***SPOILERS*** Robert Mitchum is the limping-he's always seen walking with a cane-man US Army Let.Col Barney Adams who's assigned by his boss Gen. Kempton, Barry Sullivan,to defend the wild eyed and crazed US Let. Winston, Keenan Wynn, who murdered in cold blood British Sgt. Jackson,Errol John, in front of 11 eye witnesses in his barracks. Barney is told flat out by Gen. Kempton that his client Let. Winston is to be found guilty and hanged but he has to get a fair trail first to make it, his forthcoming execution, look good in both the US and UK military eyes. It soon turns out that Winston is more then willing to be executed for his crime but doesn't want to be declared insane in not only spearing him from the hangman's noose but discredit his reason for gunning down Sgt. Jackson. That in Sgt. Jackson being a race mixer by hanging out and having affairs by him willingly intermingling with the dark skin Indian women-This takes place in India-outside the army base. Barney after interviewing Sgt. Winston in his cell feels that the guy is as nutty as a fruitcake but with the US Army, through it's Lunacy Commission, having him diagnosed as being perfectly sane has no choice but go along in defending him only to do such a sloppy job doing it he'll end up being convicted and executed.
It's when the assistant of Major Kaufman, Sam Wanamaker, Kate Davray, France Nuyen, told Barney that his evaluation of Winston's mental state was kept hidden from the court record that he decided to get Kaufman to testify in Winston's defense even though he doesn't want, in him willing to die a martyr for the white or Aryan cause, him to. It takes a while for Barney to convince Major Kaufman to agree to testify to Winston's sanity or lack of it only for him to end up dead in a car accident on his way to court! This leaves Barney with only one option to save Winston's life by having him be put on the stand and thus, on cross examination, show everyone just how crazy he really is!
****SPOILERS**** There's also British Army psychiatrist and expert in dealing and treating loonies like Winston Major Kensington, Trevor Howard,who more then confirms the late major Kaufman's assessment of Winston's mental capacity that wins the case for Barney who decided to go based on the evidence not orders of his superiors -to let Winston hang on a vine or rope-and ending up getting him committed not executed for what he did. As for Winston he completely goes nuts and cracks up when the verdict is read, innocent by reason of insanity, and has to be dragged away to his cell and put on a 24 hour around the clock suicide watch to prevent him from killing himself! By going against his superiors orders Barney has forfeit his upcoming promotion as a full bird colonel but at least he prevented and innocent but insane man from being executed for a crime that he didn't, in him being out of his mind crazy, consciously commit!
It's when the assistant of Major Kaufman, Sam Wanamaker, Kate Davray, France Nuyen, told Barney that his evaluation of Winston's mental state was kept hidden from the court record that he decided to get Kaufman to testify in Winston's defense even though he doesn't want, in him willing to die a martyr for the white or Aryan cause, him to. It takes a while for Barney to convince Major Kaufman to agree to testify to Winston's sanity or lack of it only for him to end up dead in a car accident on his way to court! This leaves Barney with only one option to save Winston's life by having him be put on the stand and thus, on cross examination, show everyone just how crazy he really is!
****SPOILERS**** There's also British Army psychiatrist and expert in dealing and treating loonies like Winston Major Kensington, Trevor Howard,who more then confirms the late major Kaufman's assessment of Winston's mental capacity that wins the case for Barney who decided to go based on the evidence not orders of his superiors -to let Winston hang on a vine or rope-and ending up getting him committed not executed for what he did. As for Winston he completely goes nuts and cracks up when the verdict is read, innocent by reason of insanity, and has to be dragged away to his cell and put on a 24 hour around the clock suicide watch to prevent him from killing himself! By going against his superiors orders Barney has forfeit his upcoming promotion as a full bird colonel but at least he prevented and innocent but insane man from being executed for a crime that he didn't, in him being out of his mind crazy, consciously commit!