La caravane du désert

Making the film must have taken great effort with location shooting in Utah. I would like seeing it in 3-D; the colour is vivid, well saturated. Director Ray Nazzaro knew his business; writer Harry Essex was not as skillful. The plot works but the dialogue often sounds silly.

The cast with beautiful Joanne Dru, her husband John Ireland, and Ron Cameron, along with excellent stock actors make watching this movie fun. You realise that actors like John Dehner, Darryl Hickman, and Stuart Randall enriched many films and television programs we enjoy.

I almost forgot about the camels while watching the movie. The hook works, I suppose, but that is not what makes it work. The fine cast, good direction, interesting photography, crisp editing, and great location do.

I enjoyed watching this movie.

A routine western with a hook-it's based on tests the Army conducted using camels in the Southwest desert. Cameron, Ireland and Dru(Irelands' wife at the time)handle the acting chores competently, and the action runs smoothly.

Southwest Passage (AKA: Camels West) is directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Harry Essex and Geoffrey Homes. It stars Rod Cameron, John Ireland, Joanne Dru, John Dehner and Guin Williams. Music is by Emil Newman and Arthur Lang and the Pathe Color photography is by Sam Leavitt.

A robber and hid girl join a Camel Caravan to escape their pursuers.

Originally filmed in 3-D, one might be surprised to find that as fanciful as the premise to this seems, it's very much grounded in facts. Edward Fitzgerald Beale (1822 - 1893) the character played by Cameron is a most fascinating person whose real life work is far more interesting than the film is! Further reading on the subject is recommended.

This is all very routine as a group of various ethnicities and walks of life trek across the desert with camels in tow to test their usage for the U.S. Cavalry. Ireland (posing as a doctor) and Dru (gorgeous but looking like she just wandered in off of a Estée Lauder advertisement) are hiding out. So they are on the bluff which keeps the "will they get caught" factor simmering away. Naturally a rapscallion fellow (Dehner) figures things out and wants a share of the couple's stolen goods.

To further complicate matters and up the peril quota, the water is running low. Add in the fact we are in Apache country and you get the drift of where the picture is heading. Cast make things watchable at least, while the location scenery out of Kanab, Utah, is a treat for the eyes. It all builds to a frantic finale, which is well staged and high on rapid gun fire, but once the "too tidy" resolution is reached it's a Western that quickly fades from memory. 5/10

The peculiarity of this cute western is that there is question of camels - yes, camels - in the Arizona - or New Mexico or Utah - desert. There are some unusual westerns like this; for instance Russel Rouse' THUNDER IN THE SUN where half of the characters were French Basques !!!! So, yes, this western made by the specialist Ray Nazarro definitely deserves to be seen, at least for this good reason. Besides the camels element, if you are a western goer, it is also for you, certainly a good time waster and not a lousy one. I always feel happy when I watch such an old fifties western. Rod Cameron was rather directed by Joseph Kane rather ay Nazarro.

Edward Beale (Rod Cameron) and his caravan are en route to California as part of the U. S. Cavalry's initiative to utilize camels as cargo carriers for desert treks. Beale and his men join up with an escaped bank robber, Clint McDonald (John Ireland), who is impersonating a doctor. When one of Beale's men discovers McDonald's fraud, he blackmails the thief for a share of the bank loot. But then a far more menacing threat emerges in the form of American Indian warriors.

Fairly good B-western that is a little unusual due to the inclusion of camels and Muslim Arabs, but other than that it's business as usual with a long trek across the desert, there's a robber and his girlfriend, a crooked wagon member and Indians - John Ireland is particularly good as the robber who is conflicted over whether to return the money to the bank he robbed from, and that's what his girlfriend-Dru -wants him to do. The film ends with a sprightly Indian attack. Great locations in Kanab, Utah is a highlight - so are the camels!