Master Sgt. Albert Callan is a war hero and a no-nonsense leader who reforms his previously mismanaged military base. Although Callan seems collected, he struggles as a closeted homosexual. When the sergeant becomes obsessed with his handsome clerk, Tom Swanson, he even disrupts the young man's relationship with his French girlfriend, Solange. Since Swanson isn't receptive to Callan's advances, it creates major tension between the two men.
Acting
Steiger's volcanic repression—every twitch screams what he cannot say.
Writing
Dialogue so coded it practically vibrates with subtext.
Director
John Flynn
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released months before Stonewall, this was one of Hollywood's first serious attempts at gay male subjectivity—though it pathologizes desire relentlessly.
Steiger reportedly took the role specifically to challenge himself with material he found 'disturbing,' then refused to discuss the film in interviews for years.
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