Emeric Pressburger

By 1964, it was possible for a major studio to make a film touching upon the Spanish Civil War without having to answer to some senate investigating committee or other. Based on Emeric Pressburger's novel A Mouse on Sunday, Behold a Pale Horse stars Gregory Peck as a Republican war veteran Manuel Artiguez who continues waging a one-man offensive 20 years after hostilities have officially ceased. Pressburger's novel was loosely based on the last raid of real-life anarchist guerrilla Antonio Sabate who was killed in an ambush in 1959. When the young son of an old comrade in arms comes to the French border village where Artiguez is exiled, he asks the old warrior to avenge the death of his father at the hands of vengeful Nationalist police captain Vinolas played by Anthony Quinn. At first Manuel refuses, but when Manuel learns that his aged mother Pilar (Mildred Dunnock) is dying he's determined to return to Spain to bid farewell to her. Pilar dies before Manuel can embark on his journey, but with the aid of traitorous smuggler Carlos (Raymond Pelligrin) Captain Vinolas keeps up the pretence that she still lives so that he can lure Manuel back to Spain and ambush him. Although a sympathetic priest (Omar Sharif) advises Manuel that he's being tricked, Manuel determines to return at all costs. Aware of the trap that's been set for him, Manuel engages the police in a fire fight, wounding Vinolas, killing Carlos and dying himself in the process. In 1966, Behold a Pale Horse was scheduled to be telecast on a major American network, but was cancelled at the last minute, reportedly at the behest of the Spanish government.

At an RAF base the control tower reports one aircraft is missing as a squadron returns from a nighttime sortie. A title screen takes the viewer back 15 hours earlier. Veteran officer George has volunteered for one last mission, he replaces an American sergeant as tail gunner. The crew have their lunch, the officers in the wardroom and the non-coms in their mess. The Yank is upset and gives his $3 nylon stockings to another airman Wellington medium bomber B for Bertie takes off at 21:40 hrs to bomb the Mercedes-Benz plant in Stuttgart. The crew settles in for the long flight. Gunners load their weapons. They joke about German girls, a few familiar with Stuttgart from before the war. They pass over the Dutch coast. Flak guns rock the plane. They pass over the railroad to Cologne and dump a load of leaflets. They fly into searchlights, the gunners shoot down at the lights. They watch a city in flames being bombed. They open the bomb bay doors and lower altitude, drop the load and turn to home. The starboard engine is hit, the navigator plots a straight route home over Mainz. The pilot tries to evade the constant ack-ack. They make it to Holland. Now the port engine dies, they decide to bail out. They plan to follow the rail-line and join up later. The pilot John gives the jump command one by one, he slips out last. All bail out. The plane recovers and flies on by itself. In the morning the crew gather in a wooded area. They have a smoke, George takes command as Bob is missing, John seems to be in over his head. They check a map and look to the coast. George prepares and strips off his uniform tunic. Some local kids arrive, their dog barks. One flyer knows some Dutch and is able to determine the kids are friendly. The kids show their resistance symbol safety pins, and offer to take them to the school marm who knows English. In the village the crew are left in one room while the locals discuss. Els Meerten comes in and introduces herself. She grills them and says no plane has crashed nearby. She asks for proof they are who they say, suspecting they are a German trick. Frank shows a news clipping of his wife's upcoming broadcast. She leaves and they then note the orange flowers and the hidden picture of their queen, indicating their national loyalty. They are taken in to see the others. It's friendly and a pile of food is on the table, the men tuck in and are given Bols aqavit. Everyone wonders where Bob is, Els is worried if the Germans find him. They are 58 km from the coast. The Dutch offer to take them to their Catholic Church, part of the way there, two Brits are hesitant as they are Protestants. The Dutch will also dig up the parachutes and hide them better. A couple of the men are disguised as Dutch women with clogs. George gets a proper suit. They make fake travel papers. The large group bicycles down a road past windmills. A German armored car tears past with a siren. They arrive at church and sit in the pews. A man comes in and passes the word Bob's parachute has been found. A vehicle approaches, noisy Germans are outside. The priest continues the Latin rites as an Officer enters. A woman has a bit of RAF parachute under her skirt, they manage to hide it. The German looks around then leaves without a word. The organist starts up and all sing loudly. They make up another travel pass to be a wedding party. The Aircrew have a nice meal and drinks at a large house. Their host complains about quislings, upset his son is earning money from the traitors, bringing phonograph records to the Germans. The quisling DeJong comes in talking tough. George pulls his gun and the Dutch man is taken prisoner. Outside they hear their anthem playing from the German barracks. De Jong is worried the Germans will be after him for slipping the Dutch records . The older host is happy now realizing his son pulled a trick on both the quisling and the invaders. Another travel pass is made to attend the football game. The crowd surrounds a pitch but a German patrol car announces only 200 can gather. As the crowd mills about the German loudspeaker retracts and allows the Dutch to watch their game. The Brits see their lost mate Bob there. The six ride in the back of a lorry with a cow, they arrive by the North Sea. The truck drives through a heavy fortified area. Jo de Vries meets them to guide, the Germans trust her as an ally. The men sneak in a warehouse loft above a group of singing and laughing Germans. It is a barracks for 200 soldiers. de Vries takes them to her quarters, they drop in from the attic. They all relax, she has a radio and tells them to only open the door to her special V code knock. The men listen to Frank's wife singing on the BBC. The men get dressed in their uniforms. de Vries returns, Frank kisses her hand in thanks. She asks them to see her husband in London, he is an announcer for Radio Orange. She explains they just need to wait for an air raid so they can escape to a rowboat. They have to wait. The next day de Vries dresses up and toasts the men with drinks. Her family motto is We Can Take It. George graciously thanks her on behalf of the crew and promises they will sweep out the Germans. Suddenly the air raid sirens wail, the Germans run for shelter. Jo heaps scorn on the Germans wishing the rest of Europe could see how they duck and cover. The crew head downstairs for the rowboat. The Dutch woman needs to distract a couple of Germans. The Brits silently take out another enemy officer arriving in the cellar. George goes and takes out the other two Germans. de Vries gives some final guidance and says she will take care of the three bodies, wishing the Bertie crew good luck. In the dark they row down a river and must pass a guardpoint. The Germans open a swing bridge to let out fishing boats. As the bridge starts to close George gives the order to row, the German guard above whistles away his troubles. He then notices the rowboat and fires his rifle. They make it far enough away but George has been hit. They then make it to a rescue buoy out at sea. Two MTB approach. The Brits have two prisoners in the floating container but think the boats are Germans. It's the RN though, and after some inter-service ribbing they take the buoy in tow to Dover as George is too weak to be moved. Three months later PO George Corbett is OK and assigned to a Lancaster, ready to fly a sortie to Berlin.