| 'Casino Royale' | ||
|---|---|---|
| Climax! episode | ||
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 | |
| Directed by | William H. Brown, Jr. | |
| Written by | Antony Ellis Charles Bennett | |
| Story by | Ian Fleming (novel) | |
| Presented by | William Lundigan | |
| Produced by | Bretaigne Windust | |
| Featured music | Leith Stevens Jerry Goldsmith | |
| Original air date |
| |
| Running time | 50 minutes | |
| Guest appearance(s) | ||
| ||
| Episode chronology | ||
| ||
| List of Climax! episodes |
'Casino Royale' is a live 1954 television adaptation of the 1953 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. An episode of the American dramatic anthology series Climax!, the show was the first screen adaptation of a James Bond novel, and stars Barry Nelson, Peter Lorre, and Linda Christian. Though this marks the first onscreen appearance of the secret agent, Nelson's Bond is played as an American spy working for the 'Combined Intelligence Agency', and is referred to as 'Jimmy' by several characters.
Airing on October 21, 1954, Casino Royale was primarily targeted toward American audiences, as that was where it was broadcast. This led to the gutting and bastardization of the character and the world he lived in. Nationalities within the story were switched around; leaving no room for the suave British agent with a license to kill. Coeur d alene casino events. Stratosphere casino hotel & tower. Casino santa rosa ca. Route 66 casino albuquerque. Casino royale 1954. Diamond reels casino. New orleans casino hotel. Railroad pass casino. Casino raleigh nc. Casino royale 1954. Casino Royale (TV Episode 1954) Barry Nelson as James Bond. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming.
Most of the largely forgotten show was located in the 1980s by film historian Jim Schoenberger, with the ending (including credits) found afterward. Both copies are black and white kinescopes, but the original live broadcast was in color. The rights to the program were acquired by MGM at the same time as the rights for the 1967 film version of Casino Royale, clearing the legal pathway and enabling it to make the 2006 film of the same name.
Plot[edit]
Act I 'Combined Intelligence' agent James Bond comes under fire from an assassin: he manages to dodge the bullets and enters Casino Royale. There he meets his British contact, Clarence Leiter, who remembers 'Card Sense Jimmy Bond' from when he played the Maharajah at Deauville. While Bond explains the rules of baccarat, Leiter explains Bond's mission: to defeat Le Chiffre at baccarat and force his Soviet spymasters to 'retire' him. Bond then encounters a former lover, Valerie Mathis, who is Le Chiffre's current girlfriend; he also meets Le Chiffre himself.
James Bond Casino Royale 1954
Act II Bond beats Le Chiffre at baccarat, but, when he returns to his hotel room, is confronted by Le Chiffre and his bodyguards, along with Mathis, who Le Chiffre has discovered is an agent of the Deuxième Bureau, France's external military intelligence agency at the time.
Act III Le Chiffre tortures Bond in order to find out where Bond has hidden the check for his winnings, but Bond does not reveal where it is. After a fight between Bond and Le Chiffre's guards, Bond shoots and wounds Le Chiffre, saving Valerie in the process. Exhausted, Bond sits in a chair opposite Le Chiffre to talk. Mathis gets in between them, and Le Chiffre grabs her from behind, threatening her with a concealed razor blade. As Le Chiffre moves towards the door with Mathis as a shield, she struggles, breaking free slightly, and Bond is able to shoot Le Chiffre.
