Casino Royale was Ian Fleming's first novel and in it he introduced James Bond, who since publication in 1953, has become a worldwide phenomenon largely thanks to the success of the film series. It's bizarre then to believe that this book, the first of the James Bond books, was only adapted correctly for the big screen in 2006 in the critically and commercially successful flick staring Daniel Craig.
Ian Fleming had originally sold the rights to the tale, which was made into a 1954 TV adaptation staring Barry Nelson. The film rights went first to Gregory Ratoff and later , on his passing, to Charles K Feldman who brought the tale to the big screen in 1967 as a comedy that featured everyone from David Niven to Peter Sellers and Woody Allen (and actually featured Ursela Andress, the first Bond girl).
Therefore, when Fleming sold what's left of the film rights to Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli it was without Casino Royale. Eon Productions eventually got the rights to the film after a court battle with Sony in 1999 and decided to utilize the story following Die Another Day in 2002. But more than 50 years had passed since the novel was first published and the producers felt it required some updating.
In the book the story is simple. Bond has been sent to a spa town in North France where he is to beat Le Chiffre, who is under the pay of the KGB and has lost the funds of his Russian paymasters. If Le Chiffre wins at the baccarat tables he will repay the funds; if he loses then the Brit hope the Russians will murder him instead and so send 007 to assist them in achieving this goal.
While the film does remain faithful to this part of the plot it is significantly expanded. In the flick version James Bond becomes instrumental in Le Chiffre losing the cash. And rather than being paid by the KGB, Le Chiffre is working for a shady criminal organization which is laundering money for African terrorists and Le Chiffre is concerned in his very own scheme to make some additional money on the deal by "borrowing" the money and investing it in a short term dead cert that, if it weren't for the intervention of 007, would have been a sure thing.
Ian Fleming had originally sold the rights to the tale, which was made into a 1954 TV adaptation staring Barry Nelson. The film rights went first to Gregory Ratoff and later , on his passing, to Charles K Feldman who brought the tale to the big screen in 1967 as a comedy that featured everyone from David Niven to Peter Sellers and Woody Allen (and actually featured Ursela Andress, the first Bond girl).
Therefore, when Fleming sold what's left of the film rights to Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli it was without Casino Royale. Eon Productions eventually got the rights to the film after a court battle with Sony in 1999 and decided to utilize the story following Die Another Day in 2002. But more than 50 years had passed since the novel was first published and the producers felt it required some updating.
In the book the story is simple. Bond has been sent to a spa town in North France where he is to beat Le Chiffre, who is under the pay of the KGB and has lost the funds of his Russian paymasters. If Le Chiffre wins at the baccarat tables he will repay the funds; if he loses then the Brit hope the Russians will murder him instead and so send 007 to assist them in achieving this goal.
While the film does remain faithful to this part of the plot it is significantly expanded. In the flick version James Bond becomes instrumental in Le Chiffre losing the cash. And rather than being paid by the KGB, Le Chiffre is working for a shady criminal organization which is laundering money for African terrorists and Le Chiffre is concerned in his very own scheme to make some additional money on the deal by "borrowing" the money and investing it in a short term dead cert that, if it weren't for the intervention of 007, would have been a sure thing.
About the Author:
For information on the Algerian loveknot from Casino Royale or other James Bond related articles see my website.
No comments:
Post a Comment