The 1967 version opened to poor critical reception due to its vulgarity, indulgence, clichés, long runtime, and erratic structure, with the movie only holding a 25 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes today. Instead, Feldman decided to change up the Bond business by making it a spoof and, in doing so, recruited an ensemble cast of stars to appear in his extravagant comedy.Ĭasino Royale (1967) performed exceptionally well at the box office, especially when considering it was up against Eon’s Bond movie You Only Live Twice. Feldman had already invested a considerable amount of money into Casino Royale’s pre-production, so attempted to partner with Eon for an adaption, but the collaboration fell through. Feldman bought the film rights to Casino Royale, who intended to make a serious adaptation until 1962’s Dr. The adaptation came about when Charles K. Including every agent being named James Bond, 007 teaching agents to ignore the seduction of women, and Bond dying and going to heaven, 1967’s Casino Royale adaptation isn’t a straightforward spy movie like the other versions. Due to its time restraints and live TV performance, many details from Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale novel were cut, but some of the violent action remained.īefore there was Austin Powers, there was Casino Royale (1967), which very loosely takes Casino Royale’s story, combined with many other Bond journeys, to humorously parody the franchise. CBS had paid Ian Fleming $1,000 (about $10,000 today) in 1954 to adapt the book into a one-hour TV special, with its screenplay adaptation being written by Charles Bennett, who was known for his collaborations with thriller director Alfred Hitchcock. In the process, he saves his former lover, Valérie Mathis (a mix of Vesper Lynd and René Mathis), who was posing as Le Chiffre’s girlfriend, and the two escape–a much less grim ending than Fleming’s novel.Ĭasino Royale 1954 arrived only one year after the novel’s release, thus beginning the slew of James Bond actors and adaptations that would follow over the next 70 years.

Rather than a SMERSH assassin killing Le Chiffre, 1954’s Casino Royale has Barry Nelson’s James Bond take out the villain himself. The live television episode marked the first on-screen appearance of the iconic 007, following American agent James “Jimmy” Bond as he gambles against Soviet spy Le Chiffre in an attempt to make his leaders “ retire” him. The first official adaptation of Casino Royale wasn’t on the big screen, but rather as a 50-minute television installment of the anthology series Climax! in 1954.

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