Circle of Danger (1951)

A few years after the end of the war, “Douglas” (Ray Milland) arrives in Britain suspicious that he hasn’t been told the truth surrounding the death of his brother on a French commando raid. Initially, he struggles to find anyone who can enlighten him but eventually he manages to track down the mission’s  commander “McArran” (Hugh Sinclair) at his remote Scottish estate, whose explanation - though perfectly feasible, is unconvincing. Flamboyant ballet choreographer “Sholto” (Marius Goring) was also one of the squad and has information, as does the distinctly dodgy “Reggie” (Naunton Wayne) and so some complex piecing together of the clues and the facts ensues. All the while, “Douglas” has taken a bit of a shine to “Elspeth” (Patricia Roc) who’s is supposed to be affianced to “McArran”, but… Milland leads a strong cast here as this complex and really quite characterful story unwinds with a bit more depth attributed to the survivors and to their differing “memories”. The ending isn’t quite what I was expecting but it brings a little more of the psychology of warfare to the proceedings than usual and leaves us with a conclusion that I found fitting. It’s a well written and paced piece of cinema that’s well worth a watch.