Casino Royale - 1967

Film Remarks:
After the death of M, Sir James Bond (David Niven) is called back out of retirement to stop SMERSH and save the world. In order to fool SMERSH and Le Chiffre, Bond schemes the ultimate confusing plot device. Every agent will use the name James Bond.

One of the Bonds, whose real name is Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers) takes on Le Chiffre in a game of baccarat. In the course of the film, all the Bonds get more than they can handle, especially when the ultimate villain turns out to be Bond's nephew, Jimmy Bond, played by Woody Allen.

Main Cast

• 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
• Woody Allen ... Dr. Noah / Jimmy Bond
• Deborah Kerr ... Agent Mimi / Lady Fiona McTarry
• William Holden ... Ransome
• Charles Boyer ... Le Grand
• John Huston ... McTarry / M
• George Raft ... Himself
• Jean-Paul Belmondo ... French Legionnaire (as Jean Paul Belmondo)
• Jacqueline Bisset ... Miss Goodthighs (as Jacky Bisset)
• Anjelica Huston ... Agent Mimi's Hands (uncredited)
• Caroline Munro ... Guard Girl (uncredited)
• David Prowse ... Frankenstein's Creature (uncredited)
• Peter O'Toole ... Piper (uncredited)

Movie Remarks

3 out of 5 stars

Casino Royale not a directed-by, written-by Woody Allen film. But the 1968 farce is still universally known as the James Bond movie where Woody Allen plays the villain. The chaotic story and pacing of the film is understandable after seeing that five different directors are listed in the film credits.

Extremely silly, this movie is actually worth watching for the sixties nostalgia, the music, and the collection of actors and actresses who would never appear together in film again. Peter Sellers and Usula Andress appeared with Allen in What's New, Pussycat? two years earlier, a film that Allen had significantly more creative input into, and compared to Casino Royale looks seemingly tame.

Casino Royale Trivia

Budget: $12,000,000 (estimated)