Debt of Honour

For the Tom Clancy novel, see Debt of Honor. For other films, see A Debt of Honour (disambiguation).

Debt of Honour (also known as The Man Who Could Not Forget^[1]) is a 1936 British drama film directed by Norman Walker and starring Leslie Banks, Will Fyffe, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Garry Marsh. It was based on a story by Sapper, and scripted by Tom Geraghty and Cyril Campion.^[2]

Debt of Honour
Directed by	Norman Walker
Written by	Cyril Campion Thomas J. Geraghty
Based on	story by Herman C. McNeile
Produced by	John Corfield
Starring	Leslie Banks Will Fyffe Geraldine Fitzgerald
Cinematography	Robert Martin
Production company	British National Films
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release date	27 March 1936 (1936-03-27)
Running time	83 minutes 54 mins (1939 reissue)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios by British National Films.^[3] It was the second film made by British National, and had the same director, Norman Walker, as the first, Turn of the Tide (1935).

Plot

A Colonel's daughter steals from the regimental mess funds to pay off her gambling debts. One of the officers, who is love with her, takes the blame, and is sent to Africa.

Cast

• Leslie Banks as Major Jimmie Stanton
• Will Fyffe as Fergus McAndrews
• Geraldine Fitzgerald as Peggy Mayhew
• Niall MacGinnis as Lieutenant Peter Stretton
• Reginald Purdell as Pedro Salvas
• Garry Marsh as Bill
• Stewart Rome as Major Purvis
• Phyllis Dare as Mrs Stretton
• Joyce Kennedy as Lady Bracebury
• William Kendall as Paul Martin
• Randle Ayrton as Captain Turner
• Eric Cowley as Richard Denham
• David Horne as Colonel Mayhew
• Kathleen Davis as Kamara

Production

It was the second film from British National Films.^[4] It was originally called "Word of Honour".^[5]

Some scenes were shot at Pembroke Docks, Tilbury with the co operation of the War Office.^[6]

Release

The film was originally released in 1936. Picturegoer criticised the "unsophisticated and extremely naive story built on a too hearty "stout fellar" tradition... There are several unintentional laughs owing to the out-moded nature of plot and treatment, but Will Fyffe does manage to provide some genuine light relief at times as an African trader."^[7]

It was reissued in 1939 at a shorter running time.^[2][8] Kinematograph Weekly wrote "the initial criticism still goes. It was described as 'too deeply saturated in the hoary stout-fellow tradition of the pre-war stages ever to get by with modern, sophisticated audiences.' Star values and quota ticket may serve it in good stead."^[9]