Edwin Booth, founder of the Players, was the most prominent American actor of the 19th century. His bedroom at the club has been preserved intact since the night of his death in 1893. Here, John Martello displays the room's most famous artifact to Sir Roger and Lady Moore: the famous skull used by Booth in his productions of Hamlet. (Photo copyright Tom Stroud, all rights reserved.)

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

Sir Roger and Lady Christina pose with (L to R) Janet Pfeiffer, Matt Link, Bill Kanas, Lee Pfeiffer, Tom Stroud, George Ann and Paul Scrabo and Mark Yuknevitch in front of the famed fireplace designed by Stanford White. (Photo copyright Kim Markowski, all rights reserved)

 

Film critic Stephen Whitty perceptively names the hand-to-hand battle in From Russia With Love between Bond and Red Grant (Robert Shaw) as the best fight scene in the series.

Newark Star Ledger film critic Stephen Whitty offers his choices for the best aspects of James Bond films in a number of key categories. Whitty knows his stuff: he credits Diana Rigg as the Best Bond Woman, John Barry's score for OHMSS as the best of the series and praises Timothy Dalton's work as severely under-rated. See if you agree by clicking here

Ken Adam's design for the Atlantis set in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Steve Rose of the The Guardian offers a unique perspective on the James Bond films, giving insights into the impact of the architectural designs found in the series. Rose says the buildings seen in Quantum Of Solace qualify as the most impressive architecture in any of the films. Click here to read

Writer (and Cinema Retro supporter) Matt Link takes you on an armchair tour of James Bond's top travel destinations on the Concierge.com web site. Matt is a world traveler and shares some interesting tips on how to live like Bond (assuming you have his expense account!) Click here to view

In 1979, the Mego toy company licensed the rights to produce items based on the new James Bond movie Moonraker. Although the film was a huge hit, the Mego line of tie-ins was haphazardly marketed. The most common item was the 12" action figure of Roger Moore in a space suit. However, figures based on Michael Lonsdale as Drax, Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead and Richard Kiel as Jaws were poorly distributed and quickly escalated in value, with the Jaws figure now selling for a small fortune on the collector's circuit. Additionally, Mego created a deluxe version of the Bond astronaut doll that can now pull in up to $1,000.

The Mego Museum website, dedicated to the history of the toy company, also shows us fascinating prototypes of designs for Moonraker items that never went into production despite being illustrated in their catalog. To view, click here.

(Thanks to Nick Sheffo for the tip).

Author and Ian Fleming biographer Andrew Lycett offers a highly entertaining look at the books, newspapers and other literary influences favored by the creator of James Bond. Specifically, Fleming had a fondness for the Times Literary Supplement, finding it far superior to "the mushy infant food of the American newspapers and magazines that had been my daily fare since arriving in America." To read the article click the image below

Sir Roger Moore amidst the fleet of Bond vehicles. (Photo copyright 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. All rights reserved.)

On October 17, Sir Roger Moore was flown by helicopter to Bletchley Park, the famed British mansion enshrined in history as the spy HQ where the German code was broken during WWII. Sir Roger's mission: to meet with press from around the world to promote the new release of Fox's Blu-ray editions of Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Die Another Day, For Your Eyes Only, Live and Let Die and Thunderball. Cinema Retro publishers Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer were also hired by Fox to meet with the press and share their knowledge of Bond lore with international TV stations. Adding to the fun was the display of classic Aston Martins and other vehicles brought by Peter Nelson, owner of the Cars of the Stars Museum. The press sessions lasted for hours and featured appearances by some of real espionage heroes : the surviving code breakers.

The mansion at Bletchley Park that housed top secret British Intelligence operations in WWII. Note the Bond vehicles from the Cars of the Stars Museum. (Photo copyright 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. All rights reserved.)

Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer (left) and Dave Worrall among the extensive Bond decorations. (Photo copyright Cinema Retro)

Live and Let Ride on a vintage wetbike a la The Spy Who Loved Me. (Photo copyright 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. All rights reserved.)

The British-based James Bond magazine MI6 Declassified reveals that a key sequence intended for Quantum Of Solace was cut at the last minute. Here are details:

"Director Marc Forster recently revealed that he cut the final scene from the new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace".

MI6 Declassified magazine has exclusive detail on what was left on the cutting room floor. In the latest issue, the magazine reveals Mr White's ultimate fate and the identity of his superior.

Mentioned in the film as one of the Prime Minister's closest advisors, Guy Haines is also a senior member of the shadowy oganisation 'Quantum'. 007 discovers his presence during the Tosca opera scene where Dominic Greene holds a meeting of Quantum members.

The movie was originally intended to end with a one-minute sequence where 007 introduces himself to Mr Haines at his estate, setting up the next movie. The gun-barrel sequence, uniquely positioned at the end of "Quantum of Solace", would have appeared after Bond dispatches Mr White for good.

Shot over one day on location in London on April 14th 2008, MI6 Declassified scored a still from the cut scene. It can be found on page 6 of issue #4 - now available to order from www.mi6magazine.com"