In the end, it's for the best it didn't go forward or the James Bond movie franchise as it exists now probably wouldn't have happened. CBS eventually scrapped the idea and its unknown if Nelson would have returned for the show. Bringing things back to basics while also somewhat reinventing the franchise, Casino Royale was a powerful entry in a series that still captures the imagination. In an alternate universe Climax's! Casino Royale could have led to a James Bond CBS series, which the network commissioned and Ian Fleming even started developing episode outlines for. 2006's Casino Royale remains the most popular James Bond film there is, and there are a few reasons why Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007 still resonates so much with audiences.

The episode is obviously lacking a lack of the familiar tropes of later movies too, including the gadgets, the vehicles and the Walther PPK, and in the case of the latter, he's seen wielding an FN Model 1900.Ĭlimax's Casino Royale is also of note for Barry Nelson's Jimmy Bond ordering a scotch and water instead of a vodka martini, and it was one of famed composer Jerry Goldsmith's very first gigs. Overall, Barry Nelson isn't bad as Bond but making the character American was a mistake, and by the actor's own admission there wasn't much charm to the spy as he was presented on the show. Screen legend Peter Lorre ( M) also played Le Chiffre in the Climax! Casino Royale, with the infamous torture scene reimagined as the villain removing Bond's toenails offscreen.

Villain and casino royale