I've been asked to give a synopsis of the 1954 live TV version of Casino Royale, originally seen on the CBS series Climax! Mystery Theater, and now featured as an extra on the DVD of the 1967 movie. Primarily, I'm reviewing this to show that Ian Fleming wasn't high when he wrote the book, and there actually is a coherent story the makers of this version thoughtfully chose to use, more or less. The '67 movie might convince you otherwise, what with its bold choice not to use the book's plot. Or any plot, for that matter.
This show, the third episode of Climax!, was supposedly meant as a pilot for a never-developed James Bond series. But even in this version, many of the details have been changed. James Bond is now an American agent working for the "Combined Intelligence Agency". He's still a very good baccarat player, but he's known here as "Jimmy". Way to kill his coolness quotient.
