The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

The life and career of the respected World War II German general.

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screenplay), Desmond Young (biography)

Stars:

James Mason, Cedric Hardwicke, Jessica Tandy

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Mason	...	Field Marshal Erwin Johannes Rommel
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Dr. Karl Strolin
Jessica Tandy	...	Frau Lucie Marie Rommel
Luther Adler	...	Adolf Hitler
Everett Sloane	...	Gen. Wilhelm Burgdorf
Leo G. Carroll	...	Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt
George Macready	...	Gen. Fritz Bayerlein
Richard Boone	...	Capt. Hermann Aldinger
Eduard Franz	...	Col. Klaus von Stauffenberg
Desmond Young	...	Himself, Lt. Col. Desmond Young

Storyline

This biopic follows Rommel's career after the Afrika Korps, including his work on the defenses of Fortress Europe as well as his part in the assassination attempt on Hitler, and his subsequent suicide.

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Plot Keywords:

rommel | suicide | hitler | general | prologue | 

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Genres:

Action | Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 October 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Desert Fox

Filming Locations:

Borrego Springs, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Movie debut (uncredited) of British actor John Alderson who plays a German corporal.

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Goofs

When Rommel is on his walking tour of the "Atlantic Wall" there is a scene where he and his entourage are walking in front of a gun emplacement fronted with a slope covered with stone blocks. The faintly visible straight shadows indicate, however, that they are walking in front of a painted backdrop.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Narrator: During that last short ride, what may Rommel's thoughts have been? Were they bitter, that he had learned too slowly and struck too late? Or did they go back to the desert, where his military genuis had first electrified the world? First at Mechili, then Tobruk, yes and even El Alamein. In any case, his life and fate may have been summed up, ironically enough, in the words of Nazi Germany's sternest enemy, the Honorable Winston Churchill.
Churchill: His ardor, and daring, inflicted grevious ...

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Connections

Referenced in Handcuff King (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Marines' Hymn"
(uncredited)
Music by Jacques Offenbach
Heard during the scenes of D-Day and the ensuing battles

User Reviews

A Good Docu-Drama

As one very interested in the history of World War 2, I don't know how I missed seeing this before. I'm certainly not an authority on Rommel, but as far as I could tell (with a few exceptions, such as the DC3/C-47 made up to look like a German transport and the portrayal of von Runstedt as being more competent than is generally credited) it seemed to be historically accurate. This seemed to be one of the better docu-dramas, a type with a not-very-illustrious tradition. What I found particularly interesting was how a movie made 50 years ago could reflect what are considered to be "new" views today. I'm referring particularly to the statement that Hitler was seeking his own destruction (presented as new in the recent Ian Kearshaw biography "Nemesis") and the lack of total control by the Nazis over what Germans thought, said and where they went (also presented as a "new" view). This reflects well on Desmond Young's research and the film makers adherence to it.