Sword in the Desert (1949)

Cynical freighter captain Mike Dillon hopes to take the money and run after helping to smuggle Jewish refugees ashore in pre-Israel Palestine. But against his will, he's drawn into the ... See full summary »

Director:

George Sherman

Writer:

Robert Buckner

Stars:

Dana Andrews, Märta Torén, Stephen McNally

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dana Andrews	...	Mike Dillon
Märta Torén	...	Sabra
Stephen McNally	...	David Vogel
Jeff Chandler	...	Kurta
Philip Friend	...	Lt. Ellerton
Hugh French	...	Maj. Sorrell
Liam Redmond	...	Jerry McCarthy
Lowell Gilmore	...	Maj. Stephens
Stanley Logan	...	Col. Bruce Evans
Hayden Rorke	...	Capt. Beaumont
George Tyne	...	Dov
Peter Coe	...	Tarn
Paul Marion	...	Jeno
Marten Lamont	...	Capt. Fletcher (as Martin Lamont)
David Wolfe	...	Gershon

Storyline

Cynical freighter captain Mike Dillon hopes to take the money and run after helping to smuggle Jewish refugees ashore in pre-Israel Palestine. But against his will, he's drawn into the escalating fight between British occupation forces and the founders of Israel. In a battle doubly terrible because the audience sympathizes with both sides, how long can Mike remain a bystander?

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Plot Keywords:

middle east

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Genres:

Action | War | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1949 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Schwert in der Wüste

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

David Vogel: You haven't much faith in mankind, have you?
Mike Dillon: Why should I have? What's it ever done for me?

User Reviews

Interesting little picture

This tidy little Universal "B" about the Israeli fight for independence would be interesting if just for the subject matter alone--there were few, if any, contemporary Hollywood pictures that dealt with that particular struggle--but this isn't a bad picture in and of itself. Dana Andrews plays a ship captain who smuggles Jews into Israel purely, at first, for the money, but finds himself being caught up in the cause his "cargo" is fighting for--and also falling for an Israeli girl (the exotic beauty Marta Toren, who, although she looks like she just stepped out of an Arabian Nights tale, is actually Swedish). Director George Sherman was an expert at turning out tight, energetic little actioners, and continues that tradition here. The Andrews/Toren romance slows things down a bit, but not enough to do any fatal damage. A neat little picture with an interesting perspective on a subject not often touched upon, with a capable cast, good pacing and quick bursts of action that all combine to hold your interest. Check it out.