Casino Royale (1967) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error In an early spy spoof, aging Sir James Bond comes out of retirement to take on SMERSH. Directors: From $9.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 25 titles created 25 May 2011 a list of 43 titles created 16 May 2012 a list of 26 titles created 05 Nov 2012 a list of 26 titles created 21 Jul 2013 a list of 42 titles created 02 Jul 2015 Search for " Casino Royale " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

See more awards » Photos A SPECTRE agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated. Director: Irvin Kershner A playboy who refuses to give up his hedonistic lifestyle to settle down and marry his true love seeks help from a demented psychoanalyst who is having romantic problems of his own. Directors: Clive Donner, Richard Talmadge Stars: Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider James Bond woos a mob boss's daughter and goes undercover to uncover the true reason for Blofeld's allergy research in the Swiss Alps that involves beautiful women from around the world. Director: Peter R. Hunt A resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program. Director: Terence Young A diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas, where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon. Director: Guy Hamilton Agent 007 and the Japanese secret service ninja force must find and stop the true culprit of a series of spacejackings before nuclear war is provoked.

Director: Lewis Gilbert James Bond heads to The Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTRE agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme. Director: Terence Young James Bond is led to believe that he is targeted by the world's most expensive assassin while he attempts to recover sensitive solar cell technology that is being sold to the highest bidder. Director: Guy Hamilton James Bond willingly falls into an assassination ploy involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by SPECTRE. Director: Terence Young 007 is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroin magnate armed with a complex organization and a reliable psychic tarot card reader. Director: Guy Hamilton James Bond investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads with the help of a KGB agent whose lover he killed. Director: Lewis Gilbert A fake Fabergé egg and a fellow agent's death lead James Bond to uncover an international jewel-smuggling operation, headed by the mysterious Octopussy, being used to disguise a nuclear attack on N.A.T.O. forces. Director: John Glen Edit Storyline After the death of M, Sir James Bond is called back out of retirement to stop SMERSH.

In order to trick SMERSH and Le Chiffre, Bond thinks up the ultimate plan. That every agent will be named James Bond. One of the Bonds, whose real name is Evelyn Tremble is sent to take on Le Chiffre in a game of baccarat, but all the Bonds get more than they can handle. Written by simon Casino Royale is too much for one James Bond! See more » Genres: 28 April 1967 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Charles K. Feldman's Casino Royale See more » Filming Locations: 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints)| Mono (35 mm prints) Color: Black and White (archive footage: Keystone Cops)| Color (Technicolor) Aspect Ratio: Cameos by Frank Sinatra , Sophia Loren , and Barbra Streisand were planned. See more » Goofs When the pod from the flying saucer "drives" up out of the water in the underground dock, the cable pulling it is plainly visible near the bottom of the screen. See more » Quotes Sir James : [In Mata's room] Who are all these people?

Mata Bond : They're the high priests of the temple. Okay, Fred, up it! [a priest gets up and bows as he leaves] Sir James : What an extraordinary performance. They seem to treat you like some kind of goddess. Mata Bond : Well, I am the celestial virgin of the sacred altar. See more » Crazy Credits The opening credit animation by Richard Williams parodies illuminated manuscripts with cartoon-style calligraphy. It sets the tone for the film as a psychedelic "knight's tale" of Sir James Bond. See more » Connections "Too many cooks spoil the broth". 5 October 2005 | by Galina (Virginia, USA) – See all my reviews What a mess of the royal proportions - such a great cast (Peter Sellers, David Niven, Orson Welles, Woody Allen, Ursula Andress, Deborah Kerr, and Jean-Paul Belmondo), the James Bond's story, plenty of beautiful (and I mean it) girls, the music by Burt Bacharach, most famous sets - but the movie is almost totally unwatchable.

It started funny enough - at Sir James Bond's (David Niven) home where he was approached by four international agents that forced him to come out of retirement and head up the operation against the evil organization SMERSH. His mission is to destroy Topple LeChiffre (Orson Welles} at the baccarat tables where he never loses and wins a lot of money to supply SMERSH. Then, the movie becomes silly, stupid, pointless, and (what is the worst) not funny. Only Woody Allen, (as Bond's incompetent nephew, Jimmy Bond) brilliant as usual has appeared in two scenes and made them silly and hilarious. I think that "Casino Royale" (the way it was made) illustrates the fact that bigger is not always better - overlong and overblown, written and directed by five or more writers and directors, it brings to mind an old saying, "Too many cooks spoil the broth". OT: the abbreviation SMERSH really existed during the WWII. It means "Death to the Spies" in Russian. 49 of 70 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes David Niven - IMDb IMDb Actor | Producer | Soundtrack David Niven was named after the Saint's Day on which he was born, St. David, patron Saint of Wales. He attended Stowe School and Sandhurst Military Academy and served for two years in Malta with the Highland Light Infantry. At the outbreak of World War II, although a top-line star, he re-joined the army (Rifle Brigade). He did, however, consent to... See full bio » Born: Share this page: Related News a list of 23 people created 27 Oct 2011 a list of 25 people created 30 Sep 2012 a list of 28 people created 17 Jul 2014 a list of 47 people created 27 May 2015 a list of 35 people created 2 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of David Niven's work have you seen? User Polls Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 6 nominations.

See more awards » Known For The Pink Panther Sir Charles Lytton (1963) Casino Royale Sir James Bond (1967) 1963 Burke's Law (TV Series) Harvey Cleeve 1957-1959 Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) Cameo / Milo Brant / Allen Raikes - Checkmate (1959) ... Cameo (uncredited) 1957-1958 Goodyear Theatre (TV Series) Charles Enright / Jeffrey Collins / Jeff Carleton / ... 1952-1956 Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) Lee / Ted / Jim Kenyon / ... 1952 All Star Revue (TV Series) Guest Actor 1952 Robert Montgomery Presents (TV Series) Sheffield 1950 Nash Airflyte Theatre (TV Series) Arthur Carstairs 1949 Inside U.S.A. with Chevrolet (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.4 (1949) ...

(performer: "Way Up North") 1938 The Dawn Patrol (performer: "Plum and Apple" - uncredited) Hide - 55 días en Pekín (2011) ...

(in memory of) Hide 1985 The Moviemakers (TV Series) Himself 1982 Hour Magazine (TV Series) Himself 1979 Christmas Snowtime Special (TV Movie) Himself 1977-1978 Hollywood Greats (TV Series documentary) Himself / Himself - Interviewee 1976 David Niven's World (TV Series) Host 1976 Looks Familiar (TV Series) Himself - Guest 1971-1975 V.I.P.-Schaukel (TV Series documentary) Himself 1975 Survival (TV Series documentary) Himself - Narrator 1973 ABC Late Night (TV Series) Himself 1973 Jack Paar Tonite (TV Series) Himself 1968 Paris aktuell (TV Series documentary) Himself Himself - Recalling His Award: Pre-Recorded 1966 Cinema (TV Series documentary) Himself Himself - Host / Himself - Guest Host - Epilogue (1963) ... Himself - Host 1961 Here's Hollywood (TV Series) Himself 1952-1960 What's My Line?

