Dana Andrews was loaned to Universal for this thoughtful war film. He plays an American sea captain who navigates a vessel in the Dead Sea. In order to make a quick buck, he agrees to smuggle a group of undocumented people into Palestine. At times it seems like Andrews is channeling Bogart, since the role requires a certain toughness.
The other leads of the picture are Universal contractees Marta Toren and Stephen McNally. They are cast as a couple of Jewish freedom fighters who are not only in love, but in incredible danger. Toren especially does a swell job as a radio commentator who often criticizes the British military. The Brits are policing Palestine in the months before its liberation.
At one point Toren goes to visit refugees at a remote camp on the outskirts of the desert. A short time later, she gets left behind when a truck takes off without her. While she is stranded and figuring out what to do, she is apprehended by the British authorities. They recognize her voice and come up with a way to prove that she is Sabra, the well-known agitator of the airwaves. Her interrogation ends with her being transported to jail. Along the way she is intercepted by her pals, who've set a clever ruse in motion. As a result, she is able to escape the Brits.
Another on-air agitator is a Jewish resistance leader portrayed by Jeff Chandler. This was an early supporting role for Mr. Chandler, and it was a star-making turn for him. Studio execs were impressed by his performance, and they offered him a long-term contract. He would become one of Universal's biggest box office draws in the 1950s alongside Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Audie Murphy.
As for Mr. Andrews, his character spends much of the story being in the wrong place at the wrong time. While bringing refugees from eastern Europe to the coast of Palestine, he gets caught up in the intrigue between the resistance group and the British military. Andrews goes from being in it for the money, to actually developing a conscience. Later he has a chance to betray Chandler and McNally but decides at the last minute not to be a Judas.
There's a climactic get-away sequence at the end, which takes place on Christmas Eve. As a holiday song is heard, tidings of comfort and joy are far from the reality of such a grave situation. The story concludes on a hopeful note, and the filmmakers' attempts to evoke biblical parallels about people in exodus do not seem too heavy-handed.
The other leads of the picture are Universal contractees Marta Toren and Stephen McNally. They are cast as a couple of Jewish freedom fighters who are not only in love, but in incredible danger. Toren especially does a swell job as a radio commentator who often criticizes the British military. The Brits are policing Palestine in the months before its liberation.
At one point Toren goes to visit refugees at a remote camp on the outskirts of the desert. A short time later, she gets left behind when a truck takes off without her. While she is stranded and figuring out what to do, she is apprehended by the British authorities. They recognize her voice and come up with a way to prove that she is Sabra, the well-known agitator of the airwaves. Her interrogation ends with her being transported to jail. Along the way she is intercepted by her pals, who've set a clever ruse in motion. As a result, she is able to escape the Brits.
Another on-air agitator is a Jewish resistance leader portrayed by Jeff Chandler. This was an early supporting role for Mr. Chandler, and it was a star-making turn for him. Studio execs were impressed by his performance, and they offered him a long-term contract. He would become one of Universal's biggest box office draws in the 1950s alongside Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Audie Murphy.
As for Mr. Andrews, his character spends much of the story being in the wrong place at the wrong time. While bringing refugees from eastern Europe to the coast of Palestine, he gets caught up in the intrigue between the resistance group and the British military. Andrews goes from being in it for the money, to actually developing a conscience. Later he has a chance to betray Chandler and McNally but decides at the last minute not to be a Judas.
There's a climactic get-away sequence at the end, which takes place on Christmas Eve. As a holiday song is heard, tidings of comfort and joy are far from the reality of such a grave situation. The story concludes on a hopeful note, and the filmmakers' attempts to evoke biblical parallels about people in exodus do not seem too heavy-handed.