Yup. Roger Thornhill in “North By Northwest” was James Bond. He just didn’t know it! The Bond filmmakers have said “North By Northwest” influenced them a great deal. I think it virtually invented the modern action-adventure genre. What a truly fantastic movie, that still holds up extremely well today.
No doubt about it...a foreign accented villain, a sexy woman who works with the villain whom he seduces, totally inadvisable risky adventure by the hero, car chases, hero likes to drink etc etc..all future 007 traits.
All Bond movies with Sean Connery are my favorites, especially Gold Finger & Never say Never Again.