This film begins just prior to the American entry into World War I with a young man named "Thad Walker" (Tab Hunter) stealing a car and accidentally hitting a bicyclist while trying to evade the police. Unfortunately, rather than being relieved that no one was seriously hurt, Thad's wealthy father reacts in a violent manner and proceeds to beat him once he is released by the police. That being said, having grown tired of the physical abuse, Thad decides to leave home and subsequently boards a steamer headed for France with the intention of serving as a pilot in their war against the Germans. As it so happens, however, just prior to being sent to an air base for training, Thad meets a beautiful French prostitute named "Renee Beaulieu" (Etchika Choureau) and the two immediately fall in love. And while her letters give him some measure of comfort during his intense training, it soon becomes quite obvious that Thad has inherited his father's violent temper--and this soon causes problems for all concerned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be an okay film thanks in large part to solid performances by both Tab Hunter and Etchika Choureau. Likewise, it also features a couple of young actors destined for stardom with David Janssen (as "Duke Sinclair") and Clint Eastwood ("George Moseley") being the most obvious. Admittedly, there were a couple of romantic scenes which slowed things down a bit but, even so, I found it to be worth the time spent and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
