[dramatic music]

[branch snaps] [hits with rifle]

?? [paper rustles] [distant footsteps] no sign of him. we'll wait here. what if the prey doesn't show up? we wash out?

all we know is he's somewhere around rushmount. that's a lot of ground. saunders, take a look at the hill. kirby, you go with him. lieutenant, i'm andr? dupre. my identification papers, lieutenant. all right, mr. dupre. hanley: i'm lieutenant hanley. this is sergeant saunders. sergeant. lambrelle is anxiously waiting to meet you, lieutenant. boulanger: you have a long walk ahead of you. long walk? we thought rushmount was close by. you're not going to rushmount.

they, uh... they forced us to change our plans. verson? boulanger: yes, lieutenant. verson has become, uh, what you americans say "too warm" for lambrelle. too hot. too hot. merci. well. let's get going. [ominous music] ?? [theme music]

??

??

ican planes bombed it yesterday. all right, we'll go around it. hold on, lieutenant. what is it? i'm not sure. looks like a uniform of some kind. prison. convict's clothes. is there a priosn around here? dupre: yes. at corto. about six kilometers north. yeah, german territory. well, if there's been a prison break, there surely are krauts around looking for them. all right, let's go. [fire crackles]

[gunshot] [gunshots] [gunshot] some old crook is under there. all right. spread out, and move up. [gunshot] [gunshot] [screams] [speaking french] [speaking french] sarge, lieutenant hanley's hit. cover him. who was it?

better check it out. kirby. let me help you, lieutenant. [speaking french] [speaking french] [speaking french] is he alone? it looks like it. kirby, check him out. [chattering] [chattering] [speaking french] [speaking french] [speaking french] [speaking french] he said he made a mistake. he didn't see we were americans. he thought we were convicts coming back. what is he gonna do with the convicts? it was five of them jumped him a bout a mile up, they want to use the train for their getaway. what happened to the rest of his crew? cage: he says there was only one fireman. he took his clothes and threw them off. the friend came up here and run out the track. cage: he was gonna backup when he saw us. ask him about the coup. ask him if it was a big break.

[speaking french] [speaking french] [speaking french] [speaking french] sir, the only thing he knows is what he heard. the shell hit the prison and a lot of guys got away. the guys who took his clothes was trying to make it to avignon. cage: and then, from there take a train to switzerland. avignon? yeah, that's right. avignon. does it mean anything? let's see hanley. all clear, sarge. what are you gonna do with old casey jones here? let's see how hadley is first. [speaking french] [speaking french] too tight, lieutenant? oh, that's fine. thanks. saunders: how are you doing, lieutenant? i am doing just fine. mr. dupre certainly knows his first aid. what was that all about? the old-timer had his train hijacked by some convicts. saunders: he took his clothes and when he ran out of track he jumped off here.

lieutenant, can i see your map? my map? sure. what is it? well, the old man says the convicts were headed for the rail terminal, here in avignon. that's just what i thought. we're heading for the sun. it's just unscripted. so, what's that mean? means we got to keep our eyes open. hanley: where convicts have escaped, somebody's out looking for them. hanley: we better get moving. [groans] i don't think you're going anywhere, lieutenant. except for the old guy. let me talk to saunders alone. all right open the map all the way. these five objectives. three bridges, a tunnel and a dam. the makee has to blow them all up in 48 hours. that's the information we have to give lambrelle today. hanley: now, he'll tell you where he wants the supplies he needs air-dropped.

right, lieutenant. the train will take you across to our lines. all right. just get going and, uh... take care of yourself, huh? cage, kirby! give the lieutenant a hand to the train. now, remember. in and out by 0100 tomorrow. if not sooner. which way from here? dupre: then we come to this river that leads to verson. outside the village is a factory. it was bombed. it is there where we'll meet lambrelle. [speaking french] [speaking french] [speaking french] this prison in cotson has maximum security, hardened criminals?

why do you ask? i guess it would be a big search here. of course. [train chugs] okay, let's do it. hey, sergeant. fferent route to verson. longer, but safer. there may be germans ahead searching. how do you expect to get through without being noticed? oh, we've done it before. have you been in the marquee? many times.

