Devil's Plot (1948)
"Counterblast" (original title)

An escaped World War 2 Nazi doctor, impersonates a murdered English doctor so he can work on a vaccination to protect the Germans in their planned germ warfare.

Director:

Paul L. Stein

Writers:

Guy Morgan (story), Jack Whittingham

Stars:

Robert Beatty, Mervyn Johns, Nova Pilbeam

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Beatty	...	Dr. Paul Rankin
Mervyn Johns	...	Dr. Bruckner the Beast of Ravensbruck
Nova Pilbeam	...	Tracy Hart
Margaretta Scott	...	Sister 'Johnnie' Johnson
Sybille Binder	...	Martha Lert, Bruckner Nazi Houskeeper
Marie Lohr	...	Mrs. Coles, Richard's Old Friend
Karel Stepanek	...	Prof. Inman, Nazi Psychiatrist
Alan Wheatley	...	M.W. Kennedy, Nazi Dentist
Gladys Henson	...	Mrs. Plum, Forester's Housekeeper
John Salew	...	Padre Latham
Anthony Eustrel	...	Dr. Richard Forrester
Carl Jaffe	...	Heinz
Ronald Adam	...	Col Ingram, Gillington POW Camp Commandant
Martin Miller	...	Van Hessian, Dutch Seaman
Aubrey Mallalieu	...	Maj. Walsh

Storyline

This film was not known as "Devil's Plot" until 1953, when distributor Herbert Bregstein acquired the USA theatre rights and changed the title from "Counterblast" to "Devil's Plot." The reason for the title change was to disguise the fact that this was the same movie that had already been sold to television,and was currently playing on British and American television as "Counterblast." A more apt changed title would have been "Cheater's Plot," since the title change was an obvious ploy to keep the theatre exhibitors and public from knowing this film could be seen for free at home. The story has Mervyn Johns as a Nazi doctor and escaped prisoner-of-war who goes to London. There, via the Nazi underground, he poses as an Australian bacteriologist, whom he has killed and taken his place, assigned to do some medical research. His plot is, using British labs and knowledge, to find a method of immunizing the German people against a plague the Nazis are going to use in their next war. ...

---

Plot Keywords:

nazi | vaccination | bacteriologist | plague | stolen identity | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1948 (UK)

Also Known As:

Devil's Plot

Filming Locations:

National Studios, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British National Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Is There a Doctor in the House?

"A Nazi scientist escapes Germany prior to its surrender at the end of World War II and sets up a lab in England using the identity of an Australian scientist he murdered. Hoping to complete his germ-warfare experiment, in the hopes of its use by Nazis in a future war, the scientist's agenda becomes complicated when he falls in love with his lab assistant," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Mervyn Johns is terrific, deftly playing "Dr. Bruckner", who poses as "Dr. Anderson", to kill and take the place of "Dr. Forrester". Still, Paul L. Stein's "Counterblast" is unnecessarily slow moving, and simply refuses to get mileage out of suspenseful situations. For starters, the film should have begun with Mr. Johns' murder of "Dr. Forrester". Previous events are easily filled in during subsequent scenes; and, an air of mystery would be added to the unfolding events.