Following Dr No, From Russia with Love and Goldfinger, 1965’s Thunderball was set to be even bigger for Sean Connery’s James Bond.

The Hollywood star even performed the gun-barrel sequence for the first time on a budget that was more than the last three 007 movies combined.

Thunderball, on ITV today, famously features several underwater scuba diving scenes in which Connery’s Bond encounters sharks.

During filming, he was supposed to be protected by clear plastic panels shielding in the…