Timbuktu

I have no idea why, but there were many American films made mostly between 1930-1960 which featured the French or British colonials as heroes. Films such as "Lives of a Bengal Lancer", "Gunga Din" and "Another Dawn" all glorify the fight between the colonizers and the locals....and invariably the Colonials are the good guys. But today when you think about it, you were supposed to root for people who had enslaved the locals and the locals were just fighting for freedom! Wow, have times changed in the way we look at these movies. "Timbuktu" is another film glorifying French colonialism, though it's not nearly as good as the average movie in the genre.

The story is set during WWII with a new commander heading to the desert. Colonel Dufort and his wife (Yvonne De Carlo) have just learned that the Tuareg have been rebelling thanks to a holy man, Mohamet Adjani. They also learn that Mike Conway (Victor Mature) is in town, supposedly to do some innocent trading with the locals. Howefver, the Colonel believes that this American is a mercenary...and he's actually running guns to the locals. To confuse things, the wife is VERY attracted to Mike AND it turns out someone else is behind the rebellion...but who??

While "Timbuktu" is not a terrible film, it's also pretty weak. Much of it is because there isn't a lot of action and the movie can be quite talky. Additionally, there just have been quite a few good films in the genre...films better and more interesting than this one.

By the way, despite what the film says, tarantulas are NOT the least bit deadly to humans. It doesn't feel good to be bitten but you cannot die from a bite...let alone die almost instantly...and I cannot recall a single poisonous creature that kills as quickly as the one in this film!

1942: Conway, a renegade American, is running guns to the Arabs in North Africa. But when Colonel Dufort, the new commander in Timbuktu, and his beautiful wife Natalie arrive, Conway agrees to work for the French cause.

Victor Mature plays an American adventurer who plays both sides of the fence by selling guns to the Arab rebels yet spying on the rebels for the Foreign Legion. A real chess player. It's an interesting characterisation amidst the familiar desert adventure with skirmishes, double cross, gunrunning, men impaled like shish kebabs in the hot sun, the colonel who is obsessed with his job and neglects his wife and the wife falls for the hero ( Victor Mature). Still enjoyable, especially if you accept it for what it is -an old-fashioned yet thoroughly decent and efficiently made dessert action adventure. After all, it is directed by the great Jacques Tournier. He keeps things ticking with plenty of action - there's an exciting shoot out at its conclusion- and a nifty plot. Just wish it was in colour. Despite John Dehner being rather miscast as the emir, he does well as the villain who has a penchant of using creep crawlies as torture devices. Yvonne DeCarlo sizzles like always. There's a nice quip by Victor Mature when the holy man says "May Allah's blessing be with you." Victor's reply: "Hope they are bullet proof."

For once it's not the Foreign Legion dashing off against villains in the Saharas, but Victor Mature courting the wife of the French officer in charge, who doesn't seem to mind much. It's always a pleasure to see Victor Mature on the screen, there is no one like him for imposing stature and a kind of brutal but benevolent charm, and Yvonne de Carlo is just the girl for him. It's not a great film, but the tempo is swift, there is nothing wrong with the action and the story, and it even amounts to some suspense towards the end, but it is not a very deep investigation of Muslim mentality and mystery but just another account of another power-crazy local gangster, a beduin speaking perfect English, with some intrigue concerning sewing machines. A decent beefy entertainment with a lot of shooting ambushes, crawling in the sand, running for life on horses and without, great risking in disguises and many casualties, most of them anonymous. Jacques Tourneur has made the best of it backed by decent enough music.

Set in 1940 , in the colony of French Sudan, Col. Dufort (George Dolenz) arrives in Timbuktu with his wife (Yvonne De Carlo) to take over the French garrison that is being threatened and harassed by enemies, as well as rebel nationalists, while he intends to pacify the region. Dufort replaces a commandant eliminated by the rebels belonging to a violent group that advocates for the independence of the territory. So a Tuareg uprising is being instigated by an evil emir nicknamed 'The Lion of the Desert' (John Dehner), supposedly inspired by Mohamet Adjani, a holy man once regarded as a friend of France. To combat the advance of nationalist sentiment among the population, they achieve the collaboration of Mike Conway (Victor Mature) , an American arms smuggler who does not hesitate to ally himself with anyone if he gets substantial economic benefits. Almost immediately Colonel and Mme. Dufort push on to Bou Djebeha in company with Mike who soon engages the colonel's wife in adultery. At Bou Djebeha, Conway awares of the holy man has been abducted by the evil emir who is the true force behind the rebellion. Complications and problems ensue as Conway and the colonel attempt to get the holy man back to Timbuktu in order to can speak out against the rebellion. The Sahara's Hottest Adventure!. Last Outpost of Terror!. The Tarantula Desert Torture! The Massacre at the Mosque! The Human Lance-Target!. The mighty revolt that turned the Sahara red!. Mature had already starred in two films in Africa in the 50s.