(TV Series) Himself - Guest Panelist / Himself - Panelist / Himself - Mystery Guest - Sticks and Stones (1959) ... Himself - Host - Portrait (1959) ...

Himself - Host 1959 Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) Himself 1958 Glamorous Hollywood (Documentary short) Himself 1957 Cinépanorama (TV Series documentary) Himself 1956 Film Fanfare (TV Series) Himself 1954 Light's Diamond Jubilee (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2013 Talking Pictures (TV Series documentary) Himself 2012 Too Young to Die (TV Series documentary) Himself 2007 Underworld Histories (TV Series) Himself 2005 Hollywood Greats (TV Series documentary) Himself / Various Roles 2005 Ciclo Agatha Christie (TV Series documentary) Himself 2005 The Adventures of Errol Flynn (TV Movie documentary) Himself - Actor 2004 Monaco - Le circuit des princes (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2003 Bob Hope at 100 (TV Movie documentary) Himself (uncredited) 2001 American Masters (TV Series documentary) Himself 1999 The Rat Pack (TV Series documentary) Himself 1996 Bogart: The Untold Story (TV Movie documentary) Himself -

 Funeral Attendee (uncredited) 1993 Northern Exposure (TV Series) Fritz von Tarlenheim 1992 Oscar's Greatest Moments (Video documentary) Himself 1990 Washes Whiter (TV Series documentary) Himself - Maxwell House commercial 1976 - The Getaway People (1990) ...

Himself - Maxwell House commercial 1976 (uncredited) 1988 Hunter (TV Series) 1984 The 56th Annual Academy Awards (TV Special documentary) Himself Novel: "Round the Rugged Rocks". See more » Publicity Listings: 11 Print Biographies | 2 Portrayals | 5 Interviews | 5 Articles | 2 Pictorials | 19 Magazine Cover Photos | See more » Alternate Names: Did You Know? Personal Quote: [on Humphrey Bogart ] It took a little while to realize that he had perfected an elaborate camouflage to cover up one of the kindest and most generous of hearts. Even so, he was no soft touch and before you were allowed to peek beneath the surface and catch a glimpse of the real man, you had to prove yourself. Above all, you had to demonstrate conclusively to his satisfaction that you were no ... See more » Trivia: Was born on St. David's Day, hence his Christian name. St. David is the patron saint of Wales.

See more » Trademark: A natty dresser often with a thin moustache and slick hair See more » Nickname: David Niven | James Bond Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Last: Casino Royale (1967 film) David Niven (1910-1983) was a British actor. He plays James Bond in the 1967 spoof of Casino Royale . He was the second actor to play the role in a film outside the official franchise. Early life I want you to clean up this mess, 007 This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality. Please follow the guidelines in the Manual of Style and complete this article to the highest level of quality before continuing on smaller articles. James David Graham Niven was born in London to William Edward Graham Niven (1878–1915) and Henrietta Julia Degacher. He was named David for his birth on St. David's Day (1 March). Niven often claimed that he was born in Kirriemuir, in the Scottish county of Angus in 1909, but his birth certificate shows this was not the case.

Henrietta was of French and British ancestry. She was born in Wales, the daughter of army officer William Degacher (1841–1879) by his marriage to Julia Caroline Smith, the daughter of Lieutenant General James Webber Smith. Niven's grandfather William Degacher was killed in the Battle of Isandlwana (1879), during the Zulu War. Born William Hitchcock, he and his brother Henry had followed the lead of their father, Walter Henry Hitchcock, in assuming their mother's maiden name of Degacher in 1874. William Niven, David's father, was of Scottish descent; his paternal grandfather, David Graham Niven, (1811–1884) was from St. Martin's, a village in Perthshire. William served in the Berkshire Yeomanry in the First World War and was killed during the Gallipoli Campaign on 21 August 1915. He was buried in Green Hill Cemetery, Turkey in the Special Memorial Section in Plot F. 10. David's mother Henrietta then married Sir Thomas Comyn-Platt in London in 1917.

Graham Lord, in Niv: The Authorised Biography of David Niven, suggested that Comyn-Platt and Mrs. Niven had been having an affair for some time before her husband's death, and that Sir Thomas may well have been David Niven's biological father, a supposition which has some support from her children. A reviewer of Lord's book stated that Lord's photographic evidence showing a strong physical resemblance between Niven and Comyn-Platt "would appear to confirm these theories, though photographs can often be misleading.” David Niven had three older siblings: Margaret Joyce (born in Geneva, Switzerland, 5 January 1900 – 18 November 1981) Henry Degacher ("Max"; born in Buckland, Berkshire 29 June 1902 – March 1953) Grizel Rosemary Graham (born in Belgravia, Middlesex), 28 November 1906 – 28 January 2007). The source for the dates and places of birth of the above is William Edward Graham Niven's army service record which does not give a place of birth for David, but his birth certificate states Belgrave Mansions, London.

The family's country home at Buckland, Carswell Manor, was sold shortly after David's birth. David Niven | Films | Movies | Cinema | Biography of this British actor - David Niven David Niven (Lt Col) (1910 - 1983) After his Goldwyn contract ended in 1949, Niven marked time with inconsequential movies before joining Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, and Ida Lupino to form Four Star, a television production company. Niven was finally able to choose strong dramatic roles for himself, becoming one of TV's first and most prolific stars, although his public still preferred him as a light comedian. The actor's film career also took an upswing in the '50s with starring performances in the controversial 'The Moon Is Blue' (1953), a harmless concoction which was denied a Production Code seal because the word "virgin" was bandied about, and the mammoth 'Around the World in 80 Days' (1956), in which Niven played his most famous role, erudite 19th century globetrotter Phileas Fogg.

When Laurence Olivier dropped out of the 1958 film ;Separate Tables', Niven stepped in to play an elderly, disgraced British military man. Although he was as flippant about the part as usual - telling an interviewer, "They gave me very good lines and then cut to Deborah Kerr while I was saying them" .. he won an Oscar for this performance. This perhaps sums up David Niven more than anything else you're likely to read. Niven continued his career as a high-priced, A-list actor well into the '60s. He played the amiable comic thief Sir Charles Lytton in 'The Pink Panther' (1963) and returned to television in the stylish "caper" series 'The Rogues' in 1964. He than played Sir James Bond in the 1967 version of 'Casino Royale'. He revisited his hobby of writing in the early '70s; an earlier novel, Round the Ragged Rocks, didn't sell very well, but gave him pleasure while working on it.

