During the 1942 North African campaign, a British straggler manages to pass himself off as a waiter at the hotel commandeered as Rommel's headquarters. He has thoughts of assassinating Romme... Read allDuring the 1942 North African campaign, a British straggler manages to pass himself off as a waiter at the hotel commandeered as Rommel's headquarters. He has thoughts of assassinating Rommel but his cover may have an even better use.During the 1942 North African campaign, a British straggler manages to pass himself off as a waiter at the hotel commandeered as Rommel's headquarters. He has thoughts of assassinating Rommel but his cover may have an even better use.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 3 nominations total
- Lt. Schwegler
- (as Peter Van Eyck)
- Second Soldier
- (uncredited)
- German Soldier
- (uncredited)
- Fourth Soldier
- (uncredited)
- British Captain
- (uncredited)
- First Soldier
- (uncredited)
- English Tank Commander
- (uncredited)
- German Sergeant
- (uncredited)
- Rommel's Orderly
- (uncredited)
- Capt. St. Bride
- (uncredited)
- Colonel Fitzhume
- (uncredited)
- Third Soldier
- (uncredited)
- Schwegler Body Guard
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOn the first day director Billy Wilder's hero Erich von Stroheim, arrived on set, Wilder ran to the wardrobe department to welcome him. He said, "This is a very big moment in my life . . . that I should now be directing the great Stroheim. Your problem, I guess, was that you were ten years ahead of your time." Von Stroheim replied, "Twenty."
- GoofsWhen John Bramble is introduced to the Germans as Paul Davos, a calendar is behind him on the wall. It is a 1942 calendar but shows Saturday, July 4th in red as a holiday...which of course is not a holiday in Egypt.
- Quotes
Lt. Schwegler: [checking his guidebook entry about the hotel] You have a native cook by the name of Berek.
Farid: [nervous] Terek, sir. Terek. Yes, sir. But he ran away this morning. With the British to Alexandria.
Lt. Schwegler: [checking the guidebook] You have a wife.
Farid: Oh, yes, sir. Yes. But *she* run away. Yes, sir.
Lt. Schwegler: With the British to Alexandria?
Farid: [sadly] No, sir. With a Greek to Casablanca.
- ConnectionsFeatured in TCM Guest Programmer: Bill Hader (2010)
- SoundtracksMattinata
Music by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Sung repeatedly by Fortunio Bonanova
I enjoyed this film. It has a different setting to most war films and it doesn't involve any battles apart from the flag-waving nonsense at the end, which, unfortunately, knocks a point off this film as it goes on for too long. The actors do well, especially von Stroheim and Baxter, although her name in this film isn't very complimentary! Both these actors give their characters a depth that brings them to life. The comedy characters of Tamiroff and Italian General Fortunio Bonanova are OK for what they need to do although Tamiroff can be slightly annoying and Fortunio Bonanova is as unrealistic as his name. It doesn't matter too much as we get a film that keeps the viewer watching with tense scenes and an interesting storyline that ends on an emotional note.
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $855,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 36 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1