[ominous music] ?? [sighing]

burnt. a little bit. life indoors makes a man soft. indoors? i thought most of you resistance guys spent your time in the hills. we do. until we are wounded. i have a bullet in the shoulder. the present from the boche. that's in my first day back. it's quite an assignment they gave you for a man just out of bed. i'm not important. it is the cause for which we fight that is important. you sure express yourself good, mr. dupre. kirby: where did you learn to speak english? from the best teacher. my wife. she was english. i have a son. a fine boy, just like his mother.

because you fight for us, he'll grow up to be... a free man, instead of a slave. what you do for us now, friends will never forget. okay, let's go. [sighs] [dramatic music]

[car engine revs] [dramatic music]

[sighs] i see they're changing directions. they'll see somebody cross that meadow for a couple of miles. must be setting up a lookup for the escaped convicts. maybe. we can't fire at him. it'll bring all the rest step down on us. twenty yards. can crawl up to the nearest. hey, sergeant. i'm very good. it's 20 yards.

[groans] [body thump] grab the body. how was that, sergeant? i see your shoulder's a lot better. [dramatic music]

[ominous music] ?? convicts. [gunshots] why did you fire? i am sorry. i did not think. boulanger: i saw all those escaped convicts, enemies of france.

n deepened them in their territory, you opened up. i am sorry. i-- i did not think. stupid of me. i'll go and inform lambrelle that you're coming? i don't understand, sergeant. because i'm overcome by my emotions, am i to be humiliated? i may be wrong, but i don't think a member of the french underground you could've been dead a long time ago. are you suggesting that i intended to shoot those convicts? dupre: why would i do a thing like that? because they might recognize you. recognize what, sarge? a fellow convict. it can't be. why? because he has papers? we was supposed to meet lambrelle at rushmount. and he tells us we have to go to verson. that's the same direction, these convicts are headed. that's a coincidence.

when were you born? look, everyone in the underground has different identifications. boulanger: sometimes, i am dupre. other times, i am somebody else. baroul, girbe, jean rue... boulanger: a man cannot remember every detail. well, details stick with me, even little ones. like all man who's been in prison for a long time may be sunburnt in his first day out. saunders: ah, high glut just might be tough on him. i was wounded. but it didn't bother you when you threw the knife. there's not a mark on him. come on, tie him up. he told us we should find lambrelle about half a kilometer in the factory. i doubt it. but check it out, anyway. saunders: we'd probably find more convicts if we didn't mix with them.

[ominous music] ?? i don't care who you are or where you're trying to go, just tell me one thing. saunders: did you make up everything about lambrelle in verson? everything i told you is the truth. ?? [hard thud] papa. papa. pierre. mon fils.

[groans] i am sorry i had to hit you, american. pierre boulanger. he is my father. do not move, monsieur. i know how to use this. i do not wish to harm you. i am only here to have my father. we want to join the underground. pierre, untie me. come on, hurry up. i know you would come to our boat house, papa. boulanger: yeah, i missed you, boy.

stay back. your father is trying to join the underground and wants to get to switzerland to save himself. you think i must accept your insult because i'm ashamed that my father was in the prison? i am not ashamed. my father was in prison unjustly for a crime he did not commit. pierre: they say he threw a knife at a man and killed him. they lie. saunders: i don't care what your father has done or hasn't done. all i care about is my mission. u know a man by the name of lambrelle? do not speak to me of lambrelle. whatever he told you is a lie. lambrelle is supposed to be a friend to my father, to my family. pierre: he is not. he would not have my father escape, so that we could join in the underground. he is interested only in himself, not in justice. all i know is i was supposed to meet a man named dupre.

ead. he was killed by a boche. i killed the boche. i took dupre's clothes and papers because when i overheard the sergeant talking to his squad, dupre: i knew they would serve as an escort for me. it was the safest way for me to go to verson. you see? that explains everything. monsieur, my father would never kill a man other than an enemy. boulanger: that's right, sergeant. now will you let us go? boulanger: my son and i have to go to another region and join the underground. no, i want you to take me to lambrelle. lambrelle won't see me. he won't hear me. he will if i ask him to. then we'll go to him. where is he? the mine. at rushmount. he's tricking you, son. he only wants to know where he can find lambrelle. i'm not tricking you. i go for my reasons, you go for yours.

