The High Command (1938)

A general of the old school, who believes strongly in his own honour and sense of duty, must come to terms with a crime he commited years earlier, during the confusion of World War I.

Director:

Thorold Dickinson

Writers:

Walter Meade (dialogue), Lewis Robinson (novel),

Stars:

Lionel Atwill, Lucie Mannheim, Steven Geray

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lionel Atwill	...	Maj. Gen. Sir John Sangye, VC
Lucie Mannheim	...	Diana Cloam
Steven Geray	...	Martin Cloam (as Steve Geray)
James Mason	...	Capt. Heverell
Leslie Perrins	...	Maj. Carson
Allan Jeayes	...	H.E., the Governor
Michael Lambart	...	Lorne
Kathleen Gibson	...	Belinda
Tom Gill	...	Daunt
Wally Patch	...	Crawford
Archibald Batty	...	Capt. Coates (the prosecutor)
Henry Hewitt	...	Defence counsel
Drusilla Wills	...	Miss Isabella Hobson Tuff
Cyril Howe	...	Julius Caesar (servant)
Evan Thomas	...	Chief Justice

Storyline

A general of the old school, who believes strongly in his own honour and sense of duty, must come to terms with a crime he commited years earlier, during the confusion of World War I.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 July 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alto mando

Filming Locations:

Ghana

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gordon Wellesley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Director, cast and crew combining for a splendid film.

Based upon a novel by Lewis Robinson, who assists with the script, HIGH COMMAND gives us a complex tale of blackmail, murder, and other delights, ranging over two continents and two generations, beginning in 1921 Ireland and concluding in West Africa (most of the film was shot in Nigeria and Gold Coast). General Sir John Sangye (Lionel Atwill), holder of the Victoria Cross and commander of a colonial garrison, in order to help protect his daughter Belinda (Kathleen Gibson) from unsavoury scandal, is forced into making several wrenching decisions, with Atwill giving the finest crafted performance of his career. In his first effort at directing a feature film, Thorold Dickinson displays the fluid work with a camera which marks his distinguished career, and has expertly taken a balance of drama and humour from the script while effectively leading his talented cast into strong performances, notably from Steven Geray, Leslie Perrins, James Mason and Lucie Mannheim. Dickinson, along with cinematographer Otto Heller, benefit from their background in silent cinema, and Ernest Irving's score is adroitly woven into the action, all of which assists in effectuating a masterwork.