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Roger Moore Should Never Have Been Bond!

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  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited March 2011 Posts: 11,189
    Quoting boldfinger: Moore is heavily criticized by some but honestly, I think that a performance
    reminiscent of Connery's Bond would have lead to eventual failure. By changing
    Bond, Moore and the producers saved Bond.
    Wow, I'm actually agreeing with Luds :O

    One of the reasons I was never that keen on MWTGG was Moore's attitude. The woman-beating persona didn't really suit him in the same way it did with Connery. It just came off as cringe-worthy rather than tense. Especially as Moore has always been a non-violent person whereas Connery has gone on record saying that you can occasionally justify slapping a woman (may I quickly add I disagree with him).
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,136
    Roger Moore Should Never Have Been Bond!

    Poppycock.
    Oh wait, that's someone else's line.
    The Persuaders was a great show, that had at least another series or two in it. But it never made it in the US market.
    Luckily it did free Sir Rog to slip on the Walther PPK and give us seven Bond films.
    Okay so he made one to many with AVTAK, but he's always gave Bond his all.
    The way I look at it is, TSWLM with Sir Rog is what lead me into the world of Bond. So without him I may never have become a fan.
    Some may say that's a good thing. But I'm forever grateful that he paved the way to a whole new and exciting world.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    edited March 2011 Posts: 1,986
    Well this thread's prompted me to add The Persuaders to my DVD want list. Thanks Grant!
    Quoting BAIN123: Wow, I'm actually agreeing with Luds :-O
    Work in progress mate! Soon you will start liking Brosnan less and less ;)
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,716
    TMWTGG is the greatest Bond film of all time !! MR is also a top 5 outing !! :-c
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited March 2011 Posts: 11,189
    Quoting Luds: Work in progress mate! Soon you will start liking Brosnan less and less ;)
    I don't know about that ;) Even if Craig overtakes him after B23 one fact will remain - Pierce got me into Bond. That alone will keep him fairly high in my book.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Moore was well loved by audiences and that helped the series a lot. Was he the best Bond? Probably not. But Moore had charisma. And he was put to good use. I find him charming. He makes for an entertaining Bond. Also, I thoroughly respect the actor behind the character.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited March 2011 Posts: 11,189
    Quoting DarthDimi: Probably not. But Moore had charisma. And he was put to good use. I find him
    charming. He makes for an entertaining Bond. Also, I thoroughly respect the
    actor behind the character.
    Exactly my thoughts. Moore certainly isn't my favourite Bond but I enjoy watching him in the part immensley.

    Also, as I've said before, the man represents something thats slowley dying out: the English gent. It always brings a smile to my face when I see him being interviewed:

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    I must say, Daniel Craig also does very well and comes across with great class and grace in his interviews too. I'd understand if that's hard to remember though since it's been so bloody long since the last film.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I think Craig has certainly improved since his early days in the 007 spotlight but he just can't beat Moore's smoothness. Sometimes he still seems a bit nervous, I remember an interview he did with Jonathan Ross just before QoS came out. It felt a little bit uncomfortable and I got the impression Craig was getting annoyed at JR over-egging the Bond stuff.



    What I love about Moore is that he seems to completely embrace Bond and, to this day, enjoys talking about his memories in the part. The same can't be said for many of the other actors.

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    At first he did seem as if he was still learning as he's improved substantially over time. Indeed I think it was Ross that wound him up there, in others interviews he's quite different.

    Maybe after Craig leaves the series he'll be more at ease and will embrace Bond due to it being behind him.
  • jaguar007jaguar007
    Posts: 638
    Quoting Agent7F: They want him to play Bond in the first place but he would want to do the Saint role. Roger was offered 3 times to play 007. First in 1962 then when Connery was departing in
    Not true and Roger will be the first to tell you so. Moore himself was never approached to play Bond in Dr. No. He has stated in in interviews and in his autobiography. He had never heard of James Bond until Dr. No was released. The rumor that he was considered for Bond in 62 was the PR machine at work when he was eventually cast in LALD.
  • jaguar007jaguar007
    Posts: 638
    Quoting DarthDimi: But Moore had charisma
    Exactly! Moore's interpretation of Bond may be my least favorite, but his charisma and charm alone make his films some of the most entertaining.

    Here is my list of the most charismatic Bond actors and see how they differ from my favorite Bond actors list

    Charismatic
    #1 Connery
    #2 Moore
    #3 Craig
    #4 Brosnan
    #5 Dalton
    #6 Lazenby

    My favorite
    #1 Connery
    #2 Craig
    #3 Dalton
    #4 Moore
    #5 Lazenby
    #6 Brosnan


  • felixbnrjfelixbnrj
    Posts: 16
    Roger Moore's major problem was that he turned James Bond into a comedian. He was......BAD :-q
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Quoting Benny: The Persuaders was a great show, that had at least another series or two in it.
    But it never made it in the US market


    The thing is in UK our series these days tend to run to around 6 or 8 shows, so 24 episodes these days would be 3 series worth.



