Desert Sands

1955's "Desert Sands" is a long forgotten United Artists programmer benefiting from its colorful action sequences. The legendary John Carradine stands out in a decent cast, as Arab wine merchant Jala, who ruthlessly targets his own brother for murder, done by marauders disguised as French Legionnaires. His niece (Marla English) and nephew (Keith Larsen) grow up just as he wanted, hating the French and constantly in attack mode. Keith Larsen's career virtually tanked by the next decade, such titles as "Women of the Prehistoric Planet" and "The Omegans" giving way to self-directed items like "Mission Batangas," "The Trap on Cougar Mountain," "Run to the High Country," "Young and Free," "Whitewater Sam," and his cult classic "Night of the Witches." In between hard bitten turns in "Big House, U. S. A." and the iconic "Kiss Me Deadly" (as Mike Hammer), Ralph Meeker actually gets to play a more likable hero. In just her second starring role, the gorgeous Marla English disappeared from the screen as quickly as she lit the fire, in a pair of low budget AIP horrors, "The She-Creature" and "Voodoo Woman." Philip Tonge would reunite with Carradine in his last film, 1959's "Invisible Invaders," but this was John's final appearance opposite J. Carrol Naish, from "Ramona," "Blood and Sand," "Waterfront," and "House of Frankenstein."

Extremely silly plot that makes zero sense. The most un-Arab looking Arabs ever seen in any film ever. All of the French and all of the Arabs speak perfect English with no accents whatsoever. It was impossible to work out which time period this was set in. The large Arab tent would have needed thousands of horses or camels to transport it as in was also extravagently furnished. The Arab females were white with very non-Arab hair and makeup.

All of these flaws may not have mattered to audiences in the mid 1950s so if they can be ignored now it is an entertaining, and very silly, film. A must watch for those who love bad films.

Saw 'Desert Sands' due to primarily finding the subject matter fascinating, the foreign legion is always interesting to portray on film and there are films that have done so very well. It also had the always reliable Ralph Meeker and John Carradine in the cast, with Carradine especially having the sort of role that was well suited to him. It also appeared in my more like this section after seeing other Meeker and Carradine films some time back.

'Desert Sands' was an example of a film that had such a promising story on paper. It is sadly also an example of a film that has very uneven execution. A big part of me wanted to be on the same wavelength of those reviewing 'Desert Sands' positively, but to me there were too many things that worked against it. It is though not near as bad as those that commented unfavourably have said and does have some major strengths that raise it to average level.

It is a good-looking film. The photography is particularly beautifully crafted in the action and is quite vibrant. The scenery is quite attractive and the way the camera is used shooting it prevents it from being static. The music fits quite well and sweeps effectively, with stirring use of "Le Boudin" and a suitably nostalgic theme song.

The action and battle choreography is exciting and has tension, things not present in much of the rest of the story. A few of the performances are good. Meeker is suitably brooding and Marla English is alluring, but menacingly ruthless Carradine gets the acting honours.

However, the story outside of the action just didn't grab me and felt on the thin side. The film takes forever to get started and the first portions are pretty dull. The romance is not very interesting at all and is not particularly believable. Other than Meeker, English and Carradine the acting is nothing really to write home about in roles that come over as sketchy stereotypes rather than real people and portraying the legionnaires as complacent is not going to go down well with some. And no it is not the lack of authenticity or the accents that bother me.

Being somebody that wanted to not take things too seriously or nit-pick. It does have to be said that it is distracting that there doesn't really seem to be a discernible sense of time and place. With things present that don't belong in the period. Worst of all is the dialogue, which is more often than not cringe-worthingly awful, far too much cheese, unintentional humour and with not a shred of originality.

Summarising, not terrible but to me regrettably it was not particularly good either. 5/10

This film, admittedly not a masterpiece generally or even of its genre, does have a certain charm about it mainly in its easygoing, almost casual, depiction of Legionairres.

Worst thing about it: had to wait an awfully long time and endure too much tawdry action before the Arab princess (Marla English) -- who I worshiped -- strode in on her roan steed and before her first line strikes Meeker sharply with her whip! (Don't see entrées like that much anymore.) Anyone notice the sheik's playing loose and easy with prisoner of war rules -- reviewing their bios, finding their weak spots, choosing special informers who manifest weak character flaws, and...will...talk.

And how about that Alita's, the princess's slave girl, man savvy, learning from the smartest...and the simplest.

One more thing: why in hell does Maltin omit this pic from his book? Does anyone know?

Ralph Meeker gets to take a break from playing poachers to play a gamekeeper in the form of a megalomaniac captain in the French foreign legion of whom its said "He could lead a hundred grandmothers through the Boxer Rebellion without disturbing their coiffure".

The story suggests the twenties but his arrival by helicopter shows it's actually set much later. People get massacred but director Lesley Selander makes it all seem rather tame, with characters just standing about and talking.

The cute little fortress is quite striking in a Germanic sort of way. Conspicuous by their absence are any actual Frenchman: Aussie Ron Randall assuming an English accent to boast about his expulsion from Sandhurst and the University of Cambridge Medical School; while John Carradine invests the Arab chieftain with the sort of accent only a Shakespearean actor could manage.