Casino Royale 1954 Cda Movie
Cast[edit]
- Barry Nelson as James Bond
- Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre
- Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis (a composite character of Vesper Lynd and René Mathis)
- William Lundigan as Host/Himself
- Michael Pate as Clarence Leiter
- Eugene Borden as Chef De Partie
- Jean Del Val as Croupier
- Gene Roth as Basil
- Kurt Katch as Zoltan
- Juergen Tarrach as Schultz
- Herman Belmonte as Doorman
Production[edit]
In 1954 CBS paid Ian Fleming $1,000[2] ($9,520 in 2019 dollars)[3] to adapt his first novel, Casino Royale, into a one-hour television adventure[4] as part of their dramatic anthology series Climax!, which ran between October 1954 and June 1958.[5] It was adapted for the screen by Antony Ellis and Charles Bennett; Bennett was best known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, including The 39 Steps and Sabotage.[6] Due to the restriction of a one-hour play, the adapted version lost many of the details found in the book, although it retained its violence, particularly in Act III.[6]
The hour-long Casino Royale episode aired on October 21, 1954 as a live production and starred Barry Nelson as secret agent James Bond, with Peter Lorre in the role of Le Chiffre,[7] and was hosted by William Lundigan.[8] The Bond character from Casino Royale was re-cast as an American agent, described as working for 'Combined Intelligence', supported by the British agent, Clarence Leiter; 'thus was the Anglo-American relationship depicted in the book reversed for American consumption'.[9]
Clarence Leiter was an agent for Station S, while being a combination of Felix Leiter and René Mathis. The name 'Mathis', and his association with the Deuxième Bureau, was given to the leading lady, who is named Valérie Mathis, instead of Vesper Lynd.[10] Reports that toward the end of the broadcast 'the coast-to-coast audience saw Peter Lorre, the actor playing Le Chiffre, get up off the floor after his 'death' and begin to walk to his dressing room',[11] do not appear to be accurate.[12]
Legacy[edit]
Four years after the production of Casino Royale, CBS invited Fleming to write 32 episodes over a two-year period for a television show based on the James Bond character.[4] Fleming agreed and began to write outlines for this series. When nothing ever came of this, however, Fleming grouped and adapted three of the outlines into short stories and released the 1960 anthology For Your Eyes Only along with an additional two new short stories.[13]
This was the first screen adaptation of a James Bond novel and was made before the formation of Eon Productions. When MGM eventually obtained the rights to the 1967 film version of Casino Royale, it also received the rights to this television episode.[14]
The Casino Royale episode was lost for decades after its 1954 broadcast until a black and white kinescope of the live broadcast was located by film historian Jim Schoenberger in 1981.[15][16] The episode aired on TBS as part of a Bond film marathon. The original 1954 broadcast had been in color, and the VHS release and TBS presentation did not include the last two minutes, which were at that point still lost. Eventually, the missing footage (minus the last seconds of the end credits) was found and included on a Spy Guise & Cara Entertainment VHS release. MGM subsequently included the incomplete version on its first DVD release of the 1967 film Casino Royale.[1]
David Cornelius of Efilmcritic.com remarked that 'the first act freely gives in to spy pulp cliché' and noted that he believed Nelson was miscast and 'trips over his lines and lacks the elegance needed for the role.' He described Lorre as 'the real main attraction here, the veteran villain working at full weasel mode; a grotesque weasel whose very presence makes you uncomfortable.'[6] Peter Debruge of Variety also praised Lorre, considering him the source of 'whatever charm this slipshod antecedent to the Bond oeuvre has to offer', and complaining that 'the whole thing seems to have been done on the cheap'. Debruge still noted that while the special had very few elements in common with the Eon series, Nelson's portrayal of 'Bond suggests a realistically human vulnerability that wouldn't resurface until Eon finally remade Casino Royale more than half a century later.'[17]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abBritton 2004, p. 30.
- ^Black 2005, p. 14.
- ^Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. 'Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–'. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- ^ abLindner 2009, p. 14.
- ^Lycett 1996, p. 264.
- ^ abc'Now Pay Attention, 007: Introduction and Casino Royale '54'. Efilmcritic.com. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^Benson 1988, p. 11.
- ^Andreychuk 2010, p. 38.
- ^Black, Jeremy (Winter 2002–2003). 'Oh, James'. National Interest (70): 106. ISSN0884-9382.
- ^Benson 1988, p. 7.
- ^Lycett 1996, p. 265.
- ^Mikkelson, David (April 13, 2014). 'Dead Character Walks Off Stage'. Snopes Media Group Inc. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^Pearson 1967, p. 312.
- ^Poliakoff, Keith (2000). 'License to Copyright - The Ongoing Dispute Over the Ownership of James Bond'(PDF). Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal. Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. 18: 387–436. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 31, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^Benson 1988, p. 10.
