The last patrol
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The last patrol |
| Original title | The Lost Patrol |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1934 |
| length | 74 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | John Ford |
| script |
Dudley Nichols , Garrett Fort , Frank Baker |
| production | Merian C. Cooper |
| music | Max Steiner |
| camera | Harold Wenstrom |
| cut | Paul Weatherwax |
| occupation | |
| |
The Last Patrol (in the original The Lost Patrol , alternative title: The Missing Scout Squad ) is an American war film by director John Ford from 1934. The script is based on the novel Death in the Desert. The story of a patrol ( patrol ) by Philip MacDonald . The main roles are cast with Victor McLaglen , Boris Karloff and Wallace Ford .
action
During the First World War , a small British unit patrols the Mesopotamian desert. The commanding officer is shot dead by an Arab sniper. The command now leads a sergeant, who was not informed of the mission goal. He decides to bring his troop, consisting of eleven men, back to the brigade, although he does not know where it is.
The troops arrive at an oasis. During the night the soldier on watch is killed, another wounded and the horses stolen. The enemies are nowhere to be seen and one after the other soldier falls victim to the attacks. In this desperate situation, the sergeant lets the lot decide which two men should march on foot and bring help to the oasis. The two men are captured and tortured to death. Their bodies will be returned to the oasis.
The pilot of a British biplane discovers the troops. He ends up near the oasis and is killed by the Arabs before he can be warned. The soldier Sanders, a religious fanatic, goes insane. Except for the sergeant, the Arabs kill all soldiers. The sergeant can kill the Arabs, who are now confident of victory, with the machine gun from the plane. He holds out until another British patrol arrives.
Background notes
Most of the film was shot in the Arizona desert . It is a remake of the British silent film The Lost Patrol (1929) by Walter Summers . In the silent film, Cyril McLaglen, the brother of Victor McLaglen, played the role of the sergeant. Victor McLaglen, who won an Oscar in 1936 , served with the Irish Fusiliers in Mesopotamia during World War I, at the time the film is set.
The film premiered in the United States on February 16, 1934 . It was first seen in the Federal Republic of Germany on November 1, 1966. It was also shown on German television under the titles Die misste Patrouille and Der misste Spähtrupp .
Another film was released in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1954, entitled The Last Patrol . The original title of this Owen Crump-directed war film about the Korean War is Cease Fire! .
Boris Karloff was a movie star at the time of shooting, who became world famous as "Frankenstein's Monster". Francis Ford, brother of director John Ford, took on a minor role that was not mentioned in the credits. John Ford, Oscar winner in 1936, 1941, 1942 and 1953, waived other stars except for McLaglen and Karloff, as the film did not have a real happy ending. Screenwriter Dudley Nichols is the first Oscar winner (1936) to turn down his Oscar. The film's composer, Max Steiner, later won three Oscars (1936, 1943, 1945), film editor Paul Weatherwax twice (1949, 1957), while production manager Murray Spivack received an award for best sound in 1970.
criticism
"Effectively and thrillingly staged adventure film about a very conservative image of male friendship and peer pressure in a model probationary situation."
“Early John Ford film, which has few advantages but already many weaknesses in his later works. Mainly of interest and importance to friends of film history. "
Awards
- 1935: Oscar nomination in the category Best Film Music - Max Steiner
literature
- Philip MacDonald: Death in the Desert. The story of a patrol. Roman (Original title: Patrol ) (= Romane der Welt. Volume 90). German by Anton Mayer . Knaur, Berlin 1929.
Web links
- The Lost Patrol in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Short review of the Variety (English)
- Review Hal Erickson for The New York Times (English)