Casino Royale (1954)

Director: William H Brown Jr

Starring: Barry Nelson & Peter Lorre

More Info: IMDB

Plot: American spy James Bond must outsmart card wiz and crime boss LeChiffre while monitoring his actions.

My Rating: 5.5

Would I watch it again? Not likely

Probably the only reason anyone would want to watch this is for the curiosity of it all. It's the first time James Bond was filmed, beating the Connery pictures by 7 years. That and to see the great Peter Lorre as Bond's foil, Le Chiffre.


This episode of CLIMAX! follows much of the Fleming novel. Fans of the recent film will recognize some small touches used in both films and the novel. Lorre is great as the weaselly heavy. He's a hoot to watch. But for as much fun as he, Barry Nelson's Bond isn't. First of all, he's American and his portrayal feels more at home in a film noir picture, not a spy flick. Not this spy flick. He's over-thinking it and he's often sluggish. What a drag.

Yawn. James Yawn.

Maybe it's my 35 years of seeing the films and reading the books that taints this. I don't know but I am glad I finally got around to seeing it. You'll find it as an extra on the DVD for the 1967 farce, CASINO ROYALE. That's another mess to behold for another time.