Action in Arabia
| Action in Arabia | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Leonide Moguy |
| Produced by | Maurice Geraghty |
| Written by |
Philip MacDonald Herbert J. Biberman |
| Starring |
George Sanders Virginia Bruce Robert Armstrong |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | J. Roy Hunt |
| Edited by | Robert Swink |
| Distributed by | RKO |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Action in Arabia (AKA Danger in Damascus and International Zone) is a 1944 film starring George Sanders and Virginia Bruce.[1] The film was written by Philip MacDonald and Herbert J. Biberman, and directed by Leonide Moguy. The supporting cast includes Gene Lockhart and Robert Armstrong, and the plot involves trouble and intrigue with the Nazis in Damascus, who scheme to seize control of the Suez Canal.
Plot
In the spring of 1941, American journalist Michael Gordon (George Sanders) and his colleague, William Chalmers (Robert Anderson), arrive in Damascus. When Chalmers is murdered, Gordon sets out to find out why. He is helped along by glamorous secret agent Yvonne (Virginia Bruce), who is on the trail of a group of Nazi saboteurs. Intrigue centers around the actions of Josef Danesco (Gene Lockhart) who offers to sell information, as well as French diplomatic official Andre Leroux (André Charlot) and Eric Latimer (Alan Napier), the owner of the Hotel International, both suspected of having connections with the Nazis.
Gordon enlists the help of Mathew Reed (Robert Armstrong), a member of the American Consulate and uncovers a plot to maneuver the Arabs into an insurrection as a diversion for an attack on the Suez Canal by the Nazis. Abdul El Rashid (H.B. Warner), the revered Arab leader, has been deceived by Kareem (Jamiel Hasson), a pro-Nazi chieftain. When Gordon proves Leroux to be a German provocateur to Abdul El Rashid, it results in the deaths of Reed and Leroux and the wounding of Gordon, but the plot to attack the Suez Canal is thwarted.
Cast
As appearing in Action in Algeria, (main roles and screen credits identified):[2]
- George Sanders as Michael Gordon
- Virginia Bruce as Yvonne Danesco
- Lenore Aubert as Mounirah al-Rashid
- Gene Lockhart as Josef Danesco
- Robert Armstrong as Matthew Reed
- H.B. Warner as Abdul El Rashid
- Alan Napier as Eric Latimer
- André Charlot as Andre Leroux (as Andre Charlot)
- Marcel Dalio as Chakka - Arab Henchman at Airport
- Robert Anderson as William Chalmers (credited as Robert Andersen)
- Jamiel Hasson as Eben Kareem
Production
Set mainly on the RKO backlot, the production relied on the customary sets that had been used in a variety of other films including Gone with the Wind (1939).[3] Principal photography took place from October 21 to December 1943.[4] In the opening scene, the Capelis XC-12 appears as an airliner; the venerable movie prop had been used in a number of films including RKO's Five Came Back (1939) and Republic's Flying Tigers (1942).[5]
As world events turned to North Africa, the original setting of Algiers was dropped and Damascus became the locale, with a budget increase of $100,000 given to elevate the film to a higher status.[6] Action in Arabia does include a number of scenes of Arab life including a desert scene with numerous extras, horses and camel caravans. Years earlier, filmmakers Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper had shoot footage for an unrealized film about Lawrence of Arabia, that they were planning as a follow-up to their hit, King Kong (1933). This footage was integrated into Action in Arabia.[6]
Reception
Bosley Crowther of The New York Times reviewed Action in Arabia, considering it better than the standard "B" film fare. "... 'Action in Arabia' is the sort of buncombe you get in the muscular fiction field. Not that it isn't pleasant buncombe. Leonide Moguy has directed it for that flair of exaggeration which distinguished the best B-grade intrigues."[7]
References
Notes
- ↑ Maltin 1994, p. 782.
- ↑ "Credits: Action in Algeria (1944)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: July 17, 2013.
- ↑ Teague, Kipp. "The later RKO years: 1940-1958." 40 Acres. Retrieved: July 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Original Print Information: Action in Arabia." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: July 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Capelis." Aerofiles, 2007. Retrieved: July 17, 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nixon, Rob. "Articles: Action in Algeria (1944)."Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: July 17, 2013.
- ↑ Crowther, Bosley. "Action in Arabia (1944);The Screen; Gordon of Arabia." The New York Times, February 19, 1944. Retrieved: July 17, 2013.
Bibliography
- Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia. New York: Dutton, 1994. ISBN 0-525-93635-1.