Here's why Roger Moore objected to filming arguably his darkest scene as James Bond in For Your Eyes Only. Sean Connery was the first actor to play 007 on the big screen with Dr. No, with his run of movies permeating pop culture like no other movie franchise before. Following bitter disputes with series producers over pay, Connery departed the role. George Lazenby would inherit the part for On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but while that 1969 entry is considered something of a classic now, it was a disappointment at the time. Lazenby himself exited after only one adventure, while the third Bond - Roger Moore - still holds the record for having played 007 the most.
From 1973's Live And Let Die to 1985's A View To A Kill, - Moore's least favorite Bond - he portrayed Bond seven times. Moore's era was marked by a lighter touch, with most of his adventures having dry quips and campy humor. That's not to say the Roger Moore Bond films didn't have their share of violence or darkness, but overall, the actor sought to keep audiences entertained without too much nastiness.
Moore had shown in his career - such as a cold-blooded execution scene from 1978's The Wild Geese - he was perfectly capable of bringing a harsher edge to Bond. There were glimpses of this in his films too, such as his rough treatment of Maud Adams' character in The Man With The Golden Gun or his shooting of Stromberg in The Spy Who Loved Me. Probably his most morally ambiguous moment comes from 1981's For Your Eyes Only, which features Moore's darkest James Bond kill.
Moore Objected To Bond's Cold Blooded Killing Of Locque
For Your Eyes Only was intended to ground the series again following the sci-fi infused Moonraker. This movie shed most of Bond's gadgets and silly humor, and director John Glen wanted to give Moore's 007 more of an edge. This is best seen in the moment that henchman Locque (Michael Gothard) - who had previously murdered one of Bond's love interests Countess Lisl (Cassandra Harris) - is killed. In the scene, Bond shoots Locque's car, which spirals out of control and is left hanging over a cliff edge. Bond tips Lisl's pin into the car, before kicking it over the edge and sending Locque to his death.
It's an out-of-character moment for Moore's Bond - which is why the actor objected to it. In the 2000 documentary Inside For Your Eyes Only, Moore stated of the moment that "Although it's Bond, I thought it was a bit un-Roger Moore Bond. To be that vicious and kick a car over with somebody in." This led to debate during filming, with the movie's co-writer and executive producer Michael G. Wilson (whose father played the first screen Batman) revealing that an alternate, softer version - where the pin Bond throws is enough to send it over - was considered. Wilson stated this version didn't have the right energy, however, with director Glen also felt this darker moment was necessary. Despite Roger Moore's objections, this For Your Eyes Only scene has become one of his most memorable as Bond.
