On November 9, Sir Roger Moore was inducted into the legendary New York City club for the arts, The Players. The evening was organized by Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer and John Martello, Executive Director of The Players. The club has a rich history dating back to 1888 when it was founded by actor Edwin Booth. Over the decades, notable members have included Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, James Cagney, Mark Twain, General Sherman, Gregory Peck and many others. A sold-out crowd attended the black tie festivities and the New York Times covered the evening. Sir Roger arrived with his wife, Christina and personal assistant Gareth Owen to for a private tour of the club given by John Martello. Following this, the group mixed with the crowd at an informal cocktail party at which Sir Roger received a pleasant surprise when he was reunited with his Moonraker co-star Lois Chiles. A gourmet dinner followed, after which New York Post theater critic Michael Reidel gave a heartfelt tribute to Sir Roger and recalled being intrigued by the Moore mystique ever since seeing him as James Bond as a child. This was followed by an extensive film clip montage that highlighted Rape of the Sabine Women, Gold, The Wild Geese, Bed and Breakfast, ffolkes, Sherlock Holmes in New York, The Sea Wolves, The Man Who Haunted Himself. The Saint and, of course, the Bond films. Other clips showed Roger as Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Sir Roger was then interviewed on stage by Lee Pfeiffer and had the audience laughing at his anecdotes about his interaction with many screen legends including Lana Turner, George Sanders and Rex Harrison. He also discussed the introspective process of writing his best-selling autobiography, My Word is My Bond. Speaking of Bond, Sir Roger confessed he hadn't seen Casino Royale until he bought the DVD - and said he felt both the film and Daniel Craig were superb. Following the festivities, Sir Roger chatted with attendees before departing on another whirlwind, globe-trotting trip to other nations for more book promotion activities. (For more on The Players, click here)
FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES COVERAGE OF THIS EVENT CLICK HERE
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