Count Five and Die (1958)

A Masterpiece!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This movie starts well, with a trip round the offices of a film distribution company that is the spies' "cover", and the shabby bedroom opposite with two chaps filming anyone who comes or goes, with a rifle in case they really have to shoot anybody. Nigel Patrick and Jeffrey Hunter are good actors. I love b/w movies made and set during WWII and just after, but a kind of rot set in. Slightly relaxed censorship meant that Patrick and Hunter constantly make smirking references to the female characters - there are almost wolf whistles on the sound track. I gather that Hunter and Duringer's later affair is no-holds-barred. But this put me off watching any further. I was also turned off by the inability of the designers to even attempt 40s style. I suppose that by the late 50s wartime fashions seemed utterly frumpy, and no actress would have the long hair necessary for the elaborate styles.

***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!

a pitifully budgeted - b&w - British film - all the scenes seem shot in as small a set as possible - the few outdoor shots are a reliefaltho based on a true story of a joint British and OSS effort to mislead the Germans regarding the invasion of europe by the allies - the plan was clever - but the movie's plot feels contrived and unconvincingthe actors are better than the script - Jeff Hunter acquits himself well - altho this confirms he was never a potent screen presence - but neither were co-stars Nigel Patrick or swiss actress Annemarie Düringer or anyone else

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.