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?

·         Certainly, Rommel would not have said what he said at that lunch. Would he?

·         Answering Tom’s question of if this is a spy movie

·         And more!

What we don't answer is what the “five graves to Cairo” are. You need to watch the movie for that.

Where to download the movie

As of the time of the release of this episode (June 2025), you can stream this movie for free at: https://archive.org/details/five-graves-to-cairo-1943-billy-wilder.

Tell us what you think about our no-spoiler review of FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Have you heard of FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO before this episode?  As a result of listening to this episode, did you watch it?

To sum up, if you have seen this movie, what do you think?  Were we on point with our review?  What did you like and what would you have changed about the movie?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at [email protected].  The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!  

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.  

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/3FtdIJD