Major Keller (Laurence Payne), a highly decorated and respected army officer, is facing a court martial for murdering his commanding officer Colonel Winch (Ralph Michael). The prosecution looks like walking it because they have a number of witnesses to testify that Keller was coveting Winch's wife Laura (Susan Stephen) and, in addition, his psychiatric report indicated he is a man motivated by ambition who killed him in order to secure a promotion. Keller, however, maintains that he did bring out his commanding officer's death but did so in the line of duty as he considered him to be unfit for office as he had been drinking excessively and showing signs of severe battle fatigue and cracking up mentally - possibly as a result of what he saw during the Sicily invasion. Keller claims that while his regiment was in France, Winch's condition was such that he lead his men into a situation where they were heavily outnumbered by the Germans and at least one third of them died. But, worse followed when Winch put the security of the entire army at risk leaving Keller with no other option but to shoot him. The trouble is, Keller has no one who can corroborate his story and his word alone might not be enough to save him...
A surprisingly excellent second feature courtroom drama from the Danziger Brothers who churned out dozens of cheap and cheerful quota quickies throughout the fifties and sixties. Many of them are described as 'bottom of the barrel' and being 'slipshoddiness in film production.' There are, however, some notable exceptions: this one, The Depraved, Night Train For Inverness and The Tell Tell Heart (an adaptation of a story by Edgar Allen Poe also starring Laurence Payne). Director Ernest Morris was a real b-pic veteran if ever there was one; directing twenty- two of the things in eight years and here he skilfully blends courtroom drama with flashbacks; achieved in part by first rate editing by Spencer Reeve. Suspense is maintained throughout and the denouement is really quite surprising. Clearly made on a shoestring - were the battle scenes in Normandy comprised of stock footage? - it is a good example to disprove anyone who believes that this section of the British film industry could not produce good films and the story is by Brian (The Avengers) Clemens.
A surprisingly excellent second feature courtroom drama from the Danziger Brothers who churned out dozens of cheap and cheerful quota quickies throughout the fifties and sixties. Many of them are described as 'bottom of the barrel' and being 'slipshoddiness in film production.' There are, however, some notable exceptions: this one, The Depraved, Night Train For Inverness and The Tell Tell Heart (an adaptation of a story by Edgar Allen Poe also starring Laurence Payne). Director Ernest Morris was a real b-pic veteran if ever there was one; directing twenty- two of the things in eight years and here he skilfully blends courtroom drama with flashbacks; achieved in part by first rate editing by Spencer Reeve. Suspense is maintained throughout and the denouement is really quite surprising. Clearly made on a shoestring - were the battle scenes in Normandy comprised of stock footage? - it is a good example to disprove anyone who believes that this section of the British film industry could not produce good films and the story is by Brian (The Avengers) Clemens.