Thaindian News

London, Aug 04 (ANI): Bond legend Roger Moore has paid tribute to Hollywood screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, calling him a wonderful man and a great friend.

Mankiewicz, the screenwriter for several Bond flicks, died aged 68 at his home in Los Angeles on 30 July 2010 after a brief illness. Moore said that the tragedy came as a huge shock for him.

He wrote the screenplay for many of Moore’s Bond films including 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun and his debut as the superspy in Live and Let Die, which led to close friendship between the two, reports The Daily Star.

“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 bl**dy brilliance. The news of his death was a huge shock to me. At 68 it was a tragedy.” Moore said.

“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,” he added. (ANI)