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IMDb > The Desert Song (1929)

The Desert Song (1929) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   25 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Roy Del Ruth
Writers:
Harvey Gates (screenplay)
Oscar Hammerstein II (play)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Desert Song on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 April 1929 (USA) more
Genre:
Musical more
Tagline:
Warner Brothers' spectacular SINGING success
User Comments:
Funniest movie I've ever seen! more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
John Boles ... The Red Shadow
Carlotta King ... Margot
Louise Fazenda ... Susan
Johnny Arthur ... Benny Kidd
Edward Martindel ... General Bierbeau
Jack Pratt ... Pasha
Roberto E. Guzmán ... Sid El Kar
Otto Hoffman ... Hasse
Marie Wells ... Clementina
John Miljan ... Captain Fontaine
Del Elliott ... Rebel

Myrna Loy ... Azuri
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lester Cole
Peggy Dale
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Additional Details

Runtime:
123 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White | Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In advance of the feature, a separately filmed trailer, Vitaphone production reel #2812, was released, featuring John Boles who describes the story and introduces the other cast members to the audience. more
Movie Connections:
Version of The Desert Song (1943) more

FAQ

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2 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-
Funniest movie I've ever seen!, 18 September 2003
7/10
Author: overseer-3 from Florida

I'm not sure how funny and campy this film was meant to be when it was filmed in 1929, but today, watching it in 2003, I thought this movie hysterical. I was laughing so hard, I cried. The gesticulations, the chorus scenes, the bits by Myrna Loy as a "half-caste" woman, the kiss scenes, the singing, all were incredibly funny. Even my kids were laughing, and my husband was doing a Red Shadow imitation and throwing his arms into the air singing.

There is something to be said for merriment, and so even though this film is technologically backward today it does deserve a higher mark than the current "4" I see here as the average.

I'm a big John Boles fan, but he was way too adorable here as The Red Shadow to be taken seriously, and honestly he looked uncomfortable before the cameras. He had a lovely singing voice too, which sadly wasn't preserved well by the recording technology of the time. Not sure how many early Technicolor sequences would have improved this film in its original format, but it would be nice if someone, sometime could restore it.

"Oh Pierre, you shouldn't have come!" :)

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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits IMDb Musical section
IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

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