James Bond filmography by Connery, was selected as the third-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute. When Sean Connery had been cast in November 1961, David Niven had been Fleming's choice for the role as the actor reflected his image of the character. In 1965 producer Charles Feldman signed Niven to play Sir James Bond for "Casino Royale", a film not made by Eon Productions. Connery and Peter Sellers had both turned down the role. Niven was 56 when he played Bond and his characterisation was that of an elderly man who had won the Victoria Cross at the Siege
David Niven Rich Little. Niven only learned of it from a newspaper report. This was his last film appearance. Niven wrote four books. The first, "Round the Rugged Rocks", (published simultaneously in the US under the title "Once Over Lightly") was a novel that appeared in 1951 and was forgotten almost at once. In 1971, he published his autobiography, "The Moon's a Balloon", which was well received, selling over five million copies. He followed this with "Bring On the Empty Horses" in 1975, a collection of entertaining reminiscences from Hollywood's "Golden Age" in the 1930s and '40s. It now appears that Niven