1963

Directed by Terence Young
Screenplay by Richard Maibaum. Adapted by Johnanna Harwood
Produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R Broccoli
Art Director Syd Cain
Director of photography Ted Moore BSC
Editor Peter Hunt
Special effects by John Stears
Stunt work arranged by Peter Perkins
Main title designed by Robert Brownjohn. Assisted by Trevor Bond

James Bond Sean Connery; Tatiana Romanova Daniela Bianchi; Kerim Bey Pedro Armendariz; Rosa Klebb Lotte Lenya; Donald Grant Robert Shaw; M Bernard Lee; Sylvia Trench Eunice Gayson; Morzeny Walter Gotell; Vavra Francis de Wolff; Train Conductor George Pastell; Kerim's Girl Nadja Regin; Miss Moneypenny Lois Maxwell; Vida Aliza Gur; Zora Martine Beswick; Ernst Stavro Blofeld ? (actually Anthony Dawson with the voice of Eric Pohlman).

James Bond is definitely back in the second entry of the film series. From Russia With Love is considered among the finest films of the 007 legacy. Like Dr. No, it is a spy thriller with a bare minimum of believable gadgets, human characters and Connery settling into the role comfortably. I would recommend From Russia With Love as THE Bond film as the first one to watch when introducing someone to the world of James Bond!

Some Trivia

• Bond is first seen spending time with Sylvia Trench. It was intended that Sylvia would be a regular character, creating a running joke with Bond always being called away from her. However, this film was the character's final appearance. This was probably because actress Eunice Gayson was a friend of director Terrence Young, who came back to the series once more in 1965's Thunderball!

•        From Russia With Love also introduces us to the head of SPECTRE, who would feature in a number of subsequent films. Although referred to on screen only as Number 1 he is named as Ernst Blofeld in the end credits. However the producers chose to create an atmosphere of mystery about the character; his face is not seen and an actor credit is replaced by a question mark. Here, Blofeld was actually played by Anthony Dawson (who was Professor Dent in Dr No) and his voice was dubbed by Eric Pohlman.

• The novel From Russia With Love was the only work of fiction in the 1960 list of John F. Kennedy's favorite books!

•        The hatch in the side of the building which acts as Krilencu's escape route is disguised by the mouth of Anita Ekberg in a poster for a film called "Call Me Bwana" - this film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R Broccoli and their names can be seen on the poster.
•        From Russia With Love was the first film to announce its sucessor in the end credits; this trend would be continued until Octopussy. The end credits also feature an error, claiming that the James Bond theme was composed by Monte Norman (instead of Monty Norman).

The End of From Russia With Love...

James Bond Will Return in

Goldfinger

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