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
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