Stalag 17 (1953)

Erwin Kalser: Geneva Man

Quotes 

• Geneva man : [a Red Cross official is inspecting the camp just after Sefton was beaten on suspicion being an enemy informant. The official sees his injuries]  What happened to you? Were you beaten?

  [Sefton doesn't answer] 

  Geneva man : Why don't you answer?

  [to the German officer escorting him] 

  Geneva man : What did you do to this man?

  Sefton : They didn't do nothing.

  Geneva man : Who beat you?

  Sefton : Nobody beat me. We were playing pinochle. It's a rough game.

• German Lieutenant : Here we have a typical barrack. It houses 75 men. Every one of them has his own bunk, naturally.

  Geneva man : Naturally. It would be rather awkward to have three men in one bunk.

  German Lieutenant : As for the blankets, you will notice they're very warm. 50% wool.

  Geneva man : They also smell of mothballs. When were they issued? This morning? What do you do for heat in this barrack? No stove.

  German Lieutenant : The men here used it as a trap door, so we had to remove it temporarily.

  Geneva man : How long is temporarily? I trust not until July.

• Geneva man : I want to talk about Lieutenant Dunbar. Is this Lieutenant Dunbar?

  Oberst Von Scherbach : It is.

  Geneva man : What exactly is he charged with?

  Oberst Von Scherbach : Whatever it is, it's out of your jurisdiction. This man is not a prisoner of war. Not anymore. He's a saboteur.

  Geneva man : He's a prisoner of war until you can prove sabotage.

  Lt. James Skylar Dunbar : I didn't do it. I was in the Frankfurt station and the train was three miles away when it blew up.

  Oberst Von Scherbach : Come now, you threw a time bomb.

  Lt. James Skylar Dunbar : How could I have had a time bomb? They searched me when they took me prisoner.

  Geneva man : And the way you search your prisoners, it does sound rather unlikely.

  Oberst Von Scherbach : All I know is he did it. I am satisfied.

  Geneva man : I am not. According to the Geneva Convention, this man...

  Lt. James Skylar Dunbar : Is there anything in the Geneva Convention that'll let a guy sleep?

  [he stumbles over to von Scherbach's couch and falls asleep] 

  Oberst Von Scherbach : You were saying?

  Geneva man : Simply this. After the hostilities are ended, there will be such a thing as a War Crimes Commission. If the man should be convicted without proper proof, you will be held responsible, Oberst von Scherbach.

  Oberst Von Scherbach : Interesting.

  Geneva man : Isn't it?

  Oberst Von Scherbach : Very well. If you insist on details, I have ways of finding out about that blasted time bomb. Good day, sir. You will forgive me for receiving you like this.

  Geneva man : Perfectly all right. I do not like boots.

• Hoffy : Since you want us to speak up, there was a man removed from this barracks last night. A Lieutenant Dunbar. We'd appreciate your looking into it. That's if they haven't shot him yet.

  Geneva man : Why was the man arrested?

  German Lieutenant : Sabotage. He blew up a train.

  Hoffy : They'd have to prove that first, wouldn't they? Isn't that what the Geneva Convention says? You can't just take a man out and shoot him.