Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

mark.waltz With gorgeous music by Sigmund Romberg, lyrics by a variety of writers and its exotic setting, this fourth version of the 1926 operetta holds a special place in my heart simply because of how well it is sung. With gorgeous soprano Kathryn Grayson and baritone Gordon MacRae in the leads, the music is superbly recorded even if MacRae is miscast as a supposed Arab hero. While the 1929 film appears to be lost (or unavailable for viewing), a 1934 short ("The Red Shadow") and a 1943 remake are available. However, it is the last version of the film which has made it out onto home video, and it is definitely worth viewing simply for the lushness of its score, if not some of the uninspired casting.Other than his appearance in drag in "Calamity Jane", I never found anything amusing about Dick Wesson, and as MacRae's sidekick (once again), I found him extremely trying as he tries to be funny and just can't even get a grin out of me. He's totally unbelievable as a member of the Foreign Legion. William Conrad (as the main villain), Ray Collins, Raymond Massey, Steve Cochran and Allyn Ann McLearie fare better, but it really comes down to my love of the Sigmund Romberg score, particularly the title tune, "The Riff Song" and "One Alone", a gorgeous duet between MacRae and Grayson that is worth putting up with everything else. It's ironic that the same year, MGM's Howard Keel (Grayson's partner in 3 musicals) came over to co-star opposite Doris Day (MacRae's partner in half a dozen films) in "Calamity Jane", scoring quite nicely.

weezeralfalfa I recently found a DVD source for this forgotten gem. Wow! It's beyond me why reviews of the major film roles of Kathryn Grayson and Gordon MacRae invariable ignore this unique operetta. Gordon sandwiched this film in between his early film years, mostly costarring Doris Day, and his peak career period, staring in the film versions of "Oklahoma" and "Carousel". Kathryn was nearing the end of her Hollywood career, starring in the much better known "Kiss Me Kate", filmed the same year. To my mind, Kathryn was just about the classiest woman Hollywood ever featured. She had it all: classic beauty, a great operatic voice and very flirty looks at the men, yet prim and proper. She gets ample opportunity to display all these qualities in this film. Unfortunately, her real life romantic relationships seem to have been a bit of a mess. Gordon does a great job playing starchy, if handsome, French anthropologist Paul Bonnard, who doubles as El Khobar, the dashing leader of a band Riff Berbers in their fight against the French legionnaires and an evil sheik, played by veteran character actor Raymond Massey. This dual personality does strongly remind us of the Clark Kent-Superman duality in the 1950s TV series. True, it does strain credulity that Gordon, as a rather thinly disguised El Khobar, could have avoided recognition by Kathryn and others as being the professor. Steve Cochran makes a dashing-looking Captain Fontaine whom Kathryn, as the newly arrived daughter of General Birabeau, immediately falls for. Eventually, she transfers her chief affection to Gordon in his El Khobar incarnation, being bored by his persona, the professor, her private tutor. Both Kathryn and Gordon sing quite a few solo numbers as well as several duets. Allyn Ann McLeries is fine in her supporting role as Azuri, a sensuous blue-eyed Riff dancing girl, presently employed in the evil sheik's palace, but in love with El Khobar, who inexplicably rebuffs her advances. Having recently seen her in the supporting role in "Calamity Jane", filmed the same year, I was surprised how well she could be made to look and dance like a real knockout Berber temptress. Dick Wesson, as the goofy nosy American reporter, provides some comic relief from time to time.By way of historical background, the Riffian Berbers mainly inhabited the Rif mountains, which are a Moroccoan coastal range near Gibralter. Thus, the depiction of the Riffs as galloping over endless sand dunes is presumably quite inaccurate. The tribal peoples of the Rif Mountains declared their independence from Spanish Morocco in 1921, under the leadership of Abd el-Krim. Unlike his predecessors, he was able to suppress the usual intratribal fighting that had defeated previous attempts to oust the Spanish. The Spanish were unable to defeat the Riff, but when the French entered the conflict, they brought overwhelming forces and technology that eventually defeated them.According to another reviewer, the character El Khobar is very loosely based on the life of the German Josef Klems, who joined the French army and spent some years fighting the tribesmen in Morocco. However, the French couldn't forget that he was a German. One day, he beat up an officer reminding him of this, and he fled to the tribal people. They spared him and eventually he was made a leader of raids and given two wives. He sometimes dressed up in his French uniform and thus was able to gain entrance to French posts around dusk, where he would steal weapons and ammunition while the men were at dinner. ..An Italian adventure film, "Man of Legend", made in 1971, is also loosely based on his life. A review said it is a good film, but not presently available.

didi-5 Following John Boles in 1929 and Dennis Morgan in 1943, Gordon MacRae gives this outdated hokum his best shot in the silly role of Paul Bonnard, sometimes a timid academic, sometimes an adventurer. He does get to sing some lovely songs though - it may be one of the most improbable musical plots, but 'The Desert Song' has one of the best scores of any musical.Kathryn Grayson is on hand with her trademark soprano trill as female lead, while Steve Cochran and Raymond Massey enjoy themselves in the supporting cast. And there's some fabulous Technicolor. Recommended for musical fans who like to suspend belief and for those who have a long-term devotion to the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II.

sandra-k-1 As I said in my summary, I would heartily recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a classy movie. It has a very worn plot, but its simplicity would appeal to anyone who is tired of seeing violence and sex on the screen. It is like anything goes!! Kathryn Grayson, and Gordon McCrae sang beautifully. I've seen other movies that they have sung in and they always put on a good show. As far as the scenery, it was very authentic, and the color was awesome. I haven't seen the movie since I saw it in the Music Circus, and the Theatre, but I will never forget the red in the costume that Gordon McCrae wore, and the white of the desert sands. You would have never guessed that this man wearing glasses was the one who would come to the rescue of Kathryn Grayson. I wish that they would show it on AMC or TCM; I'd love to see it again even if it's shown on a small screen.