TheJames Bondfranchise is one of the longest-running in film history andstill continues to generate enthusiasm for its upcoming installments. While many recurring sagas fail to retain their creative spark after just a handful of sequels, the007 series is still running strong after 27 films.The franchise has employedseveral talented actors in the role of Bondand has remained under the watchful eye of the Broccoli family and MGM productions. However, much of the series’ success can be traced back to the original novels byIan Fleming, which are responsible for developing the core mythology of the 007 universe. Although the franchise got off to a promising start whenSean Connerywas cast inDr. No,Fleming had a very different actor in mind to play Bond: David Niven.
A resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.
Sean Connery Wasn’t Ian Fleming’s First Choice for James Bond
Released in 1953, Fleming’s first Bond novelCasino Royalebecame a worldwide sensation, establishing a newfound appreciation for spy fiction. Given the ongoing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War,Casino Royaleserved as an exciting piece of escapist fiction that played upon anxieties about covert espionage operations and international terrorism.Fleming wrote a total of twelve Bond novels and two short story collectionsand easily became one of the most popular novelists of his generation. Whilethe novels’ continuity was vastly differentfrom the film series it would inspire, their popularity nonetheless had Hollywood interested in a potential series of adaptations.
When the rights to the Bond series were first acquired by producersAlbert R. BroccoliandHarry Saltzmanin 1961,the decision was made to adaptDr. Noas the first installment in the film saga. The producers thought that the Jamaican location would serve asan exciting backdrop for Bond’s first outing,asCasino Royale’s intense subject material and disturbing ending would have been too dark to generate enthusiasm for the series. Althoughmany famous actors were considered for the main role,Connery was selected by a joint committee that included Broccoli, Saltzman, and Fleming. Given his relative youth and inherent charisma, Connery was considered to be the ideal choice for the role.
Although his casting ultimately proved to be instrumental in the saga’s longevity, Connery was not who the character’s author had in mind when he had originally writtenCasino Royale. Originally envisioning a more well-known star in the role,Fleming wanted David Niven to play Bond. Fleming’s affection for Niven was not unusual given his solid track record; he had proven his merits as an action star inthe World War II classicThe Guns of Navarone, and proven himself capable of delivering strong dramatic performances with his Academy Award winning role inSeparate Tables. However,Dr. NoscreenwriterRichard Maibaurevealed that “Niven wasn’t all that physical,” and thathis advancing age would make him unsuitableto star in the first installment in a recurring franchise.
David Niven Played James Bond in a Parody Movie
Connery quickly proved himself to be the perfect choice for Bond, creating an instantly iconic character inDr. No. While Fleming’s original character had been a bit rougher and more cynical,Connery helped create the snarky, dry humorthat was essential to the saga’s tone. Although Connery would go on to appear in a total of six official EON-produced Bond films,Niven got the chance to play 007 inthe unofficial parody filmCasino Royale.The result of an unusual licensing agreement allowed Columbia Pictures to adapt the first installment in Fleming’s series in a comical way that lampooned the style of the EON films. Niven was cast as an older version of Bond who is called back into action to thwart an evil plan by the evil Dr. Noah (Woody Allen) and the agents of SMERSH, an international criminal organization based on SPECTRE.
Although he was the top-billed member of the cast,Niven wasn’t the only actor who played Bond inCasino Royale. The film also featuredPeter Sellers, Barbara Bouchet, Joanna Pette, Terence Cooper, Daliah Lavi,andDr. NoactressUrsula Andressas different MI6 operatives who assume the identity of “James Bond.” Given that the film’s intentions were satirical and that it did not feature as much action asthe Connery Bond films,Casino Royaledid not present Sellers with the physical challenges that precluded him from taking the role in the first place.
While it is often ranked asone of the weakest installments in the franchise,Niven did make for a great Bond inCasino Royale. Although the film makes several attempts at broad comedy that sadly haven’t aged well, Niven captures a playfulness within the character that is often forgotten in the saga’s darker installments. It was impressive that Niven’s performance was so effective given that Connery had been the only actor to play Bond in a big-screen adaptation; it was only two years afterCasino Royale’s release that he was recast withGeorge LazenbyforOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
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What Is the Legacy of ‘Casino Royale?'
Although it is often left out of retrospectives about the franchise due to its unofficial status,Casino Royalewas not the only non-EON Bond film. Another strange rights dispute resulted in Warner Brothers producingthe 1983 filmNever Say Never Again, a loose remake of 1965’sThunderball. Connery returned to the series for the first time since 1971’sDiamonds Are Forever, and to his credit played into the character’s advancing age. The film also benefited from terrific action sequences helmed byThe Empire Strikes BackdirectorIrvin Kershner.
While it hasn’t necessarily aged well,Casino Royalepaved the way for future parodies of the Bond franchise. Its over-the-top depiction of Bond’s gadgets, the international locations, and conspiracy storylines were highly influential on action-comedy franchiseslike theMike MyersledAustin Powersseries, which became a popular franchise in its own right.
‘Casino Royale’ Reinvented the Bond Franchise
While 1967’sCasino Royalewas the only “parody” within the Bond franchise, the official EON production grew to become caricatures of themselves at the tail end ofPierce Brosnan’s run as the character. Although the franchise had strayed away from the darker tone of Fleming’s original source material,2006’sCasino Royaleserved as a darker reboot that grounded Bond in a modern world. The film examined a realistic version of international terrorism and financing, givingDaniel Craigroom to boldly reinvent the character by showing his origin story andmaking it one of the best of the franchise. It couldn’t be more different than the campy quality found in Brosnan entries likeThe World Is Not EnoughorDie Another Day.
Although many of the films stray radically from the source material,Craig’s depiction of Bondis the purest representation of Fleming’s source material.While much of the character’s cultural depiction is based on Connery’s charismatic performance, Fleming had always written Bond as a cold-hearted assassin who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Most critically,Casino Royalefocused onthe tragic love story between Bond and Vesper(Eva Green), which colored the way he approached romantic relationships within the subsequent installments in the series.
