One of my all time favorites among great films. I had never seen James Mason before and I became his instant fan. How very suave and cool he portrayed Diello. I cannot think of another person who could have carried that role better.His portrayal of the perfect valet was no less than a calm,ruthless spy.If I were very rich I could ask for no other man Friday than Diello. Location shooting in Turkey was quite authentic in producing the right atmosphere and all the supporting characters came across perfectly, especially the beautiful Danielle Darrieux. The story's surprise ending makes watching this thriller most satisfying and beyond just entertaining.

Based on real events this effort from Joseph Mankiewicz is a lesson in tautness without histrionics. It is something of an intriguing watch knowing that the lead character really was selling top secret information to the Germans. Yet they (thankfully), never acted on any of the info that they bought. The film has a wonderful paced structure and is splendidly shot, while the direction somehow manages to give added feeling to the dastardly deeds unfolding on the screen. The trump card comes by way of James Mason as the cold hearted money mad Cicero. Slickly managing to blend charm and sophistication into a character that we know is as low as a snakes belly. A special performance from a very special actor. A great spy story, with plenty of suspense, and a dandy of an ending to round it all off. 8/10

A movie about a master spy cannot get better than this. It's all there: the stupid officials, the double crossings, the beautiful, conniving lady, the big plans and an excellent, riveting suspense scene involving a dutiful Turkish cleaning woman. Alfred Hitchcock could not have done it better.5 Fingers finds both director Joseph L. Mankiewicz and James Mason in top form. The role of an Albanian who rose to become personal butler of a British Ambassador is tailor made for that great British actor. His character Ulysses Diello is so SMUG, it is really hard not to like him. Diello has a dream that is very common and simple: He wants to get up there, in a white dinner jacket - it's absolutely disarming! French actress Danielle Darrieux gives great support and brings elegance and style to the movie.Curious detail: The story is based on a book, recounting true events, by a former member of the German diplomatic staff in Ankara, called L. C. Moyzisch. The Moyzisch character also stars in the movie – as the principal buffoon of the picture! Would be interesting to know how the real man reacted to this movie.

Though Mank didn't take a screenplay credit his 'voice' is evident in such touches as when the German Ambassador tells Moise that Von Ribbentrop has assigned the code name 'Cicero' to Diello and remarks dryly that it is amazing that Von Ribbentrop had even heard of Cicero, or, a little earlier when the same ambassador is in conversation with the impoverished Countess Ann Staviska and assures her that after the war the German government will look after her interests and she remarks wryly that they are already looking after her Polish estates. In 1952 Mank was still firing on all cylinders and with both A Letter To Three Wives and All About Eve under his belt plus two sets of Oscars on his shelves he was able to extract lots of mileage out of this true story of espionage in neutral Turkey during the Second World War. James Mason, a fine actor in anyone's book, has his work cut out to share a screen with Danielle Darrieux, one of France's finest, but he contrives to pull out something extra to keep up with her and the result is an acting feast. It's difficult to create suspense when the outcome is known - at least to those who read the book on which it is based - but Mank is up to the task and delivers an all-round gem.