The 1990 Michael Winner film Bullseye! stars Roger Moore and Michael Caine as both a pair a nuclear physicists and a pair of con men who impersonate the physicists. It also features Roger Moore’s daughter Deborah Moore (credited as Deborah Barrymore) and Derren Nesbitt, whom shirtmaker Frank Foster said I resemble a younger version of. John Bloomfield is the costume designer. Though Moore and Caine shared the same tailor, Douglas Hayward, there isn’t a whole lot of Hayward’s tailoring in the film. Aquascutum is thanked in the credits for contributing suits, coats and raincoats for both Moore and Caine. Dormeuil, a French textile company, is also thanked in the credits, but their cloths may have been used for women’s clothing.
Roger Moore plays two characters in this film, Sir John Bavistock, a nuclear physicist, and Gerald Bradley-Smith, a conman who resembles Bavistock. In trying to impersonate Bavistock, Bradley-Smith purchases a suit identical to the double-breasted, dark grey chalk stripe suit Bavistock wears. The suit resembles the navy double-breasted suit made by Douglas Hayward that Roger Moore wears as James Bond in Octopussy, and this suit in Bullseye! was most likely made by Hayward.
The double-breasted suit jacket has four buttons with one to button, which was a popular style in the 1980s and early 1990s. Though more fashionable brands usually paired this low keystone buttoning style with a low gorge (the seam where the collar meets the lapels), Hayward kept the gorge at a classic height. The jacket has soft shoulders with roped sleeve heads, a moderately full chest and a suppressed waist (as suppressed as Moore’s girthier figure can handle). The jacket has a very flattering cut and style for Moore’s body.
Moore’s suit jacket is detailed with flapped pockets, double vents and four buttons on each cuff. The suit trousers have medium-width straight legs with plain hems, side pockets and likely a flat or darted front.
There are two small details that make the Bullseye! suit’s jacket different from the Octopussy navy suit’s jacket. The jacket in Octopussy has three cuff buttons whilst the Bullseye! jacket has four cuff buttons. Also, the jacket in Octopussy has a buttonhole in each lapel, but the Bullseye! jacket only has a buttonhole in the left lapel. I’ve seen suit jackets from Hayward made in this era that match the details on this suit jacket, so it’s still most likely that Hayward made this suit.
With the suit Moore wears a pale blue shirt that has a spread collar and double cuffs. The shirt is not made by Moore’s longtime shirtmaker Frank Foster due to its much shorter collar and link holes centred on the double cuffs instead of off-centred towards the fold. The regimental tie has stripes alternating red-navy-brown-navy, with the navy stripes slightly narrower than the others. This is the Winchester College tie, also known as the Old Wykehamist tie after the name for Winchester alumni. Bill Tanner wears the same tie with a similar suit in For Your Eyes Only. Moore knots the tie in a four-in-hand knot. He wears black shoes with the suit.
Interesting about the Octopussy suit comparison. Bullseye! is not a great film. It’s fun watching Rog and Mike working together at last but the Michael Winner factor too often shines through and makes this a bit of a chore to watch. Moore looks good here, though. Right up to about the mid-90s, he looked like he still could have given Bond a go.
Yes Matt. Great suit, lousy movie. It certainly looks convincing enough to be a Hayward and the grey 3piece (which I prefer) but the grey glen plaid seen later in the movie is likely Aquascutum due to it’s differing cut (padded shoulders and different gorge style). Surprising about the shirts but then again he sported poorer shirts with Hayward pieces previously in the 1987 “Happy Anniversary 007” documentary which you already covered some outfits from. Btw, you have a better appearance than Nesbitt, esp as evidenced from the still you featured
You need to look at a younger Nesbitt, 20 years earlier. I really do look like him.
Yes, Matt. He appeared in episodes of The Saint, Persuaders etc usually playing an “evil” German or the like. At that time I could appreciate a certain likeness alright!
“…a certain likeness?” For goodness sakes, Matt is a dead ringer for this guy, and that is nothing at all to be embarrassed about. They both look just fine. The pic in this blog’s post is of an older Nesbitt with a peculiar expression on his face. Let’s face it, fellow readers, we should all look as good as Thesbian Nesbitt, circa 1980. I don’t, and I’d bet my balogny-license-to-kill that you blokes don’t either!
Much appreciated, Walter. I’ll have to write about Moore’s clothes in an episode of The Saint or The Persuaders that features him.
Derren Nesbitt plays a memorable villain in the classic “Where Eagles Dare,” a film that most Bond fans would certainly enjoy.
I’ll have to check that one out.