Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale (TV – 1954)
This is probably the best shot in the made-for-TV unofficial Bond movie – simple but awesome. Although lacking in visual quality and production, the film is a great time capsule and novel first on-screen presence of the world’s favorite secret agent.
James Bond (David Nelson) plays baccarat against Le Chiffre (Peter Lorre) in the unofficial Casino Royale (TV – 1954)
What on earth are Jimmy Bond and Leiter doing with the matches in this scene? Is it purposefully coordinated and focused on? Is there some hidden signal? A bizarre spectacle whenever I watch this scene from Casino Royale (TV – 1954).
Casino Royale (TV – 1954) is the first on-screen portrayal of the James Bond character, before the first official movie, Dr. No, was released in 1962. Set as an episodic entry in the CBS TV show Climax!, it stars Barry Nelson as an American (!) secret agent ‘Jimmy’ Bond who is tasked with bankrupting a Soviet villain, Le Chiffre, at a baccarat game (plot sound familiar?) It’s short in length (~50 minutes) and relatively forgettable, aside from a few choice quotes and its notoriety of being “the first.”
Aside from that, its production value is relatively low, with several stuttered lines and blatant sound/mic issues. It was 1954 after all, but it did star successful actors Peter Lorre and Linda Christian.
Although most of the lines and quotes from the movie can be found in its transcript, while transcribing, I noticed that one exchange between the main villain Le Chiffre (played by Lorre) and his henchmen Zuroff (played by an uncredited actor) is totally indecipherable.
At around 18 minutes and 40 seconds into the movie, the scene cuts to a conversation between Le Chiffre, Zuroff and Valerie Mathis (portrayed by Linda Christian), and we can see Zuroff and Le Chiffre’s mouths moving and Valerie’s move at least to say on word, but no audible voices are heard.
Here is a clip of the exchange:
And the portion of the transcript, just before and after the lost lines are seen:
James Bond: Look, uh, what you said about the police. I’d like them to keep close watch on me until after tomorrow night’s game.
Chef de partie: I will give instructions immediately, Mister Bond.
James Bond: Thanks, goodnight.
Chef de partie: Goodnight, Mister Bond.
— INAUDIBLE EXCHANGE BETWEEN LE CHIFFRE, VALERIE MATHIS AND ZUROFF —
Le Chiffre: So many, so many ways. Always been able to protect myself. Now they choose Mister Bond to take me on and, and your Mister Bond is very lucky and…and Mister Bond has card sense and I don’t like it. Tell me, uh, does he still love you, Valerie?
Valerie Mathis: Of course he doesn’t. Not now.
The movie was jointly released as bonus material for a special edition DVD of another unofficial James Bond movie, the 1967 spoof Casino Royale, but subtitles aren’t available for the bonus material.
Does anyone know what the missing lines are for this scene?
William Lundigan hosts and introduces the audience to the Climax! TV show to Casino Royale (1954) using a casino card shoe
William Lundigan was a terrible magician. 🙂
An overlooked but awesome exchange between Bond girl Valerie Mathis and James Bond in the first live action adaptation (although unofficial – not produced by Eon Productions) of James Bond, Casino Royale (TV – 1954).
Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis and Barry Nelson as James Bond in the unofficial Bond movie Casino Royale (TV – 1954)
Elevator Operator: Floor sir?
James Bond: [To Valerie] Yes, you said you are on the sixth, I’ll see you to your room.
Valerie Mathis: I’d rather see you to yours.
James Bond: Why would I argue with that?
No chase sequence or shootout here.
The first on-screen presence in a Bond movie is that of William Lundigan, host of the CBS TV show Climax! that aired the first unofficial James Bond movie, Casino Royale (TV – 1954).
In an awkward dialogue, Lundigan introduces the viewers (who apparently have never set foot in a casino) to a card dealer’s shoe, as well as its propensity to “kill.” The movie can be viewed in its entirety with a quick YouTube search.
