The absorbing American film which introduced an explosive new talent called Marlon Brando.

Carl Foreman's skilful script takes a penetrating look at the plight of war veterans paralysed from the waist down.

Brando spent months among just such men before he felt able to embark upon the role and that sensitive actress Teresa Wright is ideal as his patient and devoted partner.

Her rejection of him on their wedding night is too much of a dramatic contrivance to convince and mars the latter stages of the film.

Dragnet's Jack Webb also makes an early impression as one of Brando's fellow paraplegics and there's an effectively nasty cameo from Ray Teal as an insincerely hearty drunk in a bar.

STAR SPOT: Star Trek's De Forest Kelley as one of head physician Everett Sloane's associates.