After a wide-ranging life of piracy and adventure, Peyrol (Anthony Quinn, Zorba the Greek) comes ashore in the port of Toulon during the bloody aftermath of the French Revolution to deliver a message to the Port Commander. Wanted by authorities in nearly every port in the European world, Peyrol barely escapes arrest and flees to an isolated spot near the coast. While searching for a way to return to the open sea, he rescues a deranged girl, Arlette (Rosanna Schiaffino, Arrivederci, Baby!) from a mob of revolutionary “blood-drinkers.” The sweet girl asks Peyrol to stay at her house, where she lives with her Aunt Caterina (Rita Hayworth, Gilda). Peyrol is surprised to find that a French naval officer, Real (Richard Johnson, The Haunting), has also taken a room at the house and it’s not long before Real discovers that Peyrol is wanted by the police. Torn by his growing love of Arlette and his duties to the counter-revolutionaries, Peyrol must choose between his desires and the needs of an entire country. Great direction by Terence Young (Dr. No) with a memorable score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and co-starring Anthony Dawson (Death Rides a Horse), from a novel by Joseph Conrad (Lord Jim).