kirby: nothing, sarge. we couldn't even find the factory. right. who is he? his son. let's go. [dramatic music]

this is the mine. kirby: it looks deserted. ?? [screams] [speaking french] the password. moonlight. [speaking french] [speaking french] he says to keep our eyes open for the krauts are all over the place. ask him if lambrelle is here. [speaking french]

he says he's inside waiting for us. all right, you and kirby stand watching here. lambrelle: you come late. where's dupre? he's dead. he had trouble getting here. here's the map. [paper rustling] there was a skirmish with a boche this morning. i lost one good man, a prisoner. pierre. boulanger. lambrelle: i heard about your escape. why did you bring them here? we have come to join you, monsieur. pierre: my father-- all right, let's wait a minute. they're here because it's the only way i had of getting to you. saunders: let's get to this mission, huh? of course. state your business, sergeant. we have five objectives. here.

are they possible? all but one. we destroyed that tunnel this morning. good. now when and where do you want this equipment dropped? before dawn tomorrow morning. all right, before dawn. good. [paper rustling] when we get here, i promised this boy you'd hear him out. pierre: tell him, papa. you were sent to prison for a crime you did not commit. i am not a judge, pierre. your father's case was decided by the court. s wrong! papa, tell him. the sergeant promised monsieur lambrelle would listen. lambrelle: i have no time to speak to your father now. sergeant. pierre: you promised monsieur lambrelle would listen. the boy wants to know the truth about his father. [dramatic music]

son, you will hear nothing but lies. now that he has escaped, i think you should know. pierre... i have known your family for a long time. i remember your mother. you were just a small child. lambrelle: how sad she always was. lambrelle: do you remember why? oui. papa was away on businessman. pierre: it was necessary for him to take long trips. he was a salesman. your father was not a salesman.

lle: he was arrested many times. for many crimes. lambrelle: he served two prison sentences before the last crime, which put him in court for life. your mother did not have the heart to tell you. i must-- i'm sor-- your father is an enemy of france. [gun cocks] if you shoot, you'll attract the boche. boulanger: shoot and this man dies. the decision is yours, son. boulanger: i have nothing to offer you. nothing.

boy... all i want is for one person in the world to believe that i'm innocent. boulanger: you. my son. don't go with him, pierre. i go with you, papa.

all right. we go out carefully. saunders: pierre, wait. i made you a promise and i kept it. i'll make you another. don't listen to him, son. saunders: right now, it's your father's word against lambrell lambrelle's. if you want the truth, it'll be in the official court records. i'll ask my commanding officer to get them. he's lying. boulanger: come on, boy. saunders: pierre, you have the chance to prove out your father's story once and for all. take it. perhaps the sergeant is right. we could clear your name. my name means nothing.

and your honor. honor is a beautiful word, boy. but it means nothing. i want to live in the fresh air. i want to love, to drink... boulanger: to laugh. that is freedom. come on. the sergeant was right. pierre: in the beginning, you intended to go to switzerland. pierre: to run. you are guilty. boulanger: call your man inside. cage, kirby! come on inside, and bring lambrelle's men with you. [door opens]

papa, please. boy, you have made your choice. now i must do what is best for me. goodbye, son. [ominous music]

sarge, krauts, half track. come on, take cover. [car engine roars] [speaking german] [speaking german] lambrelle!

[speaking french] [speaking french] lambrelle: he wants me to surrender. says it would be easier for me. [speaking german] open up! [gunshots]

[gunshot blasts] pierre. [gunshots] [gunshots] [speaking german]

[gunshot blasts] sarge, i'm running out of ammo! use only enough to pin 'em down. try to get the machine gunner.

[gunshot blasts] [gunshot blasts] [groans]

sarge! [gunshot blasts]

[bomb explodes] [ominous music] [speaking german] [speaking german] [car engine roars] ?? [groans]

[panting] where-- where is my boy? i am here, papa. [panting] son... everything... everything you heard about me is true. boulanger: every word. no, papa, no! [panting] we couldn't have made it without you. strange... strange way for...

but not a strange way for... for a father to die. [dramatic music] [sobs] all right, let's go. good luck, monsieur. and to you. we'll be ready for the drop. pierre, you can come back with us.

we want pierre here with us. [soft music]