5 Fingers (1952)

100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
88% of users liked it
(349 ratings)

Based on a true story, 5 Fingers stars James Mason as a man known to his superiors only as Cicero. Ostensibly the valet of the British ambassador to Ankara during World War II, Cicero is actually a Nazi agent. He holds no particular political viewpoint: the Nazis offered the best price, so for the… More Based on a true story, 5 Fingers stars James Mason as a man known to his superiors only as Cicero. Ostensibly the valet of the British ambassador to Ankara during World War II, Cicero is actually a Nazi agent. He holds no particular political viewpoint: the Nazis offered the best price, so for the time being he is loyal to them. Falling in love with the beautiful Danielle Darrieux, Cicero uses her home as a contact point to meet his German associates. At great personal risk, Cicero secures secret British war files and smuggles them to the Germans; they find the information in the files too far-fetched to be taken seriously--and thus are caught unawares on the morning of the D-Day invasion. An ironic coda finds Cicero, setting himself up in luxury in Rio de Janeiro, double-crossed by both Darrieux and the Germans. What else can he do but laugh uproariously? 5 Fingers, based on the memoirs of the real-life "Cicero" L. C. Moyzisch, was adapted into a 1959 TV series, wherein the antihero was converted into a 100% good guy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Written By: L.C. Moyzisch, Michael Wilson, Michael Henry Wilson
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Feb 22, 1952 Wide
On DVD: Jun 27, 1991
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
This espionage thriller noir keeps us guessing as to who will betray trust to cash in his chips and Mankiewicz features some tense sequences, the highlight of which is Diello's attempted last score, almost undone by a cleaning lady...
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Mankiewicz's sharply observed Oscar-nominated espionage thriller is superlatively played by James Mason in the lead role of Cicero, the smart spy who operated within the British embassy in Turkey during WWII.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Mason's chilling performance makes the film a special treat.

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Cast

            James Mason as Diello aka "Cicero"

            Danielle Darrieux as Anna

            Michael Rennie as George Travers

            Oscar Karlweis as Moyzisch

            Herbert Berghof as Col. von Richter

            Walter Hampden as Sir Frederic

            John Wengraf as Von Papen

            Hannelore Axman as Von Papen's Secretary

            Marc Snow as Banker

            John Sutton as Narrator

            Ivan Triesault as Steuben

            Otto Waldis as Pullman Porter

            David Wolfe as Da Costa

            Lawrence Dobkin as Santos

            Eghiche Harout as Man

            Stanley Logan as MPs

            Michael Pate as Morrison

            A. Ben Astar as Siebert

            Konstantin Shayne as Proprietor

            Roger Plowden as MacFadden

            Salvador Baguez as Ship's Captain

            Antonio Filauri as Italian Ambassador

            Martin Garralaga as Butler

            Stuart Hall as British Military Attache

            Lumsden Hare
            
            Richard Loo as Japanese Ambassador

            Lester Matthews as Under Secretary

            Keith McConnell as Johnson

            Alberto Morin as Butler

            Leo Mostovoy as Spectator

            Nestor Paiva as Turkish Ambassador

            Faith Kruger as German Singer

            Oskar Karlweis
            
See full cast

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