Escape in the Desert
| Escape in the Desert | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Edward A. Blatt |
| Produced by | Alex Gottlieb |
| Screenplay by |
Marvin Borowsky Thomas Job |
| Starring |
Jean Sullivan Philip Dorn Irene Manning Helmut Dantine Alan Hale, Sr. Samuel S. Hinds |
| Music by | Adolph Deutsch |
| Cinematography | Robert Burks |
| Edited by | Owen Marks |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Escape in the Desert is a 1945 American drama film directed by Edward A. Blatt and written by Marvin Borowsky and Thomas Job. The film stars Jean Sullivan, Philip Dorn, Irene Manning, Helmut Dantine, Alan Hale, Sr. and Samuel S. Hinds. The film was released by Warner Bros. on May 1, 1945.[1][2]
Plot
The action takes place in the southwestern United States late in World War II. Four POWs from Nazi Germany escape American custody and eventually wind up taking over a small gas station/hotel in the desert. They plan to obtain a fueled-up vehicle and flee the country. A Dutch military pilot traveling through America on his way to fight in the Pacific is mistaken by some locals as one of the Nazis. Eventually, however, he helps lead the resistance against the Germans.
The setting, some of the characters and a few plot elements are reminiscent of the 1936 classic "The Petrified Forest." But while "Escape in the Desert" has occasionally been called a "remake" of the earlier film, the two are in essence very different. The two main male characters are nothing like those in "The Petrified Forest," and their conflict is also dissimilar. Critics at the time noticed the superficial resemblance to the earlier film, but described "Escape" as basically an action picture, a sort of updated Western with Nazis as the villains.
Cast
- Jean Sullivan as Jane
- Philip Dorn as Philip Artveld
- Irene Manning as Lora Tedder
- Helmut Dantine as Capt. Becker
- Alan Hale, Sr. as Dr. Orville Tedder
- Samuel S. Hinds as Gramp
- Bill Kennedy as Hank Albright
- Kurt Kreuger as Lt. Von Kleist
- Rudolph Anders as Hoffman
- Hans Schumm as Klaus
- Blayney Lewis as Danny
References
- ↑ "Escape in the Desert (1945) - Overview". TCM.com. 1945-05-11. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
- ↑ Crowther, Bosley (1945-05-12). "Movie Review - The Bullfighters - THE SCREEN; 'Escape in the Desert' New Attraction at Strand- 'Bullfighters,' Laurel and Hardy, at the Rialto At the Rialto". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-11.