FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO - Decoded!

Join Dan and Tom as they decode the 1943 movie, FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO. Is this World War II movie a spy movie? Listen as Dan tries to convince Tom it is, despite Tom's uncertainty.

The story with this menacing title follows the exploits of Cpl. John Bramble in June 1942 after he fell out of his tank in the North African desert.  Later on, he ends up meeting Rommel, The Desert Fox, himself.  Most of the movie takes place inside the hotel “Empress of Britain”. It is a great setting. Also, something is interesting there underneath the first floor.

The people behind this movie are top-notch.  Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote it with Charles Brackett, adopting Lajos Biró’s play “Hotel Imperial”. It garnered three Academy Award nominations and has an excellent cast. Specifically, Anne Baxter, Franchot Tone, Akim Tamiroff, and Erich von Stroheim play the leads.

This is a movie where you don’t want to be scanning your phone at the same time as you watch it.  You need to pay close attention. However, by listening to this episode, you will enhance your viewing experience.  We give you some things to look out for.

What we will decode in this episode

While we don’t give away the key answers for this movie, these are the things we decode in our look at FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO:

·         Details on this great cast.

·         How it had a real-world impact on the war.

·         The humor in this serious movie. For example, we include a clip from the movie about bedbugs.

·         Without a doubt, there is a tie-in to Boris Karloff. What is it?

·         The production, cinematography, costuming, and the score.

·         What Tom thought Bramble needed to have with him on the tank.

·         The use of the German language.  Authentic?

·         Opera in a World War II movie?

·         The dialogue - good, or bad?

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