By Tim Greaves
July
1973. The Gaumont, Southampton. If someone had whispered to the boy sitting in
that cinema waiting for Roger Moore’s debut performance as James Bond to unfurl
before his excited-beyond-measure eyes, that he would one day be seeing the man
himself within the walls of that same building...well, he’d probably scarcely
have believed it. His fascination with 007 would continue and thrive throughout
the ensuing years (indeed, he would catch The
Man With the Golden Gun, The Spy Who
Loved Me and Moonraker at the Gaumont
during their first run).
October
2012. The Mayflower, Southampton (formerly The Gaumont). The years have flown
by and that little lad, now sharing his 50th year with the cinematic
incarnation of his favourite fictional spy, is spending “An Afternoon with Sir
Roger Mooreâ€. It’s one of a small number of stage appearances (also taking in
Malvern, Kingston, Bournemouth, Bath, Basingstoke and Norwich) that give the
legendary actor an opportunity to promote his new book, “Bond on Bondâ€, and
share his captivating memories of over six decades working in the entertainment
industry.
The
pleasantly informal show is presided over by Sir Roger’s assistant and friend
(not to mention “Cinema Retro†scribe) Gareth Owen – an endearing warmth
emanates from their jovial repartee – and Sir Roger proves to be not only a
natural raconteur, but a true gentleman, as his response to a question about an
actress with whom he didn’t get along so well testifies: “If you can’t say
something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.â€
For the next couple of hours the packed auditorium is regaled with tales – from
his early days working in Hollywood to his most famous screen roles in The Saint, The Persuaders (his impression of co-star Tony Curtis is a delight)
and, of course, the James Bond films; from his glowing opinion of Daniel Craig’s
portrayal of 007 to his collaboration with Moonraker
co-star Irka Bochenko for the anniversary tribute single “Happy Birthday, Mr
Bondâ€; from his gleeful ribbing of Desmond Llewelyn over Q’s complicated
dialogue in the Bond films to his harrowing, often heart-breaking experiences
as an ambassador for UNICEF. Two hours has never passed so swiftly.
It’s
hardly a startling revelation that the boy so utterly beguiled by Live and Let Die back in 1973 was this
reviewer. And I’m sure my younger incarnation would have been thrilled to know
that one day his 40 odd years older self would have the chance to extend a
personal thank you to the man whose work has given countless hours of pleasure
to him and millions of others around the globe.
Sir Roger, you are one of the few remaining true gentlemen of the silver screen
and it was an incomparable privilege to spend time in your company.
For official Moore appearance web site click here