TV • 1959

Five Fingers

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Five Fingers is an NBC adventure/drama series set in Europe during the Cold War loosely based on the 1952 film 5 Fingers, starring James Mason and Danielle Darrieux. It ran from October 3, 1959, to January 9, 1960. David Hedison starred as 32-year-old Victor Sebastian, an American counterintelligence officer with the code name "Five Fingers". Luciana Paluzzi played Simone Genet, Sebastian's secretary and romantic interest. Paul Burke played Robertson, Sebastian's contact man. Five Fingers itself was based on the book Operation Cicero by L.C. Moyzisch and on the memoirs of Elyesa Bazna. Bazna was something of an antihero in real life; the television series transformed the character from a World War II-era mercenary Albanian into a Cold War era heroic American. Sebastian posed as a Communist to gain information on party activities. His public cover was that of a theatrical booking agent for clubs and cafes throughout Europe.