Sur Long Island, à Huntington, Philip Landicutt mène une vie de jeune oisif. Pourtant, en Europe, la guerre fait des ravages. Au grand émoi de sa mère, Margaret Landicutt, il s’engage pour aller combattre. « Nos meilleurs hommes sont partis, je dois faire mon devoir. »
This film is a Christian parable about the end of the world in the Atomic Age told with puppet animation. The film's scope is broad, from the creation of the world to the birth of Christ to the atomic destruction of the Earth. Critics have found the film somewhat preachy, and totally unlike any other film in Tashlin's body of work.
Amiens, sous l'Occupation. Un certain nombre de Français sont incarcérés et doivent servir d'otages si le convoi d'essence arrêté en gare doit subir un attentat. Celui-ci a lieu, les otages seront fusillés au matin. La nuit passe avec des réactions diverses de la part des prisonniers. Prévenue par radio, la Royal Air Force bombarde la prison au moment de l'exécution. Les condamnés qui réchappent de l'opération gagnent le maquis.
A romance between King George III of England and a Quaker girl, Catherine, who becomes his morganatic wife, forms the early part of the story. Catherine is really half Indian, being the daughter of a French adventurer and an Indian woman, adopted and brought to England by a Quaker voyager. The hardships of the American colonists are shown and their rebellion against the English rule. In this rebellion, Catherine sees a chance to avenge herself upon the King, who has legally married a German princess. She goes to America and becomes a power over a tribe of Indians. One of her aids is her own brother, who had been adopted by a colonist. Brother and sister are unaware of the relationship until the close of the story. The gallant fight which the Americans under General Washington wage against the English troops and the Indians under Catherine's lead, form a thrilling phase of the story and the chief incidents with which every American is familiar are dramatically set forth. In addition, there are several minor plots and romances, some of which end happily, others tragically, when the war is over and the fight for freedom won.
A hard-working father is called up and sent to the front. He keeps in touch with his family by writing letters home. These include chocolate wrappers collected from his comrades; his son is collecting the wrappers to redeem for a free box of chocolate. The man volunteers for one brave act, joining a suicide squad. Before he goes, he drinks a toast from a cup given him by his son, and (as happens in other "humanist" films) smiles to indicate his intention to die with his comrades. The son receives the news of his father's death at the same time as the free chocolates arrive. He swears vengeance; the chocolate company gives him a scholarship.
After a period of hospitalization, caused by an aircraft accident, second lieutenant Gunnar Bråde returns to his old division. During an exercise a bomb hits his planes propeller and he is forced to jump out with a parachute over the target area. This is not observed by all pilots, who continues to drop their bombs...