An original black-and-white press wirephoto showing Roger Moore with actress Hildegard Neil, issued in August 1969 to announce their appearance together in the British psychological thriller The Man Who Haunted Himself.
Moore and Neil are pictured in a formal head-and-shoulders portrait, standing closely together and looking slightly away from the camera. Moore wears a suit and tie, while Neil is shown in a dark buttoned outfit over a spotted high-necked blouse. The photograph dates from an especially interesting transitional stage in Moore’s career: he was already internationally known through The Saint, but was still almost three years away from being announced as the new James Bond.
The contemporary agency caption printed along the left margin identifies the subjects and records that Hildegard Neil, described as a Royal Shakespeare Company actress, was to co-star with Moore in The Man Who Haunted Himself. A surviving newspaper caption attached to the reverse similarly reads:
“British film and television actor Roger Moore and Hildegard Neil, a Royal Shakespeare Company actress, who is to co-star with him in the film, The Man Who Haunted Himself.”
The reverse bears the Shields Gazette Library stamp and an archive date of 13 August 1969, placing the photograph during the film’s early publicity and production period.
Released in 1970, The Man Who Haunted Himself was directed by Basil Dearden and cast Moore as Harold Pelham, a respectable London businessman apparently confronted by a more reckless double. Hildegard Neil played his wife, Eve Pelham. The film is now regarded as one of Moore’s most unusual performances, allowing him to play two contrasting versions of the same man. Moore later recalled it as one of the comparatively few occasions when he felt he had truly been given the opportunity to act.
The photograph also has notable pre-Bond interest. Moore formally took on the role of James Bond in 1972 and made his first appearance as 007 in Live and Let Die, released in 1973. He went on to play Bond in seven films, ending with A View to a Kill in 1985. This 1969 image therefore records him before the role that would define the remainder of his screen career.
This is a genuine contemporary newsroom wirephoto with its original agency text, newspaper caption, archive stamp and date. It is not a modern reproduction.
Good condition for an original working wirephoto of this age. There is general age-related toning, minor surface marking and ordinary newsroom handling wear. The sheet has gentle curvature, slight edge and corner wear and several small creases and pressure marks. Minor localised discolouration and newsroom markings are visible, particularly within the pale margins.
The agency caption running along the left margin remains substantially legible. The principal image retains good definition and contrast, with both faces, clothing and expressions clearly recorded.
The reverse retains the original pasted newspaper caption, Shields Gazette Library stamp, archive date and manuscript markings. These contemporary working features form an integral part of the photograph’s history and provenance.
Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the description.
Subjects: Roger Moore and Hildegard Neil
Film: The Man Who Haunted Himself
Roles: Harold Pelham and Eve Pelham
Director: Basil Dearden
Photograph date: August 1969
Archive date: 13 August 1969
Film release: 1970
Photographer: Uncredited
Provenance: Photographic archive of the Shields Gazette
Size: 27.8 × 19.4 cm
Format: Original black-and-white press wirephoto
Documentation: Original agency text and newspaper caption
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