The Green Glove

In the village of St. Elizar in the south of France, Father Goron hears the church bells ring for the first time since the church's prized artifact, the green Gauntlet of St. Elizar, was stolen years earlier during World War II. As the villagers race to the church, the priest discovers a dead man in the bell tower. Years earlier, just after the Allied invasion of France in 1944, American paratrooper Lt. Michael Blake flees into an abandoned Parisian building and discovers German art dealer Count Paul Rona. When Michael tries to arrest the German, Rona bargains for his life with the information that the German Army will attack at dawn, and with a bejeweled green glove which he places in Michael's backpack. Before Michael can respond, a bomb explodes and he is knocked out by falling rubble. He wakes to find that an underground agent named the Countess and her concierge, Pierre, have rescued him and brought him back to their chateau. Michael insists that they send the Countess's son, Robert, to inform the Allies about the impending German attack. While they wait for Robert's return, they hear that the Germans are retreating, and Michael realizes Rona duped him. Soon after, friends arrive bearing Robert's dead body, and the Countess collapses in grief. Michael despondently prepares to leave, insisting that they keep his bag as payment for their help. Years later, Michael returns to Paris, hoping to retrieve the green glove and sell it. On the Eiffel Tower, tour guide Chris Kenneth helps him escape from a stranger chasing him, Conrad Verno. When he sees her later that night at a bar, they spend the evening together. Before the night's end, however, Verno's dead body is discovered in Michael's hotel room. Although both Michael and Chris claim that they don't know him, police Inspector Faubert reveals a sketch of Michael that was found in Verno's coat. He leaves Michael under observation, but when the guard goes on break the next day, Michael races to the train station. Faubert, who has anticipated this, has him followed, as does Rona, who is also searching for the glove and has discovered Michael's presence in France. Chris surprises Michael by ascertaining his escape plan and joining him on the train. She demands to know what is happening, and although Michael is silent, she swears to stand by him. Soon, they realize they are being followed and flee the train, while onboard, Rona's spy, Pepe, kills Faubert's detective. The next day, Michael locates the Countess's chateau and blames himself for its ruin. Inside, Rona appears with four henchmen and informs them that they are suspected of the detective's murder. His men grab Chris and attack Michael, who fights valiantly until a police siren sounds outside. Rona's men flee and Michael falls off a window ledge into the hidden rooms of the Countess and Pierre, who have already rescued Chris. When Pierre returns Michael's bag to him, the Countess, who still believes that Robert will return, sees the gauntlet and snaps back to reality, sobbing with grief. Michael, guilt-stricken, insists that he and Chris leave immediately. By nightfall, a sudden rain forces them to take shelter at an inn, where he sees Chris's picture in the newspaper. When he tells her he is going to turn himself in to save her, she kisses him and locks him in to her room. The next day, he sends her to Monte Carlo, and then instructs her to find Rona at a casino and trick him into following Michael while he returns the gauntlet to the church. She is then to call Faubert, spurring the inspector to catch Rona as he tries to steal the glove. Although the plan depends on intricate timing, Chris is easily intimidated by Rona and reveals Michael's plan too quickly. She is abducted by Pepe while Rona and his men chase Michael. Rona pursues Michael across the cliffs below the church, but Michael manages to scale the church wall and ring the bells. Rona runs up the bell tower but, just as he is accidentally shot by his goons, the bells alert Father Goron and cause the henchmen to run. As the priest inspects the bell tower, noting Rona's dead body, Michael sneaks down and replaces the glove. Outside, he is stopped by Faubert, who has rescued Chris and arrested Rona's men. Michael and Chris embrace as the townspeople rejoice over the gauntlet's miraculous return.