★: James Bond spoof produced by Charles K. Feldman and Jerry Bresler. US release date: April 19, 1967. Budget: $9 million. Worldwide box office gross: $41.7 million (US gross: $22.7 million; international gross: $19.0 million).[1] Running time: 131 minutes.
The Setup
In this undisguised parody, which has little to do with any of Ian Fleming’s original books, Sir James Bond (David Niven) emerges from retirement to confront twin evils: the nefarious activities of Soviet master spy and super gambler Le Chiffre (Orson Welles) and the more deadly international scheme of Bond’s own nephew Jimmy Bond (Woody Allen). His plan: confuse his enemies by giving his name to dozens of other agents, male and female. All roads eventually lead to the baccarat table in Monte Carlo, where agent James Bond / Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers) takes on Le Chiffre in a high-stakes card game.
Behind the Scenes
With five directors, eight writers (only three credited), two second unit directors, and plot holes you could drive Aston Martins through, Casino Royale is one of the worst film spoofs ever made. Producer Charles Feldman controlled the rights to Ian Fleming’s first novel but was unable to make a deal with Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to produce a serious James Bond adaptation (Feldman turned down $500,000 for the rights). So he decided to produce a big, lumbering satire on the world of Bond that comes across like a misfired television variety special. However, because he was one of the most successful talent agents of all time and knew virtually everyone on Hollywood’s A-list, Feldman was able to assemble an incredible cast. The few high points include the Herb Alpert title track, the Dusty Springfield song “The Look of Love,” Barbara Bouchet as Moneypenny’s luscious daughter, and the performances by Peter Sellers and Woody Allen. Otherwise, it’s just a series of long set pieces that are not in the least bit funny.
| Evelyn Tremble/James Bond | Peter Sellers |
| Vesper Lynd | Ursula Andress |
| Sir James Bond | David Niven |
| Le Chiffre | Orson Welles |
| Mata Bond | Joanna Pettet |
| The Detainer/Lady James Bond | Daliah Lavi |
| Jimmy Bond/Dr. Noah | Woody Allen |
| Agent Mimi/Lady Fiona | Deborah Kerr |
| Ransome | William Holden |
| Le Grande | Charles Boyer |
| McTarry/M | John Huston |
| Smernov | Kurt Kasznar |
| Himself | George Raft |
| French Legionnaire | Jean-Paul Belmondo |
| Cooper/James Bond | Terence Cooper |
| Miss Moneypenny | Barbara Bouchet |
| Agent Buttercup | Angela Scoular |
| Eliza | Gabriella Licudi |
| Heather | Tracey Crisp |
| Peg | Elaine Taylor |
| Miss Goodthighs | Jacqueline Bisset |
| Meg | Alexandra Bastedo |
| Frau Hoffner | Anna Quayle |
| Hadley | Derek Nimmo |
| Polo | Ronnie Corbett |
| Presented by | Charles K. Feldman |
| Directors | John Huston |
| Ken Hughes | |
| Val Guest | |
| Robert Parrish | |
| Joseph McGrath | |
| Screenplay by | Wolf Mankowitz |
| John Law | |
| Michael Sayers | |
| Suggested by the novel Casino Royale by | Ian Fleming |
| Producers | Charles K. Feldman |
| Jerry Bresler | |
| Director of Photography | Jack Hildyard, B.S.C. |
| Additional Photography | John Wilcox, B.S.C. |
| Nicholas Roeg, B.S.C | |
| Music composed and conducted by | Burt Bacharach |
| Main Title song performed by | Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass |
| “The Look of Love” performed by | Dusty Springfield |
| Lyrics by | Hal David |
| Production Designer | Michael Stringer |
| Costume Designer | Julie Harris |
[1] “Casino Royale (1967),” The Numbers, accessed April 27, 2020, https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Casino-Royale.