But two breezy autobiographies did better: The Moon's a Balloon (1972) and Bring on the Empty Horse (1975). Working alone, without help of a ghostwriter (as opposed to many celebrity authors), Niven was able to entertainingly transfer his charm and wit to the printed page (even if he seldom let the facts impede his storytelling). At the start of the 1980's he played a real military hero in Andrew V. McLaglens 'The Sea Wolves' with Gregory Peck and Roger Moore. A very unusual and enjoyable war time romp – the details of which will be found elsewhere on the website. In 1982, Niven discovered he was suffering from a neurological illness commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, which would prove fatal within a year. Courageously keeping up a front with his friends and the public, Niven continued making media appearances, although he was obviously deteriorating. While appearing in his last film, Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), the actor's speech became so slurred due to his illness that his lines were later dubbed by impressionist Rich Little.

Refusing all artificial life-support systems, Niven died in his Switzerland home later that year. Niven was unsure of how worthwhile his life had been, believing that perhaps he had not completed all that he wanted to achieve. But perhaps the legacy of leaving behind countless friends and family members who adored him should have been enough. In terms of a suitable epitaph a lovely story springs to mind. After his death journalists were trying to "dig up dirt" following the actor's death. They came back surprised and perhaps secretly pleased that none of them could find anyone who would have a bad word to say about David Niven. Quotes ‘Going to war was the only unselfish thing I have ever done for humanity’ ’I have a face that is a cross between two pounds of halibut and an explosion in an old clothes closet’ ‘I see my purpose in life as making the world a happier place to be in’ Autobiographies: David Niven | Dutch postcard by ´t Sticht, Utrecht, no. 3085… | Flickr Dutch postcard by ´t Sticht, Utrecht, no. 3085. Photo R.K.O. Radio Films.

British Academy Award-winning actor David Niven (1910-1983) impersonated the archetypal English gentleman, witty, naturally charming, immaculate in dress and behaviour, but he also had a dash of light-hearted sexual roguishness. He is probably best known for his role as the punctuality-obsessed adventurer Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (1956). James David Graham Niven was born in London, England. He was the son of William Edward Graham Niven and the French/British Henrietta Julia de Gacher. He was named David for his birth on St. David's Day. His father was killed during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 and his mother remarried a politician, Sir Thomas Comyn-Platt. David was shipped off to a succession of boarding schools by his stepfather, who didn't care much for the boy. Young Niven hated the experience and was a poor student. He trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, which gave him the officer and gentleman bearing that was to be his trademark.

Niven relocated to New York, where he began an unsuccessful career in whisky sales and horse rodeo promotion in Atlantic City. After subsequent detours to Bermuda and Cuba, he finally arrived in Hollywood. His first work was as an extra. He then found himself an agent, Bill Hawks, and was signed up for a non-speaking part in Mutiny On The Bounty (1935, Frank Lloyd). He accepted a contract with independent film producer Samuel Goldwyn. After several secondary roles for Goldwyn, he was loaned out for a lead role as Bertie Wooster in the 20th Century Fox feature Thank You, Jeeves (1936, Arthur Greville Collins). Niven joined what became known as the Hollywood Raj, a group of British actors in Hollywood. Other members of the group included Boris Karloff, Stan Laurel, Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman and C. Aubrey Smith. One of his first major roles was in The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936, Michael Curtiz) starring Errol Flynn, with whom he briefly lived. A year later he starred as Capt.

Fritz von Tarlenheim in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937, John Cromwell, William S.Van Dyke). Not wanting to be typecast as a 'swashbuckler' as Flynn had been, Niven made films such as the comedies Dinner at the Ritz (1937, Harold Schuster) which was filmed in London, and Bachelor Mother (1939, Garson Kanin) with Ginger Rogers. Niven’s first major success was The Dawn Patrol (1938, Edmund Goudling) with Errol Flynn. He also appeared in the very successful Wuthering Heights (1939, William Wyler) starring Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier. After suspension by Samuel Goldwyn over a salary dispute, David was back to star in the western The Real Glory (1939, Henry Hathaway) with Gary Cooper, and as a gentleman thief in Raffles (1940, Sam Wood, William Wyler), a remake of the Ronald Colman original. After the United Kingdom declared war in 1939, David Niven returned to England and joined the British Army.

Niven would take part in the Normandy landings, arriving several days after D-Day. He was given leave to appear in the propaganda films The First of the Few (1942, Leslie Howard) and The Way Ahead (1944, Carol Reed). On his discharge as a colonel he played the poet-airman caught between life and death in A Matter of Life and Death (1946, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger), one of his most effective roles. On his return to Hollywood after the war, he was made a Legionnaire of the Legion of Merit, the highest American order that can be earned by a foreigner. Niven found that he still wasn't getting any important roles; despite ten years experience, he was considered too "lightweight" to be a major name. His films included The Perfect Marriage (1946, Lewis Allen) with Loretta Young, Magnificent Doll (1946, Frank Borzage) opposite Ginger Rogers, and The Bishop's Wife (1947, Henry Koster) with Cary Grant.

After his Goldwyn contract ended in 1949, Niven marked time with inconsequential movies including the British production The Elusive Pimpernel (1950, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger) . In 1952 he joined Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, and Ida Lupino to form Four Star, a television production company. Niven was finally able to choose strong dramatic roles for himself, becoming one of tv's first and most prolific stars, although his public still preferred him as a light comedian. The actor's film career also took an upswing in the 1950’s with starring performances in the controversial The Moon Is Blue (1953, Otto Preminger) - a harmless concoction which was denied a Production Code seal because the word "virgin" was bandied about; and the mammoth Around the World in 80 Days (1956, Michael Anderson), in which Niven played his most famous role, erudite 19th century globetrotter Phileas Fogg.

He won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance as the fraudulent major in Separate Tables (1958, Delbert Mann), in which he co-starred with Deborah Kerr and Rita Hayworth. During the 1960’s he appeared as a compassionate explosives expert in the blockbuster The Guns of Navarone (1961, J. Lee Thompson), and the sophisticated thief Sir Charles Litton opposite Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther (1963, Blake Edwards). Ian Fleming recommended him for the role of James Bond for Dr. No (1962, Terence Young), but producer Albert R. Broccoli thought that Niven was too old. In 1967, Niven finally starred as Sir James Bond in the satire Casino Royale (1967, John Huston a.o.). He also starred in the French comedy Le Cerveau/The Brain (1969, Gerard Oury). David Niven was married twice. First to Primula Susan Rollo (1918-1946), the aristocratic daughter of a British lawyer. She died at age 28 of injuries from an accidental fall in the home of Tyrone Power.

While playing hide and seek, she walked through a door believing it led to a closet. Instead, it led to a stone staircase to the basement. Niven later claimed to have been so grief stricken that he thought for a while that he'd gone mad. Niven met Hjördis Paulina Tersmeden (1921–1997), a divorced Swedish fashion model and frustrated actress, in 1948. They married six weeks later. The actor's rebound second marriage was as unhappy as his previous marriage had been happy. He was the father, with Primula Rollo, of David Niven Jr. and Jamie Niven; and the father, with Hjordis, of two adopted daughters, Kristina (adopted 1960) and Fiona (adopted 1962). Late in life, he gained critical acclaim for his memoirs of his boyhood and acting career, The Moon's a Balloon (1971) and Bring On the Empty Horses (1975).

