It is quite ironical that Roger Moore’s Bond never actually ordered the martini cocktail himself in any of the seven classic outings as 007. He has one ordered for him by other characters, nonetheless.

As much as I can jog back in memory, the first English movie that I saw was The Spy Who Loved Me. I believe that instilled the deep interest in me for films, especially for the James Bond franchise. My eyes would draw wide open to get every glimpse of the locales, the gadgets, the automobiles. The same exact eyes would close shut heeding to parents’ discretion every time the debonair spy would unfurl his best with his romantic interests.

All through those evergreen years, it was Roger Moore’s James Bond that set a precedent and firmly etched in memory. Not until many years later that that I made a sincere effort to catch a Connery’s or Dalton’s flick. To me they were secondary as Moore’s Bond had cast a strong first impression. Connery’s Bond was suave, sophisticated, stiff and grandeur personified. It still left few voids to engage with the common man. I believe Moore’s Bond filled the voids with much needed mix of finesse and humor. The racy one liners, at times laden with sarcasm, are legendary. To script a comprehensive character is one, and to play it is completely different. Sir Roger Moore pulled it off with great panache.

To critics and fans alike, Moore’s Bond may have been the fourth best. To me, he was the favorite and best 007. Fans around the world are indeed shaken, and stirred in the passing of a fine actor, entertainer and humanitarian ambassador.

So long Sir Roger Moore, RIP.

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