Enjoy these 007 choice excerpts that take you inside the mind of Moore.Ġ01: James Bond Vs Harry Saltzman. Moore's very un-self-conscious observations, often only tangentially related to the production, reveal so much more than I was expecting. That it was published to coincide with the release of the film is mind-blowing, as Moore just types and types unflattering details about the producers, shooting conditions, and even his own personal peccadilloes.īut don’t take my word for it. That’s what makes 1973's Roger Moore as James Bond 007 such a fascinating, jaw-dropping, and at times fucking surreal read.Ī daily journal of the actor’s experience making Live and Let Die, this Amazon Marketplace find is a delightfully candid glimpse into not only the making of that film, but into its star’s head. What movie stars genuinely think of their work is, these days, more often than not a closely guarded secret. Commentary tracks - when anyone bothers anymore - are often done immediately after the film has wrapped, allowing no time for thoughtful reflection or emotional fermentation.

Performers hit the promotional circuit to support a film's opening, say a lot of publicist-approved things, and that's usually that. Still, Paul McCartney's blistering title-song really jolts Bond into the 70s.It’s so rare to get truly candid thoughts from an actor about a film of theirs. Unlike regular Bond composer John Barry's music, Martin's is ponderous, overlaid onto the action rather than organic to it. Nor does a heavy-handed score by Beatles producer George Martin help. And the introduction of the series' first out-rightly comic character in Sheriff JW Pepper presaged the self-defeating lapse into self-spoofing the films would increasingly take. Yaphet Kotto is a potentially strong baddie but has too little to do amid the familiar carnage and boat chases. While the background voodoo theme is suitably bizarre, the main McGuffin about drugs smuggling is rather under-whelming for a Bond movie. Director Guy Hamilton makes this an expertly staged but somehow lacklustre affair. For a British audience, Moore (The Saint, The Persuaders) was the natural successor to Sean Connery. He looked pretty lean and mean for a 45 year-old.

Roger Moore's debut as 007 was a bit wan but, in retrospect, probably his best outing.

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