The 1970’s saw Niven appear in two very different star-studded ensemble murder mysteries; the blackly comical Murder by Death (1976, Robert Moore) and the Agatha Christie adaptation Death on the Nile (1978, John Guillermin). In 1980, Niven began experiencing fatigue, muscle weakness, and a warble in his voice. A 1981 tv talkshow interview alarmed family and friends; viewers wondered if Niven had either been drinking or suffered a stroke. He received the diagnosis of motor neurone disease (Lou Gehrig's Disease) later that year. His hosting duties of the American Film Institute tribute to Fred Astaire marked his final appearance in Hollywood. He shot two cameos as Sir Charles Litton for his final films, Trail of the Pink Panther (1982, Blake Edwards) and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983, Blake Edwards) - his voice by this time was so weak, he was dubbed by Rich Little. Niven died at home in Château-d'Oex, Switzerland in 1983 at age 73.

Sources: Hal Erickson (All Movie Guide), Hayley Davis (David Niven - A Tribute), Wikipedia, Britmovie, and IMDb. Done Amazon.com: Casino Royale (1968): Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Orson Welles: Amazon Digital Services LLC By Orson Welles on June 4, 2015 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase Just search "Casino Royale (1967) [Blu-ray]" "This Blu-ray probably looks like the film Casio Royale and it advances beyond the last DVD editions in several key areas - notably detail and colors. Depth is far more evident than the SD renderings and Bacharach's lively score via Herb Alpert is intoxicating in lossless. Let's not forget Dusty Springfield singing "The Look of Love". Both tracks are worth the price of the disc alone. There are multiple foreign language DUBs as well as subtitle choices signifying this to be a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

Extras : we get the DVD commentary by James Bond Historians Steven Jay Ruben and John Cork filling in plenty of Bond references for us as well as the more serious Making of Casino Royale over 40-minutes and 4 chapters worth of looking at the franchise. There is also a theatrical trailer in 1080P." from dvdbeaver review Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Little Jimmy You will receive an email shortly to confirm your email address. Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Little Jimmy title details and video sharing options now playing Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Little Jimmy In which the un-retired James Bond (David Niven) meets the new Moneypenny (Barbara Bouchet) and introduces his errant nephew Jimmy (Woody Allen), in the 007 spoof Casino Royale, 1967. View the TCMDb entry for Casino Royale (1967) share video Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Little Jimmy In which the un-retired James Bond (David Niven) meets the... Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip)...

Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Little Jimmy In which the un-retired James Bond (David Niven) meets the new Moneypenny (Barbara Bouchet) and introduces his errant nephew Jimmy (Woody Allen), in the 007 spoof Casino Royale, 1967.> Casino Royale (1967) - (Pan-and-scan Trailer) A retired James Bond (David Niven) goes... Casino Royale (1967) - (Pan-and-scan Trailer) The first movie version of the first James Bond novel Casino Royale (1967) was this wild 60's farce with 16 stars and 6 directors.> Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) The Russians... Early on, we meet the retired, stuttering, real and annoyed...

Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) The Russians Started It We meet the retired, stuttering, annoyed James Bond (David Niven), visited by English, American, Soviet and French head spooks (director John Huston, William Holden, Kurt Kasznar, Charles Boyer), needing help figuring out who's offing their agents, in the all-star satire Casino Royale, 1967.> Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Open, My... Peter Sellers is introduced (with Duncan MacRae) as the... Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip)... Casino Royale (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Open, My Credentials Peter Sellers is introduced (with Duncan MacRae) as the first of many 007's, then ornate period credits, but mostly the evocative Burt Bacharach theme song, opening producer Charles K. Feldman's sprawling James Bond spoof, Casino Royale, 1967.> Casino Royale (1967) Trailer - YouTube Casino Royale (1967) Trailer Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist.

Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jan 15, 2007 Trailer Casino Royale (1967) The first James Bond parody, based on the Ian Flemming Novel, David Nivens, Peter Sellers, and Woody Allen star as James, James, and Jimmy to thwart Smirch and it's gambler leader, Orson Welles. Category Sean Connery: Snob Ian Fleming didn't want me to play Bond | UK | News | Daily Express UK Sean Connery: Snob Ian Fleming didn't want me to play Bond SIR SEAN CONNERY has attacked James Bond’s creator Ian Fleming as a snob because the author was “not that happy” at the working class Scot playing 007. 00:00, Sun, Oct 19, 2008 CONVERTED: Sean Connery's 007 eventually won over Fleming It emerged recently that Fleming drew up a shortlist of seven actors for the part including Cary Grant and David Niven, but not Connery.

Now Sir Sean has revealed more about tension behind the scenes as cameras started rolling on the first Bond film in 1961. In an interview with Melvin Bragg to be shown on the South Bank Show on Wednesday, Sir Sean says he had little time for the secret agent’s creator. He says: “I never got introduced to Fleming until I was well into the movie but I know he was not happy with me as the choice. “What was it he called me, or told somebody? That I was an over-developed stunt man. He never said it to me. When I did eventually meet him he was very interesting, erudite and a snob – a real snob. Ian Fleming said I was an over-developed stunt man. Sir Sean Connery “But his company was very good for a limited time for me.” Fleming’s first choice of actor to play 007 in Dr No, the first Bond book to reach the big screen, was Cary Grant – but he was too expensive. David Niven, James Mason, Patrick McGoohan, Rex Harrison, Richard Burton and Stewart Granger were also on his list. Niven turned down the role because he felt he was too old.

Sir Sean, who confesses he was surprised to get the part, says: “They couldn’t afford most of the people they wanted. That was the start. They were seeing people, they were advertising in the papers. Then they brought me in to see them and they wanted me.” Sir Sean’s performance won Fleming over and in later books he gave 007 a partly Scots ancestry. Sir Sean tells the South Bank Show he was convinced that the Bond movies – the 22nd, Quantum of Solace, is released at the end of the month – were doomed to failure. “Anybody that says it was going to be a success is lying. I must say that from the beginning. I think about it quite a bit. If I see it on a screen I think, yeah, they could have done this better or that better.” He says he believes now that the series can continue for years. “The ingredients are all there for a kind of movie that people want to see. It’s very good, entertaining value. It’s a spectrum of actors, from myself to Daniel Craig, who I thought was fantastic in the role.” In the programme Craig says he was knocked for six by protests that greeted his casting in 2005.

Craig, 40, who had previously starred in gangster drama Layer Cake, was denounced as too ugly, too blond and a wimp. He said he decided then: “The only way forward is just to create something very memorable and if it doesn’t work I’ll move on.” The doubters were silenced as Casino Royale was released to rave reviews and a record box office return, earning £300million. It transformed Craig into a sex symbol, due in part to the image of him striding from the sea in trunks. He tells Bragg the sequence came about by accident as a sand bank at the location in the Bahamas prevented him from swimming ashore. “I had no idea I’d be haunted by it for the rest of my life,” he says. Casino Royale 1967 cars of Full Cast & Crew: IMD Peter Sellers was well known for portraying various parts. On the left he mimics a Cary Grant-like pose as James Bond. On the right, he dresses up as artist Toulouse-Lautrec. McGrath was a Scottish television director and worked with Sellers on shows such as Tempo. Sellers convinced Feldman that McGrath was the right choice to direct the film.

