At first I thought was going to be a routine film about soldiers surviving the POW experience during WWI, but it turned out to be quite a bit more than that with some unexpected turns. Leslie Howard plays Captain Fred Allison, the commanding officer of a group of British flyers who are captured by the Germans. After the British have been imprisoned for awhile, one of the men gets hold of a gun and shoots one of the German guards in a botched escape attempt and, as a result, the whole group is sequestered in a dungeon of sorts with nothing to do and no exercise. As a result, quite a few of the men begin to "lose it" after a few weeks of this isolation. Allison goes to the German commanding officer and says that his men need activity and something to center their attention upon. Allison says if the men are allowed to build little shelters of their own out in the open air of the camp that they will be less trouble, plus Allison guarantees that none will escape. Such an officer's promise meant something back in those days, so the German commander gives Allison his request. One day a few weeks later, some new prisoners arrive. Among them is Lieutenant Fred Digby (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), Allison's closest friend. In fact, he's closer than he thinks. Allison can talk and think of nothing but his wife Monica - they were married only a short time in London before he shipped off. The problem is, Digby can think of nothing but Monica either. The two fell in love after Allison shipped out. It turns out that Monica almost immediately realized her marriage to Allison was a mistake after he left for war, and has found true love with Digby.
Allison wonders why Monica is not writing to him - she is actually too busy writing love letters to Digby. Digby is not really a cad, and hearing Allison go on and on about his wife - Allison even builds a miniature replica of their house in London from memory - Digby realizes this prison camp is not big enough for Allison, Digby, and Digby's conscience. Digby plans an escape, and being a gentleman he even tells Allison ahead of time so he can turn him in to the Germans if he wants. Allison does not. Digby escapes successfully, but he gets a bit tripped up in the barbed wire and leaves his coat behind - a coat that happens to contain Monica's love letters to him. Unfortunately for Digby, the night of his escape is also the same one in which a psychotic POW - Strogin - rapes and kills the German girl who brings supplies into the camp. Strogin has slipped out, committed his horrible crime, and slipped back into the bunkhouse undetected. Thus, the Germans blame the crime on Digby.
The next morning the girl's body is found along with Digby's coat nearby. The German commandant tells Allison that he is requesting that the British return Digby for trial for the murder of the girl, but that he needs Allison's signature to lend gravity to the request, otherwise the British will just consider this a ruse to get an escaped prisoner returned. At first Allison refuses, claiming Digby is not capable of such a deed. The commandant hands Allison Digby's coat that was found nearby, claiming this proves he is a logical suspect. Of course, Allison finds Monica's love letters in the pocket, reads them, and plans a terrible revenge - he signs the commandant's request for Digby's return.
How all of this plays out is very interesting, and being made before the production code I'll say you don't exactly get the moral ending you'd expect if this film had been made just a couple of years later. Leslie Howard is always interesting to watch, and his great acting talents somewhat make up for Fairbanks' tendency to ham it up sometimes. Highly recommended as a very entertaining war picture that is really not that much about war at all.
Allison wonders why Monica is not writing to him - she is actually too busy writing love letters to Digby. Digby is not really a cad, and hearing Allison go on and on about his wife - Allison even builds a miniature replica of their house in London from memory - Digby realizes this prison camp is not big enough for Allison, Digby, and Digby's conscience. Digby plans an escape, and being a gentleman he even tells Allison ahead of time so he can turn him in to the Germans if he wants. Allison does not. Digby escapes successfully, but he gets a bit tripped up in the barbed wire and leaves his coat behind - a coat that happens to contain Monica's love letters to him. Unfortunately for Digby, the night of his escape is also the same one in which a psychotic POW - Strogin - rapes and kills the German girl who brings supplies into the camp. Strogin has slipped out, committed his horrible crime, and slipped back into the bunkhouse undetected. Thus, the Germans blame the crime on Digby.
The next morning the girl's body is found along with Digby's coat nearby. The German commandant tells Allison that he is requesting that the British return Digby for trial for the murder of the girl, but that he needs Allison's signature to lend gravity to the request, otherwise the British will just consider this a ruse to get an escaped prisoner returned. At first Allison refuses, claiming Digby is not capable of such a deed. The commandant hands Allison Digby's coat that was found nearby, claiming this proves he is a logical suspect. Of course, Allison finds Monica's love letters in the pocket, reads them, and plans a terrible revenge - he signs the commandant's request for Digby's return.
How all of this plays out is very interesting, and being made before the production code I'll say you don't exactly get the moral ending you'd expect if this film had been made just a couple of years later. Leslie Howard is always interesting to watch, and his great acting talents somewhat make up for Fairbanks' tendency to ham it up sometimes. Highly recommended as a very entertaining war picture that is really not that much about war at all.