Desert Command

The film "Desert Command" is a condensed version of the 1933 serial "The Three Musketeers". I believe that it would be better to watch the entire serial than this edited version but this film will give you get jest of of it. It's merely "okay". I think it needed more of the serial added to the edited film version to make it better - a few things are missing to get a better story out of it.

I enjoyed this film to a degree, it's great to see the actors in something different. It's just the story that is lacking along with better editing to make this film more enjoyable.

Watch if you are a die hard John Wayne or Lon Chaney fan.

6/10

Originally, this film was part of a 12-part serial from tiny Mascot Films. However, like many of the old serials, it was later trimmed significantly to make it feature length. So, from 210 minutes, it now is about 72! Not surprisingly, the film seems choppy and vague--the result getting rid of 2/3 the serial!

The film begins with three French Legionnaires trapped in the desert with the enemy about to wipe them out once and for all. However, out of no where comes an American plane (flown by John Wayne) to wipe out the baddies and help French colonialism to flourish (is that really such a good thing?!). Now the men are best friends with Wayne and vow to be like the Musketeers of old (hence the original title, "The Three Musketeers"). But, the evil leader of the rebels, El Shaitan, and his Devil's Circle, vow to split them up and destroy the French. Will he do it or will the Legion be victorious? What do you think?!

The biggest thing you'll notice apart from how choppy the film can be is that the acting (including Wayne) is pretty limp at times. The same can be said for a young Lon Chaney Junior (billed under his real name, Creighton Chaney). The writing isn't any better--and I had to laugh at all the times Wayne DIDN'T shoot people or take out baddies once and for all. For the most part, this is a pretty poor film and is probably only of interest to die-hard John Wayne fans and fans of good 'ol colonialism. Otherwise, it's very easy to skip.

Watched this movie on YouTube and looked it up because I thought they had the wrong year of production. I have seen 1946 John Wayne. I know 1946 John Wayne. 1946 John Wayne is a friend of mine. This movie is not 1946 John Wayne. Other reviewers were helpful to inform that this movie is a compilation from a 12 part 1933 serial which was released in 1946 to take advantage of the Duke's stardom. The movie is loaded with stars early in their careers: Lon Chaney, Noah Berry and many others. It is an old serial and it looks like one. I enjoyed it, but if you are looking for a desert movie with high production values and a plot not written by a fifth grader, watch Lawrence of Arabia.

It's interesting that "Desert Command" is a 1946 movie release made from a condensed 1933 film. Apparently, the earlier film, "TheThree Musketeers," was put together from a series of short ones. Two earlier reviewers give some good information on that. In the early years of movies – and through the 1950s as I can recall, the standard movie fare on any given weekend was two movies and a cartoon. One film would be a short or a "B" grade movie. So, it's interesting to see this much later release of snippets put together in a single film from the 1933 film footage.

One thing very noticeable, is the difference in quality that 13 years made. By 1946, John Wayne had been in 110 movies. The quality of the films he had been in the past several years – whether A or B movies, was quite good. So, the snowy, scratchy, poor quality of this Mascot film from 1933 footage really stands out.

This film has lots of the action from the earlier film. But it suffers greatly in the plot, editing and all technical aspects. I think the plot has several holes where scenes don't connect well. For instance, Elaine Corday (played by Ruth Hall) rides to an Arab hideout to report a possible spy to an Arab chieftain. It sure looked like she was part of the evil network of El Shatan. So, when other scenes have her helping one side and then the other, it becomes quite confusing.

This film has some well known names of the time in the cast, besides John Wayne. But aside from the action in a very choppy and disoriented plot, there's little else to recommend it.

An American mystery action spy adventure; A story about a trio of foreign legionnaires who confront a mysterious Arab terrorist when their rescuer is framed for murder. This is a 70 minute movie edited from a a 1933 film serial "The Three Musketeers". It is loosely based on Alexandre Dumas' famous 1844 novel. The film achieves a period setting and it has some good aerial acrobatics and a few diverting action sequences, but it is poorly constructed and looks choppy because scenes are stitched together without good flow and unaided by musical theme. The performances from most of the cast look stilted.