According to Sellersï¿½ biographer, Roger Lewis, McGrath was chosen because Sellers wanted to ï¿½recreate the happy anarchy of his early days on TVï¿½. In the summer of 1965, Feldman had approached David Niven to play the part of Sir James Bond. After reading the script at Feldmanï¿½s home and than witnessing it being locked in a private safe, Niven agreed to play the part that would have him presiding over the Secret Service while observing a multitude of James Bonds fighting against Smersh. The cast grew on a daily basis and began to resemble a British version of the film comedy, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. Ursula Andress is added to the film in the role of Vesper Lynd as well as Orson Welles in the part of Le Chiffre.

Followed by Daliah Lavi, William Holden, Charles Boyer, Kurt Kaznar, Jacqueline Bisset, George Raft, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Joanna Pettet, Barbara Bouchet, Angela Scholar, Anna Quayle, Ronnie Corbett, Bernard Cribbins, Tracy Reed, Geoffrey Bayldon, John Wells, Duncan Macrae, Graham Stark, Burt Kwouk, Vladek Sheybal, and Peter Oï¿½ Toole. On January 11, 1966, Casino Royale began filming at Shepperton Studios, United Kingdom. From Here On, All Hell Broke Loose "Thereï¿½s been nothing like this since Michael Toddï¿½s ï¿½Around the World in 80 Daysï¿½," said one man on the set. A comment that referred to the large scale production, with an all star cast including David Niven from ten years before. The only difference between the two films would be the adaptations from their original sources. Jules Verneï¿½s novel was faithfully recreated but Casino Royale most likely had the late Ian Fleming rolling in his grave.

Feldman was aiming to make the biggest, star-studded, comedy in history and he began it by flooding the screen with the worldï¿½s most beautiful women. Joanna Pettet ended up portraying the sexy daughter, Mata Bond. "No background dogs in my picture," barked an order from Feldman. "Get only real beauties." And with that literally hundreds of Britainï¿½s finest auditioned to play Fang Girls, Guard Girls, Casino Girls, Karate Girls, and 12 daughters of ï¿½Mï¿½, all between the ages of 16 and 18. There was a filing system to help avert numbness: Type ï¿½Aï¿½: must have first, personality; second figure; third looks. Type ï¿½Bï¿½: first, looks; second, figure; third, no personality. Type ï¿½Cï¿½: those who just get by on all three. Whatever the system, Casino Royale certainly has the largest of any cast of beautiful women. Three famous Bond girls.

Caroline (The Spy Who Love Me) Munro, Jacqueline (The Deep) Bisset, and Angela (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) Scoular. Perhaps the biggest problem behind the scenes was Peter Sellers. At the time he was married to Britt Ekland, who would later play Mary Goodnight in the 1974 Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. Sellers marriage was on the rocks and he was chasing after her every weekend in order to save it. He refused to listen to any production assistant who was in-charge of getting him to the set and reportedly was late to the set daily or would not arrive at all. Sellers ego would be his Achilles heel, he would really be annoyed if people did not pay attention to his needs as an actor. On one occasion, Leo Jaffe, the executive vice president of Columbia, visited the set and made a mistake by thinking Woody Allen was Peter Sellers. "When you put glasses on them," said Feldman, "they do sort of look alike." Sellers was not amused over this mistake. During the baccarat scene long time Sellerï¿½s friend, Princess Margaret, visited the set and rushed to meet Orson Welles. Reportedly ignoring Sellers.

Welles, who played the part of Le Chiffre, gave a sarcastic comment to Sellers concerning his tardiness and causing the film to go over budget. This made Sellers so irate that he insisted that his scenes with Welles be done with a stand-in. Because of this on-set rivalry only one shot is shown during the entire scene with both Sellers and Welles in the same frame. Orson Welles as Citizen Le Chiffre. Sellers eventually lashed out against his long time friend Joseph McGrath and literally disappeared for weeks forcing the production to come to a halt. According to Val Guest, Feldman was furious and decided to terminate Sellers contract, firing him from the picture. Then he put plan two into operation and began rewrites and building of newer sets at Pinewood Studios and Elstree Studios. Because of Sellers tantrums, Feldman radically altered Royaleï¿½s storyline. This left McGrath irritable and forced Feldman to hire four more directors, Val Guest, Ken (Chitty Chitty, Bang, Bang) Hughes, Robert Parrish, and John (The Maltese Falcon) Huston. Richard Lester was also asked to join but turn down the offer because he was friends with both Sellers and McGrath.

The film would now be directed in four parts "Our concept for this film includes not only multiple stars, but also multiple directors," said Feldman in the March 2, 1966 edition of Variety. Feldman also hired a small army of writers to ï¿½juice upï¿½ the script. Famous writers and directors such as Billy Wilder, Joseph Heller, Terry Southern, and Michael Sayers added their inputs. The situation was too much for McGrath. He left the unfinished film after he completed his contractual agreement. Sellers eventually came back to film other scenes, but kept calling his friend McGrath and begging him to return. "Please come back! Charlie will give you a Rolls Royce if you come back. He gave me one!" After a while, Feldman did call McGrath and offered him a Rolls Royce if he would return. McGrath did not.

Two years later, co-producer Jerry Bresler drove up to McGrath in a white Rolls Royce and said, "Iï¿½m driving the car Charlie Feldman was going to give to you if you came back to the movie." Biblical Proportions John Huston was fresh off of finishing the epic film The Bible before he was invited to direct a sequence of Royale. He was asked how did he get from King James to Ian Fleming? "Well, it was broached to me as a lark, which it was. I said, Iï¿½ll do it if you let me write my segment of the picture and shoot it my way." (New York Times interview June 26, 1966) Huston went on to say that Robert Morley was first asked to play the part of ï¿½Mï¿½ but was too busy. Feldman then offered Huston a painting if he would play the part, so he did, bald and with a Guards mustache. However, he preferred to be paid not by a painting but by a Greek bronze head, which he recently fallen for. Ironically, it turned out to be worthless.

Huston directed his scenes with David Niven at Pinewood Studios under the false working title "The David Niven Story". Unfortunately, TIME magazine exposed the ruse and wrote, "Casino Royale is shooting there and from the looks of whatï¿½s happening, shooting is too good for it." John Huston directing a scene at M's castle and Deborah Kerr as a converted double agent. Actress Deborah Kerr found herself in Royale by accident. She dropped by to visit her friend, John Huston, and was given a choice guest part that grew from ten days into two months of work. She purchased a new ï¿½luxuryï¿½ swimming pool she later dubbed ï¿½The Charles K. Feldman Memorial Swimming Poolï¿½. Miss Kerr played the part of double agent Mimi and pretended to be the late ï¿½Mï¿½s widow Lady Fiona McTarry. Her part became so outrageous that in the end she had converted to being a Catholic nun. "Sheï¿½s played nuns so often she takes her nun kit everywhere she goes," said Julie Harris, the filmï¿½s fashion designer. Ms.