This is one of the films that bears the least of Jacques Tourneur's tardemarks, being very far from other adventure films by this great director such as ¨The Flame and the Arrow¨. An adventure and thrilling movie about the reckless legends of the french foreign legion fighting in Timbuktu. Adventure movie about the Foreign legion in a remote location in Africa , as a regiment of legionnaries under command of Budford become involved into an intrigue full of ambushes, betrayal and tortures carried out by the nasty Emir.

Entertaining Arab adventure in average budget produced by Edward Small , set in the African deserts where our starring Victor Mature has to fight against a plethora of villain rebels. It contains noisy adventures, thrills , action, romance , battles and a lot of tortures. These enjoyable film was ordinarily played by Victor Mature in his usual style as an American gunrunner named Mike, he was nearly at his most agile and deft style , as he starred various Adventure films, such as: The bandit of Zhobe, The sharkfighters, Safari, Zarak, Anibal, The Tartars, and was superstar of Hollywood epics . His initial roles in John Ford's My darling Clementine (1946) and in Henry Hathaway's Kiss of the death (1947) were among his finest work, though he moved more and more frequently into more exotic roles in films like Samson y Delilah (1949) and Sinuhe, the Egyptian (1954). Never an energetic actor nor one of great artistic pretensions, he nevertheless continued as a Hollywood stalwart both in B-films and in more prominent movies like The Robe (1953). More interested in golf than acting, his appearances diminished through the 1960s, but he made a stunning comeback of sorts in a hilarious romp as a very Victor Mature-like actor in Neil Simon's Zorro (1966). He eventually took over his activities and after a cameo as Samson's father in a TV remake of his own "Samson and Delilah¨(1984) , he retired for good. It is also worth highlighting the presence of Yvonne de Carlo, one of the few actresses who has two stars on the 'Hollywood Walk of Fame' for his contribution to the big screen: ¨The Ten Commandments¨and the small screen: ¨The Munsters¨. Furthermore, John Dehner who steals the show in a very nasty role. Support cast is pretty good , such as : Marcia Henderson, Robert Clarke, James Foxx, Paul Wexler , among others.

Atmospheric cinematography in brilliant black and white by Maury Gertsman, though mostly shot in studios , and on location in Kanab, Utah, USA. Stirring , evocative and thrilling musical score by Gerard Fried who composed some Kubrick's films: ¨Fear and desire¨, ¨The Killing¨, and ¨Paths of glory¨. This derring-do film was unevenly and professionally directed by filmmaker Jacques Tourneur, though it has some flaws , gaps and failures. Jacques was an underrated director, though the present-day he is better considered. Jacques Tourneur directed all kinds of genres , such as : Western : ¨Great day in the morning¨, ¨Stranger on horseback¨, ¨Canyon passage¨, ¨Wichita¨ ; Terror : ¨Curse of demon¨, ¨I Walked with a Zombie¨, ¨Leopard man¨ , ¨Cat people¨, ¨Comedy of terrors¨ ; Film Noir :¨Out the past¨, ¨Berlin express¨, ¨Experiment perilous¨ , ¨Nightfall¨ and Adventure : ¨The giant of Marathon¨ , ¨Martin the gaucho¨ , ¨Anne of the Indians¨ , ¨The flame and the arrow¨ and ¨Tombuctú¨ (1958). Rating: 6/10. Passable and decent adventure film but not too much.

While I don't think its too historically accurate or if it is at all. This film was entertaining at best and is worth a watch. It is set in 1940 but no germans and instead follows the arabs as they want independence from the french and with one man looking for the prophet who has gone missing. The actress Yvonne De Carlo is very attractive and had my eyes glued to her throughout the entire time of the film. Victor mature is really good in this film and i think he and Yvonne carry this film. While I know this film is based on its time period but i think they darken the skin. Of John dehner to make more "arab" which yes it offensive now a days its a product of its time. Honestly I only watched this motion picture because of the name "Timbuktu" as i am fascinated with history and places around the world. Interesting is there is one character in the film who talks about hating the coronial rule and we the audience sympathy with that character. Because this film did entertain me i give it a 5/10.