Martin Ritt

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

The acclaimed, best-selling novel by John le Carré, about a Cold War spy on one final dangerous mission in East Germany, is transmuted by director Martin Ritt into a film every bit as precise and ruthless as the book. Richard Burton is superb as Alec Leamas, whose relationship with the beautiful librarian Nan, played by Claire Bloom, puts his assignment in jeopardy. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a hard-edged and tragic thriller, suffused with the political and social consciousness that defined Ritt’s career.

Film Info

  • United States
  • 1965
  • 112 minutes
  • Black & White
  • 1.66:1
  • English
  • Spine #452

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Interview with author John le Carré from 2008
  • Selected-scene commentary featuring director of photography Oswald Morris
  • The Secret Centre: John le Carré (2000), a BBC documentary on the author’s extraordinary life and work
  • A 1967 interview with Richard Burton from the BBC series Acting in the 60’s, conducted by film critic Kenneth Tynan
  • An audio conversation from 1985 between director Martin Ritt and film historian Patrick McGilligan
  • Gallery of set designs
  • Theatrical trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Sragow

    Cover by Eric Skillman

Purchase Options

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Interview with author John le Carré from 2008
  • Selected-scene commentary featuring director of photography Oswald Morris
  • The Secret Centre: John le Carré (2000), a BBC documentary on the author’s extraordinary life and work
  • A 1967 interview with Richard Burton from the BBC series Acting in the 60’s, conducted by film critic Kenneth Tynan
  • An audio conversation from 1985 between director Martin Ritt and film historian Patrick McGilligan
  • Gallery of set designs
  • Theatrical trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Sragow

    Cover by Eric Skillman
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Cast
Richard Burton
Alec Leamas
Claire Bloom
Nan Perry
Oskar Werner
Fiedler
Sam Wanamaker
Peters
George Voskovec
East German defense attorney
Rupert Davies
George Smiley
Cyril Cusack
Control
Peter Van Eyck
Hans-Dieter Mundt
Michael Hordern
Ashe
Robert Hardy
Dick Carlton
Bernard Lee
Patmore
Beatrix Lehmann
Tribunal President
Esmond Knight
Old judge
Credits
Director
Martin Ritt
Produced by
Martin Ritt
Based upon the novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by
John Le Carré
Screenplay
Paul Dehn
Screenplay
Guy Trosper
Director of photography
Oswald Morris
Assistant to the producer
Richard McWhorter
Production design
Tambi Larsen
Music composed and conducted by
Sol Kaplan
Editor
Anthony Harvey
Production supervisor
James Ware
Art director
Edward Marshall
Assistant director
Colin Brewer
Camera operator
Brian West
Continuity
Angela Martelli
Casting supervisor
Sally Nicholl
Makeup supervisor
George Frost
Makeup
Eric Allwright
Hairdresser
Joan Smallwood
Costumes
Motley
Wardrobe
Barbara Gillett

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