Casino Royale 1967 Canon

9 min readJun 13, 2021

‘And afterwords we can run amok! Or if you’re too tired, we can walk amok.’ — Jimmy Bond

‘Casino Royale’ attracted a number of famed guest stars willing to make cameos with the cinema stars Welles, Sellers and Niven. Peter O’Toole, George Raft and Jean-Paul Belmond all appeared in the film whilst Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren were set to make cameos but were unable to attend the shooting. A Brief History of Casino Royale ’67. I’m still not quite sure if my Bond education was an unusual one, but I grew up understanding that the 1967 Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again were.

Mission
A satirical romp through the spy-fi genre begins as legendary spy Sir James Bond is coaxed out of retirement to take on SMERSH. With M dead in a fantastical explosion Sir James becomes head of MI6 and leads a squad of ‘James Bonds’ to all fight crime in his name. One is Evelyn Tremble, recruited as one of the many 007s and tasked to face SMERSH agent Le Chiffre at the baccarat table.
Cast
Sir James BondDavid NivenEvelyn TremblePeter SellersVesper Lynd — 007Ursula AndressLe ChiffreOrson WellesJimmy Bond — Dr. NoahWoody AllenAgent Mimi aka Lady FionaDeborah KerrMata BondJoanna PettetRansomeWilliam Holden

Trivia
Though this film is not part of the EON Productions official series, a number of compilation albums and CDs of James Bond film music actually often incorporate one or both of two tracks from this film, ‘The Look of Love’ and ‘Casino Royale’, in their collections. The former is one of Burt Bacharach’s most remembered and successful tracks.

Crew

DirectorsVal Guest, Ken Hughes, John Huston, et alProducersJerry Bresler, John Dark, Charles K. FeldmanWritersWolf Mankowitz, John Law, Michael Sayers et alComposerBurt BacharachEditorBill Lenny

Peter Sellers
Evelyn Tremble

Vital Statistics
Running Time131 minutesBudget$12mUS Box Office$22.7mWorldwide Box Office$19m

Casino Royale 1967 Canon Mark Ii

Best Quote
Sir James: ‘It’s depressing that the words ‘secret agent’ have become synonymous with ‘sex maniac.’

Release Data
USA28 April 1967UK13 April 1967Australia8 September 1967Denmark21 December 1967France22 December 1967Turkey1 April 1969Spain11 December 1977

Production Notes
Respected Hollywood producer Charles K. Feldman had recently acquired the rights to the Ian Fleming novel ‘Casino Royale’ and its source material and had initially approached the producers at EON Productions in order to collaborate on an ‘official’ version of the debut 007 story. However, after the complexities of ‘Thunderball’ — having co-produced the fourth James Bond outing with Kevin McClory — Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were reluctant (to say the least) to team up with another production company. The parties could not come to a satisfactory agreement and so parted ways, with EON producing the Japanese-set ‘You Only Live Twice’, and Feldman, not wishing to compete with the official series for viewers, opting to use the rights to shoot an all-out 1960s spoof of the genre.

Casino Royale 1967 Canon Mark Iv

Feldman sought the backing of Columbia and secured a very respectable budget of $6 million to shoot his spoof, but the production ran into complexities and by the end of the protracted shoot, the budget was almost double that of the expected outlay. This would prove to be greater than that of ‘Thunderball’, the last official 007 outing. The convoluted nature of the production required the assistance of many directors. Ken Hughes (who would later go on to direct EON Productions’ ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’) was brought onto the production to capture the Berlin scenes, John Huston worked with the cast in Scotland (doubling for Sir James Bond’s home), Robert Parrish worked on the scenes between Orson Wells and Peter Sellers (largely across the casino table), with Joseph McGrath and Richard Talmadge both contributing to the coordination of extra scenes.

