Roger Moore: James Bond of the ‘80s

Roger Moore as British spy James Bond in "Octopussy" in 1983.

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“Bond, James Bond.”

No three words are more synonymous with a character and an actor.

This was a trademark of Roger Moore’s James Bond.

When I heard he had died, I thought about all that Roger Moore did and, in the 1980s it came down to that one, iconic role that essentially defined much of the last part of his career.

Dawn of the decade

As the 1980s opened, Roger Moore had already played James Bond four times. He took over the role from Sean Connery in 1973 with “Live and Let Die”, then followed that up with “The Man With the Golden Gun” in 1974, “The Spy Who Loved Me” in 1977, and “Moonraker” in 1979.

He would play Bond three times in the 1980s, including his final turn in the role as he retired from the part and made way for his successor Timothy Dalton.

"For Your Eyes Only"

Released in 1981, “For Your Eyes Only” was Moore’s fifth James Bond movie. In it, he attempts to locate a missile command system, encountering resistance and danger along the way.

The movie was highlighted by the title song, “For Your Eyes Only”, sung by Sheena Easton, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, losing out to the “Theme from Arthur”.

I remember this movie airing as the Sunday night movie on Channel 13 on peasant vision. Because it started at 9 p.m., I either fell asleep or, more often, had to go to bed before the end of the movie. Such was the case for this Bond adventure. My last memory was Bond be given an envelope marked, “For Your Eyes Only” just before a commercial break.

Channel 7 also used the song to promote its fall schedule of movies and TV shows as well. Odd, I thought, considering Channel 13 aired all the first-run Bond movies.

"Octopussy"

Roger Moore was back for his sixth outing as James Bond in 1983’s “Octopussy”. According to Wikipedia, "Bond is assigned the task of following a general who is stealing jewels and relics from the Soviet government. This leads him to a wealthy Afghan prince, Kamal Khan, and his associate, Octopussy, and the discovery of a plot to force disarmament in Western Europe with the use of a nuclear weapon."

This movie came out the same year as “Never Say Never Again”, a rival James Bond movie in which Sean Connery reprised the role of James Bond in a remake of “Thunderball”. It was billed the battle of the Bonds, and I recall Moore and Connery facing off in a cover photo of “Starlog” magazine.

I did see this movie during the summer of 1984 when I was visiting my cousin Fred for a couple weeks in Brooks. We watched “Octopuusy” at his friend Mike’s house on pay TV. My outstanding memory is this fight scene where an aquarium is knocked over and this octopus-like creature lands on the face of a dazed bad guy, and proceeds to start sucking. It was gross.

"A View to a Kill"

Roger Moore played James Bond for the seventh and final time in 1985 with “A View to a Kill”. This time Bond does battle with a villain planning to destroy Silicon Valley in California.

Again, this movie was highlighted by another strong theme song – “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran. It was the lone Bond theme song to go all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, losing to “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie for the movie “White Nights”.

I never did see it, but I distinctly remember talking to my best friend Chris Vining on the phone after he saw it in the theatre. He said it was funny more than anything, and that Roger Moore made fun of himself and the “Bond, James Bond” introduction. In this movie he said things, while undercover, such as “Strond, James Strond.”

More than Bond – sort of

Roger Moore had one notable non-James Bond role in the 1980s. In 1981’s “The Cannonball Run”, he plays an English millionaire who thinks and acts like – James Bond. He even drives the same car for the cross-country outlaw road race. It seemed a bit of cross-promotion because “For Your Eyes Only” came out about the same time.

Parting thoughts

Roger Moore would not take on another role for five years after his last turn as James Bond. He would continue to act until 2017, the year of his death, when he appeared in a remake of “The Saint”. It was a nod to the TV show he had starred in, in the 1960s.

He had a prolific career before James Bond, starring in the TV series “The Saint”, “Maverick”, and “The Persuaders”, as well as many movies.

However, he will be forever associated with the iconic role of spy James Bond. In fact, he played the role of James Bond more than any other actor, except Sean Connery who also played Bond on seven occasions.

Moore brought a different, more campy tone, to the role, and at times had tongue planted firmly in cheek. Yet, he was also suave, debonair and unafraid to use his licence to kill.

Because of all that, he was the James Bond for the 1980s.