Yesterday, Roger Moore age 89 passed away in Switzerland after a short fight with cancer. Today, I honor the man who took 007’s character to a lighter, funnier side compared to his predecessor by sharing theme mewsic from his James Bond flicks.
His first three Bond movies – Live and Let Die (1973), The Man With the Golden Gun (1974), and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) I didn’t see when they released in theaters (we own the entire Bond Collection now). It was after DH and I got married before I watched any of these films but I can’t swear to it that I didn’t see any of them on TV. It doesn’t really matter because these iconic films are a part of my favorite all-time action movies.
Roger Moore will always be The Spy Who Loved Me. I often sing the theme song to DH.
Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you’re the best
Moonraker (1979) is the first James Bond movie to release the year we got married, so I definitely recall seeing this film at the theater. It was awesome to see on the big screen.
You gotta admire the producers and directors in the early years for incorporating all the hot babes in the opening sequences setting the viewers up for more of that James Bond playboy charm and I fondly recall For Your Eyes Only (1981) and perhaps my all-time favorite Moore Bond film. We saw it at least three times in the theaters and bought Sheena Easton’s US hot ranking (#4) song!
Throughout Roger Moore’s reign as James Bond, there was more comic relief than others past or present movies that I recall. Maybe I’m remembering wrong but I could be right on this. In the 1983 film Octopussy there are a few unforgettable movie quotes that left the audience laughing out loud or snickering sheepishly.
James Bond (Moore): [Q’s mechanized version of the “Indian Rope Trick” malfunctions] Having problems keeping it up, Q?
Q (Desmond Llewelyn): Experimental model!
James Bond (Moore): [looking at the tattoo on Magda’s back] Forgive my curiosity, but, what is that?
Magda (Kristina Wayborn): That’s my little octopussy.
A View to a Kill (1985) was Roger Moore’s last film as James Bond. I read it was his least favorite of his Bond movies and I’d have to agree but it was good nonetheless. I found this bit of trivia interesting from IBDb.
Roger Moore said that he decided to end his run as James Bond when he realized that Tanya Roberts‘s mother was younger than he was. However, Albert R. Broccoli said he wanted a younger actor for the next film The Living Daylights (1987) and would not have kept Moore as Bond anyway. Broccoli felt that retaining Moore, who was 57, for this film had been a mistake. Contrary to what some sources have said, Moore was never offered another Bond film after this one.
According to IMDB, Moore’s Bond never actually uttered the line shaken, not stirred when ordering a martini in any of his 007 movies. He also never drove the spy’s famed Aston Martin.
I found two fun articles Roger Moore Had the Greatest Gadgets in the History of Bond and The Wittiest James Bond in History I enjoyed reading this morning during my search.
The news of Roger Moore’s passing was bittersweet. I was sad that he died but thankful for having known him on the big screen as James Bond. His good-looks and classy sophistication captured the hearts of women around the world. I was not offended by his Bond character’s playboy antics. I saw a man who loved women with a certain tenderness. Maybe that was Moore’s personality shining through but he gave me the sense that his sexual escapades were more than just a one night stand if his bed buddy didn’t wind up getting killed or his duties to Queen and country didn’t take precedent. Through his acting career, Roger Moore became a person I felt like I would want to meet someday because his goodness radiated through his eyes and smile. Unfortunately, I won’t get that chance in this lifetime. Perhaps in the afterlife, I will.
Roger Moore had a colorful life with women. He leaves behind wife #4, Kristina Tholstrup and three children from a previous marriage. The BBC reported his children statement which read, “Thank you Pops for being you, and being so very special to so many people.” These words touched me deeply. Moore’s kids appreciated and understood the value of their Dad not only in their lives but through the eyes of his fans.
Our prayers and thoughts are with the Moore family. May God’s loving presence give you comfort and strength in the coming days as you adjust to facing life without your husband, father, grandfather, and friend. God bless!
[tweetthis]From a #1 fan sending farewells to & prayers for the #RogerMoore family! #Godbless[/tweetthis]
You will be missed, Mr. Bond!