- ^Rubin 2002, p. 70.
- ^Debruge, Peter (May 11, 2012). 'Revisiting 'Casino Royale''. Variety. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
Bibliography[edit]
- Andreychuk, Ed (2010). Louis L'Amour on Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN978-0-7864-3336-0.
- Balio, Tino (1987). United Artists: the company that changed the film industry. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN978-0-299-11440-4.
- Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. ISBN978-0-7134-8182-2.
- Benson, Raymond (1988). The James Bond Bedside Companion. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN978-0-88365-705-8.
- Black, Jeremy (2005). The Politics of James Bond: from Fleming's Novel to the Big Screen. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN978-0-8032-6240-9.
- Britton, Wesley Alan (2004). Spy television (2 ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN978-0-275-98163-1.
- Chapman, James (1999). Licence To Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. London/New York City: I.B. Tauris. ISBN978-1-84511-515-9.
- Cork, John; Scivally, Bruce (2006). James Bond: The Legacy 007. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN978-0-8109-8252-9.
- Lindner, Christoph (2009). The James Bond Phenomenon: a Critical Reader (2 ed.). Manchester University Press. ISBN978-0-7190-8095-1.
- Lycett, Andrew (1996). Ian Fleming. London: Phoenix. ISBN978-1-85799-783-5.
- Macintyre, Ben (2008). For Yours Eyes Only. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN978-0-7475-9527-4.
- Pearson, John (1967). The Life of Ian Fleming: Creator of James Bond. London: Jonathan Cape.
- Pfeiffer, Lee; Worrall, Dave (1998). The Essential Bond. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN978-0-7522-2477-0.
- Rubin, Steven Jay (2002). The James Bond films: a behind the scenes history. Westport, Conn: Arlington House. ISBN978-0-87000-523-7.
External links[edit]
- Casino Royale (1954) on IMDb
- Casino Royale 1954 Trailer on YouTube
Mission
The very first screen appearance of James Bond 007, made in 1954 for US TV channel CBS. Bond's task is to destroy the evil Le Chiffre, and his plan is to force him to lose a large sum of money at the gambling tables of Casino Royale.
Release Data
US Premiere: October 21, 1954 (CBS)
Part of the 'Climax!' TV Series (1954-1958)
Running Time: 60 minutes
Best Line
US Leiter: 'Are you the fellow that was shot?'
Bond: 'No, I'm the fellow that was missed'
| Cast | |
| James Bond | Barry Nelson |
| Valerie Mathis | Linda Christian |
| Le Chiffre | Peter Lorre |
| Clarence Leiter | Michael Pate |
| Basil | Gene Roth |
| Zolto | Kurt Katch |
| Chef de partie | Eugene Borden |
| Croupier | Jean De Val |
| Crew | |
| Director | William H. Brown Jr |
| Host | William Lundigan |
| Writers | Ian Fleming Charles Bennett Anthony Ellis |
| Producer | Bretaigne Windhurst |
| Associate Producer | Elliott Lewis |
| Art Directors | Robert Tyler Lee James DeVal |
| Music | Jerry Goldsmith |
Above: Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis
History
Contrary to popular belief, the honour of being the first actor to play James Bond fell not on Sean Connery, but on American Barry Nelson, who starred in this live 1 hour production of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale. The performance on 21st October 1954 (8.30pm EST) was the first in CBS's 'Climax' series of dramas.
CBS brought the rights for Fleming's first book for $1000. Since then the rights have gone via Charles Feldman's spoof of 1967 to Eon Productions, who picked them up in early 2000. The film, which is black and white, was actually lost until 1981, and even then all of the various VHS incarnations (except the Special Edition from Spy Guise Video) lack the climax of the film, stopping with Le Chiffre apparently dying, but having just got the razorblade from his hat.
Plot
The film is quite loyal to Fleming's version, with a few changes of nationality and sides. It starts with Bond being shot at but ducking behind a pillar outside the casino. Leiter (who is English and whose first name is Clarence) approaches 'Card Sense Jimmy Bond' as he is nicknamed, and is met by the first Bond one-liner (see 'Best Line').
