In 1898, a British officer (Clements) decides to resign his commission just as his regiment is summoned to the Battle of Khartoum in the Sudan. Quickly regretting his decision after he's branded a coward, he places himself at the center of the action as a heavily disguised spy, aiding his comrades and redeeming his honor.

A pounding adventure shot in saturated Technicolor and superbly directed by Zoltan Korda (brother of Alexander, the film's producer), "Feathers" is top-notch entertainment based on A.E.W. Mason's classic novel. Clements is solid in the lead, but top acting laurels go to Ralph Richardson in a rare screen turn as Clements' friend and romantic rival, along with the incomparable C. Aubrey Smith as a crusty war horse. The scenes where Smith recounts his past glories in battle are peerless.