Sirocco (1951)

Director:

Curtis Bernhardt

Writers:

A.I. Bezzerides
Hans Jacoby
(more)

Release Date:

13 June 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Action

Tagline:

BEYOND CASABLANCA . . . Fate, in a Low-cut Gown, Lies in Wait for Bogart!

Plot:

A cynical American expatriate gets involved in smuggling and gun-running for the rebels during the 1925 Syrian insurgency against French occupation.

Plot Keywords:

Rebel | Syria | Gun | Smuggling | Foreign Language Adaptation

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Harry Smith
Märta Torén	...	Violette
Lee J. Cobb	...	Col. Feroud
Everett Sloane	...	Gen. LaSalle
Gerald Mohr	...	Major Jean Leon
Zero Mostel	...	Balukjiaan
Nick Dennis	...	Nasir Aboud
Onslow Stevens	...	Emir Hassan
Ludwig Donath	...	Flophouse Proprietor
David Bond	...	Achmet
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abdullah Abbas	...	Arab Singer (uncredited)
Leon Alton	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Tony Barr	...	Soldier (uncredited)
John Bleifer	...	Hungarian (uncredited)
Dick Botiller	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Peter Brocco	...	The Barber (uncredited)
Argentina Brunetti	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin	...	Guard (uncredited)
Edward Colmans	...	Col. Corville (uncredited)
Joe Connors	...	French Officer (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Master Sergeant (uncredited)
Jeff Corey	...	Feisal (uncredited)
Carmen D'Antonio	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Al Eben	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Gay Gayle	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bernie Gozier	...	Guard (uncredited)
Harry Guardino	...	Lt. Collet (uncredited)
John Halloran	...	Guard (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jean Hartelle	...	Waiter (uncredited)
George Khoury	...	Cart Driver #1 (uncredited)
Tony Layng	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Eddie Le Baron	...	Syrian (uncredited)
Peter Mamakos	...	Merchant Businessman (uncredited)
Paul Manning	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Paul Marion	...	Officer (uncredited)
Myron Marks	...	Bus Driver (uncredited)
Merrill McCormick	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Louis Merrill	...	Egyptian (uncredited)
Carl Milletaire	...	Assistant Proprietor (uncredited)
Marta Mitrovich	...	Hysterical Woman (uncredited)
Neyle Morrow	...	Syrian Lad (uncredited)
Jay Novello	...	Hamal (uncredited)
Peter Ortiz	...	Maj. Robbinet (uncredited)
Joe Palma	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Josephine Parra	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Leonard Penn	...	Rifat (uncredited)
Roland Rego	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Vincent Renno	...	Arthur (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Master Sergeant (uncredited)
Ric Roman	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Jack Santoro	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Joe Sawaya	...	Cart Driver #2 (uncredited)
Sam Scar	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Dan Seymour	...	Wealthy Syrian (uncredited)
Sammy Shack	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Robert St. Angelo	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Felipe Turich	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Peter Virgo	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Martin Wilkins	...	Omar (uncredited)
Guy Zanette	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Curtis Bernhardt

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
A.I. Bezzerides
Hans Jacoby
Joseph Kessel		novel "Coup de Grace"

Produced by
Henry S. Kesler	....	associate producer
Robert Lord	....	producer

Original Music by
George Antheil

Cinematography by
Burnett Guffey

Film Editing by
Viola Lawrence

Art Direction by
Robert Peterson

Set Decoration by
Robert Priestley

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Earl Bellamy	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Lodge Cunningham	....	sound engineer

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director
Ernest Gold	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Santana Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1952) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Egmont Entertainment (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #15117) | Norway:16

Company:

Santana Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to actor Jamie Farr, the movie debuted on Saturday night at the Rivoli in his home town of Toledo. Most of Toledo's Arab-American community turned out to see it. As a scene where Bogart walks though a crowded bazaar begins to fade, an Arab voice is heard shouting, "Ya hallah deen bayak!" which caused most of the audience to collapse in laughter. The non-Arabs in the house did not understand why everyone else was laughing until the line was translated for them: "Goddamn your father!"

Goofs:

Plot holes: In a very key plot point scene Balukjiaan goes to Smith's warehouse on behalf of French intelligence and tries to find out if there are any dried apricots. He uses as an excuse that he is throwing a birthday party for himself and has plenty of pilaf and pahklava, but nothing sweet for dessert. Pahklava is the Armenian name for baklava, which is a very sweet Greek and Middle Eastern dessert. Either the writers didn't know what pahklava is or the whole premise of needing dessert is mistaken.

Quotes:

Col. Feroud:Last night we arrested one Nasir Saleem, a friend of yours. We have his full confession. The evidence against you is incontrovertible. Do you know the penalty?
Harry Smith:Yeah, a slug in the head and a whole in the ground.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Play It Again, Sam (1972)

To thine own self be true?

In a way Bogart's greatest performances have left Sirocco "priced out of the market." I won't argue that it's on the same level as Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, or Key Largo, but it is a surprisingly nuanced picture that gets unfairly criticized for not living up to some of the greatest films Hollywood ever produced.

Bogie is Bogie, tough-talking and trenchcoat-wearing as usual. He plays Harry Smith, a man who, ordinarily, doesn't take sides, but this time, see... there's a dame! That sounds a little dismissive, it's not meant to be. Nobody's ever played a "shades of gray" character quite like Bogart, in my opinion he could have done it a dozen *more* times.

Swedish actress Märta Torén (pegged as 'The Next Ingrid Bergman') is the dame. She really seems almost as out-of-place in the picture as she would have been in war-torn Damascus. Lee J. Cobb, playing the French commander Col. Feroud, chews the scenery a little but overall he gives a good portrayal of a man fighting for a cause he no longer believes in.

I'm a fan of both Zero Mostel (the original Max Bialystock) and Nick Dennis (the exuberant Greek mechanic from 'Kiss Me Deadly') and they both have good if small roles here.

I was impressed by the way Sirocco refused to overtly side with either the French or the Syrians. Neither does the film present Smith as anything but what he is, an opportunist. In fact, for me, it his teetering on the brink of whether to take sides or stay neutral (and thus be true to his own self-serving moral code) that provides the film's best drama.