Legend of the Lost (1957)

American ne'er-do-well Joe January is hired to take Paul Bonnard on an expedition into the desert in search of treasure.

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Robert Presnell Jr. (screenplay) (as Robert Presnell Jnr.), Ben Hecht (screenplay)

Stars:

John Wayne, Sophia Loren, Rossano Brazzi

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	Joe January
Sophia Loren	...	Dita
Rossano Brazzi	...	Paul Bonnard
Kurt Kasznar	...	Prefect Dukas
Sonia Moser	...	Girl
Angela Portaluri	...	Girl
Ibrahim El Hadish	...	Galli Galli

Storyline

Paul Bonnard arrives in Timbuktu in search of a guide to escort him into the Sahara desert. American Joe January takes the job despite misgivings about Bonnard's plans. Dita, a prostitute who has been deeply moved by what appears to be Bonnard's spiritual nature, follows the two men into the desert. Eventually the trio arrives in the ruins of a lost city, where Bonnard hopes to find the treasure his father sought years earlier before disappearing. But what Bonnard finds alters him in unexpected ways, with tragic results.

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Plot Keywords:

camel chips | sahara desert | prostitute | lost city | treasure hunt | 

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Taglines:

Wayne Tangles with Loren...In the Adventure that's Hotter than 1000 Suns !

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Legend of Timbuktu

Filming Locations:

Leptis Magna, Libya

Box Office

Budget:

$1,750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Batjac Productions, Dear Film Produzione

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a documentary about British director of photography Jack Cardiff, it was said that director Henry Hathaway was not respectful to the English members of the crew. He did not, for example, like their penchant for taking breaks for tea.

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Goofs

Twice Joe January refers to Solomon and Bathsheba. It should have been Solomon and Sheba. Bathsheba was David's interest.

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Quotes

Dita: Paul, you said God forgives somebody who's bad, if they turn good. Doesn't He forgive somebody who's good if they turn bad?

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Connections

Featured in Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)

User Reviews

Very enjoyable piece of nonsense

Considering that for most of this film there are only three characters on screen and two of them are very badly played by John Wayne and Rossano Brazzi, (the third is a sultry looking Sophia Loren and she's very good in an underwritten role), Henry Hathaway's "Legend of the Lost" is a surprisingly entertaining piece of nonsense, complete with lost treasure and some gorgeously photographed desert locations courtesy of Jack Cardiff. There isn't much else yet Hathaway manages to keep us watching, maybe with a promise that something is going to happen even if in the end, it hardly ever does. It's success probably had a lot to do with the Westener's love of deserts and exotic locations, (maybe there's a touch of the T. E. Lawrence in all of us). It's hardly the best of Hathaway but there's no denying it's very enjoyable.