The Lost Patrol (1934)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screenplay)
Garrett Fort (adaptation)

Release Date:

16 February 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | War

Tagline:

BLISTERING SUN...BLAZING BULLETS! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

A dozen British soldiers, lost in a Mesopotamian desert during world war I, are menaced by unseen Arab enemies.

Plot Keywords:

Desert | Sergeant | Sniper | Arab | Cavalry

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Victor McLaglen	...	The Sergeant
Boris Karloff	...	Sanders
Wallace Ford	...	Morelli
Reginald Denny	...	Brown
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Quincannon
Billy Bevan	...	Hale
Alan Hale	...	Cook
Brandon Hurst	...	Bell
Douglas Walton	...	Pearson
Sammy Stein	...	Abelson
Howard Wilson	...	Aviator
Paul Hanson	...	MacKay

Runtime:

USA:73 min (original release) | USA:66 min (1954 reissue length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Approved (PCA #1345-R, re-release)

Filming Locations:

Buttercup Dunes, Imperial County, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Composer Max Steiner re-used the main title music he wrote for this film for the main title music for Casablanca (1942), albeit with a slightly different tempo and instrumentation.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the plane is circling the encampment, you can see tire marks in the sand.

Quotes:

Sanders: [after telling the Sergeant that Brown has left] He wrote something in my Bible... for you.
The Sergeant: Deserted, hunh? Insubordinate swine! Bilged out! Left us like a rat when we needed every man! Why didn't you tell me? You're a party to this, you know! Well, get your rifle and get out of here. You take his place.
Sanders: [With a crazed look in his eyes] Yes, Yes, that's it, Sergeant! Yes!
The Sergeant: [Reading Brown's note] 'Sorry, Sergeant, but Quincannon was right. He knocked one off for Jock. I'll get another for Matlow. Taking a long swing to come around behind them. Fine moon tonight. Should be good hunting. Yours contritely, George Brown. P.S. Not a good name, but the best I could think of when I enlisted.'

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Searchers (1956)

Soundtrack:

Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile

Despite some flaws, the film still delivers an emotional feeling of helplessness.

John Ford's critically acclaimed film has lost some of its punch, but still delivers an emotional feeling of helplessness, as the lost patrol is menaced by unseen Arabs, and are picked off one by one until few are left. That feeling is reinforced when a rescue airplane lands and the pilot, unaware of the danger, cavalierly walks toward the men, who try to signal him to take cover. But there are bit too many dead spots between the action sequences. And Boris Karloff tends to overact his religious fanatic role, which got on everyone's nerve, including mine. Still, the film is beautifully photographed and has a good Max Steiner score.