Evengyny
Thanks for the memories!
Pluskylang
Great Film overall
Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
mark.waltz
Unaware that this had been considered unavailable for many years, I had sought this out and for years only had a badly edited black and white version of this from some local TV station somewhere that looked as if it had been copied down half a dozen generations. That was horrible to try to watch even though I hung on to it just for the privilege of having. Nobody in the movie collecting business knew of any color prints available, and even the 1929 version appeared to have been locked away as well. The 1953 version did make its way to VHS, and a 20 minute short ("The Red Shadow") appeared on TCM in it's early days. Out of the blue this version from the war era came out on home video in all its colorful glory, but unfortunately, what I witnessed upon my discovery of the original print may not have been worth my search.The mixture of the glorious score (greatly cut) and the setting of World War II did not mesh in my opinion, and perhaps this is an operetta best left to recordings than stagings, having failed with Broadway revivals both in 1946 and 1973. It's silly and inappropriate as war propaganda, and reminded me more of a Maria Montez/Sabu adventure with songs. Dennis Morgan was fine as a romantic lead, but his singing after a while is grating. Irene Manning was fine as a B leading lady or the other woman but fails to impress in her one A lead. Bruce Cabot is serviceable as Manning's suitor, and Lynne Overman is a notch above the annoying Dick Wesson in the 1953 remake. The new songs aren't memorable in the least, but the original score does get a good recording from the Warner Brothers sound department. War musicals work better with real entertainers putting on a show, but mixing sword and sandal with Nazis and Sigmund Romberg sadly fails.
Slievedon
The various commentators on the 1943 version of The Desert Song cleared up (and confirmed?) the suspicions of a 9-year old boy who thoroughly enjoyed the movie in 1944. It was only after many years and reminiscences (in addition to a fascination with the history of World War II) that I began to wonder why this movie never appeared in public again.MY suspicions were confirmed by briantaves of Washington, DC in his comment on The Desert Song; viz., that the politics of North Africa and Vichy French were involved. Considering the time-line of the filming and release (1943-1944), it would appear that the American invasion of Morocco in November of 1942 was involved in the original planning. Our troops were actively resisted by the French troops in Morocco (under the control of the Vichy French (collaborators with the Nazis). A tricky situation considering that the "Free French", led by Charles DeGaulle in London, were our allies.As for the copyright issues regarding one song (that keep the movie from being viewed once again), fuggedaboutit! Even as a 9-year old, I knew it was a good movie.
suzyvy
I saw this movie in 1944 as a 7 year old and have never forgotten it after having fallen in love with the desert story line, music, and Dennis Morgan. Saw the movie several times and learned every line of every song. Of course I haven't seen it since and probably never will if there are problems in having it released. Five years ago, my daughter and my two youngest grandchildren moved to Muscat, Oman where I have visited them each winter since they arrived there. We always spend a few days at Al Areesh Desert Camp in the Wahiba Sands where I first began to sing The Riff Song for the kids. Although the Bedoins accompanying us think us a little daft, my 8-year-old granddaughter and I take great joy in she and I hopping on our camels, riding off in the sand singing, "Over the ground, there comes a sound.............". What great fun. She is dying to see the movie as am I. What a shame this is not possible.
Robert Elsner (relsner)
It's my understanding that this great movie was re-mastered in the mid-90s, and even shown for one week in New York City before suddenly being taken out of circulation. Apparently, there is a copyright problem over ONE SONG in the movie, which has apparently caused Warner Bros./Turner Classic Movies, or whomever has its rights, to withhold release of The Desert Song (1944 version) from theatrical circulation or home video and DVD. One would think there must be a way around this stumbling block, even if the (probably unfamiliar, non-Romberg) song had to be deleted to permit its re-release. -- Bob Elsner, Palm Sprngs, CA
