Casino Royale (novel) is given to the leading lady, named Valérie Mathis instead of Vesper Lynd. In March 1955 Ian Fleming sold the film rights of "Casino Royale" to the producer Gregory Ratoff for $6,000. After Ratoff's death, producer Charles K. Feldman represented Ratoff's widow and obtained the rights to make a film version. Feldman decided the best way to profit from the film rights was to make a satirical version, which was produced and released in 1967 by Columbia Pictures. The film, which cast David Niven as Bond, was made with five credited directors (plus one uncredited) and a cast that included
Grahame Bond working for the ABC's religious affairs department—he commissioned Bond and Weir to make a one-hour special, "Man on a Green Bike", which was Bond's first TV appearance. In 1970 Bond wrote and performed in another successful comedy revue, "Hamlet On Ice". In 1971 Peter Weir wrote and directed his first short feature film, a surreal black comedy called "Homesdale", with an ensemble cast that included rising actress Kate Fitzpatrick. In the film Bond played Mister Kevin, the first incarnation of the popular Aunty Jack Show character Kev Kavanagh. Soon after "Homedsale" Bond and Weir were asked to create a children's