Gregory Ratoff James Bond Film Rights __exclusive__ | 95% Proven |

But the true origin story of Bond in cinema begins a decade earlier, with a flamboyant, Russian-born Hollywood director named Gregory Ratoff.

Suddenly, Feldman was sitting on a goldmine. But he couldn’t make a "real" Bond film (Eon Productions owned the rest of Fleming’s library). So he made the insane, glorious, star-studded 1967 spoof Casino Royale —a movie so chaotic it features five directors, David Niven as an aging Bond, and a closing credits song by Herb Alpert. gregory ratoff james bond film rights

Enter Gregory Ratoff. He saw something others missed: the cinematic potential of a cold, ruthless hero in a Savile Row suit. But the true origin story of Bond in

In the mid-1950s, Ian Fleming was not a brand. He was a former naval intelligence officer and a Sunday Times columnist writing thrillers for a niche audience. His first Bond novel, Casino Royale (1953), sold respectably, not spectacularly. So he made the insane, glorious, star-studded 1967

In 1954, Ratoff optioned the film rights to Casino Royale from Fleming for a paltry (plus $6,000 for a full purchase later). Think about that. For less than the cost of a used car today, Ratoff briefly owned the future of pop culture.

Next time you watch Casino Royale (the good one, with Daniel Craig), raise a shaken-not-stirred martini to Gregory Ratoff. Without his mistake, Eon might never have learned what not to do. And without his initial belief, Bond might have stayed on the page forever. Do you know any other "what if" stories from early Bond history? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you’ve never heard the name, imagine a heavier-set, chain-smoking version of Peter Sellers. Ratoff was a character. A former actor and theatrical producer from St. Petersburg, he fled the Russian Revolution, landed in New York, and eventually became a reliable director in 1930s and 40s Hollywood. His credits include The Sound of Fury and the original The Man Who Understood Women .