The James Bond A-Z Podcast

We've been expecting you: Jeremy Duns on Casino Royale

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Episode notes

Author, journalist, and espionage writer Jeremy Duns joins The James Bond A-Z Podcast hosts Tom Butler, Brendan Duffy and Tom Wheatley to talk about his research into the many unmade versions of 'Casino Royale' that preceded the 1967 and 2006 adaptations. The first film adaptation of Ian Fleming's debut James Bond novel is an anomaly in the history of the 007 films, as it was developed in isolation outside of the Eon Productions hit factory. Duns explains how he discovered early drafts of the film, written for producer Charles K Feldman, by Oscar-winner Ben Hecht ('Angels Over Broadway', 'Scarface', 'Notorious'), what they entail and how they could have turned the Bond franchise upside down. The author also discusses the unproduced 'Casino Royale' screenplays written by 'Catch-22' author Joseph Heller - and others - that finally led to Feldman's disastrous 1967 film. And he discusses the incredible true WW2 spy caper that helped inspire one of the most iconic moments of 'Goldfinger'. You can find Jeremy Duns' work on Ian Fleming and James Bond on www.jeremy-duns.com. Please rate this podcast and leave a review wherever you listen. James Bond will return... in next week's James Bond's A-Z Podcast.