Goldfinger, Bond’s cinematic adventures began to overtake the collective consciousness. Bond brand perfume, Bond brand ashtrays, even Bond brand kids swim trunks were examples of accessories for the Bond lover during this time, and the name “Bondmania” was used to describe the sudden fervor. (‘Goodies 1960s’)

Connery’s Bond was given a worldwide audience. He represented the most successful product of British cinema; therefore, he also represented Britain on the world stage. According to Connery’s first three films, the modern British man was a sexual deviant with a penchant for killing. Obviously, this would not last long. The violence of the revolutionary era was to be traded in for humor and gadgets to attract a larger audience. If Connery wanted to represent Britain on a worldwide level, he would have to abandon his Sexual Revolutionary roots and assumed the role of British Ambassador.