Sahara (1943/I)

Director:

Zoltan Korda

Writers:

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

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louis Adlon	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Niels Bagge	...	German Private (uncredited)
Walter Bonn	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Frederic Brunn	...	German Private (uncredited)
Bill Carter	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Leslie Denison	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Michael Dyne	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Carl Ekberg	...	Sniper (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Vilmos Gyimes	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Sheik Ali, Arab guide for the German column in the desert (uncredited)
Peter Lawford	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Anthony Marsh	...	Soldier (uncredited)
John Meredith	...	Soldier (uncredited)
George N. Neise	...	British Sergeant (uncredited)
Otto Reichow	...	German Captain (uncredited)
Henry Rowland	...	German prisoner (killed by Sgt. Krause after their release) (uncredited)
John Royce	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Hans Schumm	...	Sgt. Krause (German prisoner who won't talk) (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
Walter Thiele	...	Sniper (uncredited)
Frederick Worlock	...	Radio newscaster (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Zoltan Korda

Writing credits
Philip MacDonald		(story based on an incident in the Soviet Photoplay "The Thirteen")
John Howard Lawson		(screenplay) and
Zoltan Korda		(screenplay)
James O'Hanlon		adaptation &
Sidney Buchman		uncredited

Produced by
Harry Joe Brown	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Rudolph Maté

Film Editing by
Charles Nelson

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Abby Berlin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Eugène Lourié	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Lodge Cunningham	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Homer Plannette	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Ned Scott	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia Pictures Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia Home Video (video)
• Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• United States Army, IV Armord Corps of the Army Ground Forces  dedicated for co-operation

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:

Based upon the Soviet film Trinadtsat (1937) directed by Mikhail Romm

Goofs:

Anachronisms: As in most of the films made about WWII before 1946. The German helmets are WWI vintage. They look somewhat similar. This movie, however, being made in 1942-43 would make it very difficult to obtain German WWII helmets.

Quotes:

Waco Hoyt: I see you whittled them down a bit.
Sgt. Joe Gunn: Yeah…they whittled us down too.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Oh! Susanna

An excellent WWII movie

"Sahara" is interesting from several standpoints. First, it is an excellent drama, well acted and directed, with good production values. Second, it raises an interesting moral question. Third, it has implications regarding the main actor and his future movie career.

"Sahara," the story of a rag-tag group of soldiers fleeing from Rommel's Afrika Korps in a US tank, is enjoyable throughout. The cast is fine, representing a number of nationalities and even races. I think this is one of Bogart's better acting jobs, and J. Carrol Naish, Lloyd Bridges, Rex Ingram, Dan Duryea, and the others are equally good.

While this may be a propaganda film, it is no "our hero wipes out an enemy division without a scratch" potboiler. On the contrary, the decision made by Sgt. Joe Gunn (Bogart) to stay and fight a German regiment rather than heading for British lines is a desperate gamble little better than a suicide mission. This brings up my second point; the ethical question.

St. Gunn gets the idea to stay at the oasis they have reached in order to fight and delay a German regiment in hopes that such a sacrifice may help the Allied cause. He must convince the others, and one or two do not go along without some persuading. "I don't mind fighting and dying," one says, "but this is pointless." Well, that's the issue. How easy it is to find reasons NOT to stay behind and fight! Makes me appreciate the plight of our soldiers on Bataan and Wake Island, who had no choice. But this little band does stay and fight, and the story hangs on their decision.

My third point is a bit arcane, and has to do with Hollywood business practices of the 1940s. Bogart was, when this movie started production, about the biggest star in Hollywood. Remember, he had already made High Sierra," "The Maltese Falcon," and "Casablanca." Why then, did Warner Brothers lend him out to Columbia to do this picture? Columbia was still barely a second rank studio. What did they have to trade in return? Rita Hayworth? I don't think she made any films for Warners, but I may be wrong.

Lastly, it's interesting to note that Bogart, when he started his own company (Santana Productions) in the late 40s, signed a releasing deal with Columbia. I guess he must have been impressed with Columbia while making this picture, as well as "Dead Reckoning" (1947).

I strongly recommend "Sahara" to anyone who has not seen it. It's exciting action combined with interesting characterizations.