Dark Sands

Famed black singer-actor Robeson once again struggles mightily with fairly routine material and almost wins. Here he plays a black American corporal in WW I who is court-martialed for a murder he didn't commit and is sentenced to die. A kindly white captain, Wilcoxon, takes pity on Robeson and lets him out on furlough to spend a final New Year's Eve with his buddies. Being no dummy, Robeson escapes, causing Wilcoxon to be drummed out of the military and imprisoned as well. Feeling betrayed (though Robeson never knew that Wilcoxon's neck was on the line), Wilcoxon vows to follow Robeson to the ends of the earth seeking revenge. Robeson, meanwhile, has gone to Africa...