"I always thought that when Adolph Menjou throws George Macready under the bus to 'satisfy' Kirk Douglas' sense of justice at the end of the movie, it just doesn't jibe with what went before, it almost feels tacked on to give the audience some sense of relief or satisfaction."

I always saw it as further evidence of the unscrupulousness of the Menjou character--he's so corrupt and unfeeling, he can't even begin to recognize that Douglas' character did what he did for moral reasons and not just for personal advancement. The end scene in the pub restores Douglas' faith in humanity to a degree, but it's just a brief respite before they have to go right back into the trenches.

Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way.

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