In a small town in Galicia during the First World War, the Austrians are awaiting Russian attack. The Austrians kill a young man who is from the Jewish ghetto. As his father, Randle Ayrton, berates the troops, the officer in charge, John Longden insists "We are here to protect you!" Somehow, this does not console the old man, and he is tossed in prison for his presumption. Later, the Russians take the town, and Longden takes refuge in Ayrton's home at the urging of his daughter, Norah Baring. This forces Ayrton to swear before G*d that there's no one there.
Longden grows restless, complaining his is a prisoner, and takes to making love to Miss Baring, which Ayrton objects to; having taken his son's life, forced him to swear to an untruth, he is convinced Longden is either up to no good, or if not, the union would be disastrous. Longden's reply: "I have overcome my prejudice. Why can't you give up yours?"
Oy gevalt! This was one of those movies of the early 1930s produced simultaneously in French, English and German. In this, the English version anyway, director E. A. Dupont and his writers stack the deck heavily in favor of the father, and against Longden's smug jackass. Dupont's efforts to make a serious movie about the real issues in this situation are enhanced by the magnificent images produced by cameramen Charles Rosher and Mutz Greenbaum. They are, unfortunately, marred by the line direction, with every sentence taking an awfully long time to get out. With Donald Calthorp, John Harlow, and Miles Malleson.
