Les Rats du Bled

While this 1955 Foreign Legion movie from United Artists may not be in the category of "Beau Geste" (which starred Gary Cooper) it is nonetheless drawing. Personally, I felt the cast was well-chosen. Ralph Meeker, noted for playing Mike Hammer in "Kiss Me Deadly", here played David Malekom, a sometimes cold yet always a no-nonsense officer who was definitely strict toward the men under him. The very pretty Marla English was an unusually pretty lady who was in love with Malekom. John Carradine was perfect for the role of Jala the wine merchant who was a very ruthless man; he in the movie was the uncle of Princess Zara. Keith Larsen, who played the brother of Princess Zara, El Zanel, was mean-spirited and ruthless, a man who was so anxious for power that he wanted to possess the Sahara Desert. John Smith, who would later be known for "Laramie" fame was his same cowboy self from Texas; he played Pvt. Rex Tyle, a pugnacious and brave soldier. The drama starts off with Jala having some of his own men, who were disguised as Legionnaires, kill his own brother who was the father of Zara and El Zanel, and the killing caused Zara and El Zanel to hate the Foreign Legion with a passion; they were very young when the killing took place. Thus there were several attacks on the outpost in North Africa. Yet the strange thing was that when Jala confessed that he had killed El Zanel's father, he said that men of power must do such things sometimes; no, El Zanel did not care about human lives. What will happen now to Malekom, El Zanel, Jala, and Zara? There are points where there is romance between Zara and Malekom, but will this have a great effect on how Malekom will be toward Zara after a very climatic battle? The movie was a "Sahara western" replete with handguns and machine guns. Yes, it was a very exciting movie of any kind.

This film, admittedly not a masterpiece generally or even of its genre, does have a certain charm about it mainly in its easygoing, almost casual, depiction of Legionairres.

Worst thing about it: had to wait an awfully long time and endure too much tawdry action before the Arab princess (Marla English) -- who I worshiped -- strode in on her roan steed and before her first line strikes Meeker sharply with her whip! (Don't see entrées like that much anymore.) Anyone notice the sheik's playing loose and easy with prisoner of war rules -- reviewing their bios, finding their weak spots, choosing special informers who manifest weak character flaws, and...will...talk.

And how about that Alita's, the princess's slave girl, man savvy, learning from the smartest...and the simplest.

One more thing: why in hell does Maltin omit this pic from his book? Does anyone know?

I saw this film only once in 1957 at a local cinema when I was nine years old. The plot outline is a little dim after the passage of time but I recall that the story centred upon a misunderstanding that took place between the son and daughter of an Arab chieftain and the local garrison of the French Foreign Legion. War ensues and Ralph Meeker as the commander of the garrison, fights heroically against the Arabs.

I recall that the colour was very good and the actors portraying the legionaires seemed quite authentic. The actor portraying the French sergeant was very affecting. Marla English as the Arab princess was beautiful and sensual.

I would enjoy seeing this film again and it is a pity that the copyright holders have not released it as a video or a DVD. I hope that it may be offered to television networks to take up and show in future.

An exciting adventure film, with good battle scenes, interesting characters, stirring renditions of "Le Boudin" (the signature march of the Legion) and the little known and sexy Elizabeth Taylor lookalike Marla English, as the "Arab" princess. It seems like the Legion outpost is a modified "wild west" set and Marla and her maidservant's costumes appear to be reworked Mexican cowgirl outfits. Entirely apropos for the unintentionally hilarious love scenes with the Legion commandant (Ralph Meeker). Her brother, the sheikh, has a prep school accent, but it's not quite as bad as the Brooklynese dialect of Richard Conte's villain sheikh in 1953's "Desert Legion" ("Det ta da lejun!"). Mama Mia!!

The legionnaires are uncharacteristically complacent. After all, this is 1955 and the tribes just don't surround and attack Legion forts a la Beau Geste anymore. Not! They get a rude awakening when Marla and her brother; who believe their father was murdered by the French; unite the desert tribes and wipe out a column of legionnaires. The film does have some reality deficits. Even though it's the 1950s there isn't a motor vehicle in sight, although the new commandant arrives at the fort by helicopter, and the radio man is building a television set. The rifles carried by the legionnaires were over 20 years out of date at the time, and rifle grenades can't blow up buildings. But, this is an escapist actioner with some unintended laughs thrown in, not a History Channel Special. In that respect, it really hits the spot. It even begins with a sultry, James Bondish theme song!

I recently saw this movie for the first time since the early 70s (on TCM) and I find it hard to believe that it was never put on commercial video.

Ralph Meeker gets to take a break from playing poachers to play a gamekeeper in the form of a megalomaniac captain in the French foreign legion of whom its said "He could lead a hundred grandmothers through the Boxer Rebellion without disturbing their coiffure".

The story suggests the twenties but his arrival by helicopter shows it's actually set much later. People get massacred but director Lesley Selander makes it all seem rather tame, with characters just standing about and talking.

The cute little fortress is quite striking in a Germanic sort of way. Conspicuous by their absence are any actual Frenchman: Aussie Ron Randall assuming an English accent to boast about his expulsion from Sandhurst and the University of Cambridge Medical School; while John Carradine invests the Arab chieftain with the sort of accent only a Shakespearean actor could manage.