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The Court Martial of Major Keller

The Court Martial of Major Keller

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Summary

A respected army major stands trial for the murder of his commanding officer, and is the only witness in his own defence. Courtroom drama, starring Lawrence Payne and Susan Stephen

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Review

A star rating of 2 out of 5.

David Parkinson

Major Frank Keller (Laurence Payne) has been charged with murdering superior Colonel Harold Winch (Ralph Michael) in the face of the enemy in northern France in July 1944. He refuses to defend himself, but insists that he took a life to save many more. Although it's fashionable to dismiss the Danziger brothers and the low-budget pictures they churned out from the late 1950s, they afforded TV honcho Brian Clemens the opportunity to develop into a gifted screen storyteller. He doesn't give director Ernest Morris much to work with in terms of structure, as this is a standard courtroom drama studded with expository flashbacks. But there's undoubted dexterity in the way in which the facts emerge, as the witnesses from the 1st Battalion of the Oxshire Light Infantry are quizzed by prosecutor Simon Lack and defence counsel Richard Caldicot before judge Basil Dignam. Payne does little but furrow his brow meaningfully, but Michael impresses as the battle-scarred martinet, while Susan Stephen is her usual affable self as his disquieted younger spouse.

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5.8/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameMaj KellerLawrence PayneLaura WinchSusan StephenCol WinchRalph Michael

Crew

rolenameDirectorErnest Morris

Details

Languages

English

Formats

Black and white

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