Sahara (1943/I)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Zoltan Korda

Writers:

Philip MacDonald (story)
John Howard Lawson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 November 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

THE STAR OF "CASABLANCA" IN THE WAR'S MIGHTIEST ADVENTURE DRAMA! (original three-sheet poster)

Plot:

Sergeant Joe Gunn and his tank crew pick up five British soldiers, a Frenchman and a Sudanese man with...

Plot Keywords:

Tank | Propaganda | Desert | Sergeant | Remake

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Sgt. Joe Gunn
Bruce Bennett	...	Waco Hoyt
J. Carrol Naish	...	Giuseppe
Lloyd Bridges	...	Fred Clarkson
Rex Ingram	...	Sgt. Major Tambul
Richard Nugent	...	Capt. Jason Halliday
Dan Duryea	...	Jimmy Doyle
Carl Harbord	...	Marty Williams
Patrick O'Moore	...	Osmond 'Ozzie' Bates
Louis Mercier	...	Jean Leroux, 'Frenchie' (as Louis T. Mercier)
Guy Kingsford	...	Peter Stegman
Kurt Kreuger	...	Capt. von Schletow (as Kurt Krueger)
John Wengraf	...	Maj. Von Falken

Also Known As:

Port Said (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1944-1945) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #9040)

Filming Locations:

Brawley, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The German aircraft strafing the tank was actually an early P-51B.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene when the Italian POW is helping work on the tank, Bogart's character is tightening a nut with an adjustable wrench (Cresent). The camera angle shifts to another view of the scene and he is tightening the same nut with a non-adjustable wrench. The camera angle shifts back to the original view, the Sargent is again using the adjustable wrench.

Quotes:

Sgt. Joe Gunn: They'd want to know. Halliday, Doyle, Tambul, Williams, Stigman, Frechie, Clarkson... They stopped them at El Alamein.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Oh! Susanna

When Hollywood Used To Know How Good Movies Were Made

One thing to know about this enduring minor classic is that it was never included in the Harvard University based eggheaded revival of Bogart films. The super-brains there only recognized Warner-Bogart movies, never those made by Columbia; even though several of Bogart's best were Columbia Pictures and African Queen and Barefoot Contessa were United Artists.

Columbia took a B-movie sized budget, a great story, excellent acting and made a classic which had a shelf-life in theaters and TV in excess of 40 years. The story was good enough to be remade as a western in 1953 called Last of the Comanchees. Two years ago, Hollywood used the same title (Sahara) to produce a huge budget color adventure movie (but with an altogether story). With unlimited resources and today's alleged high tech, Hollywood produced a mildly entertaining picture which had a shelf-life, not of 40 years, but way under 40 weeks.

The Bogart SAHARA isn't easy to find these days, but have a look on eBay or request it from Turner Classics. Timeless, it won't disappoint even after 63 years.