Krilencu is a supporting antagonist of the 1957 James Bond novel From Russia with Love and its 1963 film adaptation. He is a Bulgarian assassin who works for SMERSH in order to eliminating western agents of Turkey and the archenemy of James Bond's ally Ali Kerim Bey.
He was portrayed by the late Fred Haggerty.
Biography[]
Krilencu is an infamous assassin working for SMERSH, employed to eliminate rival agents. In the film, he is dispatched to Istanbul to assassinate MI6 station head Ali Kerim Bey. After an attempt to kill Kerim Bey by bombing his office fails, he and MI6 agent James Bond spy on the Soviet consulate, seeing four SMERSH operatives - General Vassili, Koslovski, Commissar Benz and Krilencu - discussing Krilencu's failed assassination attempt. Kerim Bey, recognising Krilencu, is terrified due to his reputation as an assassin.
That night, Krilencu and a group of SMERSH agents sneak into a gypsy camp visited by Kerim Bey. Krilencu kills a guard by throwing a knife into his stomach, and the group enter the camp, where they slaughter many of the gypsies with gunfire and grenades. Kerim Bey is wounded, however with Bond's help the gypsies are able to defeat the soldiers and Krilencu flees the camp in defeat.
Immediately after the attack, Bond and Kerim Bey follow Krilencu back to his hideout in order to get revenge. Kerim Bey has his two sons, dressed as police officers, ring the doorbell, causing Krilencu to panic. Rather than potentially be arrested, Krilencu attempts to escape through a secret trapdoor round the back, but is shot down by Kerim Bey using Bond's sniper rifle.