Over supper Bond explains Baccarat to Leiter and the audience, and Leiter explains the CIA's Bond (not 007) his mission: Le Chiffre, the Soviet spymaster in France, is in financial difficulty, but intends to save his life and Communist funds by winning it back at the casino. Bond's job is to clean him out.
| 'Casino Royale' | ||
|---|---|---|
| Climax! episode | ||
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 | |
| Directed by | William H. Brown, Jr. | |
| Written by | Antony Ellis Charles Bennett | |
| Story by | Ian Fleming (novel) | |
| Presented by | William Lundigan | |
| Produced by | Bretaigne Windust | |
| Featured music | Leith Stevens Jerry Goldsmith | |
| Original air date |
| |
| Running time | 50 minutes | |
| Guest appearance(s) | ||
| ||
| Episode chronology | ||
| ||
| List of Climax! episodes |
'Casino Royale' is a live 1954 television adaptation of the 1953 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. An episode of the American dramatic anthology series Climax!, the show was the first screen adaptation of a James Bond novel, and stars Barry Nelson, Peter Lorre, and Linda Christian. Though this marks the first onscreen appearance of the secret agent, Nelson's Bond is played as an American spy working for the 'Combined Intelligence Agency', and is referred to as 'Jimmy' by several characters.
Airing on October 21, 1954, Casino Royale was primarily targeted toward American audiences, as that was where it was broadcast. This led to the gutting and bastardization of the character and the world he lived in. Nationalities within the story were switched around; leaving no room for the suave British agent with a license to kill. Coeur d alene casino events. Stratosphere casino hotel & tower. Casino santa rosa ca. Route 66 casino albuquerque. Casino royale 1954. Diamond reels casino. New orleans casino hotel. Railroad pass casino. Casino raleigh nc. Casino royale 1954. Casino Royale (TV Episode 1954) Barry Nelson as James Bond. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming.
Most of the largely forgotten show was located in the 1980s by film historian Jim Schoenberger, with the ending (including credits) found afterward. Both copies are black and white kinescopes, but the original live broadcast was in color. The rights to the program were acquired by MGM at the same time as the rights for the 1967 film version of Casino Royale, clearing the legal pathway and enabling it to make the 2006 film of the same name.
Plot[edit]
Act I 'Combined Intelligence' agent James Bond comes under fire from an assassin: he manages to dodge the bullets and enters Casino Royale. There he meets his British contact, Clarence Leiter, who remembers 'Card Sense Jimmy Bond' from when he played the Maharajah at Deauville. While Bond explains the rules of baccarat, Leiter explains Bond's mission: to defeat Le Chiffre at baccarat and force his Soviet spymasters to 'retire' him. Bond then encounters a former lover, Valerie Mathis, who is Le Chiffre's current girlfriend; he also meets Le Chiffre himself.
James Bond Casino Royale 1954
Act II Bond beats Le Chiffre at baccarat, but, when he returns to his hotel room, is confronted by Le Chiffre and his bodyguards, along with Mathis, who Le Chiffre has discovered is an agent of the Deuxième Bureau, France's external military intelligence agency at the time.
Act III Le Chiffre tortures Bond in order to find out where Bond has hidden the check for his winnings, but Bond does not reveal where it is. After a fight between Bond and Le Chiffre's guards, Bond shoots and wounds Le Chiffre, saving Valerie in the process. Exhausted, Bond sits in a chair opposite Le Chiffre to talk. Mathis gets in between them, and Le Chiffre grabs her from behind, threatening her with a concealed razor blade. As Le Chiffre moves towards the door with Mathis as a shield, she struggles, breaking free slightly, and Bond is able to shoot Le Chiffre.
