Casino Royale (1967)

In an early spy spoof, aging Sir James Bond comes out of retirement to take on SMERSH.

Directors:

Ken Hughes (as Kenneth Hughes), John Huston

Writers:

Wolf Mankowitz (screenplay), John Law (screenplay)

Stars:

David Niven, Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Sellers	...	Evelyn Tremble (James Bond - 007)
Ursula Andress	...	Vesper Lynd (007)
David Niven	...	Sir James Bond
Orson Welles	...	Le Chiffre
Joanna Pettet	...	Mata Bond
Daliah Lavi	...	The Detainer (007)
Woody Allen	...	Jimmy Bond (Dr. Noah)
Deborah Kerr	...	Agent Mimi (Alias Lady Fiona)
William Holden	...	Ransome
Charles Boyer	...	Le Grand
John Huston	...	McTarry (M)
Kurt Kasznar	...	Smernov
George Raft	...	George Raft
Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	French Legionnaire (as Jean Paul Belmondo)
Terence Cooper	...	Cooper (James Bond - 007)

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.

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Plot Keywords:

james bond | spy | baccarat | retirement | nephew | 

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Taglines:

CASINO ROYALE . . . the greatest JAMES BOND! 007 show on earth ! [Australian Daybill Movie Poster]

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

28 April 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charles K. Feldman's Casino Royale

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Famous Artists Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) Mono (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dr. Noah's name was a spoof of the name of the Bond villain Dr. No, and the name of Miss Giovana Goodthighs was a parody of the Miss Mary Goodnight character, both from Ian Fleming novels. These characters appeared in EON Productions' Dr. No (1962) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), respectively.

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Goofs

In the Baccarat scene between Peter Sellers and Orson Welles, in the long shots both characters are surrounded by a crowd of extras, mostly women. In the close-ups of Sellers alone, the background shows only a few people, mostly men; a woman in a red dress appears in two shots but not in others, while Ursula Andress is in the shots that do not have the red dress. Several of the characters appear motionless and slightly blurred, possibly a still back-projection or montage.

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Quotes

Miss Moneypenny: I really have to note your qualifications.
Cooper: Height: six foot two and a half. 184 pounds. Trophies for karate and judo, holder of the Kama Sutra black belt.
Miss Moneypenny: Very impressive. How do you spell that?
Cooper: I'll show you!

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Bananas (1971)

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Soundtracks

Have No Fear, Bond Is Here
Music by Burt Bacharach
Lyrics by Hal David
Performed by Mike Redway

User Reviews

Psychedelic Extravaganza!

I highly recommend this film to anyone who is an aficionado of psychedelic or 1960's film/music/art. This was the most expensive psychedelic project of the entire era to my knowledge, in any format. The sets alone make the the feature worth seeing. Having a keen familiarity with the era and culture may not be enough to prepare one for appreciating this standout curiosity. One must also be widely versed in James Bond, novels and all, to understand much of the humor. That humor is set against an invisible backdrop of the unprecedented popularity of James Bond at the time. A degree of comfort with all things psychedelic is yet another requirement to fully digest this cinematic delight. Please note that this was a very "in" movie, to coin a phrase from the era, which also explains why "Casino Royale ('67)" receives unfavorable reviews. As this lavish production was targeted for the "in" crowd of that bygone era, it is only slightly more alien to the general public today. If you are "in", this high water mark of the era is an experience not to be missed.