In the Citadel Film series book on The Films Of John Huston the author says that the reason that the film flopped was that the lead actor Patrick O'Neal was overwhelmed by the colorful supporting cast that Huston put together. It certainly was a formidable array of talent, topped off by George Sanders as an outrageous old drag queen. The Kremlin Letter is also compared unfavorably to The Maltese Falcon in that Humphrey Bogart more than held his own against a similarly colorful cast.
I'm not sure O'Neal was overwhelmed, but the story might have been a bit tricky to follow. O'Neal is a naval officer detached from the service to join the CIA where he comes under the control of Richard Boone and Dean Jagger. He's to become part of a team that has to get a hold of an indiscreet letter written by a KGB man trying to get the USA to side with the USSR against the People's Republic of China. The Chinese might do more than just embarrass certain folks if they get their hands on it.
Most of the team dies and the mission is not all that it seems. Still O'Neal carries on and what was intended to really be accomplished is. Still O'Neal is left with a real ethical dilemma in the end. And espionage as he finds is a business without ethics.
This film could have been another The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, but falls way short of that classic. I think too many balls were in the air for the viewer to follow. Still a chance to see George Sanders in drag should not be missed.
I'm not sure O'Neal was overwhelmed, but the story might have been a bit tricky to follow. O'Neal is a naval officer detached from the service to join the CIA where he comes under the control of Richard Boone and Dean Jagger. He's to become part of a team that has to get a hold of an indiscreet letter written by a KGB man trying to get the USA to side with the USSR against the People's Republic of China. The Chinese might do more than just embarrass certain folks if they get their hands on it.
Most of the team dies and the mission is not all that it seems. Still O'Neal carries on and what was intended to really be accomplished is. Still O'Neal is left with a real ethical dilemma in the end. And espionage as he finds is a business without ethics.
This film could have been another The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, but falls way short of that classic. I think too many balls were in the air for the viewer to follow. Still a chance to see George Sanders in drag should not be missed.