6/10
Able Seaman John Mills
6 August 2019
When his outmatched ship is sunk by a German one, John Mills is picked up by the Germans. When the Germans put into land to make repairs, Mills escapes with a rifle and determination that they will not make those repairs before a superior British ship can catch up with them.

It's a first for John Mills in a leading role -- although Betty Balfour as his mother is top-billed, her movie career was just about over. It's also a first credit for writer C.S. Forester, whose story this is based on.He wrote the novel on which the earlier PAYMENT DEFERRED (1932) was based, without a screen credit.

Director Walter Forde uses the skills he picked up in the silent cinema to tell the story visually; Mills' climbing atop the rocks and potting the repair workers is accompanied by some German speech, but Mills must use pantomime to convey his thoughts. It must have been an educational experience for his career, which would extend into the 21st Century.
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