Major Keller (Laurence Payne) is a highly decorated and respected British army officer, who is now facing a court-martial for willfully bringing about the death of his commanding officer Colonel Winch (Ralph Michael) on a WWII battlefield.
The prosecution has a number of witnesses to testify that Keller was coveting Winch’s attractive wife Laura (Susan Stephen) and his psychiatric report indicates he is a man motivated by ambition who killed the colonel to secure a promotion for himself.
Keller maintains that while he did bring about the death of his commanding officer, he did so with justification and in the line of duty as he considered him to be unfit to command (Winch had been drinking excessively and was cracking up mentally as a result of severe battle fatigue).
Keller claims that while his regiment was in France, Winch’s condition was such that he led his men into a situation where they were heavily outnumbered by the Germans and at least one-third of them died.
Worse followed when Winch put the security of the entire army at risk leaving Keller with no other option but to shoot him. Unfortunately, Keller has no one who can corroborate his story.
A surprise witness eventually throws an unexpected light on the situation and the case against Keller is dropped. It seems, though, that the killing was unnecessary after all.
The story is told in flashback through the eyes of witnesses and Keller himself. Though clearly made with a very low budget (the use of archive footage is particularly poor), the script is good (“Mr Avengers” Brian Clemens did the writing) and the acting is never less than acceptable.
Although filmed in 1961, this British-made B-movie from the Danziger Brothers (who churned out dozens of cheap and cheerful “quota quickies” in the 1950s and 1960s) was not actually released in the UK until 1964.
Major Keller
Laurence Payne
Laura Winch
Susan Stephen
Colonel Winch
Ralph Michael
Captain Harrison
Richard Caldicot
Morrell
Basil Dignam
Lt. Gen. Sir Harold Power
Austin Trevor
Major Wilson
Simon Lack
Miller
Jack McNaughton
Captain Cuby
Hugh Cross
Sergeant
Peter Sinclair
Lieutenant Cameron
Humphrey Lestocq
Burford
Michael Anthony
M.O. Aubrey
John Barron
Captain Phillips
Richard Bennett
Colonel Faversham
John Brooking
White
Michael Collins
Cummins
David Courtney
Colonel Callum
John Trevor-Davis
Thompson
Tony Doonan
Corporal Battersby
Douglas Ives
Beaumont
Weyman Mackay
Sergeant Penning
Larry Noble
Holt
J. Mark Roberts
Sergeant McCall
Stuart Saunders
Colonel Johnson
John Scott
Captain Fuller
Mark Singleton
Lieutenant Mace
Graham Stewart
Rydon
Tony Thawnton
Purvey
Peter Vaughan
Director
Ernest Morris