Before I start I want to make it very clear about what I'm talking about. By Casino Royale, no I'm not talking about the now forgotten episode of Climax in which Bond's and Leiter's name's were changed and nationalities switched. Nor the 1967 spoof starring David Niven. No, I'm talking about the Ian Fleming novel that started it all.
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Casino Royale, published in 1953 introduced Commander James Bond 007, and the
original villian La Chiffre. An agent of S.M.E.R.S.H. (Death to Spies) the most feared division of Soviet Intelligence. The book has alot of aspects that the movies fail to feature. Such as the origins of James Bond's code number. In Bond's own words, "A Double O number in our department is awarded for the killing of a chap in cold blood whilst on a mission". The storyline of Casino Royale plays off as follows;
La Chiffre has embesseled missions from the USSR, if he doesn't pay it back, S.M.E.R.S.H. will have him knocked off. Apparently MI6 and the CIA have been trying to bump off La Chiffre for years, and what better way then to let the Soviets do the job for them? La Chiffre is desperately trying to win enough money to pay off the Russian at Casino Royale in Monaco. Bond is sent to Monaco along with his fellow agent Vesper Lynd codenamed 4040. There Bond meets up with Mathis of French Intelligence and American agent Felix Leiter. However, Bond neighbours, Mr. & Mrs Muntz knew Bond was coming and have wired his room. Later on Bond is attacked by two suicide bombers. But survives and is sent to Casino Royale were he deuls La Chiffre at a game of Baccara. Bond must win so La Chiffre will be bankrupt and unable to pay off the Russians. But during the game, Bond is threatened by a gunman. Bond outsmarts him and continues the game. La Chiffre looses at Bond's hand and to his dismay hands Bond a check for his winnings. Bond and Vesper go out to dinner to celebrate, but the girl is kidnapped by La Chiffre's men. Bond tails them, but when La Chiffre drops a spike belt on the road, 007's Bently flips and the agent is captured. Bond awakes strapped to a chair in La Chiffre's mansion. He is naked. From there, La Chiffre brutally and repeatably thrashes the agent's balls with a cane, demanding to know where Bond has hidden the money. And just when 007 feels he can take no more, a Soviet agent arrives and does the deed; he assassinates La Chiffre and, as he has no orders to, does not kill Bond, he only cuts a gash on his hand. After Bond gets out of hospital he falls in love with Vesper, he wishes to marry her. But before he can get the chance to ask her, he finds her dead. A tearful goodbye note reveals that she was a double working for S.M.E.R.S.H. That's how the Muntzes knew Bond was coming, that how the suicide bombers knew where to find Bond. She had ratted him out the whole time. Angry, Bond phones MI-6 and reports, "4040 was a double. Yes damn it, I said "Was". The bitch is dead now".
I highly recommend this book to anyone who calls himself a Bond fan.