Casino Royale 1954 Cda Movie
Cast[edit]
- Barry Nelson as James Bond
- Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre
- Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis (a composite character of Vesper Lynd and René Mathis)
- William Lundigan as Host/Himself
- Michael Pate as Clarence Leiter
- Eugene Borden as Chef De Partie
- Jean Del Val as Croupier
- Gene Roth as Basil
- Kurt Katch as Zoltan
- Juergen Tarrach as Schultz
- Herman Belmonte as Doorman
Production[edit]
In 1954 CBS paid Ian Fleming $1,000[2] ($9,520 in 2019 dollars)[3] to adapt his first novel, Casino Royale, into a one-hour television adventure[4] as part of their dramatic anthology series Climax!, which ran between October 1954 and June 1958.[5] It was adapted for the screen by Antony Ellis and Charles Bennett; Bennett was best known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, including The 39 Steps and Sabotage.[6] Due to the restriction of a one-hour play, the adapted version lost many of the details found in the book, although it retained its violence, particularly in Act III.[6]
The hour-long Casino Royale episode aired on October 21, 1954 as a live production and starred Barry Nelson as secret agent James Bond, with Peter Lorre in the role of Le Chiffre,[7] and was hosted by William Lundigan.[8] The Bond character from Casino Royale was re-cast as an American agent, described as working for 'Combined Intelligence', supported by the British agent, Clarence Leiter; 'thus was the Anglo-American relationship depicted in the book reversed for American consumption'.[9]
Clarence Leiter was an agent for Station S, while being a combination of Felix Leiter and René Mathis. The name 'Mathis', and his association with the Deuxième Bureau, was given to the leading lady, who is named Valérie Mathis, instead of Vesper Lynd.[10] Reports that toward the end of the broadcast 'the coast-to-coast audience saw Peter Lorre, the actor playing Le Chiffre, get up off the floor after his 'death' and begin to walk to his dressing room',[11] do not appear to be accurate.[12]
Legacy[edit]
Four years after the production of Casino Royale, CBS invited Fleming to write 32 episodes over a two-year period for a television show based on the James Bond character.[4] Fleming agreed and began to write outlines for this series. When nothing ever came of this, however, Fleming grouped and adapted three of the outlines into short stories and released the 1960 anthology For Your Eyes Only along with an additional two new short stories.[13]
This was the first screen adaptation of a James Bond novel and was made before the formation of Eon Productions. When MGM eventually obtained the rights to the 1967 film version of Casino Royale, it also received the rights to this television episode.[14]
The Casino Royale episode was lost for decades after its 1954 broadcast until a black and white kinescope of the live broadcast was located by film historian Jim Schoenberger in 1981.[15][16] The episode aired on TBS as part of a Bond film marathon. The original 1954 broadcast had been in color, and the VHS release and TBS presentation did not include the last two minutes, which were at that point still lost. Eventually, the missing footage (minus the last seconds of the end credits) was found and included on a Spy Guise & Cara Entertainment VHS release. MGM subsequently included the incomplete version on its first DVD release of the 1967 film Casino Royale.[1]
David Cornelius of Efilmcritic.com remarked that 'the first act freely gives in to spy pulp cliché' and noted that he believed Nelson was miscast and 'trips over his lines and lacks the elegance needed for the role.' He described Lorre as 'the real main attraction here, the veteran villain working at full weasel mode; a grotesque weasel whose very presence makes you uncomfortable.'[6] Peter Debruge of Variety also praised Lorre, considering him the source of 'whatever charm this slipshod antecedent to the Bond oeuvre has to offer', and complaining that 'the whole thing seems to have been done on the cheap'. Debruge still noted that while the special had very few elements in common with the Eon series, Nelson's portrayal of 'Bond suggests a realistically human vulnerability that wouldn't resurface until Eon finally remade Casino Royale more than half a century later.'[17]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abBritton 2004, p. 30.
- ^Black 2005, p. 14.
- ^Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. 'Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–'. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- ^ abLindner 2009, p. 14.
- ^Lycett 1996, p. 264.
- ^ abc'Now Pay Attention, 007: Introduction and Casino Royale '54'. Efilmcritic.com. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^Benson 1988, p. 11.
- ^Andreychuk 2010, p. 38.
- ^Black, Jeremy (Winter 2002–2003). 'Oh, James'. National Interest (70): 106. ISSN0884-9382.
- ^Benson 1988, p. 7.
- ^Lycett 1996, p. 265.
