Action in Arabia (1944)

Reporter Michael Gordon uncovers intrigue in Damascus, where the Allies and Nazis struggle for control of Arab sympathies.

Director:

Léonide Moguy

Writers:

Philip MacDonald (original screenplay), Herbert J. Biberman (original screenplay)

Stars:

George Sanders, Virginia Bruce, Lenore Aubert

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Sanders	...	Michael Gordon
Virginia Bruce	...	Yvonne Danesco
Lenore Aubert	...	Mounirah al-Rashid
Gene Lockhart	...	Josef Danesco
Robert Armstrong	...	Matthew Reed
H.B. Warner	...	Abdul El Rashid
Alan Napier	...	Eric Latimer
André Charlot	...	Andre Leroux (as Andre Charlot)
Marcel Dalio	...	Chakka - Arab Henchman at Airport
Robert Anderson	...	William Chalmers (as Robert Andersen)
Jamiel Hasson	...	Eben Kareem

Storyline

Michael Gordon, star reporter with a nose for trouble, is heading home after completing a difficult assignment in Iraq. On a Damascus stopover he relays a tip to a fellow American newsman who subsequently ends up in a local camel market with a knife in his back. Even though everyone, including the American legation, seems to want Gordon to leave the country, he feels obliged to find his friend's murderer. Among the red herrings he must sort through in the "World's Oldest City" are an informing card cheat, a beautiful femme fatale, an enigmatic hotel owner, a Frenchman with two aliases, and several sinister Arabs. In short order, Gordon foils Nazi plots to unite the Arab tribes against the Allies and help the Germans seize the Suez Canal.

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Plot Keywords:

arab | reporter | nazi | iraq | suez canal | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Arabic German

Release Date:

9 October 1944 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Danger in Damascus

Filming Locations:

Lasky Mesa, West Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening sequence with a map showing North Africa imitates the opening of the previous year's Casablanca including utilizing Lou Marcelle as narrator.

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Quotes

Michael Gordon: [to Yvonne] The Oldest City in the World and here I am right in the middle of it suffering from the oldest emotion!

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Soundtracks

"La Marseillaise"
(1792)
Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle
Variations in the score when the Free French Cross of Lorraine is shown

User Reviews

Nice thriller

George Sanders experiences some "Action in Arabia" in this 1944 RKO film that also stars Virginia Bruce. Sanders is a reporter in Damascus who wants to find the killers of a fellow reporter. He uncovers a Nazi plot of the Germans attempting to turn the Arabs against the Allies.

It's not much, but there's some great action, and if you're a fan of George Sanders, he's at his elegant best in this, beautifully dressed and very smooth.

There are nice performances from an able supporting cast that includes Gene Lockhart, Alan Napier (that's Alfred the Butler on Batman), and H.B. Warner.

A small propaganda film, reminiscent in its way of Casablanca, but pleasant enough.