Sun 16 Dec 2007
Once again, I don’t have a name to go with the artwork on this cover. I’ve shown this book to a number of people, and not many of them remember that Bantam ever published James Bond’s adventures. Everybody remembers the Signet books, of course, since they came out when Bond’s popularity was the highest, and there’s a slew of those around.
Fleming died in 1964, and this book came out in 1971. Even though the movies were still going strong — weren’t they? — I don’t think the Bantam editions sold well. I almost never see them anywhere myself, and I doubt that I have a full set. (Assuming, that is, that Bantam did a full set.)
BANTAM, paperback reprint, May 1971. Hardcover edition: Macmillan, March 1954. UK hardcover: Jonathan Cape, 1954. Also published in paperback as You Asked for It, Popular Library, 1955. Other paperback edition: Signet, February 1960.
From the back cover:
Millions of readers and countless filmgoers the world over have met British Secret Service agent James Bond — 007 — the superhero with an enormous appetite for the good things in life — food, women and international intrigue.
In Casino Royale, 007 faces one of his keenest adversaries, the Communist agent Le Chiffre, across the gaming tables of a famous French casino. The game is baccarat; the stakes are high: life and death.
Read the James Bond thriller From Russia, With Love. A Bantam Book.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:21 pm
If no one has identified the artist for this Bantam edition of Casino Royale, it is none other than well known western artist Frank McCarthy who also did the Bond posters with Robert McGinnis beginning with Thunderball. McCarthy also did the cover for Bantam’s edition of Colonel Sun the Bond pastische done by Kingsly Amis as Robert Markham.
McCarthy did many western covers, notably for Louis L’Amour and Will Henry as well as many other genres. Today he is a highly collectable western artist like fellow Bantam cover artist James Bama. He also did poster art for a number of films other than the Bonds. He also worked for several other publishers including Popular Library.
April 12th, 2021 at 2:36 pm
AFAIK, Bantam published Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia With Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger, and Colonel Sun in the early 1970s. IIUC, Signet still had the rights to the other Bond books at the time.
The Bantam editions of Diamonds Are Forever and Live and Let Die used the movie posters as their covers. The others had original painted covers.
Most sites list Frank McCarthy as the cover artist for the Bantam books, but 007 Magazine said it was James Bama.
April 12th, 2021 at 2:50 pm
Thanks, tc. I’m far from being an expert when it comes to art, but while it could be Bama’s work, it just doesn’t look like it to me.