Today on April 13, 1967, the original Casino Royale film was released in London, England.
Casino Royale stood as the original adaptation to Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel — a series following the adventures of British international spy, James Bond. Despite taking influence from Fleming's story, this film was not the first James Bond motion picture created. Instead, it was the first Bond movie produced by Columbia Pictures as a spy comedy. It stood separate from several other Bond films that had already been created by Eon Productions.
Casino Royale producer Charles K. Fleming acquired the rights back in 1960. He met with Eon Productions founders in hopes of collaborating on the film, but both parties failed to come to terms. Eon Productions went forward with their take on the Bond franchise beginning with Dr. No in 1962. They continued to release three more James Bond films before Casino Royale finally premiered in 1967. The film achieved some success at the box office, earning $41.7 million on a budget of only $12 million. While it was a financial success, the comedic tone didn't manage to win over the critics. Casino Royale failed to take the already established character of James Bond in a new direction, leaving many fans disappointed. In fact, most of the actors didn't even know that the film was meant to be a comedy when agreeing to star in it.
Burt Bacharach’s original score, The Look of Love, earned an Oscar Nomination in 1968. Nevertheless, Columbia's original take on Casino Royale has ultimately been remembered as the awkward step-sister of the 007 franchise — a movie most people simply wanted to forget about. Eon Productions went on to release countless new Bond films, many of which became international box office hits.
In 2006, Eon Productions decided to retell the story of Casino Royale under a new James Bond actor, Daniel Craig. This new version depicted a modern, dark take on the world's most famous secret agent. The story's new direction displayed Bond as a three-dimensional character who struggled with his own demons and surrounded himself with strong female counterparts. Casino Royale (2006) was a major financial success, generating $606 million on a budget of $150 million. The story was generally well-received by audiences and critics alike. Luckily for fans, this remake of Casino Royale helped pave the way for several successful sequels, starring Daniel Craig, a new brand of James Bond.
