When Sean Connery went to Norway to regain his virility

Number24

In 1967 Sean Connery felt he had problems with his potency and virilty. He thought that part of the problem was an internal conflict between himself and his James Bond persona. One of the formost experts on the field of orgasms and virility was Ola Raknes, a Norwegian communist and psychotherapist who believed in "free love". So in October 1967 Connery got on a plane and traveled to Oslo to be treated by Raknes. Ola Raknes was a former pupil of the German Wilhelm Reich who was one of Freud's last students. Both Raknes and Reich believed in orgon, a cosmic radiation that is the source of all energy. It may surprise you to hear that the theory was controversial. Raknes made a closet named the orgon closet buildt out of organic and metalic materials. Inside this orgon accumulator the patient is supposed to draw energy from the closet and the air outside it.
Raknes also felt the pasient should lie down on the couch naked during the psychotherapy session so Raknes could "penetrate the patient's armour of muscles, remove the neurosis and make them whole and harmonic human beings."

Ola Raknes' Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ola_Raknes


Sean Connery to the left and Ola Raknes to the extreme right.

Thunderpussy

Very Interesting but please " Ola Raknes to the extreme right " let's keep politics
Out of it.

Number24

Yes. Should I change it to "far right", or what is the correct phrasing? He would have taken offence, since he was to the extreme left politically

Thunderpussy

So long as he helped Big Tam get his Mojo back.

Number24

I wonder if Ola Raknes cleansed Connery of all free radicals? I'm also glad sir Sean came out of the closet a more virile man.

Number24

I just remembered something! Actress Liv Ullmann said in a talk show that she dated Sean Connery several times "while he was still James Bond". It happened in Norway, since their first date was dinner in her mum's house. As far as we know Sean Connery has only been in Norway twice: to film Ransom/The Terrrorist in 1975 when he wasn't Bond anymore and in 1967 for theraphy. Ullmann had her international breakthrough in 1966 in Ingar Bergman's Persona. Did Sean Connery test out the effects of the theraphy on Liv Ullmann?

Matt S

Number24 wrote:

I just remembered something! Actress Liv Ullmann said in a talk show that she dated Sean Connery several times "while he was still James Bond". It happened in Norway, since their first date was dinner in her mum's house. As far as we know Sean Connery has only been in Norway twice: to film Ransom in 1975 when he wasn't Bond anymore and in 1967 for therahy. Ullmann had her international brakthrough in 1966 with Ingar Bergman's Persona. Did Sean Connery test out the effects of the theraphy on Liv Ullmann?

I guess Connery didn't take the old ball and chain with him on his trips?

Number24

"Old ball and chain". Are you refering to Diane Cilento, Connery's wife from 1962 to 1973?
Well, if Connery was only in Norway twice and Ullmann is right about him being James Bond at the time I'd say the wife remained in the UK ...

Jag

Those were the days... it was OK to be an adult and believe in a "cosmic energy"!

Matt S

Number24 wrote:

"Old ball and chain". Are you refering to Diane Cilento, Connery's wife from 1962 to 1973?
Well, if Connery was only in Norway twice and Ullmann is right about him being James Bond at the time I'd say the wife remained in the UK ...

Yes. Just because you leave your wife at home doesn't mean there isn't a wife at home ...

Grindelwald

My mom worked as a maid at Continental hotel in Oslo , she made his room but never actually saw him.....that was in feb '72.

Number24

Perhaps it was connected to his work on Ransom/The Terrorist? Sources differ on the release date. Some say 74 and others say 75.

superado

Sir Sean never fully recovered from the treatment:

Thunderpussy

Bloody hell ! He's got some wood in that last photo.

Dutchfinger

Have never heared this story! Fascinating, I think it's safe to asume he was cured! )

Number24 wrote:

"Old ball and chain". Are you refering to Diane Cilento, Connery's wife from 1962 to 1973?
Well, if Connery was only in Norway twice and Ullmann is right about him being James Bond at the time I'd say the wife remained in the UK ...

I always wondered how meaningfull that relationship was to Connery at the time, as he was defenitely sleeping around with countless women. There are several stories to be found suggesting that Bond slept with both his co-stars Lana Wood and Jill St. John on Diamonds Are Forever, as well as Vanessa Redgrave in 1965, and god knows how many others during that period! But then again in his defence, if you are both the sexiest men alive AND James Bond, it's hard to repress those powers ) )

superado

Thunderpussy wrote:

Bloody hell ! He's got some wood in that last photo.

Norwegian Wood )

Silhouette Man

Interesting stuff. Never heard that before. In a strange way it kind of mirrors the literary Bond getting help from a sex shop in Japan (via Kissy Suzuki) at the end of Fleming's YOLT novel. An interesting parallel there between fiction and reality.

Number24

There's another good story about Connery in Norway. It happened while he was making Ransom /The Terrorist in the mid-70's and it involves the Stay Behind network, illegal moonshine and a secret arms storage. Hopefully I'll find to write about it tomorrow :v

Silhouette Man

How did you know about the story above, N24?

Number24

The story about the theraphy? From a newspaper. A piece based on a biography about Ola Raknes.

Silhouette Man

Number24 wrote:

The story about the therapy? From a newspaper. A piece based on a biography about Ola Raknes.

Yes, was it recent or a cutting? Just curious.

Number24

It's from a newspaper article from 2010. Their source is the biography "Ola Raknes - ord og orgasme" (words and orgasm) from the same year.

Silhouette Man

Number24 wrote:

It's from a newspaper article from 2010. Their source is the biography "Ola Raknes - ord og orgasme" (words and orgasm) from the same year.

Ah, I see. Thank you for that information. This thread has been most interesting. -{

Number24

I just read the chapter in "Ola Raknes - ord og orgasme" that deals with Sean Connery. it's interesting that Sean Connery said to a Norwegian actor while he was filming "Ransom" here in 1974: "It just became too much. I feel I'm disapearing and only that fantacy figure (James Bond) is left". The author of the biography thinks this was the main reason Connery sought help from Raknes. Connery visited Raknes in 1974 too. But Connery also spoke of getting "more energy" from the treatment by Ola Raknes, and mentions that Connery was to work with Bridgitte Bardot in "Shalako" right after his treatment in 1967. :v

Grindelwald

Ransom could very well have been filmed in '72 and shelved for a while.

IanFryer

Grindelwald wrote:

Ransom could very well have been filmed in '72 and shelved for a while.

According to Wikipedia production began in January 1974.

Number24

There are several reasons why Connery visited Norway in1972. Pre-production for "Ransom", visiting Liv Ullman or other people he knew, holliday or perhaps further teraphy.

twinarchers

This is an interesting funny thread but I don't believe it.

Number24

It's true. We speculate about Liv Ullman and other things, but Connery did visit Raknes several times for the reasons mentioned. The treatment was like I wrote too.

Number24

The woman is sitting in an Orgon cabinet, just like Sean Connery did in 1967. Apparently the cabinet was called both the Orgone cabinet, but Woody Allen dubbed it the Orgasmatron!