What Is Escape! About?
The premise of Escape! in 302 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In mist‑laden Devon, a remote prison looms over a landscape where the cliffs meet the sea and fog rolls in like a living veil. The story opens with a man who, despite a solemn conviction, is given a fleeting chance to step beyond the stone walls on a gray‑washed morning. The atmosphere is thick with quiet tension, the kind that makes every rustle of wind feel like a whispered secret, and the world feels both austere and oddly intimate, as if the countryside itself watches every footfall.
Matt Denant is a former army officer whose bearing carries the dignity of a bygone era. He moves through the world with a blend of polished restraint and an innate empathy that makes him attuned to the plight of those around him, from the genteel to the downtrodden. Though the law has marked him, his inner compass points toward honor and compassion, creating a subtle conflict between the rigid structures of authority and the personal code he clings to.
As he slips into the open, the narrative drifts through villages and country lanes where kindness flickers like candlelight in the mist. Strangers—women with quiet strength, a gentleman with a knowing smile, a parish priest who offers more than prayers—each become a thread in the fragile tapestry that cushions his flight. Their assistance is less about grand heroics and more about simple, human generosity, hinting at a community that, when confronted with an unexpected guest, can reveal unexpected layers of loyalty.
The film swirls with a lingering sense of moral ambiguity, balanced by a gentle, almost lyrical tone that never loses its edge. It asks what it means to be a “fine” and “loyal” soul when the world presses you into corners, and whether the quiet acts of compassion can outshine the clamor of the law.
What Happens in Escape!?
The complete story of Escape!, from the first scene to the last, in 505 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 7 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Captain Matt Denant, Gerald du Maurier, is a former army officer who had been pursued by Germans during the war. He rides at a hunt and, though he enjoys the sport, he empathises with the fox who stands little chance against the hounds.
After a dinner in London, he decides to walk alone through a busy Hyde Park. Denant begins talking with a girl in the park, Mabel Poulton as The Girl in Hyde Park, who reveals herself to be a prostitute. Denant declines the woman’s proposition and continues on his walk. At that moment a plain-clothes officer confronts the woman and accuses her of harassing Denant. Denant protests her innocence, maintaining that she had committed no crime. He distracts the policeman, giving the woman time to escape. A scuffle ensues, and Denant punches the officer to the ground, who hits his head on a rail and dies. Denant is charged with manslaughter and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at Dartmoor.
Two years later, Denant is part of a prison party working on the moor when heavy fog descends. Emboldened by his experiences in Germany, he resolves to escape in the mist. He passes the Warren House Inn, a remote country pub, and learns his disappearance has been reported. Narrowly evading the local constabulary, he finds himself back within a mile of the prison after two days. Exhausted, he rests in a country house bedroom, where the lady of the house, Edna Best, discovers him the next morning. Rather than report him, she gives him chocolate and a drink and allows him to shave. Showing sympathy for Denant as a gentleman, she helps him disguise himself in her husband’s fishing gear and clears a path out of the estate.
While fishing, he is approached by another gentleman, Horace Hodges as The Gentleman at Stream-side, who realises Denant’s identity and, reflecting on the case, offers him a cigar and a knowing wink. Denant later hijacks a motorcar from a picnicking party and asks two walkers for directions to Bovey. They tell a pursuing police officer that they did not suspect the man, partly because he appears to be a gentleman.
Overwhelmed by his ordeal, Denant reaches a quarry where he collapses from exhaustion. He is discovered again, but he evades the workers and makes his way into an upper-class home, where he is once more protected, this time by two girls named Dora and Grace. Dora, Madeleine Carroll, and Grace, Marie Ney, help him as best they can. Finally, he runs into the village church as the net closes in. The parson, Austin Trevor, distracts the surrounding policemen, but Denant refuses to betray his own sense of honor and surrenders. The vicar shakes Denant’s hand as he is led away, and the scene closes with a reflection on his noble, loyal act. In a final touch of earned reverence, the parson’s words linger: a noble martyrdom carried out in defense of his own integrity.
“fine” and “loyal” fellow who had committed a noble act of martyrdom.
Escape! Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Reluctant hunter's empathy” to “Vicar's tribute and martyrdom”. 14 events name a place, across 13 locations.
