Casino Royale (1967 film)

The 1967 spy spoof with David Niven and a crowd of fake 007s.

Casino Royale (1967) is a spy parody loosely based on Fleming's first novel, released by Columbia Pictures. David Niven plays the retired 'original' Sir James Bond, who is called back to fight SMERSH and the mysterious Dr. Noah and confuses the enemy by giving the name James Bond 007 to a string of other agents, among them Peter Sellers' baccarat expert Evelyn Tremble and Ursula Andress's Vesper Lynd.

Quick Facts

Director

John Huston
Ken Hughes
Val Guest
Robert Parrish
Joe McGrath

Screenplay

Wolf Mankowitz
John Law
Michael Sayers

Based on

Casino Royale, Ian Fleming

Producer

Charles K. Feldman; Jerry Bresler

Cinematography

Jack Hildyard

Editing

Bill Lenny

Music

Burt Bacharach

Studio

Famous Artists Productions

Lore & Background

Producer Charles K. Feldman owned the rights from 1960 and tried to make it with Eon, but could not agree terms with Broccoli and Saltzman, so he made a satire instead. Several directors and writers came and went and the budget grew. Released on 13 April 1967, two months before You Only Live Twice, it grossed over $41.7 million but was panned as a muddle. Burt Bacharach's score earned an Oscar nomination for 'The Look of Love', sung by Dusty Springfield. MGM has held the rights since 1999.