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The making of Casino Royale (1967)


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#1 Mikey

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Posted 04 September 2015 - 12:48 PM

The Making of Casino Royale (1967) outlines the story of a major blockbuster movie, which got out of control to become one of the most complicated productions filmed and the most bizarre James Bond film ever.

 

This book is now available to pre-order on the Telos website www.telos.co.uk although it will become available later on both Amazon UK and Amazon USA and there will also be a Kindle version.

 

The sixties James Bond spoof Casino Royale was a psychedelic multi-storylined extravaganza of improvisation and the constant rewriting of various screenplays, brought about after negotiations between producer Charles K Feldman, Eon Productions, United Artists and Columbia Pictures failed to bring about a co-production. Realising that he would have to proceed without Bond actor Sean Connery, Feldman crammed his picture with as many famous names as possible: Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, David Niven, Ursula Andress, Orson Welles, Deborah Kerr, Daliah Lavi, Joanna Pettet, Barbara Bouchet, William Holden and Jean Paul Belmondo to name but a few. The cast also included several unbilled cameos such as: Peter O’Toole, Caroline Munro, Dave Prowse, John Le Mesurier, Fiona Lewis and ex-F1 racing driver Stirling Moss.

 

Casino-Royale%20Cover_zpsfja9if5q.jpg

 

Just to whet your appetite I can confirm that you will discover the answers to the following… 

 

1 During development, which James Bond actor was approached about playing the character for what would have been the first time in June 1964?

 

2 During December 1965, which actress well known for appearing in The Avengers was named in the American press as being lined-up to appear in Casino Royale?

 

3 For his cameo role in the Scottish Marching Band sequence, what did Peter O’Toole accept as payment?

 

4 Why did Sarah Miles turn down the role of Meg, one of the McTarry daughters?

 

5 What did Shirley MacLaine do the week before principal photography was due to commence that stopped production?

 

6 Why was Blake Edwards turned down as a director for Casino Royale?

 

7 After suffering the bad experience of having his screenplay constantly rewritten while making the film What’s New Pussycat? Why did Woody Allen agree to work with Charles K Feldman again on Casino Royale?

 

8 What role was Dave Prowse originally going to play in Peter Sellers’ nightmare?

 

All this and more (as the saying goes) in The Making of Casino Royale (1967).

 



#2 Simon

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Posted 05 September 2015 - 07:47 AM

Casino Royale, the book, the TV production, the spoof film and the official film is for me, a story arc all of its own.  And rather like Sellers' Thunderball book that looked at the complete journey for that title, I was, and still am, hoping that a similar thing can be done for Casino Royale.

 

In the meantime though, this looks good.  Good luck to whomever.



#3 Mikey

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Posted 05 September 2015 - 02:20 PM

Simon

 

This one talks the book and the TV production to an extent, but more the development and production of the 1967 spoof film, where some of the things that happened behind the scenes were just as bizarre as what went on in front of the camera.



#4 Simon

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Posted 05 September 2015 - 09:41 PM

Splendid.  Thanks for getting back.

 

I had already pre-ordered the book immediately after writing the initial post so I will be very happy to see what you have to say.



#5 Mikey

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Posted 06 September 2015 - 03:34 PM

Simon

 

Great. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I've collected information on this film for about 20 years. 



#6 Otis Fairplay

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Posted 14 October 2015 - 07:54 PM

Another pre-order made. Of all the Bond films, I've long thought that the full story of Casino Royale would be the most intriguing to hear but doubted a Making of book would ever be written. Curious to get my hands on this one.



#7 Simon

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Posted 15 October 2015 - 07:08 AM

According to the website, delayed a little to 31st October.

 

Additions of Indexes etc.



#8 Mikey

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Posted 23 October 2015 - 02:58 PM

There’s just been an interview posted on Jason Whiton’s impressive SpyVibe blog, which goes into the background of Charles K Feldman’s sixties James Bond spoof and why I was inspired to write this reference work, The Making of Casino Royale (1967) (Follow the link). Hopefully both paperback and e-book examples will be available by the beginning of November, but if you cannot wait until then it can be pre-ordered from the Telos Publishing site.

 

http://spyvibe.blogspot.co.uk/



#9 Simon

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Posted 23 October 2015 - 11:09 PM

Thanks for the heads up.  Good luck in getting it out there...



#10 Mikey

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Posted 24 October 2015 - 12:37 PM

Commander
 
I’ve just been informed that the paperback copies of The Making of Casino Royale (1967) have arrived at Telos Publishing from the printers and so the pre-orders will be dispatched shortly. Both the paperback and e-book examples should be available on Amazon stores worldwide, plus other e-book platforms by the beginning of November.

 



 


Edited by Mikey, 24 October 2015 - 12:50 PM.


#11 Simon

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Posted 24 October 2015 - 01:44 PM

Thanks Cadet.

 

:P



#12 Mikey

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Posted 30 October 2015 - 07:12 PM

An in-depth interview regarding this book can be found on The Nice Rooms blogzine by following the link, or simply go to the site and enter through The Front Room and look at room 26.

 

http://www.thenicerooms.com/room-26



#13 Otis Fairplay

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Posted 02 November 2015 - 06:06 PM

Nice interview, it did well to whet my appetite and I was happy to find my copy of the book in the mail today. Now I just need to find the time to actually read it as well, but I'm looking forward to the occasion.  



#14 Simon

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Posted 02 November 2015 - 11:11 PM

Mine arrived too, cheers.

