The Kremlin Letter (1970)

A network of older spies from the West recruits a young intelligence officer with a photographic memory to accompany them on a mission inside Russia. They must recover a letter written by ... See full summary »

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Noel Behn (novel), John Huston (screenplay),

Stars:

Bibi Andersson, Richard Boone, Nigel Green

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bibi Andersson	...	Erika Kosnov
Richard Boone	...	Ward
Nigel Green	...	The Whore
Dean Jagger	...	Highwayman
Lila Kedrova	...	Madam Sophie
Micheál MacLiammóir	...	Sweet Alice
Patrick O'Neal	...	Charles Rone
Barbara Parkins	...	B.A.
Ronald Radd	...	Captain Potkin
George Sanders	...	Warlock
Raf Vallone	...	Puppet Maker
Max von Sydow	...	Colonel Kosnov
Orson Welles	...	Bresnavitch
Sandor Elès	...	Lt. Grodin (as Sandor Eles)
Niall MacGinnis	...	Erector Set

Storyline

A network of older spies from the West recruits a young intelligence officer with a photographic memory to accompany them on a mission inside Russia. They must recover a letter written by the CIA that promises American assistance to Russia if China gets the atomic bomb.

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Plot Keywords:

spy | china | espionage | letter | photographic memory | 

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Taglines:

Don't trust anyone in THE KREMLIN LETTER

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian French

Release Date:

1 February 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brevet til Kreml

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Publicity for this picture stated that if you missed the first five minutes, you would miss the key to the plot, one seduction, two deaths and one suicide.

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Goofs

When Ward and the Whore talk in the bathroom at the end, the movie crew is reflected in the tiles.

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Quotes

Ward: Now look, I think we've left no stone unturned. But let's not kid ourselves. If any of us is caught there's only a remote possibility we'd be mistaken for Russians. Keep in mind that close examination takes time, and that time they use on you could let the rest of us escape.
Highwayman: Don't be too quick to die.

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Connections

Referenced in John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick (1989)

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Soundtracks

"Stay"
(uncredited)
Written by Maurice Williams
Played at the Moscow club

User Reviews

Best spy flick ever

Best spy film of the genre. It has an exceptionally high caliber of actors who, portray the coldness, ruthlessness and reality of espionage, particularly during the cold war. The premise of the film is complex in that things are not what they seem. The reality of what spies do is never depicted more coldly and as a result more negatively in what it entails and the cost it has to one's humanity. If one is interested in a movie that, even by today's standards, would not be made, because there are no 'heroes', see the best spy movie Ever.