Beau Geste (1939 film)
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Beau Geste | |
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Original film poster |
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Directed by | William A. Wellman |
Produced by | William A. Wellman |
Written by | Robert Carson P. C. Wren(novel) |
Starring | Gary Cooper Ray Milland Robert Preston Susan Hayward Broderick Crawford Brian Donlevy. |
Music by | Alfred Newman |
Cinematography | Theodor Sparkuhl Archie Stout |
Editing by | Thomas Scott |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date(s) | 2 August 1939 |
Running time | 112 min |
Country | USA |
Language | English |
All Movie Guide profile | |
IMDb profile |
Beau Geste is a 1939 film made by Paramount Pictures based on the novel by P. C. Wren. It was directed and produced by William A. Wellman from a screenplay by Robert Carson. The music score was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography by Theodor Sparkuhl and Archie Stout.
The film is a virtual scene-for-scene remake of the 1926 film starring Ronald Colman. This version is probably the best known adaptation, with Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Susan Hayward, Broderick Crawford, and Brian Donlevy. Donlevy was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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[edit] Plot
Two of the versions share a common element of a stolen gem, which one of the Geste brothers, Beau Geste, is thought to have stolen from his adoptive family. The third version does not.
In this version, the gem has to be sold to raise money for a project of the never-seen household head, Lord Brandon, who has been spending money unwisely for some period of time. The three Geste brothers, Beau (Gary Cooper), John, (Ray Milland) and Digby (Robert Preston), now adults, have lived with the family since their childhood, and their patroness, Lady Brandon (Heather Thatcher), brings out the gem for one last look before it is sold. Suddenly, the lights go out and the gem disappears. All the participants claim innocence, but all the brothers later confess to the crime to each other.
As the brothers are under suspicion for the theft, all three leave England and join the French Foreign Legion. While on duty in a fort in a remote part of the Sahara Desert, their evil Sergeant Markoff (Brian Donlevy) finds out about the theft and is convinced that Beau must have the gem with him. However, the fort is surrounded by hostile forces and most of the defenders are killed by the invaders, although the Sergeant and Beau manage to scare them off and survive. However, they later die at each other's hands. A relief force arrives with the other two brothers to find the fort intact, but all the defenders dead, and attempt to solve the mystery.
It is revealed that although Beau did steal the gem at the final unveiling, it was a fake. The real gem had been sold years before by Lady Brandon and Beau wanted to conceal this fact from Lord Brandon. Beau knew of the sale because as a child, he was hiding in a suit of armor when the buyer arrived to take the gem away.
[edit] Cast
- Gary Cooper - Michael "Beau" Geste
- Ray Milland - John Geste
- Robert Preston - Digby Geste
- Brian Donlevy - Sgt. Markoff
- Susan Hayward - Isobel Rivers
- J. Carrol Naish - Rasinoff
- Albert Dekker - Schwartz
- Broderick Crawford - Hank Miller
- Charles Barton - Buddy McMonigal
- James Stephenson - Maj. Henri de Beaujolais
- Heather Thatcher - Patricia Brandon
- James Burke - Lieutenant Dufour
- G.P. Huntley - Augustus Brandon
- Arthur Aylesworth - Renault
- Harry Woods - Renoir
- Harold Huber - Voisin
- Stanley Andrews - Maris
- Donald O'Connor - Beau at age twelve
- David Holt - Augustus at age twelve
[edit] Other adaptations
- Beau Geste (1926)
- Beau Geste (1966)
- The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977 parody)
- Beau Geste (1982 BBC mini-series)
[edit] External links
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