The Making of Casino Royale (1967)

MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
Under the circumstances the Off Topic Chat would seem to be the best place to put this.

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).

Comments

  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Interesting -{ Thank you for this.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • David SchofieldDavid Schofield EnglandPosts: 1,528MI6 Agent
    If this is well researched and factually correct (and bear in mind Charles Helfenstein has set a high bar with this sort of thing) then very good luck with it.

    Comes from a good publishing stable. I will certainly order a copy.

    -{
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    It looks very entertaining. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    If this is well researched and factually correct (and bear in mind Charles Helfenstein has set a high bar with this sort of thing) then very good luck with it.

    Comes from a good publishing stable. I will certainly order a copy.

    -{

    David

    I would say the research is on a par with my book on The Avengers TV series, Bowler Hats and Kinky Boots.
  • David SchofieldDavid Schofield EnglandPosts: 1,528MI6 Agent
    Mikey wrote:
    If this is well researched and factually correct (and bear in mind Charles Helfenstein has set a high bar with this sort of thing) then very good luck with it.

    Comes from a good publishing stable. I will certainly order a copy.

    -{

    David

    I would say the research is on a par with my book on The Avengers TV series, Bowler Hats and Kinky Boots.

    Mikey - trying to order now from the Telos site but wrestling with the checkout!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    I'll just wait until it's on Amazon.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • David SchofieldDavid Schofield EnglandPosts: 1,528MI6 Agent
    Mikey wrote:
    If this is well researched and factually correct (and bear in mind Charles Helfenstein has set a high bar with this sort of thing) then very good luck with it.

    Comes from a good publishing stable. I will certainly order a copy.

    -{

    David

    I would say the research is on a par with my book on The Avengers TV series, Bowler Hats and Kinky Boots.

    Mikey - trying to order now from the Telos site but wrestling with the checkout!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Done.

    Best of luck with it.
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    David

    Pleased that you've been successful.
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    Thunder/Alpha

    Thank you for the interest and support.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,750Chief of Staff
    Very interested in this book...will look to purchase it soon -{
    YNWA 97
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    I'll certainly be purchasing a copy - just the book that was needed to fill a lacuna in this complex area of Bondology. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • ggl007ggl007 SpainPosts: 388MI6 Agent
    It looks really interesting! Congratulations, Mikey!

    (I think I know the answer to #3) -{ :D
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    Sir Miles/Silhouette Man/ggl007

    Many thanks for your response and interest, this book does give the background to the development and production of Charles K Feldman's 1967 extravaganza Casino Royale, where frequently what happened behind the scenes was just as bizarre as what happened in front of the cameras.
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    I take it that it will focus on the early intention to film the novel as a straight thriller too? That's a particularly interesting (albeit tragic) part of the Casino Royale spoof film story that doesn't get enough coverage in my view. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    Silhouette Man

    Yes, it covers Feldman's original intention to produce Casino Royale as a straight Bond movie and various negotiations with Eon Productions and United Artists with regarding to using/borrowing Sean Connery and the possibilities of a co-production.

    Chapter One begins with Fleming writing Casino Royale the novel and progresses from there.
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    Mikey wrote:
    Silhouette Man

    Yes, it covers Feldman's original intention to produce Casino Royale as a straight Bond movie and various negotiations with Eon Productions and United Artists with regarding to using/borrowing Sean Connery and the possibilities of a co-production.

    Chapter One begins with Fleming writing Casino Royale the novel and progresses from there.

    That sounds great. Thanks for the further information, Mikey.

    I'll definitely be buying a copy! :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    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/
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    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
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    Hi Mikey, do you know a date for when your book will be available to buy as a hard copy on Amazon UK? :)
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    Silhouette Man

    Sorry, but Telos Publishing have no plans to publish an hardback copy. I'm told that the paperback example, which is already available from the Telos website should be available on Amazon UK in a couple of weeks time.
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    Mikey wrote:
    Silhouette Man

    Sorry, but Telos Publishing have no plans to publish an hardback copy. I'm told that the paperback example, which is already available from the Telos website should be available on Amazon UK in a couple of weeks time.

    Thanks, great news. By "hard copy" I really just meant the actual physical book. Sorry for the confusion! I'll be getting a copy as soon as it's available on Amazon UK. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    Mikey wrote:
    Silhouette Man

    Sorry, but Telos Publishing have no plans to publish an hardback copy. I'm told that the paperback example, which is already available from the Telos website should be available on Amazon UK in a couple of weeks time.

    Thanks, great news. By "hard copy" I really just meant the actual physical book. Sorry for the confusion! I'll be getting a copy as soon as it's available on Amazon UK. :) -{

    Silhouette Man

    Thanks for the interest. As soon as I'm informed that the paperback copies are available on Amazon UK, I'll announce it here.
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    Mikey wrote:
    Mikey wrote:
    Silhouette Man

    Sorry, but Telos Publishing have no plans to publish an hardback copy. I'm told that the paperback example, which is already available from the Telos website should be available on Amazon UK in a couple of weeks time.

    Thanks, great news. By "hard copy" I really just meant the actual physical book. Sorry for the confusion! I'll be getting a copy as soon as it's available on Amazon UK. :) -{

    Silhouette Man

    Thanks for the interest. As soon as I'm informed that the paperback copies are available on Amazon UK, I'll announce it here.

    Thank you, Mikey. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • MikeyMikey Posts: 39MI6 Agent
    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.
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    Mikey wrote:
    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.

    I finally got a copy of this from Amazon. It arrived yesterday. Looking forward to reading this. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,750Chief of Staff
    Mikey wrote:
    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.

    I finally got a copy of this from Amazon. It arrived yesterday. Looking forward to reading this. :) -{

    Would love a review of this book when you have read it -{
    YNWA 97
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
    Sir Miles wrote:
    Mikey wrote:
    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.

    I finally got a copy of this from Amazon. It arrived yesterday. Looking forward to reading this. :) -{

    Would love a review of this book when you have read it -{

    I'll certainly try to write that up, yes. :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
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