I've never read one of Fleming's novels and was so tired of the films that by the time I was frequenting the cinema I didn't bother going to see the later films starring Pierce Brosnan. I should probably begin this by stating that I am in no way a James Bond fan - I don't dislike the films either - but haven't seen many, if any, more than once. It's chequered history involves the rights being purchased by an Egyptian émigré, them being split between two people, adapted into an episode (the only one) of the TV show Climax!, the spoof spy caper of the same name starring David Niven, Peter Sellers and Orson Welles (designed to rival the successful Cubby Broccoli-produced franchise) and finally MGM and Columbia coming to an agreement to make a film the book deserves. Introduction The novel Casino Royale has one of the most interesting histories of any book subsequently adapted into a film.
