What if Roger Moore did OHMSS?

MilleniumForce

Everyone discusses how OHMSS would be better if Connery did it. But, what if Moore had done it? There are some elements I can't see Moore doing, such as the opening scene, but I think with a few tweaks, Roger Moore could have done a good job with the film. Maybe it's just because I've warmed up to FYEO.

Number24

Don't even joke about it

AlphaOmegaSin

I personally can't see Moore doing OHMSS.

Blackleiter

AlphaOmegaSin wrote:

I personally can't see Moore doing OHMSS.

Same here.

hehadlotsofguts

I really can't see him pulling off the final scene either.

Absolutely_Cart

Connery was too stoic for OHMSS and Moore was too silly for it. Lazenby was the perfect middle ground for that movie.

AlphaOmegaSin

Moore was perfectly capable of playing dramatic Roles (The Man who haunted himself, for instance) -{

Moore Than

If Roger Moore had appeared in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969, I am confident he would have performed very well, and would have benefited from the Peter Hunt editing technique regarding the fight sequences. The more emotional aspects (particularly the final scene) were well within his capability. Check out The Man Who Haunted Himself which was made around the same time as OHMSS. Roger plays the two sides of Pelham's personality beautifully, the brash/confident versus the weak/insecure. Arguably, his best ever screen performance.

Barbel

I'm with Moore Than, Sir Rog could have pulled off OHMSS no problem.

Thunderpussy

I personally wouldn't use the phrasing of " Pulled off" and Roger in the same
Sentence, but Then I'm an incredibly sensitive person ! but yes Sir Roger
Could have done a great job with OHMSS. -{

AlphaOmegaSin

I think that the ending for OHMSS could have had a different Emotional Impact with Moore, but Lazenby pulled it off perfectly in my Opinion -{

Thunderpussy

Roger is very good at playing vulnerable or hurt.

M 'n' M

Totally agree that Sir Rog could have done a good job (and a better one than Lazenby) At that point in his career he was much more of a straight actor. The humour in his work really started to dominate with The Persuaders and then Bond.

broadshoulder

uummm...to be honest not convinced

Virgil37

Moore Than wrote:

would have benefited from the Peter Hunt editing technique regarding the fight sequences

Very good point.

Virgil37

The key to OHMSS being a great film is not Lazenby. His performance is adequate at best (although he looks great). The team surrounding Lazenby was in their prime, and they wanted to make a good movie.

Roger Moore would have been good in OHMSS. I think I mentioned this in some other post, but the chemistry with Diana Rigg would have improved. Also he looked great skiing, and I can imagine him facing Telly Savallas.

Would he have been accepted as Bond without those years in between the Saint and LALD? Probably. Being well known never hurts.

Le Samourai

I've pondered this before. I think Sir Rog would have done a great job. As others have already mentioned, he was quite good at showing vulnerability, even in the midst of some of the wilder Bond films. (He showed real panic in the controversial carnival scene from OP. Considering RM was in clown makeup, that is pretty impressive.)

And then there is the fact that OHMSS is essentially a love story, and Moore would have shined in such a romantic Bond film.

Given the choice between a Connery-OHMSS or a Moore-OHMSS, my vote would be for Moore.

MooseWithFleas

Agreed that Rog would have done a great job. I think the Hillary Bray persona would have been much better, but the fighting sequences at the beginning would have been worse. No doubt in my mind that Rog could pull of the emotional love story of it.

Big caveat here, I am assuming Rog would have started with OHMSS. I could not see him doing OHMSS unless it was his first Bond as he then sets a less serious tone that would have made the love and tragic parts of OHMSS hard to believe. I hold the same opinion for Connery. After the OTT TB & YOLT, along with the personality his Bond set, it wouldn't have made any sense and been unbelievable to see Connery's Bond in love or handling Tracy's death appropriately.

