Apart from Connery himself, it was the director who was the inspired choice. Terence Young brought the style and panache to Bond. He himself lived the live, making sure only champagne was drunk on set, and imparting his knowledge on all things sartorial to Sean Connery. He had the best tailors put together his wardrobe, and explained to Connery how the suits could be treated with disdain, and they would still look good. Young would make a movie, spend the money on fine living, then go back to work again.. he really created a huge amount of what we now think of as Bond.

For the lead role, Cary Grant and Roger Moore were considered, but the role would go to relative unknown Connery, who won over the studio execs largely on the way he moved and his manner. It was felt he could convey the right mixture of ruthlessness combined with a degree of sexual magnetism. The rest of the cast were filled out, including the role of the orphaned seashell collector, Honey Ryder, who was hired on the basis of a photograph. Her heavily accented voice was later dubbed. Ian Fleming came to the set and was so smitten by her he namechecked her in his next novel, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.