Harris, one of the many unsung heroes behind-the-scenes, added that Ursula Andress, who plays Vesper Lynd, was excited about a circus scene where she would be riding atop an elephant. She had Harris create a shocking pink Elephant Boy outfit with pink-blue feathers. Peter Sellers changed the scene where he and Ursula Andress are riding an elephant and made it into a dream sequence with 104 kilted Highlanders. The Elephant Boy costume can be seen worn by Ursula in the spy control room. Unfortunately, Peter Sellers had one of his nightly prophetical dreams where his mother was saying not to do the scene because it was dangerous. So the circus scene went away and 104 kilted Highlanders was born. Ursula was so upset that Feldman created another scene where she could wear the Elephant Boy outfit while prancing around her spy control room with David Niven. Thus the line from a curious Sir James, "Why donï¿½t you wear that on the street?" "People might stare," says Vesper.

An expensive solution, but one must feel sorry for the elephant owner when he arrived with his five-toed pachyderm at the Shepperton Studio gates, only to be told from a disgruntled security guard that he was at the wrong studio. Director Robert Parrish replaced McGrath and was perplexed when he was greeted with a huge, bare, white, cylindrical set. "There was nothing in the script to indicate what it was for. I didnï¿½t know what to do with it and for a few days I just hoped it would go away. But then Peter came up with his dream sequence and those damn pipers." (New York Times interview May 22, 1966) One of those pipers was actor Peter Oï¿½Toole. Feldman paid him a case of champagne for his brief cameo role. Director Val Guest said in a Scarlet Street interview, "I went on under contract for eight weeks, and I was still under contract nine months later. Feldman was a madman. There were days when you could hug him, and then other days when you could throttle him!" Guest was in charge of directing the scenes with Woody Allen as the evil Dr. Noah.

Allen was quoted as saying he would have to leave in the middle of a sentence if this film went on much longer. He had been in London for months waiting and doing nothing except writing a Broadway play (Donï¿½t Drink the Water), a screenplay (Take the Money and Run), and winning at poker. By the time he actually started work he was on overtime. Woody Allen as Dr. Noah with his Guard Girls. "My part has been steadily changed, even up to two days ago," Allen explained in the November 15, 1966 LOOK magazine. "No matter what anybody brought in to be read at story conferences, their material was generally received all the way from enthusiastic to wildly enthusiastic. Then this stuff was never heard from again, in any form whatever." Allen, who wrote most of his scenes, claimed he had a theory that there was an unseen house writer chained in Feldmanï¿½s dungeon. Allen demanded a signed confession from Feldman that he, Woody, did none of the writing, although he tried.

"Think of the old pyramid builders," said Allen, "and you have some idea of what Charlie Feldman is like, lavish in the Egyptian tradition of lavish." Director Ken Hughes, who directed the Cubby Broccoli film The Trials of Oscar Wilde, was the last director hired. When he showed up on his first day he was surprised to see that the Art Department had built a $30,000 replica of the Taj Mahal. "I just wanted a simple backdrop to suggest a temple where Joanna Pettet does her shimmy with all these swinging monks," he said. "Instead, they went and built this behind my back. I wonï¿½t use it. Take good care of old Ken, Feldman said." Top Left: Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie's daughter) and Richard Talmadge can be seen as the Keystone Cops. Top Right: Moneypenny and Sir James sneak around Dr. Noah's island hideout from this deleted scene. Bottom: Another deleted scene finds two lovers embraced during the final battle scene in Casino Royale (Photos courtesy Playboy). Legendary stuntman and director Richard Talmadge, was in charge of the second unit. His contribution to the film is the final chaotic battle scene inside Casino Royale.

"Letï¿½s blow up the whole picture," Talmadge said to LOOK magazine. Dubbed Custerï¿½s Last Stand it included U.S. Calvary and American Indians colliding with Smershï¿½s croupiers in a scene that looked as if it had been lifted from an old silent Keystone Cop film. The entire scene took six weeks to film and featured 200 actors and extras. Insurance firm, Lloyds of London, was so worried about this scene that they suspended the insurance during this portion of the film. The main reason was due to Talmadge, who had directed the train wreak scene in How the West Was Won, when one of the stuntmen was crushed under fallen timber. Feldman was gambling on Talmadgeï¿½s professionalism and said, "If he had lost, some widows might have owned his picture. With all the mayhem, Feldmanï¿½s health began to wane. He suffered a heart attack during the production, which he blamed on Sellers. "Iï¿½d be in my grave if I ever started anything like this again.

Everyday a new crises with people who have reached a certain point, good or bad, in their careers. Stars are no real insurance for the success of a picture, you know, except possible for the performance they give. In my grave. . ." Royale Pain Columbia Pictures announced that Casino Royale would open no sooner than Christmas 1966. This would give United Artistsï¿½ next Bond entry You Only Live Twice some breathing room with six months between pictures and no competition from a first run film. This probably gave some solace to producer Cubby Broccoli, who faced competition in another form after releasing his Oscar Wilde film in 1960 one week after Gregory Ratoffï¿½s version. Any form of a competing Bond film would spell disaster at the box office. However, Columbiaï¿½s commitment came and went and the release date was pushed to mid April 1967. Three more deleted scenes - Top: Vesper is found dead on top of the roulette table. Right: Moneypenny evades Dr. Noah's guards by disguising herself in a wetsuit and fake duck (homage to Goldfinger's pre-credit segment).

Bottom: Mata Bond, Cooper, Sir James, and Moneypenny try to break out of Dr. Noah's psychedelic maze. By early January, John Huston walked away from the film with scenes still not filmed. He told a surprised Val Guest that he would be shooting his remaining scenes. Guest was now left alone to finish the monstrosity. For his dedicated commitment, Feldman offered an additional credit in the form of Coordinating Director. Guest barked, "This is coordinated? If you do that, Iï¿½ll sue you!" A compromise was reached and Guest received ï¿½Additional Sequences Byï¿½ which is the last part of the opening credits. Heavy publicity followed in the months leading up to the premiere. Columbia Pictures promotional department flooded countless magazines with articles such as the Playboy spread called ï¿½The Girls of Casino Royaleï¿½ with commentary by Woody Allen. Movie theaters hung huge posters depicting the actors and a nude, tattooed covered lady. Audio clips would play over their lobby speakers announcing the arrival of the film with the tag line - "Casino Royale Is Too Much For One James Bond" . Terrence Cooper and Barbara Bouchet work overtime to save the free world.

