This film is part of Free
Nurse and Martyr
The moving true story of wartime heroine Nurse Edith Cavell, recreated in the aftermath of her execution.
Overview
This intriguing dramatised account of WWI nurse Edith Cavell's imprisonment and execution at the hands of the Germans was produced shortly after her death. Cavell had been arrested for sheltering Allied soldiers and aiding their escape. Directed by and starring former circus performer Percy Moran, with Cora Lee in the title role, what this film lacks in completeness it makes up for in sheer drama.
The failure of diplomatic efforts by neutral countries to obtain a reprieve meant that on 12 October 1915, wearing her nursing uniform, Cavell was executed by firing squad in Brussels. An instant martyr, her fate provoked worldwide protest. Recruitment doubled in the weeks following her death, strengthening Allied morale.
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