- ^Mikkelson, David (April 13, 2014). 'Dead Character Walks Off Stage'. Snopes Media Group Inc. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^Pearson 1967, p. 312.
- ^Poliakoff, Keith (2000). 'License to Copyright - The Ongoing Dispute Over the Ownership of James Bond'(PDF). Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal. Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. 18: 387–436. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 31, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^Benson 1988, p. 10.
- ^Rubin 2002, p. 70.
- ^Debruge, Peter (May 11, 2012). 'Revisiting 'Casino Royale''. Variety. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
Bibliography[edit]
- Andreychuk, Ed (2010). Louis L'Amour on Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN978-0-7864-3336-0.
- Balio, Tino (1987). United Artists: the company that changed the film industry. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN978-0-299-11440-4.
- Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. ISBN978-0-7134-8182-2.
- Benson, Raymond (1988). The James Bond Bedside Companion. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN978-0-88365-705-8.
- Black, Jeremy (2005). The Politics of James Bond: from Fleming's Novel to the Big Screen. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN978-0-8032-6240-9.
- Britton, Wesley Alan (2004). Spy television (2 ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN978-0-275-98163-1.
- Chapman, James (1999). Licence To Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. London/New York City: I.B. Tauris. ISBN978-1-84511-515-9.
- Cork, John; Scivally, Bruce (2006). James Bond: The Legacy 007. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN978-0-8109-8252-9.
- Lindner, Christoph (2009). The James Bond Phenomenon: a Critical Reader (2 ed.). Manchester University Press. ISBN978-0-7190-8095-1.
- Lycett, Andrew (1996). Ian Fleming. London: Phoenix. ISBN978-1-85799-783-5.
- Macintyre, Ben (2008). For Yours Eyes Only. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN978-0-7475-9527-4.
- Pearson, John (1967). The Life of Ian Fleming: Creator of James Bond. London: Jonathan Cape.
- Pfeiffer, Lee; Worrall, Dave (1998). The Essential Bond. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN978-0-7522-2477-0.
- Rubin, Steven Jay (2002). The James Bond films: a behind the scenes history. Westport, Conn: Arlington House. ISBN978-0-87000-523-7.
External links[edit]
- Casino Royale (1954) on IMDb
- Casino Royale 1954 Trailer on YouTube
Mission
The very first screen appearance of James Bond 007, made in 1954 for US TV channel CBS. Bond's task is to destroy the evil Le Chiffre, and his plan is to force him to lose a large sum of money at the gambling tables of Casino Royale.
Release Data
US Premiere: October 21, 1954 (CBS)
Part of the 'Climax!' TV Series (1954-1958)
Running Time: 60 minutes
Best Line
US Leiter: 'Are you the fellow that was shot?'
Bond: 'No, I'm the fellow that was missed'
| Cast | |
| James Bond | Barry Nelson |
| Valerie Mathis | Linda Christian |
| Le Chiffre | Peter Lorre |
| Clarence Leiter | Michael Pate |
| Basil | Gene Roth |
| Zolto | Kurt Katch |
| Chef de partie | Eugene Borden |
| Croupier | Jean De Val |
| Crew | |
| Director | William H. Brown Jr |
| Host | William Lundigan |
| Writers | Ian Fleming Charles Bennett Anthony Ellis |
| Producer | Bretaigne Windhurst |
| Associate Producer | Elliott Lewis |
| Art Directors | Robert Tyler Lee James DeVal |
| Music | Jerry Goldsmith |
Above: Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis
History
Contrary to popular belief, the honour of being the first actor to play James Bond fell not on Sean Connery, but on American Barry Nelson, who starred in this live 1 hour production of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale. The performance on 21st October 1954 (8.30pm EST) was the first in CBS's 'Climax' series of dramas.
CBS brought the rights for Fleming's first book for $1000. Since then the rights have gone via Charles Feldman's spoof of 1967 to Eon Productions, who picked them up in early 2000. The film, which is black and white, was actually lost until 1981, and even then all of the various VHS incarnations (except the Special Edition from Spy Guise Video) lack the climax of the film, stopping with Le Chiffre apparently dying, but having just got the razorblade from his hat.