The war of the Bond movies had reached a pinnacle when United Artists began to advertise You Only Live Twice with bold lettering saying "Sean Connery IS James Bond". Three campaign posters would be made depicting Sean Connery being bathed by geisha girls, flying his ï¿½Little Nellieï¿½ helicopter while fighting off SPECTREï¿½s flying army, and the interior of Blofeldï¿½s volcano hideout during the final battle scene with Connery hanging upside down from the crater opening. With all the exposure between these two films, James Bond was becoming ï¿½too much for the average moviegoerï¿½. With all the negative morale during the production, Feldman was convinced he had a sure winner and proceeded to prove to the world that his film was the ultimate crowd pleaser. In New York City, Feldman gave a press party on the roof of Broadwayï¿½s Screen Building. He unveiled a 62' x 100' sign of the classic tattooed lady and served Hebrew National hot dogs and champagne. Also in attendance was 60's pop icon Twiggy, shown viewing the trailer to Casino Royale.

The Cannes Film Festival was hoping to get in on the fun by having Casino Royale as the show opener. Unfortunately, Feldman was unable to complete the film in time for the festival. Legend has it that the film almost did not make it to its April 13, 1967 premiere at the London Odeon Leicester Square theater. Apparently a final cut was being prepared inside the projection room. The U.S. premiere would not happen until Friday, April 28th. However, a week later on Saturday night, May 6, 1967 in Boston, Massachusetts, a riot broke out outside the Sack Savoy Movie Theater. According to the report, several thousand persons were denied admission to a 4am screening of Casino Royale. Radio station WRKO had promised free admission with doughnuts and coffee or soft drinks to any ï¿½spyï¿½ who showed up wearing a trench coat. The theater manager, John P. Sullivan, decided to run the movie two hours earlier because the crowd, mainly youths, had grown to an estimated 15,000. Before order was restored three hours later, some 30 persons had been injured, several stores looted and cars smashed.

Fifteen persons were arrested on charges ranging from drunkenness to unlawful assembly. As policemen converged on the mob outside, the capacity crowd inside the theater also became unruly. The theaterï¿½s assistant manager, Frank Dubrawsky, said he kept the film running despite two fires in the seats and a broken fire hose that soaked portions of the audience. "I was scared stiff to shut the projector down. They were fighting in the aisles every time someone left his seat," Dubrawsky said. Allen Friedberg, General Manager of Sack Theaters, said, "Under no condition will there be another preview of this type by any Sack Theater. I never dreamed that this situation would have resulted." Despite being a confusing spoof of the Bond films and a psychedelic run-up of the 1960s, Feldmanï¿½s Casino Royale went on to gross $17.2 million dollars at the U.S. box office. Eonï¿½s You Only Live Twice would better that by $2 million more. To this date, debate continues whether Feldman's film actually did damage to future Bond films.

There is no doubt that the 60s spy craze was fading and underground films such as Easy Rider and Billy Jack were becoming popular. Bond films such as 1973's Live and Let Die were still attracting audiences, but not as good compared to Goldfinger or Thunderball a decade earlier. For it would not be until 1979's Moonraker when Bond would break new U.S. box office records. Perhaps the most redeeming part of Feldman's Casino Royale is the music score by Burt Bacharach. With lyrics by Hal David and the title song performed by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, the soundtrack became a cult favorite and a highly sought after collectible among audiophiles. By the late 1980s the LP record could fetch up to several hundred dollars. The reason behind this was the way the recording studio processed the record. By increasing the volume to near over-modulation, the sound gave most stereo sound systems a run-for-its-money. When the soundtrack was reproduced for the CD generation, the sound from the original 1/4" tapes was faithfully restored. On May 25, 1968, Charles K.

Feldman died of cancer. He was 63. His prophetic remark, "Iï¿½d be in my grave if I ever started anything like this again.", reverberated off the obituary of the New York Times. Two years later Casino Royale would premiere on CBS television on September 18, 1970. Unfortunately it would not be a rating blockbuster the network was hoping. The film would eventually fall into syndicated broadcast oblivion for the next two decades. To Bond fans worldwide the 1967 version was a confusing mess. However, in 2000 the Director of Film Studies at the University of Colorado, Robert von Dassanowsky, wrote a very compelling article on the artistic values of Casino Royale. Gone, But Not Forgotten For years after 1967, the film rights to Casino Royale hanged in limbo. On June 29, 1979, at the New York Museum of Modern Art, producer Cubby Broccoli, director Lewis Gilbert and film critic Judith Crist, answered questions from audience members during a panel discussion on Moonraker and the OO7 films.

One question was asked about the fate of Casino Royale and whether Eon owned the rights. "No, we donï¿½t own it." said Broccoli. "When the first deal was made with the Fleming estate to make Bond films, that was already sold." (Bondage magazine #9) Ten years later during a visit to a James Bond film class, the same question would be asked to Cubbyï¿½s stepson and co-producer, Michael G. Wilson. "United Artist bought out Charlie Feldmanï¿½s rights and Columbia owns the rights in common, so theyï¿½re in a Mexican standoff." Wilson continued, "I think it's an interesting (Fleming) story - whether it's in our style, the right way to go with Bond, I don't know? It's a very heavy story in a way. To fall in love with a woman who is a double agent and be completely misled after all Bond has been through with her is tough. Then have her commit suicide and have Bond feel good about it - that's kind of a heavy film." (Bondage magazine #17) Wilson shared the forum with Bond fan and future writer of the official novels, Raymond Benson.

In 1985, Benson proposed to Glidrose (the literary owners of James Bond) that he would write a James Bond stage play based on Casino Royale. "I wrote the play in 2-3 months and then held a staged reading of it in New York City in February 1986, using professional actors." said Benson during an online interview with John Cox of CommanderBond.net. "The reading went very well and we then had a discussion with the audience about what worked and what didnï¿½t. Itï¿½s a shame that Glidrose couldnï¿½t attend that reading because the outcome might have been different. Anyway, Glidrose paid me and then they submitted the play to a British theatrical agent. She was very elderly and in my opinion she just didnï¿½t get it. She recommended that the play not be produced. After further thought, Glidrose shelved it with the ultimate decision that a James Bond stage play simply wouldnï¿½t work. The films had Bond in a monopoly and there was no way a play could compete.

I disagreed, but it was their property." In early 1997, Thunderball producer Kevin McClory and Sony/Columbia Pictures teamed up to begin work on Warhead 2000, a James Bond film based loosely on a treatment McClory worked on with Ian Fleming in the late 1950s. Sony/Columbia was looking for a franchise movie series and McClory was the stepping stone they needed in perhaps the most outrageous lawsuit in the annals of Hollywood history. In short, McClory/Sony/Columbia sued MGM/UA and Eon Productions on the grounds that McCloryï¿½s story elements from Thunderball had been exploited in every James Bond film since 1962's Dr. No. A claim that could yield McClory and Sony millions, if not billions, and the control of the cinematic rights to James Bond. The suit was considered ï¿½dirty poolï¿½ in Hollywood. The thought of undermining the series away from the Broccoli family, who has made it successful for over 35 years, was pathetic in the minds of fans all over the world. By late 1999, Sony/Columbia still had no competing Bond film.