- 1
Reluctant hunter's empathy
Captain Denant rides during a hunt and, while he enjoys the sport, he feels a kinship with the hunted fox. He contemplates the fox's fate as the hounds close in. The moment establishes his humane outlook and foreshadows the consequences of violence.
When:During the hunt Where:English countryside
- 2
Hyde Park encounter with Mabel Poulton
After a dinner in London, Denant walks alone through Hyde Park and meets a woman who reveals herself to be a prostitute. He declines her proposition and continues his walk, unsettled by the encounter. The moment foreshadows the trouble that will follow in the park.
When:Evening after dinner Where:Hyde Park, London
- 3
Confrontation and the officer's death
A plain clothes police officer accosts the woman and accuses her of harassing Denant. Denant protests his innocence and distracts the officer, giving the woman a chance to escape. In the ensuing scuffle, the officer is knocked to the ground and dies from his injuries.
When:That evening Where:Hyde Park, London
- 4
Trial and five-year sentence
Denant is charged with manslaughter for the officer's death. He is tried and sentenced to five years of imprisonment at Dartmoor. The verdict marks the start of a harsh period and sets the stage for his later escape.
When:Shortly after the incident Where:Dartmoor Prison
- 5
Escape attempt amid fog
Two years into his sentence, a dense fog descends on the Dartmoor moor and emboldens Denant to attempt an escape. He slips away from the prison through the mist and begins a perilous, solitary trek. The escape marks a turning point as he fights for freedom.
When:Two years into imprisonment Where:Dartmoor, on the moor
- 6
Warren House Inn and a reported disappearance
While on the run, Denant passes the Warren House Inn and realises his escape has become public knowledge as the local newspaper reports a missing prisoner. The news amplifies the pressure to elude capture. He continues moving under the cover of isolation and mist.
When:During escape Where:Warren House Inn vicinity
- 7
Sheltering in a countryside house
Narrowly evading the local constabulary, Denant finds himself a mile from the prison and collapses into exhaustion. A country house becomes his unlikely shelter when the lady of the house discovers him and decides not to report him. She offers him hospitality and a way forward.
When:Following escape, next morning Where:Country house near Dartmoor
- 8
Disguise and aid from the hostess
The generous hostess empathizes with Denant as a gentleman and helps him disguise himself. She provides chocolate, a drink, and even helps him shave, clearing a path out of the estate. Her quiet compassion becomes a crucial turning point in his escape.
When:During disguise Where:The country house, then its surroundings
- 9
A winking ally and hidden identity
Denant is approached by a courteous gentleman who realises who he is. The man offers a cigar and a knowing wink, signaling a nuanced understanding of the situation. This moment deepens Denant's sense of being surrounded by unexpected allies and observers.
When:Later during escape Where:Country house vicinity
- 10
Hijacking a motorcar
Denant hijacks a motorcar from a picnicking party and asks two walkers for directions to Bovey. The walkers, trusting his appearance as a gentleman, inform the pursuing police that they did not suspect him. He continues his flight under this misdirection.
When:During escape Where:Near Bovey
Show the other 4 events of Escape! Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Exhaustion at the quarry
Weary from the chase, Denant reaches a quarry and collapses from exhaustion. He is discovered by workers but manages to evade them as the net tightens. The quarry becomes a staging ground for his final flurry of evasion.
When:During escape Where:Quarry near the Dartmoor area
- 12
Shelter with Dora and Grace
The fugitive finds refuge in an upper-class home where he is protected by two girls, Dora and Grace. Their kindness offers him temporary sanctuary and a renewed sense of dignity. This refuge adds to the mounting irony of his pursuit by the authorities.
When:During escape Where:Upper-class home near the village
- 13
Final surrender at the village church
He runs into the village church as the net closes in. The parson distracts the surrounding policemen, but Denant chooses to reveal himself rather than lie. He surrenders, accepting the consequences of his actions with quiet resolve.
When:Climax of pursuit Where:Village church
- 14
Vicar's tribute and martyrdom
The vicar shakes Denant's hand and calls him a fine and loyal fellow who has committed a noble act of martyrdom. The scene frames Denant's actions as honorable, ending his odyssey with a moral dignity. It echoes the original theme of sacrifice for a greater good.
When:Ending Where:Parish church
Who Are the Main Characters in Escape!?
