Storyline

Warner Brothers' publicity releases, intended for newspapers, on this movie state that Paul Muni worked closely with James Hilton on the adaptation of Hilton's book for this movie. Given that most publicity releases of the time (and also now) are best when taken with several grains of salt, this may or may not be true: Dr. David Newcome lives with his wife Jessica and son Gerald in the small English town of Calderbury. Jessica, conventional and somewhat stupid, is unable to understand the sensitive little boy and her stern, unsympathetic discipline aggravates Gerald's nervousness. The doctor is called to care for Leni, an Austrian dancer stranded in England, who has tried to commit suicide, and he decides she is just the person to hire as a governess for Gerald based on, evidently, no logic at all, but it does move the plot. Jessica learns the true story of Leni's background and demands she be discharged. Dr. Newcome arranges to have Leni enrolled in a music school. Gerald, being sent away to stay with his uncle, goes back into the house to retrieve a toy his mother has confiscated and, in getting it, he knocks over and breaks a bottle of pills. He stuffs these pills into a bottle containing his mother's headache pills. Jessica returns home, takes her headache pills, and the maid later finds her dead. Meanwhile, Leni and the Doctor are saying farewell when they hear the news of the outbreak of the War. Realizing that Leni, because of her nationality, will be in danger if she stays in England,he offers to take her on his bicycle to a nearby town where she can take a train for the start of the return to her homeland. But they are arrested for Jessica's murder and have the appearance of flight working against them. Gerald, the only person who can prove their innocence, has been told nothing of what has happened at the request of his father. With both sentenced to be hanged, the film's title comes from the line when the Doctor tells Leni, "We are not alone in suffering injustice."—Les Adams

Plot Keywords

doctor, governess, young boy, wife, bleak, dark, shocking, solemn, england, theater, house, accident, death, gossip, poison, execution, fall, 1910s

Trailer

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