ドイツの元トルコ駐在大使館員Ｌ・Ｃ・モイズイッシュによる実話の映画化で、マンキウィッツ監督が冷徹なスパイ戦の実態を名優メイソンを主演に得てスリリングに描く、第二次世界大戦秘話。中立国トルコの英国大使執事ディエロは機密を小型カメラに撮っては、ネガを独大使館付武官モイズイッシュに売りつけていた。彼は密かに慕う伯爵未亡人を味方につけ、英国情報部の探りにも尻尾を出さない。やがて、ノルマンディ上陸作戦の最高機密も入手成功、高額の報酬を得て南米に飛び、未亡人とも落ち合う手筈だったが……。
脚本: L.C. Moyzisch / Michael Wilson
音楽: Bernard Herrmann
制作: Otto Lang
撮影監督: Norbert Brodine
制作会社: 20th Century Fox
James Mason ("Diello") is great in this superior WWII espionage story. He portrays the ostensibly obliging valet to the British Ambassador in Turkey. He has a bit of a sideline in secrets, though, and when he hooks up with the recently penniless Polish "Countess Anna" (Danielle Darrieux) to launder the ill-gotten gains, he begins to proceed with his cunning plan: to amass enough funds from the Nazis to retire to a millionaire's lifestyle in South America. When the British start to suspect, they bring Michael Rennie ("Travers") out from London to investigate. Not only does this put pressure on our treacherous friend, but when his partner absconds with all of the loot he has to think fast to survive... The story begins with a question in Parliament about the authenticity of a newspaper article suggesting this fantastic plot, so there is some truth to it. Add to that, the fact that the Nazis were so keen to get the information, but not trusting enough of their source to actually use and it gives our story an extra potency, too. Mason injects quite a bit of panache into his likeable, if totally duplicitous, character and the remainder of the tightly-knitted cast keep the pot boiling really well. Joseph Mankiewicz took the production to Istanbul which, again, assists with the realism of this really quite gripping drama with a suitably fitting conclusion. It's good, this film!
