The agent/producer Charles K. Feldman had represented Ratoff and bought the film rights for "Casino Royale" from his widow. Albert R. Broccoli, who had held an interest in adapting James Bond for some years, offered to purchase the "Casino Royale" rights from Feldman, but he declined. Feldman and his friend, the director Howard Hawks, had an interest in adapting "Casino Royale", considering Leigh Brackett as a writer and Cary Grant as James Bond. They eventually decided not to proceed after they saw the film "Dr. No" (1962), the first Bond adaptation made by Broccoli and his partner Harry Saltzman through their company Eon Productions.