    Quoting felixbnrj: Roger Moore's major problem was that he turned James Bond into a comedian


    Well, not really. I agree with @boldfinger to a degree. Moore played it straight, it was what went on around him that was done for comic effect. The exception to the rule? Maybe his Keystone Kops moment hanging from a fire engine in AVTAK.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    Quoting BAIN123: It always brings a smile to my face when I see him being interviewed:
    Great stuff in that link, thanks! Of all the Bond actors, Moore by far seems the most balanced guy in interviews.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I'm not sure whether Moore himself "played it straight" tbh. To me, his more serious moments were the exception rather than the rule . I remember him saying in an interview that the difference between him and Sean was that he let the audience know a joke was coming. I don't know if I'd call that "playing it straight" as such.
  • GrantGrant
    Posts: 140
    I prefer Moore's 70's Bond films. I am going to stick neck on line now and say I probably
    consider 'The Man with the Golden Gun' as my favourite of his films. It's so 70's atmosphere and look outweigh the awful comedic moments (Whistle while car twists).

    Moore should have stopped after The Spy Who Loved Me, his persona (and age) was not of the 80's.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    A Bond series without Moore, does such a nirvana exist?
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,716
    Quoting MajorDSmythe: A Bond series without Moore, does such a nirvana exist?
    Yes - and the series would have ended not long after OHMSS.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Quoting DaltonCraig007: Yes - and the series would have ended not long after OHMSS.
    Correct sir. We should salute Moore for his contributions. He brought in legions of fans who knew very little about Connery. Seven flicks is a very large number.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Quoting Luds: Seven flicks is a very large number.
    There's not a major ongoing franchise that's even equaled that is there? Or anyone who even played the same leading role seven times - bar Potter which is eight films.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited March 2011 Posts: 15,716
    Lazenby simply wasn't accepted as Connery's successor. He had one more movie, at most, before being shown the door due to his impopularity. As a measure of last resort, they'd have brought back Connery, pop out 2 more outings, and the series would have ended after arriving at a dead end. Or the series would have continued with Connery, but with box office numbers steadily decreasing, up to an unbearable point, the audience being bored of Connery, and the life support system would be deplugged after a sad, pathetic, decline to obscurity.

    The franchise needed a large enough star that wasn't overshadowed by Connery. Moore was just that. He was popular, the audience saw Bond in him. And he made his own distinctive and popular take on Bond, which worked.

  • jaguar007jaguar007
    Posts: 638
    Quoting DaltonCraig007: Lazenby simply wasn't accepted as Connery's successor. He had one more movie, at most, before being shown the door due to his impopularity.
    Mere speculation. Remember, Moore was not widely accepted as Bond until his 3rd film (I remember, I was around at the time). It is quite possible that Lazenby could have really clicked with the audience by his 3rd film. Part of the public's distaste with Laz also had to do with the "less traditional" downbeat ending of OHMSS. Remember, Moore's 2nd Bond film was far less successful than OHMSS.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Quoting jaguar007: Mere speculation. Remember, Moore was not widely accepted as Bond until his 3rd film (I remember, I was around at the time). It is quite possible that Lazenby could have really clicked with the audience by his 3rd film. Part of the public's distaste with Laz also had to do with the "less traditional" downbeat ending of OHMSS. Remember, Moore's 2nd Bond film was far less successful than OHMSS.
    This is a fine point, I'm sure the results from a second Lazenby outing would have been ideal to judge the public's perception. The thing with Moore though, LALD was an immense success, and TMWTGG was a huge disappointment commercially and heavily criticised. That being said, I suppose that EON felt they had more reasons to believe on a bankable star than an unknown, since LALD has been so popular.
  • WillardWhyteWillardWhyte Midnight Society #ProjectMoon
    Posts: 784
    I think we needed that comic nonsense to get us through. That said Moore overstayed his welcome by a good 2 films imo. If only there were more films for him like FYEO.
  • jaguar007jaguar007
    Posts: 638
    Quoting Luds: LALD was an immense success
    Yes, LALD was a huge international success, but in the all important US market (Bond's single biggest market), LALD was down almost $10million from the grosses for DAF. Huge back in the early 70s.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Moore's age got in the way after a while. Not so much because he had turned 58, but because he hadn't aged all that well in a Bondian sense. When I compare the NSNA Connery to the FYEO Moore, for example, I find Connery to be the more appropriately looking one. But once we can get past the issue of the looks, Moore's very much okay in the part!
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I think the two most argued and discussed 'what ifs' are 1) what if Lazenby had stayed on and 2) what if Rog had left two films earlier.

    Sadly they will always remain points to speculate.
  • The_Preacher711The_Preacher711
    edited April 2011 Posts: 139
    Quoting Benny: The way I look at it is, TSWLM with Sir Rog is what lead me into the world of
    Bond. So without him I may never have become a fan.
    Some may say that's a
    good thing. But I'm forever grateful that he paved the way to a whole new and
    exciting world.
    Mr Benny steals the thoughts directly from The Preacherman's brain.....
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Quoting The_Preacher711: Mr Benny steals the thoughts directly from The Preacherman's brain.....


    @Benny has that effect on people @The_Preacher711 . He's another extremely calm river in a time of turbualnce ;-)
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