Le désert blanc

Original title: The White Desert

1925
1h 10m

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Robert Frazer and Pat O'Malley in Le désert blanc (1925)

Barry Houston, the superintendent of a gang building a railroad tunnel through a Colorado mountain, warns John Keith, the project engineer, that he is doing too much blasting, thereby placin... Read allBarry Houston, the superintendent of a gang building a railroad tunnel through a Colorado mountain, warns John Keith, the project engineer, that he is doing too much blasting, thereby placing the crew in danger from avalanches. Attempting to set a record, Keith ignores Barry's ad... Read allBarry Houston, the superintendent of a gang building a railroad tunnel through a Colorado mountain, warns John Keith, the project engineer, that he is doing too much blasting, thereby placing the crew in danger from avalanches. Attempting to set a record, Keith ignores Barry's advice, and, as a result of continued blasting, there is an avalanche that destroys the line... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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7.417

Featured reviews

8a2soft

Heroic characters trapped in snowed-in railroad town

I saw this 20 years ago with live organ accompaniment. This is a great silent movie, with lots of close steam railroad action. Note to railfans: this was clearly filmed on the Great Northern on their old pre-Cascade tunnel line. The plot occurs in a railroad work camp. Winter comes and the town is snowed in, likely for months. Something terrible happens and a dramatic rescue is required, hero, attractive heroine, etc. Lots of scenes of belching steam locomotives fighting the snow. The "white desert" is the snow, get it?

I don't really know what else to say. These old silents are not terribly long movies!

8spmarch-1

Filmed on the Moffat Route in Colorado before the Moffat Tunnel was completed.

This railroad was really named the Denver and Salt Lake Railway. This movie is a railfan's dream showing the extreme winter weather conditions on Rollins Pass and was filmed there and at Corona, the railroad town at the top of the pass (11,676 ft). The rotary snowplow scenes are a must see.

I saw it on its 75th anniversary at Denver's Paramount Theatre with the Mighty Wurlitzer Double Console Organ . What an experience! The movie premiered in Denver and was a major event in 1925.

The story is pretty exciting too. People are trapped at the summit by a blizzard and wait for help to arrive.

I wish it was available on DVD or VHS. I think there are only a few good prints left.