Hey folks, Harry here. Roger Moore is dead - and it came on such a shit day, that carried the tragic news from Manchester. I'd stayed up all night checking on a pair of dear friends that I was hoping were safe sleeping at home in Manchester. Once I knew they were safe, I could rest, but the second I woke up and looked at my phone... A message from Reni read, "As if today couldn't get any worse, Roger Moore RIP"
Fuck.
I didn't want to write about Roger's passing yesterday, I was trying to stay positive for the new shitty Pirates of the Caribbean movie, that didn't work. Then THE FLASH "Rokered" itself. And I took solace in a Clark Gable triple feature on TCM before going to bed. Today though - I haven't been able to shake Roger Moore's passing.
The first James Bond movie that I can remember specifically seeing theatrically was THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. The song still gives me chills. Barbara Bach is just my fave Bond girl that isn't Diana Rigg. I loved the idea of her and Roger thawing the Cold War into something... more loving. But really - Watching that film at the Capital Plaza Theater, when the movie is suddenly at the Teotihuacan Pyramid site outside Mexico City - and the light show in the 70s that was narrated by Charlton Heston and Vincent Price and Edward G Robinson and Yul Brynner and more... when that scene started to play - and The action is there with JAWS hunting them in the colored lighting... Well, I had seen that light show in 1976 when my Parents took me there and I saw the whole thing. It was magic in person, but to know JAMES BOND had been where I had been - and Barbara Bach - and JAWS!!!! It pretty much sealed a life long love of Roger Moore.
More than that - it taught me how to realize my Dad didn't know everything. He loved Sean Connery's Bond. That WAS James Bond. And I passionately would argue with flawless logic... "But Dad, Connery BOND's car couldn't go underwater like Roger Moore's!" And he'd have to admit defeat. Then, Roger Moore made MOONRAKER - which just meant for all time - Roger Moore ruled.
Growing up in the Roger Moore era of James Bond
LIVE AND LET DIE
THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
MOONRAKER
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
OCTOPUSSY
A VIEW TO A KILL
A Double O 7 that made 7.
OCTOPUSSY is pretty much the one I just enjoy least. At least with A VIEW TO A KILL you get a killer Duran Duran song, Grace Jones scaring the fuck out of Roger Moore in Bed - and Christopher Walken delivering every line while thinking, "HOW DO YOU LIKE MY HAIR?" as being the actual meaning he's giving the words.
From Ages 2 - 14 - he was my theaterical JAMES BOND. We had every James Bond on VHS, now Blu, had them on VIDEO DISC, LASER DISC, DVD and even streaming now. Yes, I'm aware of Roger Moore's television work which was quite extensive - and I've seen all THE SAINT episodes, but the man is just the Gimmick James Bond.
I had the Moonraker Seiko watch with its Memory Calendar, so high tech. The Moonraker dolls! I also had the MOONRAKER Space Gun toy that came out. And of course all the Movie Gum Cards! My mom's Girl School roommate was Dr. Goodhead from MOONRAKER - and my mother just hated her. But my mom's roommate fucked JAMES BOND! That shit - was schoolyard bragging rights. I mean. Essentially, when my mom went to Hogwarts, her roomie hooked up with JAMES BOND. That was all the cool. Mom yanked out the B-word and the C-word with her, but it did not phase me, Roger Moore loved her, and that's all that counts.
I loved Roger Moore so much, I bought a copy of ESCAPE TO ATHENA - and I have watched that steaming pile of feces many times. It is... a film... that is irresistably awful. I mean, Sonny Bono pissing in the Nazi soup is just... GENIUS!
Roger Moore's Bond was less Sean Connery and more Cary Grant. He didn't have John Wayne shoulders, he had mild mannered physique. I found I feared for him more simply because... he was the smaller guy usually. But Q gave him the coolest shit. The gadgets became more whimsical.
When you take a look at his BONDS in order - Having Paul McCartney announce you with that LIVE AND LET DIE opening. Holy fuck man! That song could ignite world chaos at any second! Then he takes on Saruman/Dracula in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - and I love strangling that song when singing it. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME is tied as my fave Roger Moore BOND. But it always makes me just happy as hell. MOONRAKER never fails to make me smile. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is my other fave Roger Moore BOND. Both those films have perfect songs and action rhythms for me. OCTOPUSSY - which made crazy money - was just a dreadful Bond film for me. And I'm glad it wasn't Moore's last, cuz VIEW TO A KILL just was a fun and silly out to go on. The Roger Moore JAMES BOND films were so great - that it carried a shadow over the Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan JAMES BONDS - They were trying to be ROGER MOORE - when the franchise needed a casting and tonal shift for the franchise it didn't truly get till Daniel Craig stepped up to the Tux.
Of all his Television work that I've not seen, I'm probably most curious about his IVANHOE tv series. Robert Taylor is that character in my mind's eye, but that's also crazy young Roger Moore - who knows - perhaps I love him - as I usually do.
He was an absolute delight in CANNONBALL RUN and CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER, but if you'd like to see him in some cool MEN ON A MISSION style flicks - check out THE WILD GEESE and FFOLKES - both of those were quite satisfying. STREET PEOPLE on the other hand, I found to be miserable despite his and Stacy Keach's presence. Remember him in THE QUEST with Van Damme... damn that was a terrible flick, but every second Roger was on screen I was smiling.
Roger Moore was a constant delight - even as an older man. And I do love that his final credit appears to be upon TROLL HUNTERS (2018) an animated feature that comes out next year. No idea if he completed all the voice work he was doing for it. But I certainly hope so.
What memories do you have of Roger Moore? Remember those TV commercials? His time with Miss Piggy? How about as Sherlock Holmes in New York? I'll install some Fun videos for y'all below - but let's all remember the classy and cool, ROGER MOORE!
Keep it cool,
Harry
