It’s
Christmas on Devils Island and three prisoners, Joseph (Humphrey Bogart),
Albert (Aldo Ray), and Jules (Sir Peter Ustinov) escape from the Penal Colony
to a small coastal town. Once there they decide to rob the General Store, run
by Felix Ducotel (Leo G. Carroll) and his wife Amelie (Joan Bennett), to get
some money and clothes and then travel by ship to another place where they
might make their way back to France.
They
pretend to be there to fix the roof while they plan the crime, but pretty soon
they realize that the financial condition of the family Ducotel is not very
good and they find themselves befriending the Ducotel’s and their daughter
Isabelle (Gloria Talbott).
And
after helping them in many different aspects of their lives they are invited to
spend Christmas night with the family and as a result of being so well treated
by the family they become very protective towards them.
Especially
after the André Trochard (Basil Rathbone), the selfish and mean owner of the
establishment, and his nephew Paul Trochard (John Baer) arrive to do an audit
of the business, and they witness first-hand how the Trouchard’s exploit the
Ducotel family.
So,
the convicts decide they should use their expertise to intervene, in the end
events take a surprising turn.
Highly
recommend anyone should watch this as it makes for a different kind of family
viewing at Christmastime.
