Roger Moore as James Bond

chrisno1

I don't know if there is a thread for this. I searched on the facility, but couldn't find a direct link. Only found one specific reference to it in the 'Currently Reading' thread...

ROGER MOORE AS JAMES BOND by Roger Moore (1973)

Written during his eighty-four day shooting schedule for Live And Let Die, Roger Moore’s diary-style account of the filming for his debut as OO7 is a diverting, easily digested read. Moore’s style is pleasant on the eye and ear, jocular and polite. You do have an indication of the sense of fun he wanted to impart both to the role and behind the scenes, as well as being a good ambassador for the world’s biggest movie franchise. He accompanies the whole circus with a smile and some upper-class wit and charm. They used to call it style, I guess, but some of the proceedings sound a little childish, impetuous and impatient for that. His remarks about women, in particular their beautiful features, may have been well intentioned, but make him sound like a voyeur.

If you’re interested in James Bond films, this is probably a must read. It gives away few secrets – Moore is ever so discreet – but you do get an indication of how involved everyone of the film crew is on the project, how it isn’t only the actors who matter, how the gestation of a film-family-unit takes over very quickly and how, as the star, Moore is expected to engage in promoting the ambience on set. Of course, the author can only talk about scenes and days in which he is featured and the wider story of his recruitment and that of the cast is glossed over. There’s a slightly mad-cap feel to filmmaking in the early seventies and this comes across vividly.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the diary is the record of Roger Moore’s private life. Not the inner personal details, but the socialising. He has friends in every town and entertains at length numerous famous and not-so-famous individuals. The number of dinner parties, theatre shows, nights out, weddings, birthdays, etc that he and his wife attend is staggering. Even when he dines alone with his wife, there are famous acquaintances on neighbouring tables. His interpretation of James Bond as being recognised in every barman in every city was surely an ironic statement about his own imbibing. The man’s on the G&T every single night and often at lunchtime. I’m amazed his liver held up. The alcohol consumption is staggering and the number of times he claims to be nursing a hangover while working makes you wonder [or realise?] how he made his James Bond seem so effortlessly cool in any crisis…