We’re talking about The 1954 live adaptation of Casino Royale from the American television series CLIMAX! We get into the plot, talk about whether this is a good introduction to the world of James Bond, what we thought of the actors, music, favorite quotes, trivia, and more!
Starring:
Barry Nelson as James Bond
Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre
Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis
Directed by William H. Brown, Jr.

American CIA Agent James Bond survives an assassination attempt (by standing still), meets up with his British contact Clarence Leiter, and pretends to explain the rules of baccarat while Leiter explains Bond’s mission: defeat Le Chiffre at baccarat and force the Soviets to “retire” him. He has a run-in with his ex, Valerie Mathis (Le Chiffre’s current squeeze who still loves Bond—and vice versa), then beats Le Chiffre at baccarat with help from the Brits and Valerie Mathis – who Bond has been informed will die if he wins the game.

Bond gets threatened with a cane gun (yep. A gun that looks like a cane), goes to his room, hides his massive check, and is confronted by Valerie—then Le Chiffre and his men. Turns out Val is with the French external military, but Le Chiffre tortures Bond to find out where he’s hidden the money and makes Valerie watch. After ambiguous torture, Bond wounds Le Chiffre, who tries to use Valerie as a shield, but she wriggles enough for Bond to shoot him dead.

Breaking Bond #02 - Casino Royale - Climax! (1954)