Sirocco (film)

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Sirocco

Directed by	Curtis Bernhardt
Produced by	Robert Lord
Written by	A.I. Bezzerides Hans Jacoby Joseph Kessel (novel Coup de Grace)
Starring	Humphrey Bogart, Märta Torén, Lee J. Cobb
Music by	George Antheil
Cinematography	Burnett Guffey
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	June 1, 1951 (U.S. release)
Running time	98 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Sirocco is a black-and-white film starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by Curtis Bernhardt. It received bad reviews, drawing unfavorable comparisons to Casablanca.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In 1925, Harry Smith (Bogart) is an amoral American gun runner, selling weapons to the Arabs in Damascus, during the French Mandate of Syria. Smith's latest shipment to rebel leader Emir Hassan (Onslow Stevens) is intercepted by the occupying French, leading General LaSalle (Everett Sloane) to consider executing hostages every time French soldiers are ambushed or blown up by terror bombs. LaSalle's head of intelligence, Colonel Feroud (Lee J. Cobb) presses for negotiations instead. Smith complicates matters for himself by stealing Feroud's mistress Violetta (Märta Torén), who had been eager to get away from the commander.

Feroud coerces Smith into taking him to meet with Hassan, to discuss a peaceful settlement. Respecting Feroud's courage in coming to the rebel hideout alone and unarmed, Hassan agrees to further talks. However, for Smith the outcome is not so profitable; angered that he has revealed their location, the rebels kill him.