Beau Geste (1939)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Robert Carson (writer)
Percival Christopher Wren (novel)

Release Date:

15 September 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

AGAIN...the three Gestes face a thousand dangers of the Sahara for each other...and love!

Plot:

Beau, John, and Digby Geste are three inseparable, adventurous brothers who haven been adopted into the wealthy household of Lady Brandon...

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Foreign Legion | Desert | Jewel Theft | Punishment

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

US TV Schedule:

Thur. July 16

10:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Michael 'Beau' Geste
Ray Milland	...	John Geste
Robert Preston	...	Digby Geste
Brian Donlevy	...	Sgt. Markoff
Susan Hayward	...	Isobel Rivers
J. Carrol Naish	...	Rasinoff
Albert Dekker	...	Legionnaire Schwartz
Broderick Crawford	...	Hank Miller
Charles Barton	...	Buddy McMonigal
James Stephenson	...	Maj. Henri de Beaujolais
Heather Thatcher	...	Lady Patricia Brandon
James Burke	...	Lt. Dufour
G.P. Huntley	...	Augustus Brandon (as George P. Huntley)
Harold Huber	...	Legionnaire Voisin
Donald O'Connor	...	Beau at age 12

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Buttercup Dunes, Imperial County, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Goofs:

Continuity: Beau's hands change position as John leaves the fort and again when Digby enters.

Quotes:

Markoff: And now, you scum, it's my turn. I'm going to give you a lesson in putting down an attempted mutiny that'll be the last thing you'll ever see. Maybe this'll make you die happy. Markoff thanks you. When he's an officer and has the Legion of Honor, he'll think often of the stupid, blundering pigs that put him where he is.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hope Island: Batten Down the Hatches (#1.12)" (1999)

A Rousing adventure when Hollywood knew how...

This fine film wears exceedingly well more than 60 years after it was made. The story of a jewel with a haunted past, a trio of gallant brothers, a beautiful girl and the French foreign Legion make for for a mighty entertaining diversion. Brian Donleavy's riveting Oscar performance, as brutal Sargent Markoff, alone is worth the price of admission. Excellent acting all around From Gary Cooper's Beau Geste, his two stalwart 'brothers' played by Ray Milland and Robert Preston to that of J. carrol Naish as the 'human hyena' Rassinoff and Albert Dekker plays a menacingly mutinous legionaire. A great story of love and loyalty set in a rousing adventure film. A must see.