Please note: This was screened in Dec 2017
"My attitude about death is, going into the next room, and it's a room that the rest of us can't get into because we don't have the key. But when we do get the key, we'll go in there and we'll see one another again, in some shape or form, or whatever."
- Roger Moore.
Perhaps more than any other actor of his generation, Sir Roger Moore, one of film’s most instantly recognised stars, personified British sangfroid. His tally of seven Bond films began in 1973 with Live and Let Die, bringing a level of irreverence and knowingness to his interpretation of Ian Fleming's classic spy that proved integral the actor’s enduring appeal.
This is the one where Bond does Blaxploitation. The one with all the voodoo. It’s memorable for numerous reasons - great villains, the sumptuous Solitaire, crocodiles and a distinct otherworldly flavour. Certainly, there’s some dubious racial politics going on here. And sexual politics for that matter too – but with 1970s Bond that’s kind of a given, right?
Interestingly, Roger Moore considered himself to be only the fourth best actor to have played Bond on screen. In his estimation, he came in behind Daniel Craig (whom he called “the Bond”), Sean Connery and George Lazenby. And although Moore was rarely regarded as the best or most definitive Bond, he was certainly the most fun. His inimitable humour, panache and ability to raise an eyebrow like no other actor before or since forever making him a favourite in the eyes of many.