Plot
The film is quite loyal to Fleming's version, with a few changes of nationality and sides. It starts with Bond being shot at but ducking behind a pillar outside the casino. Leiter (who is English and whose first name is Clarence) approaches 'Card Sense Jimmy Bond' as he is nicknamed, and is met by the first Bond one-liner (see 'Best Line').
Over supper Bond explains Baccarat to Leiter and the audience, and Leiter explains the CIA's Bond (not 007) his mission: Le Chiffre, the Soviet spymaster in France, is in financial difficulty, but intends to save his life and Communist funds by winning it back at the casino. Bond's job is to clean him out.
Matters are complicated when Bond's former lover, Valerie Mathis turns out to be a communist agent with Le Chiffre. They meet in Bond's room, and knowing about Le Chiffre's bug they turn up the music and kiss, before acting their parts for the villain.
The next night at the casino the game takes place. Bond is told if he wins, Valerie will die. Bond is beaten by Le Chiffre, but then gets an extra donation, with which he cleans out the 'toad'-like villain. Valerie disappears, and Bond returns to his room after dealing with a henchmen using a gun disguised as a cane. He hides the cheque just before Valerie comes (she is in fact a French agent, who supplied the extra donation), but Le Chiffre and his men capture them. Bond is tied to a bath and tortured by having his toenails removed with pliers (rather than Fleming's version using a seatless cane chair and carpet beater).
Valerie gives away the location of the cheque, but helps Bond reach the razorblade in Le Chiffre's cigarette case, which he had left on the bath. Bond escapes, and overcomes a henchmen. Le Chiffre enters the bathroom with a gun, and he and Bond shoot each other. Le Chiffre is more seriously hurt, but reaches another razorblade, hidden in his hat. Bond says 'call the police' just as Le Chiffre lunges. Bond fans with bad videos will now be infuriated as they miss the climax. Bond dodges the razor blade and finally overcomes Le Chiffre.
Above: The final scene which is missing in all VHS releases except the 1997 Special Edition by Spy Guise Video.
Review
Peter Lorre is superb as the villain Le Chiffre. His toad-like looks and menacing acting make him a great villain. Michael Pate is annoying but acceptable as Englishman Leiter, and Linda Christian is competent enough as Valerie Mathis, although her looks are taken away from by the black and white.
But what about the first James Bond? Barry Nelson is just about okay. He is handsome and about the right age, and unlike Roger Moore he has at least read the books, although his Americanisation of Bond takes away slightly from Fleming's cold character. Nelson was born in San Francisco, California on 16th April 1920, and was a regular actor in mid-sized roles on Broadway in the '40s. Since Casino Royale he has appeared in 'Airport' (1970) and 'The Shining' (1980). So how did he do? Certainly he is credible as Bond, although he lacks flair. He delivers the one-liners sharply, and his interpretation of the role is not too bad, although being an American he will always look out of place. Nelson's Bond is hard and cold, as 007 should be. He struggles at the fight scenes (hardly surprising considering the production was filmed live) but he does a reasonable job, with a similar quality of acting to Lazenby.
The picture itself, directed by William H Brown Jr. and written by Antony Ellis and Charles Bennet, with music by Jerry Goldsmith is reasonably filmed, and remains tense throughout (an effect slightly spoiled by the needless use of Act intros). Obviously the usual special effects are lacking, but overall this is a credible performance of Fleming's book, with good production values and passable performances.
Availability
Spy Guise Video now made this amazing and historic program available back in 1997 - complete with the restored ending missing from previous video versions. The added ending restores the final confrontation between Bond and Le Chiffre in which Bond comes out victorious. There is a traditional Bond ending 'with a kiss' and then the credits appear.
This deluxe collector's edition also featured many extras: an exclusive overview of the life of Ian Fleming and the 'Casino Royale' legacy hosted by Lee Pfeiffer, co-author of the best-selling book 'The Essential Bond: An Authorized Celebration of 007'.
Additionally, this version contained rare promotional advertisements, photographs, and information about James Bond clubs, magazines and officially licensed collectibles.
