Desert Legion

French Foreign Legion Captain Paul Lartal (Alan Ladd) travels to the hidden city of Madara in Northern Africa after a request for help he receives from local princess Morjana (Arlene Dahl). He met the woman under mysterious circumstances after his regiment suffered a deadly ambush at he hands of Omar Ben Calif's bandit gang. Lartel is convinced that Calif is in Madara under an undercover personality.

"Desert Legion" is an unpretentious adventure film with a fine cast, great color, acceptable settings and lots of action.

Alan Ladd doesn't add much to his carrier with his movie but it doesn't hurt it either. Arlene Dahl was made for Technicolor and plays her part fine. But perhaps the most interesting role is that of Richard Conte as Crito in one of the usual villain characters he played decently so often (no surprise there). The spears duel between Ladd and Conte is a highlight of the film most of all because of its originality back in 1953.

Light entertainment but enjoyable if you like adventure films.

Or enchanted valley in the desert. What a wonderful, colorful adventure yarn, starring Alan Ladd, Akim Tamiroff, Richard Conte as the villain and Arlene Dahl who seems as predictable in this kind of films as a bullet in a gun barrel. Or Rhonda Fleming, or Yvonne de Carlo, who could also have played in this movie. Plenty of suspense, action, not many surprises, but who cares, only charm, charm and fifties charm is important here. Especially for old timers movie buffs who saw these movies during their childhood. Universal Pictures typical product, better than Sam Katzman productions for Columbia, and as good as Paramount studios, another good adventure films provider. What else could I say? Just go and watch it. But concerning French Foreign Legion, I would prefer DESERT SANDS or BEAU GESTE. Only a matter of taste.

The legion étrangère has always been a topic that makes people dream.Lots and lots of movies were made ,not only in France.Here,the most famous are probably Duvivier's "la bandera" and Jacques Feyder's "le grand jeu".Twas also one of Edith Piaf's favorite subjects of song (le fanion de la légion,mon légionnaire). This is a pretty ridiculous movie.At the beginning,I was thinking it was a remake of Pierre Benoit's "l'atlantide"(two most famous versions being Pabst 's (1932)with Brigitte Helm-Metropolis- ,and Edgar G Ulmer's (1963))It was certainly influenced big-time by Benoit's book.The blond officer lost in the desert who's taken in by a beautiful lady from a mysterious city of the sands,we've seen that movie before. After,Joseph Pevney and Pierre Benoit go different ways.THe director,abetted by unimaginative scriptwriters ,turn what could have been a trip into the fantastic element,à la "thief of Bagdad" or "lost horizons",into the run-of -the- mill hero-heroine-villain.The rest is so predictable :you can see where the characters are up to from a mile off."Desert Legion" fills its quota of treasons,duels,torture,and glamour.The setting is not impressive, a two-bit cardboard desert city,and for good measure,exotic dances.

A Legionnaire's regiment patrols the Algerian mountains in North Africa. They are trying to locate the leader of a gang of killers, Omar Ben Kalif. As they travel along the mountains they are ambushed by Kalif' and his soldiers. Incredibly the Legionnaires become surrounded as if Kalif's men have come straight out of the mountain. Only one Legionnaire survives the ambush, Captain Lartal (Alan Ladd), but he is badly injured. He wakes for a few moments to see a beautiful woman (Arlene Dahl), who says she needs his help. He loses consciousness and later wakes to find himself being rescued by a Legionnaire patrol. He tells his story to his commanding officer, but no one will believe his tale of the beautiful woman.

Captain Lartal decides to find the mysterious woman and also get revenge on Kalif. He and a partner (Akim Tamiroff) make their way to the city. There, they meet a stranger who takes them on a journey to the mountains. The stranger takes them through a secret passage that leads to a hidden city. There Captain Lartal meets the beautiful woman. Her father, Si Khalil, rules the city with ideals of peace and brotherhood. But there is an uprising brewing within and violence is feared. Captain Lartal is asked to help stop the violent uprising. The rebel leader is Damou, a man determined to lead the city by his own values.

I thought it was a great little movie. The color is rich, the scenes beautifully shot. The score really added to my enjoyment of the film. The acting was delightful. Ladd and Conte, 40 and 43 respectively, are fit and vibrant. Dahl is extremely beautiful. And the character roles played by Tamiroff, Anthony Caruso and Oscar Beregi are top notch. It's an adventure film aimed at a younger audience and it packs a punch.

I flat out disliked Desert Legion, and did not care for Alan Ladd's character Paul. Lartel ( this from a Ladd fan). Why? He was stupid ( leading his troops into a major defeat where only he survives), and arrogant. I can understand being stupid and arrogant if you are the bad guy, or the film is a comedy, but Ladd was supposed to be the hero, and the comedy was supplied by Private Plevko ( Akim Tamiroff) who was the best one in the film. Which is a major read I consider this to be Ladd's worst film ( at least his BEST film ( Shane) is his next one. Perhaps as bad as Ladd was Richard Conte.as Omar Ben. Khalif. He was a one dimensional bad guy if there ever was one. I will say Arlene Dahl (Morjana) is nice to look at in Technicolor ( although nothing more then a beautiful love interest, and I will take Sophia Loren from Legend Of The Lost in the desert both in looks and in realism over Arlene Dahl any day of the week). I give this movie two stars. One for Tamiroff and one for looking at Arlene Dahl. 2/10 stars.