Five Fingers **** (1952, James Mason, Danielle Darrieux, Michael Rennie) – Classic Movie Review 3605

Director Joseph L Mankiewicz’s smart, sleek, smooth, suspenseful, satisfying espionage thriller stars a well-cast James Mason, who gives a splendid performance as a Nazi spy, L C Moyzisch aka Cicero, during World War Two. Working for the British Ambassador to Turkey, he is able to rifle the ambassador’s safe at the Ankara embassy where he is employed as a valet, find many British secret documents, photograph them and sells them to the Germans.

He is soon living in style with his refugee Polish countess girlfriend (Danielle Darrieux), but she double-crosses him, as do the Nazis.

Oscar nominated as Best Director, Mankiewicz directs the true story tensely and tautly in near-documentary film noir style and delivers a most exciting, satisfying film thriller in the Hitchcock class. Michael Wilson’s Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning screenplay is based on L C Moyzisch’s book Operation Cicero, telling of his daring experiences.

Also in the cast are Michael Rennie, Walter Hampden, Oscar Karlweis, Herbert Berghof, John Wengraf, Michael Pate, A Ben Astar, Roger Ployden, Ivan Triesault, Hannelore Axman and David Wolfe.

Danielle Darrieux was born on 1 May 1917 in Bordeaux. Beginning in 1931, she appeared in more than 110 films. She died on 17 October 2017.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3605
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