A "Henry Smith" is having nightmares and delusions after his son Leo is sent to Europe (Germany) on a business trip. Family members are worried about his health and a nurse, Maria Smith (his daughter-in-law) starts questioning him (and his relatives plus a retired doctor) as to what he did in his past to make him like he is.

He arrived in New York City from Buenos Aries in 1943 according to his wife Adele. That is when they met and were married. Adele does not know anything about Henry's life before 1943.

Maria hears Henry talk aloud during his dreams. He talks about the resisters and canals and how he shot many of them in the name of Freedom. Maria pries and pries until eventually it is discovered that he was a "Kapitan Heinrich Schmidt," a Nazi officer in Hitler's secret police who killed many innocent civilians. "Maria Walinsky" was formerly a pole living in Warsaw during WWII who witnessed the destruction the Nazis wrought.

Henry eventually gets an idea of what she is doing, and calls her a fiend. When Henry finally comes to the realization of what he did, he is so overcome with guilt that he dies. Maria wants to tell everyone about his crimes, but is eventually convinced somewhat by Jan, the doctor, to keep the knowledge of "Herr Schmidt" from her husband and Adele, for the sake of their marriage. Leo finds swastika armbands in his father's drawer, and guesses what his father's history was. They decide to let their secret go with Henry to the grave.

:roll:

OK, there are a LOT of things that don't jive with me here.

1. In 1943, the war was not technically yet lost for Germany. Yet, an alleged war criminal LEAVES Germany at the peak of the Third Reich? Why? There wasn't even major talk or thought about war crimes on the German side at that time. If he were to surface in the US in 1943, then he would have had to have left Germany in 1942 or maybe earlier. Why would he be leaving at that point? How on earth would he get to Buenos Aries then, short of a submarine or illegaly stowing away on a cargo ship? ODESSA was not yet established at that point. An SS Kapitan would be a very small player in the role of the Reich up to that point anyway, and I highly doubt he would have had the means to finanace that type of disappearance. If the date was changed to 1946 or 1947, that would have been more believeable for me, and would follow along more with what really happened.

2. Maria talks about Peron and the guerillas that fought in Buenos Aries in the 40's like it was some common knowledge. Umm . . . maybe I am too young, but I've never really heard of that insurrection brought up in normal conversation. In 1943 under Juan Peron is when the second military coup took place in Argentina. So, MAYBE there was some killing and shooting going on prior to 1943, but enough to drive Henry to flee to the U.S.?

3. Getting to Argentina from Germany would have been difficult for Henry. Now, getting from Argentina to New York City, during wartime? With rationing, no papers (well, OK, maybe he had a contact somehow, but remember mail was censored, or possibly forged papers could have been made. I have no idea how anyone in Argentina at that time would be able to produce fake papers to get him to the US). I just don't see it happening.

4. So does this mean that Henry actually came straight from Germany to the US? Unless he was a POW, I don't think so. Nothing is mentioned about him being in any Italian campaign (I am thinking that would be about the earliest where the US would have taken POWs). He would have had to escape once in the US and then blend into the population. Not impossible, but then again, history says otherwise.

This is an episode that has bothered me for years. Too many questions left unanswered and the dates just don't make sense at all. I guess that is what I get for being a military history buff. Probably others wouldn't even notice. Although the acting is OK, I just can't warm up to this one at all.
