Kings and Queens of Cool

Roger Moore and Tony Curtis, French Riviera, 1971.
Or rather, Lord Brett Sinclair and Danny Wilde, in the opening episode of The Persuaders!, Overture, directed by Basil Dearden.

Their first encounter says almost everything.

Danny sits in his red Dino 246 GT, trying to get through. Brett is in the way, busy saying goodbye to a small delegation of beautiful women.
Individually.
With kisses.

Danny has somewhere to be. Brett has standards.

Once His Lordship has completed his diplomatic duties, he folds himself into a Bahama Yellow Aston Martin DBS and drives off. Danny tails him as far as the next red light.

Then it’s a race.

Old money versus new money. Aston Martin versus Ferrari. Two very different breeds of cool, neither remotely interested in coming second.

Somehow, Curtis and Moore made it fly.

The show lasted 24 episodes. That was enough. Riviera light, John Barry’s theme, two cars more memorable than most of the plots, and two stars who knew swagger works best when it looks accidental.

Especially Roger.

He had already spent seven years making Simon Templar impossibly smooth in The Saint. As Brett Sinclair he turned the dial up, and he did it personally: the end credits tell you Lord Sinclair’s clothes were designed by Roger Moore. Louder jackets, wider ties. Even less visible effort.

The tuxedo was coming. Barely a year later he was filming Live and Let Die, the start of twelve years as Bond. But for one season on the Côte d’Azur, he got to be something even more Roger Moore than 007.

Born 99 years ago today.

Danny Wilde had to wait. So did James Bond.
Sir Roger was worth every minute. 👑

#rogermoore #tonycurtis #thepersuaders #70saesthetic #kqcool