The Captive Heart (1946)

In 1940, a concentration-camp escapee assumes the identity of a dead British officer, only to become a prisoner of war.

Director:

Basil Dearden

Writers:

Angus MacPhail (screenplay), Guy Morgan (screenplay),

Stars:

Michael Redgrave, Rachel Kempson, Frederick Leister

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Redgrave	...	Capt. Karel Hasek - aka Geoffrey Mitchell
Rachel Kempson	...	Celia Mitchell
Frederick Leister	...	Mr. Mowbray
Mervyn Johns	...	Pte. Evans
Rachel Thomas	...	Mrs. Evans
Jack Warner	...	Cpl. Horsfall
Gladys Henson	...	Mrs. Horsfall
James Harcourt	...	Doctor
Gordon Jackson	...	Lieut. Lennox
Elliott Mason	...	Mrs. Lennox (as Elliot Mason)
Margot Fitzsimons	...	Elspeth McDougall
David Keir	...	Mr. McDougall
Derek Bond	...	Lieut. Harley
Jane Barrett	...	Caroline Harley
Meriel Forbes	...	Beryl Curtiss

Storyline

After the evacuation at Dunkirk, June 1940, some thousands of British prisoners are sent to German P.O.W. camps. One such group includes "Capt. Geoffrey Mitchell," a concentration-camp escapee who assumed the identity of a dead British officer. To avoid exposure, "Mitchell" must correspond with the dead man's estranged wife Celia. But eventual exposure seems certain, and the men must find a way to get him out. If he reaches England, though, what will his reception be?

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Plot Keywords:

prisoner of war | impersonation | corporal | lieutenant | assumed identity | 

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Taglines:

Would you forge love letters to save your life?

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Genres:

War | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

29 April 1946 (UK)

Also Known As:

Corazón cautivo

Filming Locations:

Aston Rowant Station, Aston Rowant, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 1953 U.S. reissue title was "Captive Camp 23."

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Quotes

Maj. 'Ossy' Dalrymple: [sees the camp approaching and decides he and his men will enter smartly] March to attention!

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Connections

Featured in Forever Ealing (2002)

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Soundtracks

"She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain"
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Elton Box and Desmond Cox

User Reviews

A low key, but highly charged stiff-upper-lip flick

Great plot, excellently under-stated performances, writing and direction. The fact that this film was made in 1946, so close to the events its depicts, seems to add an almost documentary-like quality to this film. Indeed, in the opening credits, the line 'Filmed in the British Zone of Western Germany' suggest that the realistic prison-camp scenes were probably shot in genuine locations. The cast is almost a repertory company of British 1940s actors - but no-one is taking an easy ride. There are fresh and challenging performances, even though the faces are familiar. What struck me is how the film is free of the gung-ho 'smart prisoners, dumb Krauts' type of prison camp film that dominated the genre later on. This film is the product of a people tired of war. At the same time, it retains some of the stiff upper lip feel of many British wartime films, but with the confidence of victory, it does not need to indulge in the 'beastly Hun' elements. Moving without being sentimental. A very 'human' film, only a few steps short of a masterpiece.