Adventure in Iraq (1943)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

D. Ross Lederman

Writers:

William Archer (play)
George Bilson (writer)

Release Date:

27 September 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Plot:

Five Allied soldiers in an airplane flying to Egypt crash-land in Iraq. They are taken in by a local sheik, but soon begin to suspect that he may not be quite as friendly as he appears to be. |

Plot Keywords:

Iraq | WWII | Middle East | Nazi | Based On Play

Cast

John Loder	...	George Torrence
Ruth Ford	...	Tess Torrence
Warren Douglas	...	Doug Everett
Paul Cavanagh	...	Sheik Ahmid Bel Nor
Barry Bernard	...	Devins
Peggy Carson	...	Timah Devins
Martin Garralaga	...	High Priest
Bill Crago	...	Air Force Capt. Carson
John George	...	Small Iraqi in Courtyard
Manuel López	...	Tall Priest in Courtyard
Bill Edwards	...	Air Force Sergeant

Also Known As:

Adventures in Iraq (USA) (working title)
Green Goddess (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: When the squadron of biplanes first arrives and the Captain Carson radios, "We're going in, proceed with flight plan," he is seated side-by-side with his copilot in what appears to be a calm environment. But the exterior shots of the planes show the planes have open-cockpit tandem seats, with the copilot seated behind the pilot.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Planet X: (#2.1)" (2006)

Things were a lot different in Iraq back in 1943 then they are now

***SPOILERS*** Running out of gas over the vast Syrian desert in Western Iraq former Flying Tigers pilot Doug Everett, Warren Douglas, and his passengers Mr. & Mrs. George and Tess Torrence,John Loder & Ruth Ford, are forced to land. Trying to call for help from the British military headquarters located in Baghdad Doug finds out that the batteries, or tubes, of his radio are burnt out. The three then decide to walk through the burning desert to the nearest Iraqi city called Ghatsi. When there the trio are taken in and entertained by the cities ruler Ahmid Be Nor, Paul Cavenagh. Warren & Dough are dressed in white dinner jackets with black bow ties and Tess is given a complete makeover to look like an Arabian princess.

Unknown to the three is that their being held hostage and will be killed by Ahmid's men if his three step-brothers, who were working as spies for Nazi Germany, are not allowed to be set free and not be executed the next morning by the British. Ahmid who is a very refined gentlemen, being that he was educated in the most prestigious schools in England, is not into the Devil Cult that his subjects adhere too but is such a worm and coward that he'll play along with them even if it is to murder George Doug & Tess, who he has the hot's for. As for his three crazy and fanatical step-brothers Ahmid feels that a volley of British bullets to their chests is just the right medicine that they need to cure them of their insane ideas.

George and Doug and Tess finally realize what's happening when their confronted by the crazed high priest of the city ,Martin Garralaga, who demands that they be sacrificed to the Devil or Evil One, did he mean by that Saddam Hussain? as soon as the brothers are executed by the British. Ahmid using his British butler Devins, Barry Bernard, to spy on the three and make it look like he wants to escape with them. This has both George and Doug get the drop on him, and drop Devin to his death off the palace balcony, as the two together with Tess make a run for freedom to their disabled plane with a number of radio tubes that they took from Ahmid's short wave radio. Which is used to keep to be in contact with his Nazi allies in Berlin Germany.

After getting to the plane and installing the tubes Doug calls for help and the US sends a squadron of fighter planes. The planes begin to bomb the hell out of Ghatsi and it's surroundings but George is tragically killed by Ahmid's mens during the fighting. Doug and Tess are taken prisoner again and held in the palace to be executed but Ahmid, and his "Fearless Warriors", wets their bloomers as the good old USA fighter planes start to bomb the stuffing out of their city. In the end even the crazed high priest gives in to the mighty US Army Air Force, and has both Doug and Tess released unharmed. With that the gutless and and self-serving Ahmid decides to join the allies in the war against he former friend Germany to save his stinking hide. The Germans learned the hard way the saying that "With friends like Ahmid you don't need enemies" will the USA learn the same thing?

The "Fearless Warriors" of Ghatsi as well as Ahmid and the cities high priest were so scared of the US military that they actually let a number of US servicemen go into the main palace, and direct the air attacks on them, without as much as laying a hand on them. even though scores of their "Fearless Warriors" were getting killed in the bombing that the US servicemen were directing. The bravery and fanaticism of the Ghatsi Devil Cult members, which must have numbered in the thousands, evaporated as soon as the first US bombs fell? Boy things were a lot different in Iraq back then in 1943 then they are there today in 2004.