The Scarlet Coat is a 1955 historical drama directed by John Sturges.
It's set during The American Revolution, and specifically revolves around a treasonous plot by an American turncoat to turn the fort at West Point over to the British. Major John Bolton (Cornel Wilde), in Patriot counterintelligence, intercepts and kills an undercover British courier. He finds on the person of the British spy a letter from one "Gustavus" to a "James Osborn" reporting that Benedict Arnold has taken command at West Point.
Bolton's superiors send him into British lines bearing the letter. Bolton makes himself out to be the source of the intelligence and a long-time British mole. Spymaster Dr. Jonathan Odell (George Sanders) doesn't believe him, but head of British military intelligence Major John Andre (Michael Wilding) does. Eventually Bolton accompanies Andre on a mission back up the Hudson River, to meet "Gustavus" as part of a plot to win the war for the British.
Anne Francis appears as Sally Cameron, Andre's mistress.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – History: The character of John Bolton was fictional. He seems to be inspired by Real Life Patriot spy chief Ben Tallmadge, who did in fact use "John Bolton" as a code name, but he didn't operate in the field. And the whole story about a Rebel spy worming his way into the confidences of the British and helping ruin Arnold's plot is fictional; Arnold's plot only failed because John Andre, who was walking back to British lines, blundered his way into some Patriot militia while carrying incriminating documents.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: The sexual tension between Sally and John is obvious, even as she's hissing at him to get out of her room.
- Call-Back: Andre's servant Peter ties his neckband too tight and Andre complains. At the end, after he sees the gallows, Andre tells Peter "This neckband will be far too tight."
- Conveniently Unverifiable Cover Story: Odell in particular is suspicious of Bolton for this. He claims that he was the source for Moody, the spy who was killed—but Moody's dead. (Killed by Bolton.). He claims that his two British partners were ambushed on their mission to sabotage the boom in the river—but his partners both disappeared. (One killed by Bolton, one killed by a Patriot civilian.)
- Dramatic Drop: Sally does this when she hears that John is going to be hanged. This is what clues Andre in to the fact that she's in love with Bolton.
- Face Death with Dignity: Andre dresses in his finest uniform and marches to the gallows bravely as in Real Life.
- Flynning: Andre tests out Bolton by handing him a foil and fencing with him. Andre is impressed. (Cornel Wilde was a trained fencer.)
- The Infiltration: Bolton's mission, to pose as a traitor and infiltrate British intelligence to find out who "Gustavus" is.
- Karma Houdini: Benedict Arnold, who in Real Life got away.
- Narrator: A narrator sets the scene at the beginning of the movie and at the end returns to reveal the monument to John Andre in London.
- Satellite Character: Anne Francis has little to do in the story other than look pretty, and if her character had been removed it wouldn't have affected the plot much at all, other than the scene where she stops Bolton from falling for a trap.
- Secret Test: Andre and Odell rather ostentatiously make sure that Bolton knows the hiding place of a secret letter. He stupidly sets out to copy it, but Sally stops him and spills the beans. (She also reveals herself as a Patriot sympathizer despite being a British officer's mistress.)
- Victoria's Secret Compartment: Where Sally keeps her pass to go through the lines. She makes a little show out of dramatically removing it.
