Character Relationship Map: Operation Secret

Characters

• Peter Forrester (played by Cornel Wilde) — protagonist

  An American agent ostensibly affiliated with the OSS who served alongside the French Resistance. He is a primary witness at the post-war Paris military tribunal, testifying about his unit's wartime ac...

• Marcel Brevoort (played by Steve Cochran) — supporting

  A French Resistance leader who worked closely with Forrester both before and after the fall of France. He appears as a key witness at the tribunal, providing testimonial flashbacks about the unit's op...

• Maria (played by Phyllis Thaxter) — supporting

  Also known as Maria Corbett, she is a member of the French Resistance who operated undercover posing as a Catholic nun. She serves as a witness at the tribunal, recalling her experiences to aid the in...

• Maj. Latrec (played by Karl Malden) — supporting

  Described as the most zealous anti-Nazi among the group and demonstrably loyal to the Underground's cause. He testifies at the Paris tribunal alongside the other Resistance members to help identify th...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Maria → Maj. Latrec (Alliance Resistance Associate) — They are connected by their service and testimony concerning the Underground.

  Maria and Maj. Latrec are both identified as witnesses from the Resistance group involved in the tribunal investigation.

• Marcel Brevoort → Maj. Latrec (Alliance Underground Colleague) — They share a connection through the Resistance leadership and wartime unit.

  Both men are described as members of the group whose activities and loyalty to the Underground are examined at the tribunal.

• Marcel Brevoort → Maria (Alliance Resistance Associate) — Their relationship is grounded in their common Resistance organization.

  Marcel is a Resistance leader and Maria is a Resistance member; both testify about the unit's wartime activities.

• Peter Forrester → Maj. Latrec (Alliance Resistance Associate) — Their shared cause links them as members or associates of the Underground network.

  Peter and Maj. Latrec are both witnesses discussing the activities of their wartime Resistance unit.

• Peter Forrester → Maria (Alliance Resistance Associate) — They are connected through the Resistance unit whose wartime activities are recalled.

  Peter served alongside the French Resistance, while Maria is identified as a member of the same movement and a witness to their unit's activities.

• Peter Forrester → Marcel Brevoort (Alliance Resistance Colleague) — They are established wartime colleagues within the French Resistance.

  Marcel Brevoort is described as a French Resistance leader who worked with Peter Forrester before and after France's fall.

Story Analysis

A post-war tribunal uses four Resistance witnesses and testimonial flashbacks to uncover a wartime informant.

Plot Progression

1. The Tribunal Opens — A post-war military tribunal convenes in Paris to investigate a suspected traitor. Four witnesses are called to reconstruct the activities of their Resistance unit.
2. Voices from the Resistance — Peter Forrester begins the testimonial flashbacks as an American ostensibly linked to the OSS. Maria then recalls her Resistance service while posing as a Catholic nun.
3. Before and After France's Fall — Marcel Brevoort describes his work with Forrester before and after France's fall. Their shared history expands the tribunal's view of the wartime unit.
4. Loyalty Under Examination — The witnesses' accounts intersect as the tribunal examines the unit's internal history. Maj. Latrec presents himself through testimony as a zealous anti-Nazi loyal to the Underground.
5. The Traitor Revealed — The tribunal compares the four testimonial accounts while searching for the informant who aided the German Occupation forces. The flashback structure builds toward a surprising revelation.