The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel is a 1951 biographical film about Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in the later stages of World War II. It stars James Mason in the title role, was directed by Henry Hathaway, and was based on the book Rommel by Brigadier Desmond Young, who served in the Indian Army in North Africa.

Plot

The film begins with a pre-credit sequence depicting Operation Flipper, a British commando raid whose aim is to assassinate Rommel. It fails.

After the credits, the story is introduced by narrator Michael Rennie, who dubs the voice of then Lieutenant-Colonel Desmond Young, who plays himself in the film. Young is captured and meets Rommel briefly as a prisoner of war; he makes it his mission after the war to discover what really happened to Rommel during the final years of his life — at the time that Young wrote his book, it was believed that Rommel had died as a result of the wounds he had suffered when an Allied fighter strafed his staff car.

The movie flashbacks to the period of 1941-42, as the British prepare to counterattack Egypt, directed by General Bernard Montgomery: The Germans are defeated at El Alamein in 1942. The situation is made worse when Rommel is ordered by Adolf Hitler (Luther Adler) to stand fast and not retreat, even in the face of overwhelming Allied superiority in men and supplies, but the retreat is allowed. An ailing Rommel is sent back to Germany to recuperate while his beloved Afrika Korps is driven back across North Africa and destroyed. Rommel becomes increasingly disillusioned with Hitler after his pleas to evacuate his men are dismissed.

Rommel is approached by an old family friend, Dr. Karl Strölin (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), to join a group plotting to overthrow Hitler. Rommel is very hesitant and finally insists on meeting Hitler personally in an effort to persuade him to see reason. Hitler does not heed Rommel's gloomy predictions about the war, screaming that wonder weapons in development will turn the tide.

Rommel is placed in charge of defending the Atlantic Wall against the anticipated Allied invasion, though he knows the "wall" offers little protection against invasion. When the Allies land in France on June 6, 1944, he and his superior, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt (Leo G. Carroll), are handicapped by Hitler's belief that it is a diversion, with the real invasion to come at the Strait of Dover. As a result, they are denied urgently-needed reinforcements, allowing the Allies to secure a beachhead. This is the final straw. Rommel joins the conspiracy. However, when he tries to recruit von Rundstedt, the latter excuses himself by stating he is too old for such things, but wishes Rommel well.

Plans are set in motion, but Rommel is seriously injured when his car is strafed by an Allied aeroplane. Thus, he is recovering in a hospital when, on 20 July, 1944, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Eduard Franz) plants a bomb in Hitler's conference room. It goes off, but the Führer survives. Thousands are tracked down and executed.

General Wilhelm Burgdorf (Everett Sloane) is sent by Hitler to present Rommel with a stark choice: be charged with treason, for which the penalty will be excruciating death by garroting, or commit painless suicide. It would be announced that he had died of his previous injuries, he would receive a hero's burial, and Hitler's regime would avoid embarrassment. Rommel initially chooses to defend himself in the People's Court, but when Burgdorf hints that his family would suffer from his decision, chooses suicide to protect his wife and son. As the car is driven away, the film ends with a speech by Winston Churchill, praising the famed Desert Fox.

Cast

External links

• The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel at the Internet Movie Database
• The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel at the TCM Movie Database
• The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel at AllRovi