The convoluted nature of the shoot was not helped by its stars, Peter Sellers and Orson Welles, whose feud in the midst of the production reportedly resulted in the two actors unable to work in the same room as one another. Additionally, according to ‘The Life and Death of Peter Sellers’, the actor was unwilling to stick to the script (which had already been written and rewritten by a squad of Hollywood’s most creative screenwriters) and insisted on dropping in his own one-liners and dialogue. As one critic said, Sellers’ desired ‘to turn the flattery of the role (love scene with Ursula Andress and a hefty sum) into a long-sought Cary Grant-type image.’ Director Val Guest wrote that Welles did not think much of Sellers, and had refused to work with ‘that amateur’. In the end, Sellers departed the production before all of the planned material was in the can. Fans to this day speculate whether he quit or was fired, but all of that remains unknown but hugely consequential to the fashion in which the film ends.

As well as the bigger names, Ursula Andress, Vladek Sheybal, Burt Kwouk, John Hollis, Angela Scoular and Caroline Munro were among those cast members that had or would go on to perform in an EON Productions James Bond film.

The film was recently posted to YouTube in its entirety as one of six in a join venture between the studio and MGM. Fans from select global regions can watch it free of charge online today.

Capsule Reviews
‘Niven seems justifiably bewildered by the proceedings, but he has a neat delivery of throwaway lines and enters into the exuberant physical action with pleasant blandness. Peter Sellers has some amusing gags as the gambler, the chance of dressing up in various guises and a neat near-seduction scene with Ursula Andress.’ — Variety

‘But there is never much chance for the comedy, let alone for the original yarn (which, like all Bond stories, could not be taken seriously, but which at least was a story). The movie is too busy kidding the previous Bond movies, which kidded the books and themselves before they were in turn kidded by the U.N.C.L.E.s and Flints. Poor 007 is now lost in a hall of distorting mirrors. It is no surprise that by the last reel there is a distinct air of defeat about Casino Royale, as if the money ($12 million) and the time (134 minutes) had run out. The final footage shows the U.S. cavalry riding to Bond’s rescue, joined shortly by American Indians parachuting from planes and shouting ‘Geronimo!’, the French Foreign Legion, and a Mack Sennett-style squadron of period policemen. This kind of keystone cop-out was done faster and funnier 34 years ago when the Marx Brothers made Duck Soup. But in those days comedies consisted of scenes and not herds.’ — Time

More Movies

Share The Story

(Redirected from The Look of Love (Burt Bacharach song))

‘The Look of Love’Song by Dusty Springfieldfrom the album Casino Royale SoundtrackReleasedJanuary 29, 1967StudioPhilips Studios, LondonGenrePop, jazzLength4:11LabelColgemsComposer(s)Burt BacharachLyricist(s)Hal DavidProducer(s)Phil RamoneAudio sample

The Look of Love

‘The Look of Love’ is a popularsong composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by English pop singer Dusty Springfield. The song is notable for its sensuality and its relaxed bossa nova rhythm.[1][2] The song was featured in the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale. In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[3] It also received a Best Song nomination in the 1968 Academy Awards.

Songwriters[edit]

The music was written by Burt Bacharach, and was originally intended to be an instrumental. But later Hal David added the lyrics, and the song was published in 1967. According to Bacharach, the melody was inspired by watching Ursula Andress in an early cut of the film.[4]

Recordings[edit]

Early recordings[edit]

Stan Getz made the first recording of the song, an instrumental version, in December 1966 for his album What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David.[5] The first recording featuring the song’s lyrics was by Dusty Springfield, for the Casino Royale soundtrack. Phil Ramone, the soundtrack’s engineer, recorded the song separately from the rest of the film tracks. The film version received an Oscar nomination for songwriters Bacharach and David.[6] Springfield re-recorded the song the same year for Philips Records with an arrangement about half a minute shorter than the soundtrack version. Both Springfield versions feature a breathy tenor saxophone solo similar in style to Stan Getz’s playing on his early-1960s bossa nova hit recordings like ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ and ‘Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)’. Her Philips single version reached #22 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in November 1967. Springfield’s Philips version was later featured in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can.[7]

Online 3 card solitaire. Claudine Longet recorded the song on her 1967 album of the same title. Lainie Kazan also recorded ‘The Look of Love’ (arranged by Pat Williams) on her 1967 album Love Is Lainie. Nina Simone also recorded ‘The Look of Love’ in 1967 on her album Silk & Soul. Morgana King recorded ‘The Look of Love’ on her 1967 album Gemini Rising.

