By Anne Thompson

The American Film Institute's tribute to Sean Connery, one of Hollywood's most reliable and longest-running leading men, was a celebration of the swingin' '60s.

Howard Stringer, Mike Myers, Steven Spielberg, Tippi Hedren, Pierce Brosnan, Ian McShane, Craig Ferguson, James Earl Jones, Andy Garcia, Eddie Izzard and Julia Ormond paid tribute to Hollywood's most famous Scot and the quintessential "Bond, James Bond."

On Thursday night at the Kodak Theatre, the Edinburgh-born Connery, accompanied by his wife, Micheline, was treated to high-kicking Highland babes in short kilts, deafening bagpipes and a virile rendition of the theme from "Thunderball" by Welsh crooner Tom Jones. "The James Bond Theme" provided the soundtrack for the evening, which will be the fifth AFI tribute to be broadcast when it airs June 21 on USA Network.

The black-tie crowd of Hollywood glitterati responded enthusiastically to the film clips, especially to the medley of seven Bond films, which was introduced by Spielberg, who was honored in 1995. He said that Connery had "captured lightning in a bottle. People around the world share this character, James Bond. I never missed one starring Sean Connery. He played James Bond in seven films across 21 years. Every entrance was a tour de force. Every turn of the head had the suggestion of danger."

Accompanied by bagpipes and wearing a kilt, Myers, who is known for doing a mean Scots accent, cited Connery's portrayal of Bond as the obvious inspiration for Austin Powers. "No James Bond, no Austin Powers," he said. "No Austin Powers, no private jet plane. No Sean Connery, no 'Shrek.' No 'Shrek,' no sprawling vacation pad in the Hamptons."

Brosnan, who played a later incarnation of Bond, cited seeing "Goldfinger" at age 11 as the start of "my love and passion for the world of film. His character was a suave, sophisticated, daring and sexy Scotsman." The latest Bond, Daniel Craig, star of the upcoming "Casino Royale," thanked Connery in a video clip for his "pugnacious attitude toward the business itself," he said. "We all stand in your shadow."

Last year's AFI tribute honoree George Lucas, who is eager to bring Connery back to reprise his role as Harrison Ford's father in a fourth Indiana Jones movie, said: "I'd better get back to writing. Indy's father is getting pretty old. So is Indiana Jones."

In presenting Connery with the AFI's 34th Lifetime Achievement Award, Ford, who was honored in 2000, addressed his "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" co-star: "Dad? He played my father when he's only 12 years older than I am. How's that work? Either he looks older than his age, or I look younger than I am."

Connery danced a jig when he joined Ford onstage. "I had no idea that this was such a big deal," he said. "I have to admit, it looked pretty darned good from where I was sitting. It brought back to me plenty of good memories of working with people who are industrious, talented and enthusiastic -- all the qualities I find admirable. The rest of you, you know who you are.

"Making movies is either like utopia or it's like shoveling shit uphill," he said. "My start as a child was less than auspicious. When I was young, we didn't know that we lacked anything because we didn't have anything to compare it to. I had a hardworking father and mother -- I got my big push when I was 5 years old. It's taken me more than 70 years to realize it. At 5, I learned how to read. It's that simple and that profound. When I left school, I didn't have a formal education. I wouldn't be here without all the books, plays and scripts. It's been a long journey from Fountainbridge. Although my feet are tired, my heart is not."

Connery concluded by recalling that he had recently lunched in London with his first agent, who said, "Life is good, but isn't the third act shit?" He added, "I suppose that he has a point, but not tonight. No shit. I thank you all for one helluva evening."

Playing host was Sony CEO Stringer, who also is chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, which voted to award Connery this year's honor. Connery is "a rogue, a rapscallion and a Renaissance man who played many a king -- Arthur, Richard and Macbeth," he said. "He's the first king of the world."

Stringer was the first of many of the night's guests to bring up Connery's signature: "Your voice echoes across decades of film," he said. "We celebrate it because of the confidence it projects. It belies boundaries. No matter the country or time period, it's you, and we love it. Then there's Bond, the blessing and the curse. We all remember seeing 'Dr. No' for the first time. You made Britain cool again. You were the supernova of movie stars because we'd imitate you and were happy to be you."

Connery's "The Hunt for Red October" co-star Jones also mentioned the Connery brogue. "Make no mistake about it," he said. "It's his voice. Sean Connery is the voice for the ages."

A regally elegant Hedren recalled that she was concerned when Alfred Hitchcock told her that Connery would be her co-star in "Marnie." She had just seen him in "Dr. No," she said. "The sexiest man I had ever laid eyes on? Marnie was so frigid, she screams every time a man comes near her. How was I supposed to deal with that? Hitchcock replied, 'It's called acting, my dear.' "

Michael Caine, Connery's co-star from "The Man Who Would Be King," said in a video clip: "Sean holds up a mirror. When you watch Sean, you recognize things in him and the characters he creates and say, How did he know that about me?"

Garcia brought down the house with his tales of acting opposite Connery in 1987's "The Untouchables," which earned Connery his only Academy Award, for best supporting actor. According to Garcia, Connery was adept at organizing his day so that he could play golf. When Garcia resisted facing the camera while he was talking on the phone, Connery said, "Come on kid, it's not 'Hamlet.' "

Stringer also said that after a 26 years of running AFI, Jean Firstenberg would be leaving the organization in 2007, after leading the search for her successor. "She'll be part of the AFI for years to come," he said. "She's Margaret Thatcher, Joan of Arc and Myrna Loy all rolled into one."

Firstenberg presented AFI directors' program graduate Marshall Herskovitz ("Family," "Once and Again") with the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal. Bob Gazzale, who was executive producer/writer of AFI's tributes to Lucas, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, performed that role again for the this year's tribute. Louis J. Horvitz directed.