The Traitor (1957 film)

The Traitor (also known as The Accused) is a 1957 British drama film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Donald Wolfit, Robert Bray, Jane Griffiths and Anton Diffring.

Premise
A former resistance fighter tries to discover the traitor who has betrayed his colleagues in the German resistance during the Second World War.

Cast

 * Donald Wolfit as Colonel Charles Price
 * Robert Bray as Major Shane
 * Jane Griffiths as Vicki Toller
 * Carl Jaffe as Professor Stefan Toller
 * Anton Diffring as Joseph Brezina
 * Christopher Lee as Doctor Neumann
 * Oscar Quitak as Thomas Rilke
 * Karel Štěpánek as Mayor Friederich Suderman
 * Frederick Schiller as Alfred Baum
 * Rupert Davies as Clinton, the butler
 * John Van Eyssen as Lieutenant Bobby Grant
 * Colin Croft as Theodore Dehmel

Theme music
The film's title music, "Prelude Without A Name", and incidental music were written and conducted by Jackie Brown. The solo pianist was Dennis Wilson.

Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Although there are some good ideas in the plot, the script of this film seems more suited to radio than to cinema, since it consists for the most part of a series of conversational set pieces. The director has made praiseworthy efforts to overcome this defect; but has not quite succeeded. Robert Bray's truculent American major is quite unconvincing; for the rest the cast is uninspired but adequate."

Kine Weekly wrote: "The director handles the plot intelligently and convincing atmosphere is created. Resourceful camerawork and an original musical score, strengthened by a new concerto, heighten dramatic impact."

Sky Movies wrote, "The specially written musical piece, Prelude, which has a vital part to play in the plot's unfolding, is hauntingly appealing. But too much talk tends to spoil the script's surprises."

The Radio Times noted, "Nuance was not Donald Wolfit's strong suit, but he had presence and power in spades. He totally dominates this story with a bluster and conviction that keeps an uninspiring tale of the hunt for a Second World War traitor from falling flat on its face."

TV Guide concluded, "This is an offbeat espionage whodunit with some nervy moments."

Around the film

 * On a very similar plot line, the French filmmaker Julien Duvivier directed in 1959 Marie-Octobre, also known as Secret Meeting, starring Danielle Darrieux and based on a novel by Jacques Robert published in 1948.