6 characters, among them Captain Matt Denant (Gerald du Maurier), The Gentlewoman In Bed (Edna Best) and Dora (Madeleine Carroll): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- CM
Captain Matt Denant (Gerald du Maurier)
Played by Gerald du Maurier
A former army officer whose war-time past and a fatal Hyde Park incident set him on a perilous path. He embodies restraint, courage, and a strict personal code, choosing to face truth and consequence rather than flee from responsibility.
- 🎖️ Ex-officer
- 💂♂️ Noble
- 🕊️ Loyal
-
The Gentlewoman In Bed (Edna Best)
Played by Edna Best
A compassionate country woman who shelters Denant and helps him evade capture by disguising his identity. Her kindness crosses social boundaries and proves pivotal to his survival.
- 🏡 Kindness
- 🕊️ Shelter
- 🤝 Mercy
-
Dora (Madeleine Carroll)
Played by Madeleine Carroll
A young woman who, with Grace, offers aid to Denant as he evades pursuit. Her quiet courage and willingness to help across social lines deepen the humane themes of the story.
- 👗 Compassion
- 🕊️ Solidarity
- 🤝 Help
- G(
Grace (Marie Ney)
Played by Marie Ney
Dora's sister who also extends aid to the escaped man, contributing to the sense of communal protection beyond class boundaries.
- 👗 Solidarity
- 🕊️ Kindness
- TV
The Vicar (Austin Trevor)
Played by Austin Trevor
A steady moral presence who distracts the police and respects Denant’s choice to surrender, illustrating the tension between duty and truth.
- ⛪ Duty
- 🕊️ Integrity
- TG
The Girl in Hyde Park (Mabel Poulton)
Played by Mabel Poulton
A brief but telling encounter in the city that reflects urban vulnerability and the varied attitudes toward danger in the era.
- 🌆 Urban life
- 🕊️ Vulnerability
Where and When Is Escape! Set?
Escape! is set in Hyde Park, Dartmoor, Warren House Inn, Bovey and village church (Post-World War I era). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Post-World War I era
The story unfolds after World War I, with a former army officer haunted by his war experiences. Two years into a five-year sentence, the protagonist roams a Britain shaped by rigid social codes and limited mobility. The fog-shrouded moors and rural estates evoke a period where honor, punishment, and mercy define personal destiny.
Where
Hyde Park, Dartmoor, Warren House Inn, Bovey, village church
The action moves between the urban bustle of Hyde Park and the remote moorland of Dartmoor, underscoring the contrast between civilization and isolation. Key turning points occur at the Warren House Inn, in country houses, and within a village church, illustrating a network of places that shelter or threaten the fugitive. The settings anchor the narrative in early 20th-century Britain, where social classes and informal hospitality can alter a man’s fate.
- 🗺️ City and countryside
- 🏞️ Moorland
- 🕰️ Post-war Britain
What Are the Themes of Escape!?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Honor, Compassion and Escape & Identity.
-
01
Honor
Denant adheres to a strict personal code, choosing to reveal his identity and surrender rather than let others lie for him. The plot elevates steadfastness and duty over expediency, portraying moral integrity as a defining trait. His final act of self-sacrifice reinforces the idea that true honor persists even under pressure.
-
02
Compassion
The Gentlewoman In Bed embodies mercy by sheltering a fugitive and aiding his escape, challenging social norms about class and propriety. Her kindness demonstrates that empathy can alter outcomes and redeem those deemed criminals. The film uses her act to question rigid judgments and highlight human kindness.
-
03
Escape & Identity
The pursuit through moor and village tests Denant’s wits and resilience, with disguises and strangers offering both danger and aid. His evasions reveal the ease with which people treat him as a gentleman rather than a convict. The escape ultimately becomes a vehicle for defining who he is, culminating in a noble surrender that reaffirms his inner truth.
What Kind of Film Is Escape!?
Melancholic in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A steady, melancholic drama following a gentleman fugitive's desperate flight for freedom, punctuated by small acts of human kindness that highlight his tragic sense of honor and inevitable sacrifice.
- melancholic
- urgent
- sympathetic
- lonely
- reflective
- social commentary
- wrongful conviction
- prison escape
- social class
- honor and integrity
Content notes: death of an officer, imprisonment.
Quiz
How well do you remember Escape!? Test yourself on the story.