 

But currently enjoying Trigger Mortis.

 

Yours is next.



#15 Mikey

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Posted 07 November 2015 - 04:57 PM

Otis and Simon

 

I hope the book comes up to your expectations and you post feedback here when you've had a chance to read it.



#16 trevanian

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Posted 01 December 2015 - 01:33 PM

Love to see some feedback on this, was on Amazon US but saw only one review.

 

CR67 was on the weekend movie (playing on Sat AND Sun) throughout the 70s in the bay area, and I started seeing and reseeing it around the same time I rediscovered the regular Bond films and first encountered and blew through Fleming's novels, when i was 14. I'm not big on madcap comedies, but there's something compellilng about CR for me that is akin to looking at the sun (I feel the same way about the first TREK movie now, though it took me about 7 years of rage to reach this point with THAT film), I know I shouldn't be liking it but man, Vladek Sheybal just cracks me up in this, and the Mata Bond stuff is awesome.

 

I've got some pricey buys to make in terms of film books (THE 2001 FILE tops that list), but I definitely have this one on the list, so I'll nibble, just don't know when (am thinking BATTLE OF THE BOND would be a good run-up piece to this, have been neglecting reading that for years because I hoped to get the original printing with the deleted info, but am losing faith in that likelihood.) Maybe I'll unload MAKING OF THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (which for me was a huge disappointment, as the unmade version of the film I found to be appalling and the 'new' info about the film itself wasn't all that interesting) to fuel a post xmas purchase.)



#17 Simon

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Posted 04 December 2015 - 12:53 PM

Just finished this.

 

A cracking little book, obsessively researched and referenced, which magnificently showcases the nonsense in filming the nonsense that is CR '67.

 

It breezes along very efficiently, and leaves you with all the questions that might usually be asked in this day and age, probably starting off with one about Feldman himself - How on earth was he allowed to get away with it all?

 

Incredible story.  Recommended.



#18 Mikey

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Posted 25 December 2015 - 11:13 AM

travanian and Simon

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

The Making of Casino Royale (1967) is now available as a paperback on Amazon UK (as well as from the Telos Publishing website).

 

This news also gives me an opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy 2016.



#19 Major Tallon

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Posted 01 February 2016 - 08:02 PM

An engagingly written and thoroughly sourced little book.  Many of us will be familiar with some of the background to this trainwreck, but Richardson covers it well,  with added detail I hadn't previously known.  I have only a couple of quibbles.  In the scene where Sir James is chased by a Jaguar and a milk float en route to London, Richardson says that the character names are "Jag" and "Derry."  I don't believe that "Jag" was the girl driver's name, only an abbreviation of the fact that she was driving a Jaguar.  Similarly, because there was a bomb concealed in the milk float, the control center for the latter vehicle was a "Dairy," and "Derry" was not the controller's character name. 

 

Otherwise, a lovely read. 



#20 glidrose

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Posted 02 February 2016 - 12:02 AM

Came across this interesting article about a Diana Rigg lookalike who was hired to appear in CR.

https://news.google....4,3225035&hl=en"Mobil finds a new Diana".


Here's another link for those trying to identify the female extras. http://www.britmovie...ino-royale.html

 

1 During development, which James Bond actor was approached about playing the character for what would have been the first time in June 1964?
 
2 During December 1965, which actress well known for appearing in The Avengers was named in the American press as being lined-up to appear in Casino Royale?
 
3 For his cameo role in the Scottish Marching Band sequence, what did Peter O’Toole accept as payment?
 
4 Why did Sarah Miles turn down the role of Meg, one of the McTarry daughters?
 
5 What did Shirley MacLaine do the week before principal photography was due to commence that stopped production?
 
6 Why was Blake Edwards turned down as a director for Casino Royale?
 
7 After suffering the bad experience of having his screenplay constantly rewritten while making the film What’s New Pussycat? Why did Woody Allen agree to work with Charles K Feldman again on Casino Royale?
 
8 What role was Dave Prowse originally going to play in Peter Sellers’ nightmare?


Without having read the book, #6 is obvious: Sellers hated Edwards.

#1 is probably Roger Moore.

#2 I'll go out on a limb and guess that its Diana Rigg. Wrong. Honor Blackman.

#3 booze?

#5 quit?

#7 is probably because the money was good and perhaps because Feldman promised to back Allen's directorial debut.

#8 is "Superpooh", a monstrous teddy bear that haunts Sellers/Tremble in a nightmare.

#21 Otis Fairplay

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Posted 02 February 2016 - 06:57 PM

Finally got around to actually reading this book and I’m in no way disappointed. It’s quite a quick read but crammed with information, obviously the result of meticulous research presented in an accessible manner. It’s fascinating to follow the story unfolding - or crumbling, if you like - by contemporary press reports, interspersed with insights in the spectacular behind the scenes happenings. While it would be interesting to see what kind of documents might be lurking in the studio archives, its absence is by no means sorely felt. 

 

The book is a great resource and I doubt its status as the definite word on its subject will be challenged anytime soon. A must read for anyone curious about the production of the film, and should also be rewarding for those interested in its era of film history as well. You will learn a lot of Whens and Hows of the troubled production. If the fundamental question Why still is somewhat shrouded in mystery, it's no fault of the book. Charles K. Feldman likely took the answer to that question to his grave, though I wouldn’t bet even he fully could answer it.


Edited by Otis Fairplay, 03 February 2016 - 05:44 PM.