Sir Roger Moore pays tribute to screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz

James Bond legend Sir Roger Moore has paid tribute to Hollywood's Tom Mankiewicz, calling the 007 screenwriter a "wonderful man" and a "great friend".

Mankiewicz passed away aged 68 at his home in Los Angeles on Friday after a brief illness, and actor Moore admits the tragedy came as a "huge shock" for him.

The writer penned the screenplay for Moore's first two outings as Bond - "Live And Let Die" (1973) and "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974), and the two became close friends.

Moore tells WENN, "Tom was a wonderful man, a brilliant writer and a great friend... His written lines were brilliant. My favourite is from The Man with the Golden Gun when Jimmy (Bond) points a gun at a gun-maker's crotch - 'Speak now or forever hold your piece' he says. Sheer bloody brilliance. The news of his death was a huge shock to me. At 68 it was a tragedy."

The actor also paid tribute to Mankiewicz's skill at teasing viewers with his plot developments: "He was without doubt one of the most innovative, clever and inspirational writers of the Bond films. He and director Guy Hamilton would lock themselves away working out 'snake pit' scenarios for 007, and then plan inventive escapes whilst leading the audience up one or two wrong turns.

"Like in Live and Let Die when Jimmy Bond is stranded on an island in a lake full of alligators. Jimmy sees a boat nearby and switches on his magnetic watch to attract the metal oar rests - aha, say the audience, that's how he does it. But then we see the boat is tethered. Aha, says Tom! Think again, dear audience."

Thanks to `danslittlefinger` for the alert.

Discuss this news here...