IMDb > The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   1,482 votes
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Director:
Henry Hathaway
Writers:
Nunnally Johnson (screenplay)
Desmond Young (biography)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 October 1951 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Biography | Drama | History | War more
Plot:
The life and career of the respected World War II German general. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
A Good Docu-Drama more (39 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

James Mason ... Field Marshal Erwin Johannes Rommel
Cedric Hardwicke ... Dr. Karl Strolin
Jessica Tandy ... Frau Lucie Marie Rommel
Luther Adler ... Adolf Hitler
Everett Sloane ... Gen. Wilhelm Burgdorf
Leo G. Carroll ... Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt
George Macready ... Gen. Fritz Bayerlein

Richard Boone ... Capt. Hermann Aldinger
Eduard Franz ... Col. Klaus von Stauffenberg
Desmond Young ... Himself, Lt. Colonel Desmond Young
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Ahlm ... German Soldier & Chauffeur (uncredited)
John Alderson ... German corporal (uncredited)
Jack Baston ... Gen. Alfred Jodl (uncredited)
Roland Carpenter ... German Officer (uncredited)
Mary Carroll ... Rommel's maid (uncredited)
Steve Carruthers ... Signal Man (uncredited)
Paul Cavanagh ... Lt. Col. Caesar von Hofaker (uncredited)
Pat Coleman ... S.S. Man (uncredited)
Robert Coote ... British Medical Officer (uncredited)
Eric Corrie ... Commando (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan ... New Zealand Soldier (uncredited)
Lawrence Cregar ... German Guard (uncredited)
Charles Davis ... Signal Man (uncredited)
Jack Deery ... British Medic (uncredited)
Don De Leo ... Maj. Gen. Ernst Maisel (uncredited)

Dwight D. Eisenhower ... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Elmore ... Rommel's Driver in Africa (uncredited)
John Epper ... British Medical Officer (uncredited)
Charles Evans ... Gen. Schultz (uncredited)
Ray Flynn ... German Major (uncredited)
Scott Forbes ... Commando colonel (uncredited)
Peter Forster ... Commando (uncredited)
John Goldsworthy ... Gen. Heinrich von Stulpnagel (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare ... Doctor (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes ... German staff officer at conference (uncredited)
John Hoyt ... Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel (uncredited)
Robin Hughes ... Medic (uncredited)
Harold J. Kennedy ... S.S. Man (uncredited)
Gary Kettler ... German Staff Officer (uncredited)
Guy Kingsford ... Sergeant (uncredited)
Walter Kingsford ... Vice-Admiral Friedrich Ruge (uncredited)
Bela Kovacs ... S.S. Man (uncredited)
Paul Kruger ... German Colonel & Driver (uncredited)
Perk Lazelle ... German Officer (uncredited)
Charles Legneur ... German Colonel (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk ... German surgeon (uncredited)
George Lynn ... German Lieutenant (uncredited)
Sandee Marriott ... German Lieutenant Colonel (uncredited)
Lester Matthews ... British officer (uncredited)
Sean McClory ... Jock (uncredited)
Keith McConnell ... British Agent (uncredited)
Hans Moebus ... Surgeon (uncredited)
Clive Morgan ... British Sub Lt. Commander (uncredited)
Jack Moyles ... Winston Churchill (voice) (uncredited)
George Nader ... Commando (uncredited)
Louis Nicoletti ... Italian General (uncredited)
Fred Nurney ... German Colonel (uncredited)
Dan O'Herlihy ... Commando Captain (uncredited)
Ray Page ... German Officer (uncredited)
George S. Patton ... Himself (waves at tank crewmen) (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Pedrini ... S.S. Man (uncredited)
John Peters ... German Officer & Tank Commander (uncredited)
John Pickard ... German Ski Trooper (uncredited)
Albert Pollet ... German Colonel (uncredited)
Hugh Prosser ... Surgeon (uncredited)
Michael Rennie ... Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
William Reynolds ... Manfred Rommel (uncredited)
Albin Robeling ... Surgeon (uncredited)
Peter Seal ... Major General (uncredited)
Sam Sebby ... German Lieutenant (uncredited)
John Sheffield ... German Lieutenant (uncredited)
Robert E. Strickland ... German Officer (uncredited)
Ivan Triesault ... German major (uncredited)
Peter van Eyck ... German officer (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt ... Hospital desk worker (uncredited)
Harry J. Vejar ... German Major (uncredited)
John Vosper ... Maj. Walker (uncredited)
Trevor Ward ... Bit part (uncredited)
Crane Whitley ... S.S. Man (uncredited)
Patrick Whyte ... British Agent (uncredited)
Mervin Williams ... Reporter (uncredited)
Al Winters ... Reporter (uncredited)
Victor Wood ... British medic (uncredited)
Wilson Wood ... Sergeant Major (uncredited)
William Yetter Jr. ... Photographer (uncredited)
Carleton Young ... German major (uncredited)
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Directed by
Henry Hathaway 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Nunnally Johnson  screenplay
Desmond Young  biography (as Brigadier Desmond Young M.C.)

Produced by
Nunnally Johnson .... producer
 
Original Music by
Daniele Amfitheatrof 
 
Cinematography by
Norbert Brodine 
 
Film Editing by
James B. Clark 
 
Art Direction by
Maurice Ransford 
Lyle R. Wheeler  (as Lyle Wheeler)
 
Set Decoration by
Thomas Little 
Stuart A. Reiss  (as Stuart Reiss)
 
Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson 
 
Makeup Department
Ben Nye .... makeup artist
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerd Oswald .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Eugene Grossman .... sound
Roger Heman Sr. .... sound (as Roger Heman)
 
Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg .... special photographic effects
Fred Sersen .... special photographic effects
 
Stunts
Philip Ahlm .... stunts (uncredited)
Richard Elmore .... stunts (uncredited)
John Epper .... stunts (uncredited)
Bob Terhune .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire .... wardrobe director
 
Music Department
Maurice De Packh .... orchestrator (as Maurice dePackh)
 
Crew believed to be complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Rommel, Desert Fox (UK)
The Desert Fox (USA) (short title)
more
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
88 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #13272) | New Zealand:G | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
Imperial County, California, USA more
Company:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Several film reference books credit Dan O'Herlihy with playing the officer who leads the raid in the opening pre-credits sequence, but he does not appear in the film. The mistake is understandable since the actor playing the officer does bear a resemblance to O'Herlihy. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: In the opening raid scene, one of the German soldiers is seen briefly carrying an American Thompson submachine gun. more
Quotes:
Commando colonel: [after the failed attack on Rommel's HQ at the beginning, Aldinger finds the wounded commando officer] Did we, did we get him?
Capt. Hermann Aldinger: [smirking] Are you serious, Englishman?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Kahlekuningas (2002) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
A Good Docu-Drama, 1 February 2001
6/10
Author: ross-h from Reston, VA

As one very interested in the history of World War 2, I don't know how I missed seeing this before. I'm certainly not an authority on Rommel, but as far as I could tell (with a few exceptions, such as the DC3/C-47 made up to look like a German transport and the portrayal of von Runstedt as being more competent than is generally credited) it seemed to be historically accurate. This seemed to be one of the better docu-dramas, a type with a not-very-illustrious tradition. What I found particularly interesting was how a movie made 50 years ago could reflect what are considered to be "new" views today. I'm referring particularly to the statement that Hitler was seeking his own destruction (presented as new in the recent Ian Kearshaw biography "Nemesis") and the lack of total control by the Nazis over what Germans thought, said and where they went (also presented as a "new" view). This reflects well on Desmond Young's research and the film makers adherence to it.

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