I understand some fans of the 2006 film probably have no idea the 1966 spoof version exists, but even I didn’t know this 1954 version existed until this marathon. Well, you’re not hardcore unless you live hardcore, which entails venturing into this made for television adaptation of Casino Royale. Wait! What!? Bond, American!? There was Bond before Connery!? Preposterous. True, this is the first screen appearance by the character. True, it is an adaptation of Casino Royale, the battle between Bond and Le Chiffre. True, it is not a full feature length production. True, this rendition of the classic Ian Fleming character is not an official entry per EON productions. But then there is this episode in the Bond saga.
To be completely honest, entering into this Bond marathon I considered myself a pretty big hardcore fan, but I have quickly discovered that there are some much more devout and fanatical followers of the franchise than I, but I mean that in a good way, as well as the fact that the marathon, something I viewed to be more fun than educational (heck, I’ve seen ’em all already). Written by Anthony Ellis & Charles Bennett
