FOUR JUST MEN – "The Village Of Shame" – 1959
This is the third episode of the 1959-60 series, THE FOUR JUST MEN. The series stars, Richard Conte, Jack Hawkins, Vittorio De Sica and Dan Dailey. They are all part of a group out to fight injustice throughout the world. In each episode one of the four men is the featured player. This episode is centered on Jack Hawkins.
Hawkins gets a phone call from an old Army friend. A mutual friend they both served with has died. There might be something not kosher with the death. Hawkins grabs a plane to the south of France to investigate. Landing in Toulon, he heads out to a small village on the Mediterranean coast.
The village constable, Arthur Gomez, tells Hawkins that his friend had went swimming and drowned. It was ruled an accident. Hawkins knows this is not likely, as his friend was deathly afraid of water. He never went swimming.
Hawkins knows something is off here. The more inquires he makes the more hostility he gets from the locals. Malou Pantera, the hostess at the local bistro, tells Hawkins that everyone is wary of strangers. There had been a large amount of village men shot here during the war for helping Allied fliers escape into Spain. Her own cousin and the Mayor's brother were among those shot by the Gestapo.
Hawkins of course keeps digging into his friend's death. Soon the town mayor, Leo Britt, pays him a visit. Britt asks him to leave town as he is upsetting the townsfolk. No go there as Hawkins intends to solve the case.
A few calls to one of the other, "Four Just Men", Dan Dailey, a newsman stationed in Paris are made. It seems that the mayor's brother is not dead. He is living in Paris. He had escaped the date with the firing squad. Hawkins soon uncovers that it was the mayor, Britt, who had ratted out the village to the Gestapo. He wanted to save his brother from the firing squad. Britt is not all that pleased to have this information made public and tries to silence Hawkins. Britt is unsuccessful in the attempt and is handed over to the police. It seems that Hawkins dead friend had discovered the same info on Britt. Britt had cracked him on the head and dropped him in the sea. (B/W)
This is the third episode of the 1959-60 series, THE FOUR JUST MEN. The series stars, Richard Conte, Jack Hawkins, Vittorio De Sica and Dan Dailey. They are all part of a group out to fight injustice throughout the world. In each episode one of the four men is the featured player. This episode is centered on Jack Hawkins.
Hawkins gets a phone call from an old Army friend. A mutual friend they both served with has died. There might be something not kosher with the death. Hawkins grabs a plane to the south of France to investigate. Landing in Toulon, he heads out to a small village on the Mediterranean coast.
The village constable, Arthur Gomez, tells Hawkins that his friend had went swimming and drowned. It was ruled an accident. Hawkins knows this is not likely, as his friend was deathly afraid of water. He never went swimming.
Hawkins knows something is off here. The more inquires he makes the more hostility he gets from the locals. Malou Pantera, the hostess at the local bistro, tells Hawkins that everyone is wary of strangers. There had been a large amount of village men shot here during the war for helping Allied fliers escape into Spain. Her own cousin and the Mayor's brother were among those shot by the Gestapo.
Hawkins of course keeps digging into his friend's death. Soon the town mayor, Leo Britt, pays him a visit. Britt asks him to leave town as he is upsetting the townsfolk. No go there as Hawkins intends to solve the case.
A few calls to one of the other, "Four Just Men", Dan Dailey, a newsman stationed in Paris are made. It seems that the mayor's brother is not dead. He is living in Paris. He had escaped the date with the firing squad. Hawkins soon uncovers that it was the mayor, Britt, who had ratted out the village to the Gestapo. He wanted to save his brother from the firing squad. Britt is not all that pleased to have this information made public and tries to silence Hawkins. Britt is unsuccessful in the attempt and is handed over to the police. It seems that Hawkins dead friend had discovered the same info on Britt. Britt had cracked him on the head and dropped him in the sea. (B/W)