Bondathon: Casino Royale (1954)

James Bond is a character many people know and love. He has led one of the most popular entertainment franchises which included films, novels, and video games. However, one of the least known adaptations was the 1954 version of Casino Royale for the Anthology series Climax!

This version of Casino Royale sees James Bond (Barry Nelson) assigned to a mission in a French casino. He must beat Le Chiffre (Peter Lorre) in a game of baccarat. If Le Chiffre loses his Soviet handlers will ‘retire’ him. But if Bond win then Le Chiffre will kill his ex-romantic partner, Valerie Mathis (Linda Christian.)

Casino Royale (1954) was the bizarro version of Bond. Fans of the franchises will be taken aback by this episode and gives everyone a window to what an American version of the character would have looked like. This version does pale in comparison to what proceeded it.

Allowances need to be made for Casino Royale (1954). It was adapted for a TV show that was filmed live, so there were limits on the shots and locations that could be used. As an adaptation, Casino Royale (1954), was a loose one because it had to fit a 50-minute run time – but most of the Bond films treated the novels as a guideline. The biggest changes in this adaptation was combining the characters of Vesper and Mathis into one and not showing the events after Bond and his love interest leave the Casino.

Turning Vesper to Valerie changed the dynamic between Bond and his love interest. Bond and Vesper fall in love during the mission in the book and the 2006 film. In this version of Casino Royale Bond and Valerie used to be in a relationship but had broken up. There was baggage between the pair with Bond being cut up about it.

This adaptation was co-written by Charles Bennett who wrote numerous screenplays for Alfred Hitchcock. This led to Casino Royale (1954) being more like a Hitchcockian style film. Fraught relationships were often a feature in Hitchcock’s thrillers and many of the situations on display that would have fitted in Hitchcock’s films. An example of this was when one of Le Chiffre’s henchmen threatens Clarence Leiter (Michael Pate) in plain sight and Leiter didn’t give up the money in a rather humorous manner. But William H. Brown, Jr., the director of this episode, was no Alfred Hitchcock. Casino Royale (1954) lacked a sense of tension or adventure that defined Hitchcock’s films.

Nelson has an unenviable task because he was the first actor to play Bond. It is unfair to an extent to criticise and compare him to other actors to play the character since this episode was rough around the edges. Nelson was the typical all-American hero – he had chiselled good looks but was he was stiff as a board. He lacked the wit, the suave nature, and being cool under pressure that Bond became known for. It was weird to hear James Bond being called Jimmy. It made me think of Jack Wade who called Bond that name during the Bronson era. Pate as the English Leiter would have been a better fit for the role.

The most on-point piece of casting was Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre. Lorre was an acclaimed actor during his time and often played villains. So, it was no issue for Lorre to play the sadistic and desperate man with a sadistic streak. He would have been a great villain for the proper series.

Whilst Casino Royale (1954) was a live recording anyone hoping for a load of mistakes and fluffs will be disappointed. It wasn’t like the live versions of Eastenders where they had some hilarious mistakes.

Casino Royale (1954) was only worth watching for Bond completists and even for them they only need to see it once. The episode is available on Youtube if you are curious.