During WWI, action hero Robeson escapes an unjust death sentence to ramble around Arabia.During WWI, action hero Robeson escapes an unjust death sentence to ramble around Arabia.During WWI, action hero Robeson escapes an unjust death sentence to ramble around Arabia.
Eugene Cozier
- Mick Jackson
- (uncredited)
Charles Farrell
- Sergeant on Guard
- (uncredited)
Peter Gawthorne
- Court Martial President
- (uncredited)
Danny Green
- Sergeant
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPaul Robeson considered this film one of his most positive accomplishments in projecting a screen image of a Black man with courage, honor, self-sacrifice, and intelligence who achieves success and happiness.
- GoofsJericho has a cross, presumably in red, at the entrance to his clinic. Seeing as he is in a predominately Muslim country, the symbol should be a Red Crescent - first used during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.
- Quotes
Capt. Mack: I know its tough, all right; but, war is tough, isn't it?
Cpl. Jericho Jackson: Yes, war. But, I want to learn how to kill? No, but they taught me and taught me until my arms ached sinking steel into sandbags. These hands that I want to use to heal, to save life, to give life, turned into hands for killing.
Featured review
Putting the opening scenes aside, this film turns most of Hollywood's favorite racial conventions upside down. Robeson is the one and only action hero in this film, he has a tiny white sidekick who provides comic relief and he gets the girl. The girl is played by a dark skinned actress while her "Arab" brothers are all white, but otherwise it is less groan worthy than many modern films. It has few pretensions, is well written and has lots and lots of footage of camels. Even the plot twist that another reviewer complains of is sort of plausible. And Robeson sings "Mammy's little baby loves shortnin' bread" to a baby and leaves out the "pickaniny" lines, so even that isn't really objectionable.
Details
- Runtime1 hour 17 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content