However, he didn't walk away empty-handed. In a move that screams "Old Hollywood," Ratoff made a gentleman’s agreement with Fleming: In exchange for waiving his renewal, Ratoff retained a small percentage of future profits and, crucially, the right of first refusal on Casino Royale specifically.
When we think of the men who controlled the fate of James Bond, names like Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, and Kevin McClory immediately spring to mind. But before the gunbarrel sequence ever existed, the film rights to Ian Fleming’s literary sensation were held by an unlikely character: a boisterous, Russian-born actor-director named Gregory Ratoff.
Looking back, Gregory Ratoff relinquishing the Bond rights was the single best thing to happen to 007. Ratoff saw Bond as a one-off comedy. Broccoli and Saltzman saw a dynasty.
If Ratoff had held onto the rights, James Bond might have been a forgotten B-movie character from the 1950s. Instead, by letting go, he allowed the franchise to fall into the hands that built the legend.
Ratoff died in 1960, never seeing the Bond phenomenon explode. His estate, however, still held the messy rights to Casino Royale . That led to the 1967 spoof version starring David Niven—a chaotic, psychedelic mess that Ratoff’s widow sold off for a reported $1,000.
By 1955, Ratoff’s option was expiring. Rather than renew a property he couldn't sell to studios,
Next time you watch Bond order a vodka martini, spare a thought for Gregory Ratoff. He was the man who held the keys to the kingdom—and politely handed them back before the door was unlocked.