Farewell to a Classic Bond - Roger Moore

It is with a heavy heart that I reflect on the acting career of Sir Roger Moore on this day of his passing. Though dear ol' Rog was never my favourite James Bond actor, his work in the role does make me wax nostalgic... after all, it was his Bond films that I first saw at the cinema as a young lad. I was a bit too young to have seen Connery's movies on the big screen. 

This Sir Rog pic greets visitors as they step into my front hall at home

I remember first seeing the Connery and early Moore Bond films on TV when I was just entering my teenage years. Usually as a Sunday night movie, and I'd often get permission to stay up for the whole thing, a bit late but hey, this was Bond.

I think at that tender age, I was equally enamored by both of those first two "classic" Bond performers. I didn't even question the fact that there were two different actors in the role. I'm not sure if I saw On Her Majesty's Secret Service back then, because I'm sure that would certainly have confused me. What... a third Bond? And in only one movie? I don't remember, but it's possible I did. 

Anyway, I recall enjoying Live and Let Die just as much as Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice back then. This was Moore's debut as Bond, and I thought he did a great job. He had big shoes to fill, and I think he did it quite ably. He presented a more urbane, gentlemanly James Bond. Less gruff and brawny than Connery, Moore was the romantic smooth-talker, also relying more on his brains than his physicality to take on the bad guys. Don't get me wrong, Moore threw (and took) plenty of kicks and punches during his years in the role; he looked and behaved more like the agile and wily agent that we came to enjoy during his run of 007 flicks. 

Remember View-Masters? Well, here's my still-in-mint-condition

Live and Let Die!

It wasn't until many years later that I learned about Moore's work on TV's The Saint of the 1960's. I found myself a neat little box set of DVDs so I could enjoy Roger in this sort of Bond-ish role before he even inherited the coveted Walther PPK and 007 status. 

At age thirteen, I finally saw a Bond movie at its theatrical release... The Spy Who Loved Me. And wow, did that ever bowl me over. Fond memories of that evening.... is it strange that I remember it so well? I'm quite sure I saw the remaining Moore Bond movies when they hit theatres. So Roger did make an impression on me for a time. 

Many fans agree that The Spy Who Loved Me is Moore's best Bond feature. I have always felt the same way... between the exciting and glamorous story and the girls, guns, and gadgets formula, it all came together and meshed perfectly here. Live and Let Die was the litmus test for Moore in the part - lots of action, both in the bedroom and hassling the baddies. The Man With the Golden Gun was a sleeker, simpler tale that focused more closely on Bond and his opponent, the villainous Scaramanga. It was The Spy Who Loved Me that established some grander fixtures in the Bond canon... like that ski chase leading to the parachute jump. There were slight re-hashes of Bond-isms, like the fight on the train (seen that before, right), though this time with a seven-foot tall dude with metal chompers. Yikes!

All in all, though, that movie cemented Moore in the role as a solid contender with Connery... for many fans. Though it took me many years to learn to appreciate Roger's later Bond movies, I now enjoy them each in their own quirky ways. Even when you could clearly see the poor fellow was getting a bit creaky for climbing stairs and pummeling fist-fights, we sort of look the other way when the (obvious) stunt-man stepped in. Fair enough. We're all going to get there someday.

Moore is the guy who I picture when I think of Bond with the ladies. He was the suave and sophisticated 007 of that era. And I associated Moore more with the gadgets - from Q section, naturally - in that bygone era of vintage Bond pictures. 

I also saw a small handful of Roger Moore's non-Bond films, like The Sea Wolves, Sherlock Holmes in New York, The Cannonball Run, The Quest, and of course - Spice World!

I even read his amusing memoirs on his years as the cinematic James Bond, entitled Bond On Bond. I highly recommend it... as least to die-hard fans. Loads of photos and stories I'd not seen or heard before. Great fun!

So long, Sir Roger Moore.... we shall miss you... though you will live on forever in film. And you'll always be 007 to me.