Gassy Man

By the time that OHMSS was made, Moore was quite comfortable in his light, proto-Bond portrayal of The Saint. While I agree that Moore could have pulled off serious, I don't think the film's tone would have been quite the same. It would have been lightened to fit Moore's style. While the comedy wouldn't quite have been campy, the film's stylings would have played on Moore's personality -- imagine more moments like Lazenby's cheery attitude while being accosted before his golf trip or the flippant qualities when he meets the ladies at Piz Gloria.

I'm going to post more on Lazenby in another thread.

AlphaOmegaSin

TSWLM is a Low point for Moore?

BIG TAM

I think Moore would have done fine in OHMSS, though I agree Lazenby is better physically. Moore the man has a nice air of natural whimsy whereas Moore the actor would have been guided differently. Let's not forget Moore would later work with Peter Hunt on GOLD & SHOUT AT THE DEVIL. Both offer a different side to his persona. Lewis Gilbert on the other hand happily indulged the tongue in cheek approach & let Moore's eyebrow arch whenever possible.
I think Moore's best performances are in TMWTGG & FYEO. Both are films where Moore is forced to step outside his comfort zone & project an air of toughness - in the case of FYEO some nice world-weary cynicism too.

75vette

I think he definitely could have pulled it off, especially if this had this been his first or second Bond outing; and in some ways would have been tailor made for him (ski scenes, interaction with large group of voluptuous girls, etc.). However, I have to agree the tone would have been altered. I think Moore pitted against Salavas would have been quite the match-up, and on this point, perhaps even better than Lazenby/Savalas. And the biggest plus is Moore would have had a dozen years on Lazenby which I believe would have served him well. I've always thought that Lazenby's young age hindered more than helped his portrayal of Bond in OHMSS.

Absolutely_Cart

Actually, I didn't mean to say Moore could not do OHMSS. I moreso meant that the movie would have to be re-directed and have some writing revisions to accomodate him.

So, Moore, yes.

Connery, hell no. We probably would've gotten a performance from him between his okay acting in YOLT and his bad acting in DAF. Not acceptable.

DevilMayCare007

OHMSS was made just for Lazenby. I couldn't see Moore doing it IMO. I rather see Connery doing OHMSS than Moore

Blackleiter

DevilMayCare007 wrote:

I rather see Connery doing OHMSS than Moore

Me too. -{

DevilMayCare007

Blackleiter wrote:

DevilMayCare007 wrote:

I rather see Connery doing OHMSS than Moore

Me too. -{

I think Connery would have nailed it. -{

Absolutely_Cart

DevilMayCare007 wrote:

Blackleiter wrote:

DevilMayCare007 wrote:

I rather see Connery doing OHMSS than Moore

Me too. -{

I think Connery would have nailed it. -{

Connery was past his prime at that point. All he would've nailed was his coffin.

AlphaOmegaSin

But can you imagine the Ski Chase with Connery though?

DevilMayCare007

Absolutely_Cart wrote:

DevilMayCare007 wrote:

Blackleiter wrote:

Me too. -{

I think Connery would have nailed it. -{

Connery was past his prime at that point. All he would've nailed was his coffin.

Yeah because the Bond movies were concentrating on gadgets and less characterization. I believe Connery would have loved to do OHMSS.

Blackleiter

Absolutely_Cart wrote:

DevilMayCare007 wrote:

Blackleiter wrote:

Me too. -{

I think Connery would have nailed it. -{

Connery was past his prime at that point. All he would've nailed was his coffin.

Nonsense. Connery was more than capable of handling OHMSS at that time.

002

It's an interesting conjecture, isn't it?

However, if it was a battle between Connery and Moore doing OHMSS, I think I'd have preferred Connery over Moore. Both would have nailed the character pathos but I think Connery would have had the edge in the action scenes. And can you imagine a Connery/Savalas face-off? That would have been brilliant.

I also agree that Connery would have jumped into the role with renewed passion had he been offered OHMSS.

Still, thanks to the reality of our relative timeline, I still find it hard to imagine On Her Majesty's Secret Service without Lazenby. Like him or not, the Bond-canon would have been poorer without him.