QB VII

This is the story of the lives of two men...

who fought each other in one of the most fascinating trials...

in modern history.

The trial took place in QB VII...

Queen's Bench courtroom number seven...

of the Royal Courts of Justice...

in London.

There, Sir Adam Kelno, a refugee European doctor...

and concentration camp survivor...

brought suit for libel against Abraham Cady...

World War II ace...

and world-famous American novelist.

For nearly 30 years, they lived their lives unaware of each other...

until they came into explosive contact in our time...

in these medieval court buildings.

In the lives of these two men, in their conflicts...

in this tragedy, is the heart of the story of a generation that...

in the unforgettable phrase of those times...

had a rendezvous with destiny.

Where are we going?

- QB VII. - What?

It's the courtroom. Queen's Bench Seven.

Is it true that Polish witnesses who are in prison with you...

at Jadwiga Concentration Camp will testify against the statements...

made about you by Abraham Cady in his novel?

I am deeply sorry that I am the cause...

of them having to relive the horror of that time.

If Abraham Cady would make some sort of financial offer outside of court...

would you stop pursuing your case against him?

Mr. Cady's descriptions of my medical practices in the German prisons...

are totally false and libelous.

I hope to secure a public apology here in an open court.

Abe, be careful.

Of what?

Mr. Cady, do you intend to apologize to Sir Adam for your attack?

None.

This is one Jew you're not going to castrate, Kelno.

You have no dignity, Mr. Cady.

As the Russians drove Adolf Hitler's armies out of Poland...

toward ultimate destruction in Berlin...

they liberated from concentration camps those pitiful scarecrows...

of human beings who had not yet been murdered by the Nazis.

One of these was Dr. Adam Kelno.

Who are you?

Kelno. Dr. Adam Kelno.

I am Polish.

- Nurse? - Yes?

Excuse me.

Where are all these people coming from?

Concentration camps.

I am a doctor. I hear you're short of doctors.

You're not well enough. You need to rest.

I need to work. I'm a doctor. It's my life.

- Pressure's going down. - More oxygen!

- It's not holding here. - Keep going.

More adrenaline.

Stethoscope.

Clearer.

Come on, now. Don't do this to yourself.

Go away.

This is no good. You are not going to wipe out the Jadwiga this way.

You want me to face it.

You want me to remember it.

Get over it?

- I know it isn't- - Do you know what it is like...

to patch up...

to repair sick, broken people...

knowing that the Germans are going to butcher them...

because they are not well enough to work.

To fight the Russians when they occupy...

and the Germans when they occupy...

and to fight the Polish Communists-

Why do they occupy at all?

No, I don't know what it's like.

But I know it happened...

and I know that you must forget now if you want to survive.

I want you to get better.

What's the use? What difference does it make?

I care for you.

What is there to care for?

You went to school in England.

The war is nearly over now. You could go back.

You could open up a practice. They'll be needing doctors, you know.

You really do care for me, don't you?

Yes, I do.

You do understand that I cannot give you-

I can't give you what you want to give me.

That's all right.

I have not been with a woman for five years.

I would not know now...

how.

It's all right.

Nothing bad will ever happen to you again.

You won't have to take a step. We'll lift you into it.

- I'll fall down. - What makes you think that?

Because the bone isn't attached.

Don't be silly. Come along. You'll be quite all right.

Nurse, get his plates, please.

Good morning, Mr. Evans.

Good morning, Doctor.

Tell me, who did your operation?

You did.

I did.

Thank you. Well, now.

If your leg wasn't attached, I'd know about it, wouldn't I?

Perhaps you wouldn't tell me.

Look, now. Let's see. Thank you.

This is an X-ray photograph of your leg.

Name on top.

That is your leg.

What do you see there?

You mean that white line?

Yes. It is a bolt.

It is a pin. I put it there.

It holds your leg in its socket.

Then I sewed the muscles back around it.

Right?

Now it is part of you.

It works just like the other leg.

Yes, it does.

What we are going to do is stand you up...

put you on your feet.

You'll hold on to this bar. Yes, and then you'll take a step.

- Come on. - I can't.

Of course you can. Don't be a baby.

I've got it. That's fine.

She's got you.

That's right. Now you're all right.

Hold on.

- Are you standing on your leg? - Yes.

- Is it falling off? - Not yet.

Good.

Now take a step forward, please.

Come on. I'm waiting.

All right?

Thank you.

- Hi, darling. - Hello.

Who are you?

I'm Inspector Henderson.

- What do you want? - I have a warrant for your arrest.

It's my duty to caution you that you're not obliged to say anything...

that anything you say will be taken down in writing and given as evidence.

My arrest? What for?

You are to be detained in custody pending a hearing...

for extradition by the Polish government.

What's wrong?

The Polish government alleged that you are a war criminal...

for committing atrocities at Jadwiga Concentration Camp.

That's insane!

I must ask you to come with us.

- I don't- - It's okay.

Don't worry.

You must by my lawyer, Mr. Tuckerman.

In England, solicitor is the phrase, Dr. Kelno.

May I introduce your barrister, Mr. Highsmith.

I prepare the case, and your barrister does the presenting of it in the court.

I must say I'm overwhelmed at your representing me.

- Thank you. - I also must tell you...

that I'm somewhat apprehensive of your fee.

Do you know what it'll be?

Members of the anti-Communist Polish community in London are paying.

- I don't know anyone from there. - They know you now if not before.

You must realize that you'd be free on bail...

if it weren't for the international implications.

You've heard the charges against you?

I couldn't believe that they were talking about me.

I think you should know the facts.

This, Dr. Kelno, is from a document...

prepared by the Polish government and sent by the home office.

The relevant part is...

that the said Dr. Adam Kelno...

as a prisoner doctor in Jadwiga Concentration Camp...

removed healthy ovaries and amputated healthy testicles...

of Jewish prisoners in collaboration with German sterilization experiments.

That is monstrous.

Did you have contact with a Dr. Tesslar at Jadwiga?

No. He was a Communist.

They'll be looking for him as a key witness against you.

Yes, and I imagine he'll say anything they tell him to.

Fortunately, they haven't been able to find him, so you may not need to worry.

I won't worry in any case.

This whole thing is so incredible. I can't even begin to cope with it.

I'm afraid you have to. You must realize the Polish government...

is prepared to make a major effort to extradite you.

- Polish government? - The Communists.

They are the Polish government today, after all.

You do understand, Mr. Highsmith, the Communists will tell any lie...

any lie at all...

to discredit anti-Communist Polish patriots...

to make people believe we cooperated with the Germans during the war.

For that reason, we can hope, unless there are surprises...

we haven't anticipated that a British court would not hand you over to them.

There will be no surprises, believe me.

Nevertheless, we must be prepared. Above all, during the proceedings...

don't get carried away by your political animosities.

Please, sir. Please.

You cannot expect me to react to this incredible conspiracy...

in the spirit of Christian charity.

No, but I suggest that there's a posture in court.

I will try to have your case settled as quickly as possible.