Libel (1959)

Plot Summary

With a lovely wife and a resplendent manor that's a de rigueur stop on tours of England's stately homes, Sir Mark Loddon leads anenviable life. Then a newspaper charges that Loddon was killed during a wartime escape from a POW camp and a look-alike has sinceruled the baronet's realm. Outraged, Loddon sues for libel, setting in motion revelations of war, memory, trauma and deception thatcauses Lady Loddon (Olivia de Havilland) and Sir Mark (Dirk Bogarde) himself to question his identity. Anthony Asquith (The BrowningVersion, The VIPs) guides this star-infused courtroom drama based on a Broadway hit and enhanced by the maneuvering of Robert Morleyand Wilfrid Hyde-White in the roles of collegial yet cunning rival barristers.