Sir Roger answers your questions November 2009

You can ask Sir Roger Moore a question this month HERE !

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Sir Roger Moore has added his voice to the international appeal for aid to help the people of Asia. Sir Roger says people should not forget the plight of tsunami victims.
Purchase gifts here and help UNICEF at the same time! Also you may get involved with UNICEF by joining or get alerts, or maybe visiting UNICEF in your country. Here

 

Dear Sir Roger

I was lucky enough to win letter of the week from Mail on Sunday, having told them of your kindness to me when I was struck dumb at your book signing in Piccadilly.  I have now written to them again in support of your campaign against the abhorrant production of foie gras.  What can we ordinary citizens do to help you in this cause?

Thank you Dudley

Hi Dudley

The production of foie gras is outlawed in the UK and about 10 other countries in the world. However, it can still be imported into the UK from other places (such as France) and sold in shops and restaurants here.

So, I think it is important people simply make their feelings known - if a local shop or restaurant sells the product, maybe speak to the manager and ask if he or she is aware of the cruelty involved in its production and direct him to the PETA UK website or YouTube where they can see the video I narrated. Or vote with your feet, and simply don't go there.

If demand for the cruel delicacy is nil, then they'll stop selling it.

http://www.peta.org.uk/

It wqs interesting to read in your book that you were originally introduced to UNICEF by the famous actress
Audrey Hepburn. She was one of the most amazing actresses with a string of great films such as Roman Holiday (the first big film filmed on location, where I
believe she won an Oscar, Sizzling in Paris, Funny Face, Breakfast in Tiffanys and My Fair Lady.

My question is did you know her outside UNICEF / did you ever act together? What was she like
in real life?

Best regards to you and your family

Piers

 

Hi Piers

Yes I did know Audrey - we were neighbours in Switzerland. So it was because of our friendship that she called me and invited me to become involved ...

Audrey was a wonderful lady. Beautiful, elegant, refined, passionate and so very caring. She gave far more of herself than you can ever imagine, and touched so many lives. It was awful to see her health decline and her body fail, but I'm so very grateful that she changed the course of my life - she will live on forever in our hearts.

I would have loved to have made a movie with her. Alas, not.

Dear Sir Roger, in this opportunity I want to ask you about the science-fiction and fantasy, because those are of my favorites genres in the literature and cinema. Some years ago, I wrote in Spanish an article titled “Roger Moore, actor and director of science-fiction”, in “Quinta Dimensión” a site dedicated to the S-F (for whom interest the text can to read it in this address: http://www.quintadimension.com/article109.html). In this article, I mentioned that you directed one chapter in “The Saint”, called “The house on Dragon’s Rock”, pioneer of the fantastic theme in the action TVseries, the history is about a town in Wales, where there are an strange experiment. In your Bond era, appeared the only movie of science-fiction, “Moonraker” (show the space shuttles, before of the Columbia launched),  in another Bond films, you used gadgets and many futuristic things  (cars amphibious, mini photocopiers, eye glasses with X rays, etc.). Obviously your role in “The man who haunted himself”, film of fantasy and horror. Some years later your acting and producing the tv movie “The man that woldn’t died” (fantasy and mystery). I want to know your opinion about this theme and your memories about the filming of “The house on Dragon’s Rock”. Do you helped with the script? The locations were in Wales or in studio? Thanks a lot.
Dixon Acosta
Bogotá, Colombia.

 

Hi Dixon

Yes The House On Dragon's Rock was our big foray into Sci-Fi on The Saint. The effects were pretty crude and the giant ant wasn't s much scary, as laughable. But it was all huge fun and a bit of a departure for Simon Templar. I never had much input into The Saint scripts, as I simply never had time, but I'd occassionally change a line or make a few suggestions on the stage floor. Of course, when directing I did cast the episodes - so had a lot of input in that respect.

We did some 2nd unit filming in Wales, but the main unit and sets were all at Elstree.

Hello Sir Roger,

Firstly, congratulations on your "Person of the Year Award" from PETA. Your campaign was a lesson for us all.

I am working overseas at present and therefore like to have a reminder of home with me - this time I have a box set of the black & white Saint episodes! I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them, particularly as I was a fan of "The Saint" as a child but was too young to see the earliest episodes.

I understand you purchased the rights to make the series - a smart decision. My question is what attracted you to the character and was Leslie Charteris happy with the adaptation for TV? Did you imagine it would be so hugely successful?

I have wonderful memories of tuning into watch the next episode back in the sixties and I think you played the role perfectly.

One final question, if I may, what was the reason for switching to you narrating at the beginning rather than talking to camera?

I look forward to seeing you In St Paul's church on the 7th December.

Regards,

Rob Merrett
Aldbourne
England (currently in Oman...!)

 

Hello Rob

Glad you like the DVDs.

I did try to buy the TV rights from Leslie Charteris in the 1950s, upon the suggestion of my father that I should find myself a good TV character ... but Leslie wasn't interested in TV then and I was turned away.

It was a few years later in 1962 before Bob Baker persuaded him, I was cast, and the show started. After a couple of series, Bob's partner (Monty Berman) left to work on other things. Bob wanted a new partner and asked me - so yes, between us, we owned the rights.

The switch to narrating? Well, no doubt we decided to change that to help keep the show fresh - a long running series needs the odd tweak now and again.

Hello Sir Roger and Lady Moore, I just read your book, and really enjoyed it. I wanted to read it because I grew up in Gerrards Cross, and you came to my school one time to see your daughter in the school play! From what I remember it caused total chaos - we had never had anyone so famous as you visit us! I was in that play (Oliver), probably I was a tree or some other inanimate object! I probably talked all the way through it too, as that was my way back then! Your visit has stayed with me all these years, and I remember those days fondly, more fondly every day as things slip away.
I was also amazed to read that you bought a chalet in Crans Montana too, as I also worked there as a chalet girl in the late 1980's - its a small world....I loved that place and had a very happy (and fuunny) time there.
I particularly liked the way you talked about your parents in the book - about how you missed them and wanted to tell them things, or share important moments with them, no matter how old you were - I wanted to talk to my mum particularly, about your book, I know she would have loved it too - she always called you 'dear Roger Moore'! - sadly both my parents have died, and like you I miss them, it helped to know from you that that feeling does not really ever go away....and is quite normal.
I must say that I really liked the candour of your book too, and the integrity you display when talking about people that you have conflicted with during your career. Its an admirable quality.
Its always risky to read a biography of someone you like, but in your case I just liked you even more when I had finished! I feel connected to you, which I know is strange as I do not know you, but there appear to be many links, my father grew up in Denham, and we all spent a lot of time at the golf club there, I was a bridesmaid on the set of the Great Gatsby at Pinewood as my parents were friendly with a producer who worked there sometimes, I lived in Stockwell while I was married and was living in London, I spent many holidays in the South of France and know St Paul de Vence and the Colombe d'or quite well, we even shared the same GX GP!
I dont really have a question to be honest, I just wanted to say thanks for the book, and how much that memory of your coming to my school has stayed with me, and the biggest of congrats on all your well deserved honours and good works for Unicef. Love to you and yours, cw

Hi CW

Thanks for sharing your memories. Happy days.

It just goes to show how small the world really is and it's always nice to hear from people who remember this old English actor.

Who knows, our paths may cross again in the future!

 

 

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