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In London on a two-day layover, Canadian airline pilot
Jeffrey Buckenham visits a pub where he becomes agitated upon viewing a
portion of a television program featuring Sir Mark and Lady Margaret Loddon
giving a tour of their historic estate. During the live broadcast,
Mark cannot recall an event from his youth, but Maggie covers for her
husband. After the telecast, Mark apologizes, but Maggie reassures him
that she has grown accustomed to his memory lapses since his return years
earlier after being a German prisoner-of-war. Later that night, Mark
confesses to Maggie that he is inexplicably haunted by a portion of a tune
and an unidentifiable image that he believes is connected to the song.
The following day, Jeff joins a public tour of the London
estate and remains behind to confront Mark, who recognizes him as a fellow
prisoner in the German POW camp. When Jeff sees that Mark is missing
two fingers on his right hand, he accuses him of being Frank Welney, a camp
inmate who bore a striking resemblance to Mark. After Jeff departs, he
visits Mark’s cousin, Gerald Loddon, a car salesman, and reveals his
suspicion that Welney is masquerading as Mark. Gerald suggests that
Jeff print a formal accusation exposing Welney in the Sunday Gazette,
a disreputable but best-selling journal.
The following afternoon, Maggie finds two reporters in her
home taking photos of her and Mark’s young son Michael. The reporters
show her a copy of Jeff’s published accusation. Later, Mark declares
they should ignore the item, but Maggie remains doubtful. After the
couple overhears several of their acquaintances gossiping about the article
on their walk to church, Maggie insists that Mark sue Jeff and the paper for
libel for Michael’s sake. Upon learning of the suit, Jeff visits
Gerald, who offers Jeff a portion of a letter he received from Mark during
the war, but advises Jeff that he is obliged to stand by Mark in public.
On the first day of the trial, Mark is called by his
attorney, Sir Wilfred, and summarizes his experiences during the war,
admitting his long stay in the camp turned his hair prematurely white as
well as caused gaps in his memory. The prosecutor, Hubert Foxley,
accuses Mark of being Welney, a poor, small-time actor, who longed to take
over Mark’s wealth, title and marriage. Foxley then reads from Mark’s
letter to Gerald, which notes Welney’s physical similarity to Mark except
for having lighter hair and a damaged right hand. Mark explains that
his hand was injured during his flight from the camp. Prompted by
Foxley, Mark then describes the breakout in April 1945.
Mark, Welney and Jeff escape together, traveling by night to
avoid detection. On the third night, the men hide by a small bridge
guarded by German soldiers and discuss making a risky foray to a nearby farm
for food. Jeff cautions Mark not to volunteer as he is wearing an
officer’s jacket and offers to go instead, leaving Mark and Welney alone.
In the present, Mark adds that all he can recall after Jeff’s
departure is the fragment of a tune and a reflection in the mist.
Foxley asks Mark if he recalled Maggie, his then fiancée, and Mark admits he
had forgotten her, but she wrote him constantly during the six months he was
hospitalized. At the adjournment, Sir Wilfred tells Mark that Maggie’s
testimony will allay any doubts, but Mark refuses to allow Maggie to
testify. After lunch, Gerald testifies that he has no doubt of Mark’s
identity. At the end of the day, Sir Wilfred again insists that Maggie
testify, but Mark again refuses, claiming the trial is too undignified.
That evening in their hotel room, Maggie expresses surprise
that Mark had not remembered her and he admits he never told her out of fear
of rejection. When Mark admits to being uncertain of his own identity,
Maggie comforts him. The following day Jeff testifies that Welney was
a grating character, prone to violence who questioned Mark repeatedly about
his family and home and once physically imitated Mark when he believed
himself alone. Jeff relays that during their escape, he heard shots
and returned to the bridge to see the German guards standing over a body in
an officer’s jacket and concludes that Welney murdered Mark to take his
place.
During the court recess, Maggie approaches Jeff to insist
that he is mistaken about Mark. Jeff tells her that Mark was a true
friend to him and confides that on that night by the bridge, Mark had
followed Jeff to ask him to return the last thing Maggie gave to him, a tiny
medallion, if anything should happen to him. By Maggie's reaction,
Jeff realizes that she has not seen the medallion since Mark returned from
the war. Upon the trial’s resumption, Foxley calls German physician
Dr. Schrott, who testifies that in April 1945 a man found in a British
officer’s jacket was brought to him, terribly beaten and maimed so severely
that his right arm had to be amputated. With no memory or ability to
speak, the man was never identified and remains a hospital inmate known only
as Number Fifteen. The man kept the jacket, which is presented in
court and when Foxley suggests that seeing a familiar face may jar his
memory, Number Fifteen is brought into court. The horribly disfigured
man is directed toward Mark and when Number Fifteen shuffles closer, Mark
recoils. Sir Wilfred points out to the court that no one knows Number
Fifteen’s identity, then tells Mark that Maggie must testify on his behalf.
Taking the stand, Maggie declares that seeing her husband’s strong reaction
to Number Fifteen convinced her that he is not Mark. When Foxley asks
Maggie if she considers Number Fifteen to be Mark, she says that it was
clear the men recognized one another. That night back at the hotel, Maggie
calls Mark an imposter, despite their years together.
Distraught, Mark spends the night walking the streets and at
dawn finds himself by a canal. While Mark gazes into the water at his
reflection, his memory is abruptly restored. In court later that
morning, Mark explains that on the night by the bridge after Jeff had
departed, he had crawled over to the river for a drink and heard Welney
whistling the aimless tune he always whistled. The whistling ceased
and Mark saw Welney’s reflection above as Welney prepared to strike him with
a log. The men fought and, in a rage, Mark beat Welney senseless. He
then exchanged jackets with him and as he was fleeing was shot in the hand
by the guards. Mark states that he believes the shock of his
unaccustomed burst of violence triggered his amnesia. When the judge
asks Mark if he can provide any evidence of his claim, Mark hesitates, then
asks for the jacket and finds the medallion from Maggie. Both Maggie
and Jeff recognize the medallion and Foxley hastily requests a settlement.
Mark offers to pay for Number Fifteen’s continued care, then thanks Jeff for
restoring his memory, and reunites with a contrite Maggie. |
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