Casino Royale (1967, GBR/USA) C-131m. SCOPE **½ D: John Huston, Val Guest, Ken Hughes, Joseph McGrath, Robert Parrish, Richard Talmadge. Starring Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Orson Welles, Joanna Pettet, Daliah Lavi, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, Charles Boyer, John Huston, Kurt Kasznar, George Raft, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Terence Cooper, Barbara Bouchet, Jacqueline Bisset, Anjelica Huston, Burt Kwouk, David Lodge, Caroline Munro, Peter O'Toole, David Prowse, Vladek Sheybal. Swinging Sixties extravaganza is a James Bond spoof of epic proportions, as the united Secret Services of the world are trying to revive retired agent 007 (Niven) for an important mission to stop criminal Le Chiffre (Welles). First 30 minutes are disastrous, and entire film has very few laughs, but this incredible tomfoolery has to be seen to be believed. Sellers plays the role of Bond in climactic game of Baccara, Andress is his sexy Bondgirl. Allen is Dr. Noah(!) and there are lots of cameos. A time capsule, which is said to have been coscripted by Allen, Sellers and even Billy Wilder! Nice score by Burt Bacharach.



© Ron Altman