In the star-studded, wildly erratic experience that is the 1967 big screen version of "Casino Royale", there is one oasis amidst the non-stop slapstick and zaniness. In this scene, noted expert gambler Evelyn Tremble (under the assumed name "James Bond"), played by Peter Sellers, engages SMERSH bigwig LeChiffre (Orson Welles) in a high stakes game of backgammon. Not shown in this clip is a preceding bit in which LeChiffre mesmerizes the bystanders by engaging in some marvelous feats of magic. (Welles was a noted magician in real life.) This is followed by an all-too brief interplay between Tremble and LeChiffre that actually approaches a level of seriousness not found elsewhere in the movie, which Bond fans either loathe or love. By the way, an observance of the scene shown here disproves the myth that Peter Sellers refused to ever be on camera with Welles, who he found intimidating. They are indeed seen in the same frame. However, it is true that Sellers' paranoia was in full bloom and he was resentful toward Welles because of his revered reputation and the idolization shown to him by the cast and crew. Sellers made it clear that he would not appear on set with Welles again. This left the production team with the awkward alternative of having to film closeups of Sellers that were shot when Welles wasn't on the set and vice-versa. Making matters worse, Sellers publicly insulted Welles, who responded in kind. Ultimately, producer Charles K. Feldman fired Sellers from "Casino Royale", which was probably what the mercurial actor had hoped for. This explains why his character is killed off and doesn't appear in the wacky, expensive battle royale inside Casino Royale. For all that, the film has plenty of merits: an amusing Woody Allen, a delightful David Niven as the real James Bond, the presence of the first "Bond girl", Ursula Andress, fantastic production design and a marvelous Burt Bacharach score and title theme song, played winningly by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. For more, click here.
Sean Connery didn't always share his sense of humor during interviews but in this appearance on "The Tonight Show" from 1983 (presented in two parts), Connery seems in a fun mood, bantering quips with Carson as he promotes what would be his final James Bond movie, "Never Say Never Again".
In the Golden Age of film criticism, Vincent Canby of the New York Times was one of the most revered (and feared) reviewers. But his tastes weren't only for art house import films and those of Oscar-worthy prestige. Canby could relate to populist entertainment as well. One of the mysteries of the universe is how he came to the conclusion that "Goldfinger" and "Moonraker" represented the best of the James Bond films, which is like saying Laurence Olivier and Jerry Lewis were the finest actors of their era. Nevertheless, with the June, 1981 release of "For Your Eyes Only", Canby was unimpressed with some elements of the film, but was open to providing back-handed compliments to other aspects. In the aggregate, you could say his review was net positive. Read for yourself....