it be the first time we hear the distinctive opening theme music . of a timpani fanfare . it be the first time we saw him order . a scotch and water . the first time we hear a woman moan represent oh . jimmy . um and okay and so there be still a few kink to work out . but it be october and 1954 and just one year after ian fleming first novel be publish . so what if james bond do not hit the ground run . to see the man and okay and play by norwegian american barry nelson and offer a casual quip after a brush with death and tuxedo unruffled and will stir the heart of any true bondophile . bond ( nelson ) be on the case for combined intelligence . his mission represent break the bank on le chiffre ( peter lorre ) and a top soviet operative in france . to do so and he need to beat le chiffre at baccarat and and not lose his head in the process when his old flame valerie mathis ( linda christian ) be threaten with death . i have to give this tv movie a ranking here in order to review it and though it no fair use the same metric a with the theatrical bond . there be no take 2 for the cast of 1954 casino royale and work live and without a net . shadow be cast over actor face . a pasty and bloat lorre stumble over many of his line . nelson cram his shoulder into a lampshade . someone can be overheard cough behind the camera during a tense interrogation scene . nelson and an amiably solid journeyman actor and comport himself well under the circumstance . once you get use to his accent and flattop haircut and a slight twitchiness in his manner and and people call him card sense jimmy bond and he easy and interesting to watch and manage to look both cool and concern while still pull off a nice roger moore ish quip or two . so it be you those men be shoot at . why . maybe they need the practice . christian be a terrific inaugural bond girl and even if the flat black and white camera image do little justice to her face and form . lorre and oddly and be the weak sister in this acting trio and but despite some obvious discomfort he do use his famous screen presence to some good effect and especially in a card table sequence which be the best part of this short movie where he smirk and glower to cold effect . there also a surprisingly gritty torture sequence at the end and with the bad guy use a pair of plier on bond toe . the producer of climax . and director william h. brown couldn not copy the fleming novel too closely while it have bond get nail in a more tender part of his anatomy . but they do get much of the nub of the story and not a bad feat consider the time limit and production code . the movie i saw ran just 48 minute . apparently there be more to the end that i miss and though it seem to have run it course well enough . the last line in my version have bond say call the police . i do not think you will hear bond say that in any other of his movie . despite or because of such incongruity and casino royale be a fascinating glimpse at give birth to a 1960s icon a decade too soon . a a spy story and it only work in fit and start and but what matter be it place a the somewhat neglected beginning of a screen legend .