Rather than adapt the cruelly tragic love story of Vesper Lynd and James Bond, Casino Royale ’54 plays for straight romance, with a happy ending.
Nelson’s “Card Sense Jimmy Bond” and Lorre’s Le Chiffre are worthy adversaries, and the dramatic tension in this version is so pulpy and noir, it actually feels closer to Ian Fleming’s works than some of the efforts that would follow. While it’s solely focused on James Bond’s time at Casino Royale, and mostly centered around the high stakes Baccarat game against Le Chiffre (Peter Lorre), this Climax! episode does a pretty good job of telling a 007 story without any reference points to go on.
