LIFE: Sean Connery

No name is more synonymous with suave sophistication and danger than James Bond.

To celebrate this iconic character, LIFE pays tribute to all the actors who have portrayed Bond.  A special section on the history of the Bond franchise provides rare photographs from on the set and off and yields inside intelligence on each film’s behind-the-scenes politics, business deals, and casting calls.

Plus: an essay by TIME’s acclaimed film and culture critic Richard Corliss examines how Bond reflects and influences the world at large.