The Kremlin Letter (1970)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Noel Behn (novel)
John Huston (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 February 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Don't trust anyone in THE KREMLIN LETTER

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Spy | China | Espionage | Letter | Photographic Memory

Cast

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
Anthony Chinn	...	Kitai
Guy Deghy	...	Professor
John Huston	...	Admiral
Fulvia Ketoff	...	Sonia Potkin
Vonetta McGee	...	The Negress
Marc Lawrence	...	The Priest
Cyril Shaps	...	Police Doctor
Christopher Sandford	...	Rudolph
Hana Maria Pravda	...	Mrs. Kazar (as Hana-Maria Pravda)
George Pravda	...	Kazar
Ludmilla Dudarova	...	Mrs. Potkin
Dimitri Tamarov	...	Ilya
Pehr-Olof Sirén	...	Receptionist
Daniel Smid	...	Waiter
Victor Beaumont	...	The Dentist
Steve Zacharias	...	Dittomachine
Laura Forin	...	Elena Potkin
Saara Ranin	...	Mikail's Mother (as Saara Rannin)
Sacha Carafa	...	Mrs. Grodin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brandon Brady	...	Clocker Dan (uncredited)
Larry Cross	...	Member of Tillnger Foundation (uncredited)
Roger Nikkanen	...	Extra in Finland (uncredited)
Rune Sandlund	...	Mikhail (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Noel Behn		(novel "The Kremlin Letter")
John Huston		(screenplay) and
Gladys Hill		(screenplay)

Produced by
Carter DeHaven	....	producer
Sam Wiesenthal	....	producer
John Huston	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Robert Drasnin

Cinematography by
Edward Scaife		(director of photography) (as Ted Scaife)

Film Editing by
Russell Lloyd

Casting by
Robert Lennard		(as Bob Lennard)

Production Design by
Ted Haworth

Art Direction by
Elven Webb

Set Decoration by
Dario Simoni

Costume Design by
John Furniss

Makeup Department
George Frost	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
David C. Anderson	....	production manager (as David Anderson)
Tony LaMarca	....	unit production manager: NYC/USA

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gus Agosti	....	first assistant director
Carlo Cotti	....	second assistant director
Åke Lindman	....	assistant director: Finland (uncredited)
Nigel Wooll	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Giovanni Natalucci	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Renato Cadueri	....	sound
Basil Fenton-Smith	....	sound
Leslie Hodgson	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Dudley Lovell	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Laurie Shane	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Drasnin	....	conductor

Other crew
Ernest Anderson	....	unit publicist (as Ernie Anderson)
Lucie Lichtig	....	script supervisor (as Lucy Lichtig)
Michael Maslansky	....	unit publicist

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Arturo González Rodríguez (1975) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Twilight Time Video (2011) (Canada) (DVD)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (????) (Spain) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Screen Time Images  film restoration

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | USA:M | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

John Huston performed a number of roles on this movie. Huston was director, script co-writer, an uncredited producer and as an actor did a cameo. Huston made this spy movie not long before he would helm another espionage film, The MacKintosh Man (1973).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Ward and the Whore talk in the bathroom at the end, the movie crew is reflected in the tiles.

Quotes:

Warlock:She lunches every day in the cafeteria, invariably alone. Sometimes after lunch she goes to the Central Park Zoo and sketches lions for half an hour. Only lions, for God's sake! She never speaks to anybody, except a couple of the black girls in life class. They look at her sketches and she looks at theirs. Sorry old man, it's not very much to go on.
The Whore:It's quite a lot.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Dark Side of Porn: Debbie Does Dallas Uncovered (#1.3)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Stay

Misdiagnosed by critics and anthologies

I saw the original release (uncut) and was not disturbed by George Sanders in drag. It seems to me that this one point raised by almost all of the movie anthologies indicates that none have seen the film but only copied one person's comment. The story is clever espionage, keeps you guessing, and keeps your interest. I do not want to say anything else about the story for it will spoil it for those who have not seen it. The performances are all strong and the graphic portrayal may have been too much for the critics. If you want to sense the power and fear of espionage, this is the film to see. There is no holding back. Even the great one, "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold", does not push the cruelty of the spy game as far as this one does. I wish we could get some interest going so that this film will be released on video. I would like to revisit this unique spy film.