IT is the only feature ever directed by Scottish screen legend Sir Sean Connery – and helped shape his political opinions.

Now his 1960s production about class and work in Scotland's shipyards is to return to the small screen.

The Bowler and the Bunnet is the only film the Edinburgh star directed and was first broadcast in July 1967.

But fans can tune in next week when STV – which helped make the film and first put it on air – screens it again.

The hour-long documentary sees Connery – who became one of the most famous advocates for Scottish independence – visiting Glasgow to examine the impact of new working practices at the floundering Fairfields shipyard on the River Clyde.

READ FROM THE ARCHIVE: Sean Connery at 90: His views on Scotland, in his own words

He choose to make the film during a turbulent period for Glasgow shipbuilding as several yards faced closure and relations were deteriorating between the bowler hat-wearing management and their bunnet-donning workers.

In the programme, made in black and white, Connery observes: “To the worker’s bitter eye, the situation looks clear – the boss takes the gravy when the going is good, and when things look bad, he sells out, takes his money and vanishes.

“And that’s the crux; the gulf is complete – the gulf between the bowler and the bunnet.”

Connery worked with Glasgow scriptwriter Cliff Hanley on the film, which focuses closely on the famous “Fairfield Experiment”, which tested new industrial management methods and was supported by the then-Labour government.

In an interview at the time, Connery said: “I’d never considered myself a particularly political animal at all, but when I went up to Scotland to look at this Fairfield Experiment, it awakened all sorts of dislikes and likes that had obviously been dormant in me.”

The programme was produced by STV Studios, then known as Scottish Television Enterprises, and shown at the Rome Film Festival in 2006.

Its return to Scottish screens comes just over a month since his death in the Bahamas at the age of 90.

Stephen O’Donnell of STV said: “While everyone remembers Sir Sean Connery as one of the world’s greatest Scots and the definitive James Bond, I don’t think many will be aware that he directed this fascinating passion project about the volatility of Glasgow’s shipbuilding industry in the 1960s.

“The film provides a vivid insight into a bygone era, and demonstrates Connery’s directorial flair alongside his more widely celebrated acting talent. Little over a month after his sad passing, we’re pleased to be able to introduce viewers to a compellingly different side of the cultural icon they adored.”

The Bowler and the Bunnet airs on STV at 11:05pm on Monday 7 December and will be available on demand on the STV Player.