Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

During World War 2, an undercover British soldier tries get word to the Allies that the Germans have tons of supplies buried in 5 excavations across Egypt.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Charles Brackett (screenplay), Billy Wilder (screenplay),

Stars:

Franchot Tone, Anne Baxter, Akim Tamiroff

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Franchot Tone	...	Cpl. John J. Bramble / Paul Davos
Anne Baxter	...	Mouche
Akim Tamiroff	...	Farid
Erich von Stroheim	...	Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Peter van Eyck	...	Lt. Schwegler (as Peter Van Eyck)
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Gen. Sebastiano

Storyline

June, 1942. The British Army, retreating ahead of victorious Rommel, leaves a lone survivor on the Egyptian border--Corporal John Bramble, who finds refuge at a remote desert hotel...soon to be German HQ. To survive, Bramble assumes an identity which proves perilous. The new guest of honor is none other than Rommel, hinting of his secret strategy, code-named 'five graves.' And the fate of the British in Egypt depends on whether a humble corporal can penetrate the secret...

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Plot Keywords:

rommel | hotel | egypt | desert | waiter | 

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Taglines:

Did a Woman Start the Rout of Rommel?

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Genres:

Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

4 May 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les cinq secrets du désert

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$855,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the first shot of Erich von Stroheim playing Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in this film, director Billy Wilder filmed him in a close-up from the back of his neck as an establishment shot. Wilder said: "Standing with his stiff fat neck in the foreground he could express more than almost any actor with his face."

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Goofs

When John Bramble is introduced to the Germans as Paul Davos, a calendar is behind him on the wall. It is a 1942 calendar but shows Saturday, July 4th in red as a holiday...which of course is not a holiday in Egypt.

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Quotes

Cpl. John J. Bramble: [to Farid] You're talking through your fez!

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Connections

Version of Hotel Imperial (1939)

User Reviews

Great war movie

Probably one of the best US propaganda movies made during the war, this film boasts director Wilder's superlative talents in every scene, from the eerily effective opening sequence (a tank manned by the dead rumbles aimlessly through the desert, the sole survivor talks to imaginary people in the foyer of the Empress of Britain hotel but cannot see the real people there) to even the final chest-beating postscript, tacked on to ram home the obligatory propaganda message.

FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO is a compelling movie that grabs the attention from that opening scene and never lets go. The tightly plotted screenplay is packed with often cynical dialogue, and is complemented by spot-on performances by most of the cast (only Akim Tamiroff as the hotel owner is, perhaps, a little too overwrought). Erich von Stroheim gives an outstanding performance as Field-Marshal Rommel which, while it probably isn't very accurate, is a joy to watch. In fact, Stroheim dominates whenever he is on screen. While some of the depictions of the various nationalities involved are somewhat stereotypical (Fortunio Bonanova's Italian general is an opera-singing coward; all the German's are arrogant, although, it has to be said, are never portrayed as downright evil), this fortunately never diminishes the quality of the storytelling. Perhaps the only real fault in this movie is the occasional use of humour which is very hit-and-miss, and not really necessary.