Foxhole in Cairo

The film was made before Ultra was made public. Now the Germans had broken the English code but they didn't know that the codebreakers at Bletchley Park were reading the German enigma codes. Monty had thos information and used it in his preparations for El Alamein.

This is one of many war films of the period,and it benefits from the rather larger than life presence of James Robertson Justice. Most of his parts seemed to be a variation of Lancelot Spratt.

Fenella Fielding is unusually playing a dramatic part. Down the credits as a German signaller is Michael Caine. Albert Levine in a familiar part as a Nazi officer.

The movie is based on a true story. Rommel has planted two German spies in Cairo. They are his "ears and eyes" in the British eight army. Rommel is looking for information which can help him plan an attack on Cairo. The plot is good and interesting and the film holds the story together. It is quite clear that the budget is low, most of the scenes are shot in studios. The story is told in a slow pace, sometimes to slow- it never gets exciting! The acting is quite good all over, despite a few minor roles. Actor Michael Caine acts in a minor role as a German; Hans. Foxhole in Cairo is a nice little film, nothing more, and add up to 4/10

Foxhole in Cairo is an obscure WW2 movie from the 1960s. For die-hard fans of spy movies, this is a really fun one to watch, because it was made on the border between two film eras: the restrictive pre-1960s Hays Code era and the liberated uncensored modern era. In this film, while it pays homage to the 1940s in the wartime plot, the scenes with Fenella Fielding and Gloria Mestre are quite racy. There's a particularly nasty seductive dance, the likes of which hadn't been seen since Jean Harlow in the pre-code Beast of the City, in which the dancer's bellybutton is exposed—a previous no-no in the Hays era. There are obvious implications of premarital sex between the characters in the story—also a no-no—and the violence is pretty wicked and thrilling!

If you like films that keep you on your toes about who you can trust, or tension-filled espionage plots, give this one a try and see if you like it. As a bonus, keep an eye out for a very young Michael Caine as one of the German soldiers. He doesn't say much, since his character's supposed to be pretty incompetent, but he's awfully handsome!

Apart from a ridiculous scene which was supposedly set in the desert (but the background is CLEARLY a cheap painting), "Foxhole in Cairo" is a terrific espionage flick set during WWII.

During the early portion of the battle for North Africa between the British and Germans/Italians, the British did not do very well. At one point, the British lost so many battles that they were left with a portion of Egypt...and that was it. This movie is set during this time and is about a German attempt to sneak spies into Cairo in order to report on the British troop movements. However, the Brits are pretty savvy and the film is about their efforts to find these spies pretending to be Allied soldiers.

The film has a slow, serious tone...and this might lose some viewers. But it you are patient and don't mind the tempo, the film rewards you with some excellent acting, taut action and a terrific finale. All in all, well worth seeing...and not just for this but to catch a glimpse of Michael Caine in one of his early, albeit small, roles.

In North Africa during WWII the British, lead by Captain Robertson (James Robertson Justice) are losing ground to Rommel but he still needs information about the heavily fortified city. Robertson discovers that the Germans have sent a small convoy across the desert to Cairo and rightly assumes they are spies, however he must still find them.

Various British character actors all play their part in helping or hindering the spies, including a drunken, lovesick and unreliable Robert Urquart, Jewish liaison Niall MacGinnis with Fenella Fielding as his ears and eyes and a young Michael Caine as a nazi go between. Lots of steamy night club scenes mixed in with real footage and a half decent script make for an enjoyable enough and true wartime yarn.

P. S. Strange score sounds like the something from a 'Carry On' film.