Hard-hitting 1950s crime drama exploring racism towards immigrants among the London police and public. Sapphire (Yvonne Buckingham), a fair-skinned West Indian immigrant, is discovered murdered. To the police, led by Superintendent Hazard (Nigel Patrick) and Inspector Learoyd (Michael Craig), the case seems clear cut - Sapphire must have been killed by a member of the black community. However, when Sapphire's brother (Earl Cameron) turns up at the police station and Sapphire's true ethnic roots become known, Hazard and Learoyd must face up to the racism of two communities and, quite possibly, their own...

In 1944, twelve Death Row convicts are selected by Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) for a suicide mission. With the aid of his assistant, Sergeant Bowren (Richard Jaeckel), Reisman gradually moulds his gang of murderers, rapists, thieves and psychotics into a tough fighting unit. He leads them into occupied France in an attempt to infiltrate a chateau where the Nazi top brass are holding a summit. Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes and a then-unknown Donald Sutherland are among the dozen.