20 Things You Didn't Know About From Russia With Love (1963)
8. Grant’s Late Trip To Istanbul
Ian Fleming introduced Donald “Red” Grant and his comrades at SMERSH, together with their plot to kill James Bond and humiliate the British Secret Service. All this in the first 100 pages of his novel before Double-0 Seven even made an appearance. Grant was then absent from the novel and reappeared in the closing chapters, masquerading as Bond’s contact in Trieste, Captain Nash before his battles of wits - and to the death - with the British agent.
Johanna Harwood adapted Fleming’s novel quite faithfully and left Robert Shaw’s Grant out of the proceedings following his introduction, allowing him to reappear in much the same fashion as he had in the novel. However, the filmmakers felt that Grant needed to have a continuing presence in the film to build up audiences’ expectations for his final confrontation with Double-0 Seven.
Therefore, screenwriter Richard Maibaum added several key scenes featuring Red Grant to the screenplay to make him a more intimidating adversary for Bond and to ensure that his comeuppance at Double-0 Seven's hands was all the more rewarding.
Johanna Harwood wrote an uncredited adaptation of Fleming’s novel, Goldfinger for the next film, before departing from the Bond franchise.