James Bond: Barry Nelson

THE FILM BOND IS 30 NEXT YEAR

By TOM SOTER from VIDEO, 1991 Before James Bond was even a gleam in Sean Connery's eye, there was Barry Nelson, the original Agent 007. Never heard of him? You're not alone. Nelson, a popular TV sitcom star of the 1950s (he appeared in 103 episodes of My Favorite Husband), was cast as the first Bond in a television version of Ian Fleming's initial 007 novel. Casino Royale, shot live in 1954 for CBS's Climax anthology series, was long thought lost, but has resurfaced on video. If you pick up the tape, however, don't expect any wry double entendres or martinis shaken not stirred. Unlike the suave Connery, TV's Bond ("Jimmy" to his friends) is a stocky American in an oversize tuxedo with a lot to say and not much to do. "We were live and confined to a few sets," recalls Nelson, now 70. "And when you take something like that, which depends primarily on action, you're in terrible trouble." Indeed: the only true Bondian elements are larger-than-life villain Peter Lorre and sultry "Bond Girl" Linda Christian. Yet even she was transformed for Eisenhower-era television. Says Nelson: "Linda and I did kiss – but very politely."