Which James Bond film was the first to open with a pre-title action sequence?

From Russia with Love was the first James Bond film to open with a pre-title action sequence.

Released in 1963, the film begins with an atmospheric sequence in which a man resembling Bond is stalked and attacked in a garden maze. The sequence establishes danger before the title song and main credits, helping create a structure that became a standard feature of the series.

Earlier entries, including Dr. No, moved into their opening credits without a separate Bond action prologue. From Russia with Love therefore helped define one of the franchise’s most recognisable storytelling conventions: a self-contained stunt or mission fragment before the title song.

The pre-title sequence should not be confused with the film’s main Istanbul plot, in which Bond attempts to obtain a Soviet decoding device with the help of Tatiana Romanova. Later films expanded the format with increasingly elaborate stunts and locations.