Sean Connery’s James Bond spies ‘From Russia With Love’
Just as most people have their favorite screen James Bond, most have their favorite James Bond movie.
For many purists, “From Russia With Love” ranks extremely high on the list. Being shown by Cinemax on Thursday, April 11, the 1963 caper came close on the heels of Sean Connery’s debut as Agent 007 in “Dr. No” ... and much of the appeal of the second round rests in the actor’s cool confidence in a role he grew into very quickly. There’s also satisfaction for Bond devotees in the film being one of the most literal adaptations of a novel by Ian Fleming, since gadgetry began to compete heavily with story starting with the follow-up, “Goldfinger.”
Though Bond — or someone we think is him — appears in the pre-credits sequence that became a standard Bond element with “From Russia With Love,” it actually takes a while for him to enter the picture in full. Early scenes are devoted to introducing various villains such as Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya), she of the poison-tipped knife concealed in her shoe, and impressively strong henchman Red Grant (Robert Shaw, 12 years before his “Jaws” turn as Quint).