Richard Kiel in conversation

This was followed by a question and answer with the man himself. Richard Kiel telling stories about his times working on 007 and Roger Moore.

Richard said when working on bond films with the director Lewis Gilbert they had both liked to interject some humour into the films. Richard told us some example stories.

While filming the Pyramid scene In The Spy Who Loved Me when Bond and Anya are getting away Jaws inadvertently drops the big block in frustration where it lands on his foot. In the first scene when Richard drops the boulder he decides to jump around as though in agony which was quite funny. This adlibbed action scene was very funny but Richard realises that if he drops the boulder and then just lets the pain show slowly across his face the subtlety makes the scene even funnier.
Another scene where Roger as 007 smiles at Jaws and Jaws smiles back with his big steel teeth only to find that Jaws is about to be yanked up by the teeth by a huge electromagnet which Roger has cleverly turns to Jaws and says How does that grab you? .

Also in Moonraker, Drax the baddy is about to destroy the world by firing three missiles at earth from his space station. Each missile contains something designed to kill hundreds of millions of people. Richard told us it was a difficult scene to play without being melodramatic as he and the lovely Lois Chiles had a scene where they discuss this problem as the missiles fly by. Richard said I was looking on, having already been turned into a good guy but Roger took the pressure off and got everyone to lighten up by getting a very small prop man to dress up like a little green Martian who suddenly pops up in the middle of our scene with his antennae wiggling to and fro. I'll never forget how we all laughed. Earlier in the movie when I was still a bad guy, Roger and Lois see me chasing them inside the tram at Sugar Loaf Mountain. in Rio. Lois is terrified at seeing a giant man with huge steel choppers chasing them and gasps “who's that! Roger replies "his name is Jaws you know him" asks Lois incredulously. Roger, playing Bond with his dry English humor says "not socially, he kills people." It was scenes like these that made Roger's James Bond portrayals such a tremendous success. I remember sitting in the screening room with my wife Diane watching the scene where the underwater Lotus car comes out of the water on the beach at Sardinia. Roger nonchalantly opens the window and drops a stray fish out of the window. Cubby Broccoli turned to the journalist between us and said of course that won't be in the movie. Later, when we were alone, my wife, Diane said to me. That's not going to be in the movie? Why not? That was funny! Of course, all of these scenes ended up in those films and although some of the fans who looked at the Bond films too seriously and wanted to believe every minute were real found these moments too silly for their liking, the general public ate them up and these two films in yesterday’s dollars were huge successes.

Richard then spoke of the casting of his love interest in Mooraker.
I found that opposites attract like North & South poles of a magnet and those very tall women preferred shorter men and real big guys like me seemed to be more attracted to smaller woman.
Anyway, I suggested a smaller girl as being more charming and they said how small? When I replied: Well at least five feet. they were shocked. Do you think people would believe that? they asked. “My reply was that my wife Diane was only five foot one and one-half inches tall
Gareth at this point to Richard said well it must work then… how many children do you have Richard smiled and said when we filmed Moonraker we had two children already and one on the way and we now have four so it does work. This got to be a problem as Lewis Gilbert knew an actress who was short and brought her in to meet me. The woman was terrified of me and her hands were shaking. She was also a little older than me and it just wasn't working. I told Lewis that she seemed awfully nervous and not quite right. He said she was a good actress and would be fine. I was between a rock and a hard place as they were reluctantly agreeing to a shorter Dolly and yet I knew that this woman wasn't quite the one. I approached the camera operator Alec Mills who was a good friend of Lewis and conveyed my feelings. He agreed with me and promised to mention it to Lewis. I am not privy to exactly what happened but the next day Lewis told me to take Diane to see a French comedy called La Carapate as there was a short French actress in it that he thought would be wonderful in the part of Dolly.

Richard and his wife

I was impressed as this comedy the short actress plays a farmers wife who is having an affair and she is very pretty and very well built. Although the film was entirely in French it was very visual and extremely funny and Diane and I enjoyed it I knew that from her performance that like my wife Diane that this actress would not be intimidated by my size and I was absolutely right. The actress, Blanche Ravalec was able to convince the audience that she fell for Jaws within seconds of meeting him and it all worked like it was supposed to.

At the end of the questions and answers we were then all allowed to take part in the raffle draw with four prizes to be given out. I actually won third prize which consisted of numerous Corgi James Bond mobile cars, a James Bond poster and picture and it was not a fix, believe me !

My personal impression of Richard Kiel was of a very intelligent, interesting and thoughtful genial giant of a man, a family man.

A very approachable nice man as you can see as I had my picture taken with him crushing my head in his enormous hands :-( HELP !

A perfect day for all who had attended. Thanks to all who organised this value for money wonderful day

I originally said that the end of this article this was the end of a perfect day for all and as you can see Jaws is crushing my head in his enormous hands" ..... but I thought and hope this is would not be a collective wish :-(

Coming soon an interview with Martin Grace stunt man for Roger Moore as 007.

Members of the official sir Roger Moore forum attending Pinewood open day. From left to right to left Marie-France Vienne (Sir Roger Moore Official Website), John, Dominique, Michael Billington who is not a member I dont think unfortunately ! Pauline and myself Alan.

Sir Roger Moore Message Board Community centre

Also if anyone remembers anything interesting or anything I have put appears to be incorrect let me know because I did not intend to write an article on the day so I didn't take too close attention. But the day was so good I changed my mind alan@sirrogermoore.com

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