REVIEW: Crossfire

ITV Play of the Week: Season 12, Episode 23

Broadcast: Tuesday, 7th February 1967

Character: Hugo Croissillon

Above: Peter with Eric Portman

This forbidding piece of drama set during the last days of French rule in Algeria (the war[1] itself had ended just five years before the play was broadcast), when most French citizens had returned home, leaving only those who felt duty bound to carry on with their work there. One of these people is Doctor Sorel (Eric Portman), a distinguished and dedicated physician who has spent three decades in Algiers and who is caught between European and Islamic extremists during the war.

The story begins at Sorel’s home where he’s been conducting a meeting with a small group of likeminded colleague and acquaintances, one of whom is fellow doctor and friend of 30-years, Dr. Si Cada (Roger Delgado). When a message arrives and is delivered to Si Cada by Sorel’s disapproving housekeeper, Francesca (Anne Blake), advising that a number of natives have been injured in a grenade attack, Sorel insist on accompanying his friend to help treat the injured and ends up admitting a young Muslim boy who has been paralysed in the blast to his hospital.

Also resident in the city is Sorel’s daughter, Eliane (Jeanette Sterke) and her husband, Hugo Croissillon (Peter Wyngarde). Hugo is preparing to leave on a business trip to Paris where the couple’s two young daughters are living. He pleads with his wife to convince her father to cease his welfare work, which includes treating Muslim “terrorists” and their families – a practice which has not gone unnoticed by the white settlers.

Hugo also makes mention, almost as a footnote before departing, that he had bumped into Paul Du Pre (Ian Hendry) – Eliane’s former boyfriend. When Paul calls on her the following day, the former army major tells her that he is now a civil servant working for the Ministry of Culture, and is in Algiers to look over the museums and ancient monuments in the area. In reality, he is a police spy who has come to the city to monitor a French Nationalist cell that is determined to maintain their position of superiority in the capital.

When later Dr. Sorel arrives to give a lecture to medical students at the university, he finds himself surrounded by several young men – all of them members of this ultranationalist organisation. They wish to confront him about his work within the Muslim community. Despite this intimidation, Sorel holds that his medical skill is available to all that needs it, regardless of race or religion. The ringleader, Vedoni (Philip Locke), tells the elderly physician he is on notice that they will not allow him to continue treating terrorists. They give him three days to remove all Muslim patients from the hospital. If he fails to do so, they will do it themselves.

When Eilane returns home with Paul Du Pre after a day at the beach, they find that Hugo has returned from Paris an waiting for them. Eilane is surprised to see him, as she had been given to believe that he would be away for several days. He explains while flashing a rather ominous glare in Paul’s direction that, “I had to get back a day early.” She tells Hugo that she has tried to convince her father to give up his welfare work as advised, but that he is determined to continue despite the danger.

That evening, the Nationalists cell meet in a basement in the city. Most notable amongst their number is Hugo Croissillon who, it transpires, is the organisations paymaster. Also there is medical student, Vedoni and, at the head of the table, former French army officer, General Palice (Patrick Barr).Most notable amongst their number is Hugo Croissillon who, it transpires, is the organisations paymaster. Also there is medical student, Vedoni and, at the head of the table, former French army officer, General Palice (Patrick Barr).

Hugo tells his comrades about a bombing that had happened in Paris during his visit there a few days earlier which had taken the lives of 37 people. The main suspects were Algerian Islamic’s. The firebrand Vedoni insists a swift response is called for and suggests that 20 Muslim women should be executed so as to provoke a major clash between the French settlers and the Islamic natives. This operation would be codenamed ‘Sunrise’. Hugo, however, cautions that such an action could lose them any sympathies they might have in the wider world. He then reveals that the reason for his recent trip to France was to raise funds for their cause, and announces that he has brought back over 10 million Francs in cash and cheques.

When the meeting eventually breaks up, Vidoni gets onto Hugo about his father-in-law’s activities, and suggests that he should be a target for their group. Hugo tells the angry student in no uncertain terms that if anything should happen to Dr. Sorel, he would be held responsible. General Palice agrees with Hugo’s dislike of Vidoni, who he describes as the “ideal revolutionary”, but quickly adds that he is, after all, a necessary evil that they both must to accept.

As the conversation between the two men continues, it’s revealed that Hugo comes from one of the oldest family’s in France and so, he insists, he didn’t need to marry for money – indeed, he confesses to loving his wife “with an intense feeling of possession”. When asked what he might do should Eliane take off with another man he responds, no doubt, with Paul Du Pre in mind: “That would be simple. I’d kill him!”

When the following day Eliane arrives home from a trip to the theatre, she finds Paul waiting for her. She is shocked to learn that her father has formed a new political group which he has named the Supporters of Constitutional Government (The SCG), and that he has been asked to take the chairmanship. Paul sees this as a dangerous move and asks Eliane to dissuade him from accepting.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sorel goes to see Hugo who tells the aging physician that, because of his unwillingness to listen to reason, he has compromised his own daughter’s safety. Adamant that he will not give up the Chair of the SCG, the Doctor begs Hugo to take his daughter and return to Paris, but instead resolves only to leave their flat and to take Eliane to hotel on the outskirts of the city.

When Du Pre return to the Doctor’s home later that day, he finds Francesca and Eliane bound and gagged and Sorel gone; kidnapped by the insurrectionists. Paul immediately has arrested and taken to police headquarters where he is interrogated. Paul repeatedly asks the student who gave the order for the recent bank raids and, worse, the terrorist atrocities against the Muslim population. When the young man refuses to talk, Du Pre reveals that they know about ‘Operation Sunrise’, and makes mention of Hugo Croissillon. While Armidal had otherwise remained resolute in refusing to answer any of the officer’s questions, he makes the mistake of confirming Croissillon’s involvement in a knee-jerk moment of thoughtlessness. Warrants are hastily issued for the arrest of both Croissillon and General Palice,

Meanwhile back at their basement hideout, a kangaroo court is put in session with Dr. Sorel facing a charge of treason, taking payment from Muslims and consorting with the enemy. Croissillon and General Palice act as both judge and jury with Vedoni seemingly only too happy to give testimony against him. The trial is adjourned when news arrives that ‘Operation Sunrise’, which General Palice had ordered into action himself, is succeeding. When Croissillon and the General leave, Sorel is placed into the custody of Vidoni and his henchmen.

Back at police headquarters, Du Pre is informed that Croissillion has been arrested at the docks attempting to leave the country, and that Dr. Sorel has been spotted being driven in the direction of the hospital. Alas, he and his officers arrive too late to save the brave doctor as Vidoni and his comrades have already carried out his execution.

Peter with Jeanette Sterke and Ian Hendre

NOTES: [1]: The Algerian War – also known as the Algerian War of Independence or the Algerian Revolution – was a war between France and the Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria gaining its independence from France. An important decolonization war, it was a complex conflict characterized by guerrilla warfare, resistance fighting, terrorism, the use of torture by both sides, and counter-terrorism operations. The conflict was also a civil war between loyalist Algerians supporting a French Algeria and their insurrectionist Algerian nationalist counterparts.