In Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s sharply observed, sophisticated espionage melodrama, “Five Fingers,” (aka as “5 Fingers”), James Mason gives an excellent performance as the Cicero, a spy who operates within the British embassy in Turkey, stealing secrets about D-Day plans and peddling them to the Germans.

 

Michael Wilson’s screenplay is based on the book “Operation Cicero,” L.C. Moyzich, who appears as a character in the tale (cast with Oscar Karlweis).

 

The excellent international cast includes French actress Danielle Darrieux, American Michael Rennie and Walter Hampden.

 

Oscar Nominations: 2

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Screenplay: Michael Wilson

 

Oscar Awards: None

 

Oscar Context:

The directing Oscar went to John Ford for “The Quiet Man,” which was also nominated for Best Picture.  Mankiewicz had won two directing Oscars, for “A Letter to Three Wives,’ in 1949, and for “All About Eve” in 1950.  The other three directing nominees were Cecil B. DeMille for “The Greatest Show on Earth,” which won Best Picture, John Huston for “Moulin Rouge,” and Fred Zinnemann for “High Noon.”

 

Charles Schnee won the Writing Oscar for Minnelli’s Hollywood melodrama, “The Bad and The Beautiful.”