Rent 5 Fingers (1952)

Engrossing - 5 Fingers review by sb

FILM & REVIEW Aka 5 Fingers Fascinating spy drama based on the true life WWII Cicero case. Mason is Deillo the valet to the British Ambassador in Ankara - Turkey being neutral during the war so both British and Germans intermingle. He has access to tthe Ambassador’s safe and in return for money he offers to photograph secret documents and sell them to the Germans. At first the Germans are suspicious that he is a British spy foisting false information but over time the documents are seen to be genuine. He used to be valet to a Polish Count whose widow (Darrieux) he is I love with but she is living in poverty with all her assets siezed. He entrusts her with the money while she arranges all the documents needed for both to flee to Brazil - until he discovers she has hot footed it to Switzerland with all his cash. He has no choice but risk one final plan involving the Allied plans for D-Day as the net is closing in on him Mason is superb in the role - in public subservient and obsequious but in private displaying a conceit and an overwhelming arrogance and a lot is filmed on location giving it an air of vérité. As mentioned it’s based on a little known case while at the same time one of the major British intelligence failure of the war. 4/5