The live television episode marked the first on-screen appearance of the iconic 007, following American agent James Jimmy Bond as he gambles against Soviet spy Le Chiffre in an attempt to make his leaders retire him. However, instead of dwelling on recent controversies and the depressing thought that those who own the original copies of the Bond novels are now in possession of treasure, let’s delve into some facts you may not know about Ian Fleming’s first 007 book. The first official adaptation of Casino Royale wasn’t on the big screen, but rather as a 50-minute television installment of the anthology series Climax in 1954. To celebrate the 70th anniversary, Ian Fleming Publications – the company that administers all of Fleming’s literary works – has had the Bond books edited as part of a sensitivity review to remove words or phrases to accommodate 21st century sensitivities, a move that smacks of historical revisionism and which Ian Fleming’s biographer Andrew Lycett described as “a form of censorship.” We’re of course talking about Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel 'Casino Royale', which hit shelves on 13 April 1953.įleming wrote it at the age of 44 and the novel went on to launch the 007 literary universe – with a further 13 novels, which have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide – as well as kickstart the longest running cinematic franchise. Seventy years ago today, a journalist and naval intelligence officer released “the spy story to end all spy stories.”