Faced with a negative ruling from a Los Angeles judge, Sony decided to drop the suit and settle out of court which in turn gave MGM the distribution rights of Casino Royale. Two years earlier MGM also won the distribution rights to McClory's Never Say Never Again from TaliaFilms. Now Eon Productions had control of all the Bond theatrical titles. And the First Shall Be Last In 2004, MGM/UA was sold to Sony/Columbia Pictures. Their entire library of the best loved musicals, comedies and dramas would now be controlled by the rival studio. The fate of the James Bond franchise was in question and delayed the start of Bond 21 until 2006. However, on February 3, 2005, after the dust had settled between Sony/Columbia and MGM/UA, Eon Productions made the announcement that the next James Bond film would be Casino Royale. Fans could not have been happier except that there was no mention if Pierce Brosnan, the current actor to play OO7, would return.

Other actors such as Dougray Scott, Hugh Jackman, Heath Ledger, Clive Owen and Eric Bana were potential contenders for the role but on October 14, 2005, the world was in for a bigger surprise than expected. Arriving in a military speed boat, actor Daniel Craig (click here for video), the sixth official actor to play OO7, made his grand entrance in front of the world press. Craig would later reveal that he was not interested in the part but was persuaded by producer Barbara Broccoli to reconsider. "I will not accept the part unless I see the script." Craig said. After several months and a revised script by Paul Haggis, Craig was more than satisfied. According to Premiere magazine (November 2006 issue), while in Baltimore, Maryland working on his latest film with Nicole Kidman called The Invasion, Craig was picking up laundry detergent in the Whole Foods Market aisle when his cell phone rang. On the other end, and literally on the other side of the Atlantic, was Barbara Broccoli. "It's over to you, Kiddo!," were the words and with that Craig dropped the detergent and headed to the local liquor store for a bottle of Vodka and Vermouth.

He obviously did not need to shake it, he already was himself. He gave his mother a call to tell her the news and to keep it quiet until after the press conference. Unfortunately, one tabloid reporter called his mother and said, "The news has broken. What do you think about your son becoming the new OO7?" His mother nonetheless let the cat out of the bag. A cheap trick that anyone would have fallen for it. Unfortunately, the Royale curse continued and now had Craig in its grasp. "Heï¿½s too blonde, too ugly." said some Internet outlets. "He's not tall enough. He looks more like a villain than a hero." said other press sources. On the website Absolutely James Bond one disgruntled fan said: "My god, don't the producers have any brains? Craig is not Bond material. Bond must be tall, dark and handsome. Or at least two of the three, and he isn't even one!" Perhaps the biggest news was not Daniel Craig but the website danielcraigisnotbond. A site endorsed by approximately 50 disappointed fans who feel that Pierce Brosnan is the only actor who can play Bond.

This immediately attracted the attention of the press and before the cameras began rolling, Craig was the most unwelcome Bond actor since the early days of George Lazenby. Negative rumors continued to flood the Internet on a day-to-day basis. Anything from Daniel Craig being unable to drive a car with a clutch, to having his front teeth knocked out during a staged fight scene. Both stories are untrue. Craig, being raised in England, obviously can drive a clutch and the teeth incident was merely a capped tooth that had come unglued. The headlines obviously disturbed Craig, but the results were more positive. He approached the role more serious and more determine than any other role he had played. He worked closely with the script and suggested that a scene with a suicide bomber be dropped because the people who do that for real are divided on religious and political grounds. "If you are going to show someone setting up a bomb to kill people," Craig said to Premiere magazine, "Then have him walking away with a case of money afterwards." Craig even had input into the music and title song. Daniel Craig becomes the sixth actor to play OO7. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre.

As the months rolled on however, photos and news clips would leak onto the Internet showing a very buff and muscular Daniel Craig, who would spend three hours a night working out in the gym. The rest of the cast would slowly be announced with Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen playing a thin Le Chiffre, Eva Green playing the Bond girl who breaks our secret agentï¿½s heart - Vesper Lynd, and Jeffery Wright playing a black Felix Leiter (previously played by white actors). By late-summer the majority of fans and non-fans were beginning to warm up to Daniel Craig as OO7 as the official trailer made its way onto the Internet. The trailer began in gritty black and white as a young Bond earns his OO agent status. The rest of the trailer is in color and sets up the story in modern times as Le Chiffre is the big investment banker for the world's terrorists. Bond, with the aid of Vesper, must defeat Le Chiffre in a winner-take-all poker game at Casino Royale. By the end of the trailer, the majority of Bond fans world-wide were completely satisfied.

Still some fans however have voiced their concerns about the grittiness of the film and whether it will be too much compared to the rest of the series. Mads Mikkelson said to Premiere magazine, "We're talking grittiness compared to the other Bond films. That's what we're talking, of course we're not talking gritty gritty. That would be a no-go. The task is to bring this magical universe ï¿½ it's still a fairy tale, he's still Superman, I'm still the baddie ï¿½ into 2006. That's the kind of grittiness we're talking about." Unfortunately when one gambles long enough lady luck is sure to turn, on July 30, 2006, Pinewood Studios largest stage, The Albert R. Broccoli OO7 Stage, burned to the ground. Inside the stage was the remains of a Venetian set. Fortunately the crew had finished filming and production staff were in the process of dismantling the set. This is the second time this stage burned down. The first time was in 1984 during production of Legend. Fortunately, no one was hurt in either accident.

The OO7 Stage is well known among Bond fans for housing the submarine set in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me. By late September, the main title song by Chris Cornell, "You Know My Name" leaked onto the Internet. The song was met with mediocre results since it lacked a Bondian tune. However, by mid-October a newer version showed up at Cornell's website with full orchestration. The results were better than the initial release and set the tone for the November 17th premiere. Co-Producer Barbara Broccoli sums up the main reason why Eon finally filmed Casino Royale, "It was always an ambition of theirs (Cubby and Harry Saltzman) to be able to make this story but, sadly, they were never able to. So, when it finally became available to us, we leapt at the chance. I like to think that I'm doing this for my Dad." Ironically Ian Flemingï¿½s first novel will be his last officially adapted for the screen by Eon Productions (all of his OO7 books have been used either by title or by story). Royale is the closest to any of his Bond novels since 1969's On Her Majestyï¿½s Secret Service.

However, this film is more about how James Bond became the agent we all know and love than simply about his relationship with Bond-girl Vesper Lynd. On the other hand, the 1967 Feldman version is the opposite. It depicts an aging Sir James Bond, forced out of retirement to fight his greatest nemesis - his nephew. Only to be blown up with the rest of the world in the final moments of the climatic battle. The good news in all of this is that where Feldmanï¿½s version ended with no where to go, Eonï¿½s version will obviously begin a new chapter in James Bondï¿½s cinematic life. This will no doubt reverberate from the silver screen at the end of Casino Royale when the words 'James Bond Will Return'. Cars in Casino Royale 1967 Casino Royale (Charles K. Feldman's Casino Royale [James Bond]), Movie, 1967

Question: In which film did David Niven play Sir James Bond
Answer: Casino Royale