L'AFFAIRE CICERON

L'Affaire Cicéron (Original title: Five Fingers) is an American film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, released in 1952 from the book by Carl Ludwig Moyzisch Affair Cicero, very loosely inspired by real events that occurred during the seconds world wars.

Personal comments : Louis de Funès is not marked in the credits, he does not appears of the film but, he doubles the voice of Konstantin Shayne the bulter :

He says :
- 25 seconds at 1 hour, 28 minutes and 44 seconds ; he says : '' Oui monsieur !" "C'est occupé !" "Désolé, il ne veut pas être dérangé !'' "Désolé, prenez cette table je vous prie !"
- 5 seconds at 1 hour, 29 minutes and 53 seconds ; he says : '' Oui monsieur !''

- 7 seconds at 1 hour, 30 minutes and 10 seconds ; he says : '' C'est toujours avec joie que je vous vois Diello, ça me rappelle la belle époque.''

♦ Synopsis :

Ankara, capital of Turkey neutral, 1943. Diello, the valet of the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, offers Moyzisch, an attache of the Embassy of the Third Reich to sell microfilm documents classified top-British secret. Doubtful, and his superiors Moyzisch accept, while fearing a trap. They give the name of the servant Cicero code. The first delivery, announcing the dates and locations of bombing proves true. The market then continues. Needing a facade to hide its discrete appointment, pay the valet Slaviska Anna, a Polish countess now ruined and he was once the valet, and responsible for organizing social gatherings where German diplomacy will officially surrender. Diello think as a small fortune in a short time and then flee to South America with Anna. Meanwhile, the British realize that there is a leak in their services and send an agent of espionage against.

Specification sheet :

  • Title : L'Affaire Cicéron
  • Original title : Five Fingers
  • Raalization : Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  • Scenario : Michael Wilson and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (not credited) based the book L'Affaire Cicéron (Der Fall Cicero) of Ludwig Carl Moyzisch Editions "J'ai lu leur aventure" n°A44
  • Production : Otto Lang and Gerd Oswald productor assistant (not credited)
  • Production company and of distribution : Twentieth Century Fox
  • Music : Bernard Herrmann
  • Photography : Norbert Brodine
  • Editing : James B. Clark
  • Artistic direction : George W. Davis and Lyle R. Wheeler
  • Decorator : Thomas Little and Walter M. Scott
  • Suits : Charles Le Maire (not credited)
  • Country of origin  : The United States
  • Language : English
  • Shooting : 17 august of 23 october 1951 (outdoor fun at Ankara and Istanbul)
  • Format : Black and white - 1,37:1 - Mono (Western Electric Recording) - 35 mm
  • Genre : Spy movie
  • Duration : 108 minutes
  • Date exit : The United States : 22 february 1952 ;  France : 20 june 1952

♦ Distribution :

  • James Mason : Ulysses Diello (Cicéron), valet to the British Embassy in Ankara who will spy
  • Danielle Darrieux : Countess Anna Staviska a cynical Polish aristocrat dispossessed by the Nazi regime
  • Michael Rennie : Colin Travers, British special agent sent to Ankara
  • Walter Hampden : Sir Frederic Taylor, British Ambassador to Ankara
  • Oskar Karlweis : Ludwig Carl "L. C." Moyzisch, attaché Von Papen and contact Diello
  • Herbert Berghof : the colonel von Richter, German agent sent to Ankara to oversee Operation Ciceron
  • John Wengraf : Count Franz von Papen, the German ambassador in Ankara
  • Ben Astar : Siebert, an agent of the Gestapo
  • Roger Plowden : Keith MacFadden, a British agent
  • Michael Pate : Morrison, Secretary of the British Embassy in Ankara
  • Ivan Triesault : Steuben, a British agent
  • Hannelore Axman : the secretary of von Papen
  • David Wolfe : Da Costa, the banker of Diello to Rio
  • Lawrence Dobkin : Santos, Brazilian police
  • Nestor Paiva : Turkish Ambassador
  • Antonio Filauri : Italian Ambassador
  • Richard Loo : Japanese Ambassador
  • Konstantin Shayne : VF Louis de Funès : Butler with Hakim
  • Lester Matthews : Undersecretary
  • Otto Waldis : the holder of the Pullman
  • Salvador Baguez : the captain
  • Martin Garralaga : the bulter

And among non-credited actors :

  • Stanley Logan : Member of Parliament
  • Alberto Morin : the steward of the Countess
  • Alfred Zeisler : General Joseph Kaltenbrunner

www.defunesmovies.com