The Desert Song (1953)
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- Passed
- 1h 50min
- Musical, Romance
- 30 May 1953 (USA)
- Movie
Shiek Yousseff, poses as a friend of the French while secretly plotting to overthrow them. Apposing Yousseff are the Riffs, whose secret leader, The Red Shadow, is Paul Bonnard, a professor who is studying the desert, and whose attacks on...
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Writers:
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Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Kathryn Grayson | ... |
Margot Birabeau
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| Gordon MacRae | ... |
El Khobar / Paul Bonnard
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| Steve Cochran | ... |
Captain Claude Fontaine
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| Raymond Massey | ... |
Sheik Yousseff
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| Dick Wesson | ... |
Benjamin 'Benjy' Kidd
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| Allyn Ann McLerie | ... |
Azuri
(as Allyn McLerie)
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| Ray Collins | ... |
Gen. Birabeau
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| Paul Picerni | ... |
Hassan
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| Frank DeKova | ... |
Mindar
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| William Conrad | ... |
Lachmed - an Arab
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| Trevor Bardette | ... |
Neri
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Mark Dana | ... |
Lt. Duvalle
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Rico Alaniz | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| Ben Astar | ... |
Sheik (uncredited)
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| George Blagoi | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| John Bose | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| Peter Brocco | ... |
Old Refugee (uncredited)
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| Larry Chance | ... |
Scarface (uncredited)
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Dick Cherney | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Tom Coleman | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Joseph Costarella | ... |
Arab Boy (uncredited)
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Robert Dane | ... |
French Pilot (uncredited)
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Harold Dyrenforth | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| Paul Fierro | ... |
Riff Guard (uncredited)
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Elias Gamboa | ... |
Townsman in Square (uncredited)
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| John George | ... |
Townsman in Square (uncredited)
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| Chick Hannan | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Tom Hernández | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Robert Hunter | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Kay Koury | ... |
Riff (uncredited)
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| Louis Lettieri | ... |
Neo, Small Boy (uncredited)
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| Maurice Marsac | ... |
Sentry (uncredited)
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| Frank Matts | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| George Nardelli | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Charles Perry | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Murray Pollack | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| Jack Reitzen | ... |
Sheik (uncredited)
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Robert Robinson | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| John Roy | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| Cosmo Sardo | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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George Sawaya | ... |
Riff Guard (uncredited)
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Sam Scar | ... |
Sheik (uncredited)
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| Bhogwan Singh | ... |
Old Villager (uncredited)
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| Norman Stevans | ... |
Legionnaire (uncredited)
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| Jack Tornek | ... |
Riff Guard (uncredited)
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Julian Upton | ... |
Berber (uncredited)
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Harry J. Vejar | ... |
Sheik (uncredited)
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Directed by
| H. Bruce Humberstone | ... | (as Bruce Humberstone) |
Written by
| Roland Kibbee | ... | (screen play by) |
| Laurence Schwab | ... | (based upon the play by) & |
| Otto A. Harbach | ... | (based upon the play by) (as Otto Harbach) & |
| Oscar Hammerstein II | ... | (based upon the play by) (as Oscar Hammerstein 2nd) & |
| Sigmund Romberg | ... | (based upon the play by) & |
| Frank Mandel | ... | (based upon the play by) |
Produced by
| Rudi Fehr | ... | producer (produced by) |
Music by
| Max Steiner | ... | (music adaptor) |
Cinematography by
| Robert Burks | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| William H. Ziegler | ... | (as William Ziegler) |
Editorial Department
| Mitchell Kovaleski | ... | color consultant: Technicolor (as Mitchell G. Kovaleski) |
| Wilfrid M. Cline | ... | color consultant: Technicolor (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
| Stanley Fleischer | ||
Set Decoration by
| William L. Kuehl | ||
Makeup Department
| Gordon Bau | ... | makeup artist |
| Jane Gorton | ... | hair stylist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Chuck Hansen | ... | unit production manager (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Russell Saunders | ... | assistant director |
| Claude Archer | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Herbert Plews | ... | props (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Charles David Forrest | ... | sound (as David Forrest) |
| C.A. Riggs | ... | sound |
| William Thompson | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Richard Farnsworth | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Walt La Rue | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| George Sawaya | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Joe Smith | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Jack Williams | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Norman C. McClay | ... | best boy (uncredited) |
| Harold Noyes | ... | grip (uncredited) |
| Charles O'Bannon | ... | gaffer (uncredited) |
| William Schurr | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
| Leonard J. South | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Jack Woods | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Marjorie Best | ... | wardrobe |
| Leah Rhodes | ... | wardrobe |
| Joan Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
| Elva Martien | ... | wardrobe: women (uncredited) |
| Leon Roberts | ... | wardrobe: men (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Murray Cutter | ... | orchestrator |
| Ray Heindorf | ... | musical director |
| Norman Luboff | ... | vocal arranger |
| Sigmund Romberg | ... | music by (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Howard Hohler | ... | script supervisor (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| D.R.O. Hatswell | ... | technical advisor |
| LeRoy Prinz | ... | musical numbers staged and directed by |
| Robert Hosler | ... | technicolor color consultant (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1953) (United States) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1953) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1953) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1953) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Warner Home Video (2014) (United States) (DVD) (dvdr)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Shiek Yousseff, poses as a friend of the French while secretly plotting to overthrow them. Apposing Yousseff are the Riffs, whose secret leader, The Red Shadow, is Paul Bonnard, a professor who is studying the desert, and whose attacks on the supply trains intended for Yousseff keep the Riff villages in food. Foreign Legion General Birabeau arrives to conduct an investigation, accompanied by his daughter, Margot. Birabeau hires Bonnard to tutor her, and she is attracted to a Legionaire captain, Claud Fontaine. While the general, Bonnard and Fontaine pay a visit to Yousseff, an American newspaper man, Benji Kidd, discovers a secret way in and out of Yousseff's palace, with the aid of Azuri, a dancing girl in love with Bonnard. The latter is forced to resume his role as the Riffs leader, and kidnap Margot until he can convince her of Yousseff's treachery. But Yousseff's men attack the Riff camp and take Margot prisoner.
Written by Les Adams |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The wind-swept sands of North Africa! Screaming Arab terror raids! The Harem Dance of Desire! The embattled Foreign Legion! The sheik's palace stormed! And the glorious music of the new "Desert Song" See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Practically all of the lyrics for "The Riff Song" have been rewritten, even the words that did not have to be changed. This was common practice in several Broadway musical adaptations made before 1955; it was done frequently in the Nelson Eddy- Jeanette MacDonald operettas and it was done in the 1954 film version of "The Student Prince". Movie studios did this so that royalties from all sales of sheet music for the film versions would go to the studios that made the films, not to the original lyricists. Exceptions included the 1936 film version of "Show Boat" and all of the songs except "Cotton Blossom" in the 1951 "Show Boat", as well as the 1943 film version of "Girl Crazy". See more » |
| Goofs | When Margot Birabeau (Kathryn Grayson) is singing "One Flower in Your Garden" she reaches over to a rose bush and removes a long-stemmed rose with no effort instead of having to cut it free. She then handles the stem without being pricked by the thorns, revealing that the rose is artificial. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Referenced in Deep in My Heart (1954). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Gay Parisienne See more » |
| Crazy Credits | Opening card: It is written in the burning sands of the Sahara: When there is wrong, there will always be an El Khobar, the Avenger, riding with his Riffs to right it. See more » |
| Quotes |
Azuri:
It's you - the one with the face! Benjy Kidd: It's you - the one with the body! See more » |