‘The Look of Love’Single by Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ‘66from the album Look AroundB-side’Like a Lover’Released1968GenreBossa novaLength3:03LabelA&MSongwriter(s)Burt Bacharach, Hal David’The Look of Love’Song by Isaac Hayesfrom the album ..To Be ContinuedReleased1970RecordedSummer 1970GenreFunk, soul[8]Composer(s)Burt BacharachLyricist(s)Hal David

Sérgio Mendes’ hit rendition on the Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ’66 album Look Around reached #4 on the pop charts after their performance in the Academy Awards telecast in April 1968. The lead vocal on this single was handled by Janis Hansen, not Lani Hall, a rarity in the early Brasil ’66 canon. Andy Williams released a version in 1967 on his album, Love, Andy, while Nancy Wilson included the song on her 1968 album Easy. Soul group The Delfonics also covered the song in 1968 on their album La La Means I Love You, while the legendary Motown quartet Four Tops gave the song a sweeping Broadway-like treatment on their 1969 album Soul Spin. Brazilian threesome Som Três recorded an early instrumental version on their album Show (Odeon, 1968). Dorothy Ashby included the song in her 1968 album Afro-Harping. An instrumental version of the song was included on the 1967 Burt Bacharach album Reach Out,[9] which was also featured on the soundtrack for the film The Boys in the Band.[10]

Notable cover versions[edit]

Bobbie Gentry performed perhaps the first cover version on The Carol Burnett Show, Season 1, Episode 6 in October 1967.
Dionne Warwick, who recorded a number of Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs, performed her own cover version for her 1969 album Dionne Warwick’s Greatest Motion Picture Hits.
In 1969, American rock band Vanilla Fudge released an experimental version of the song, as the band was famous for innovative rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs of the time.
Isaac Hayes covered the song for his 1970 album ..To Be Continued. While Hayes used the same lyrics, his cover includes a unique instrumental arrangement which has been heavily sampled on R&B and hip-hop records. His version of the song was also featured in the film Dead Presidents.
Gladys Knight covered the song in 1973 where it reached number 21 in the UK Chart.
A version performed by Susanna Hoffs was featured in the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and was included on the film’s soundtrack.
Marilyn Scott covered the song on her Avenues of Love 1998 album.
In 1999, smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G recorded the song on the tenor saxophone on his album Classics in the Key of G.
In 2001, Canadian jazz singer/pianist Diana Krall recorded the song as the title track of her album The Look of Love.
Diana Ross covered the song for her 2006 album, I Love You.
The song is covered by Mari Wilson on her 2016 release Pop Deluxe and is a regular feature of her live shows.
Bobby Womack also covered this song in his 1973 album Facts of Life.
Covered by Say Lou Lou in 2019.

References[edit]

Casino Royale 1967 Canon Mark Iii

Footnotes

Casino Royale 1967 Canon Rebel

^Howes, Paul (2012). The Complete Dusty Springfield. Titan. ISBN9781781165409..
^Goldschmitt, K.E. (2019). Bossa Mundo: Brazilian Music in Transnational Media Industries. xford University Press. p. 79. ISBN9780190923525.
^’Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Grammy.org. Retrieved December 21, 2012
^Dominic, Serene (2003). Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans, Serious Record Collectors, and Music Critics. Music Sales Group. p. 182. ISBN978–0–8256–7280–4. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
^Churchill, Nicholas (December 15, 2004). Stan Getz: An Annotated Bibliography and Filmography, with Song and Session Information for Albums. McFarland. p. 224. ISBN978–0–7864–1949–4. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
^’The 40th Academy Awards 1968'. Oscars.org — Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
^Peña-Acuña (2018), p. 56.
^[1]
^AllMusic
^AllMusic

Bibliography

Peña-Acuña, Beatriz (2018). Understanding Steven Spielberg. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN9781527508187.

External links[edit]

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
‘The Look Of Love, Performed Live by Diana Krall’. YouTube.com.

Retrieved from ‘https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Look_of_Love_(1967_song)&oldid=1003752469'

>>> Register here <<<