Count Five and Die (1958)

It takes some time before the action gets going in this film, but when it starts it never ceases to accelerate in intrigue, suspension and drama. Annemarie Duringer is prominetly leading the film by her very suave and susceptible character, most amiable but with an abyss of hidden agenda. Nigel Patrick is perfect as usual, almost too perfect, while Jeffrey Hunter is a bit of an outsider in this game, can't really handle his business nor himself, and he has to pay for it. It's very dark and almost claustrophobic in the insistency on scenes in labyrinthine insides, and only rarely you go out into dark streets för some following or spying or bullets. The title "Count Five and Die" gives away the whole drama - as a spy sent out on a mission you are given a cyanide capsule in case you get caught, and when you swallow it you count to five and die. It's very easy but not really and actually rather complicated, as you don't always reach that capsule in time...It reminds very much of Anthony Asquith's "Orders to Kill" a few years earlier, it's the same kind of problems of innocence and the wrong people getting caught up in the wrong game, and above all the doom of destiny is there hanging around more people than anyone bargained for.

***SPOILERS*** It's spring 1944 with the allies planning to stage a massive cross-channel assault on Fortress Europe any day now. Fearing a major German counter response it's decided to trick the Germans into thinking that the main assault will be directed towards Holland not as planned in Normandy France. This job is to be given to the British Intelligence unit headed by Major Howard, Nigel Patrick, and his American second in command Capt. Bill Ranson, Jeffery Hunter. Knowing that there's a major German spy network in London monitoring all allied troop movements it's important to make them think, by slight of hand or army divisions, that the attack will take place hundreds of miles from where its planned. That's to keep German infantry and panzer units from reinforcing the understaffed German divisions in Normandy making the allied invasion that much more effective.Working with member of the outlawed, by the Germans, Dutch Underground both Major Howard and Capt. Ranson get the help of pretty dutch woman spy Rolande Hertog,Annemire Duringer, as the units' radio operator that the young and hot for action Capt. Ranson falls in love with. It later becomes evident when she guns down in cold blood a wounded German spy, to keep him from talking, and before icing him is heard talking in German not Dutch with him that Capt. Rasnson realized that she in fact is a German spy herself! With Hertog soon realizing that the invasion of Holland is just a trick on the allies part and that they, the German spies, are being given false information into believing it she tries to contact them and give them the right info. While this is going on the Germans kidnap one of the Dutch spies Dr. Mulder's, David Kossoff, 10 year old son Willie as insurance if the invasion of Holland doesn't materialize and murder him in retaliation for making them look like a bunch of moronic buffoons in them thinking that it would!***SPOILERS**** With Capt. Ranson finally realizing that Hertog, his former lover, is about to get the news back to Germany about the trick the allies are planning to pull on them he plans to do the only thing left for him to convince her that she's wrong! And with that act of supreme courage and sacrifice, as well as a bullet in the gut, gets her to give the Germans, who were ready to blow the allies expeditionary force out of the English Channel, the news that Capt. Ranson told her before the two, with Ranson surviving, ended up getting shot!

This film may be based on fact but it is a fiction.Operation Fortitude was divided into 2 parts.The Germans were to be fooled into thinking that there were invasions planned for Norway and Calais and that the invasion in Normandy was just a diversion.There was no diversion planned for Holland.The local resistance were not thought reliable and intelligence from them was disregarded which was a contributory factor to the disaster at Arnhem.Additionally there were no German agents in the UK.they had all been turned.So most of the plot of this film does not bear up under scrutiny.Alas it is a rather slow moving film with a rather predictable love plot.Nigel Patrick does what he can but until the end this is rather a dull film.

Supposedly based on a true story, this British film starring Jeffrey Hunter is very good, considering what was in all probability low budget. The plot concerns feeding incorrect information to the Axis about where D-Day would actually take place. When a young woman comes from Holland to join the intelligence team, she needs to be checked out carefully, as she is suspected of being a spy.Hunter and Nigel Patrick do a very good job and Hunter's boyishness is especially appealing. He had a nice, relaxed way about him before the cameras and like so many other incredibly handsome men, undoubtedly had a tough time convincing anyone that he could really act. But he really could. Sad that he died so young. Anne-Marie Duringer is the love interest under suspicion.It may be a little slow at times, but also quite interesting.