The Last Outpost *** (1935, Cary Grant, Claude Rains, Gertrude Michael) – Classic Movie Review 11,276

Directors Charles Barton and Louis J Gasnier’s 1935 Paramount Pictures black and white romantic action adventure film The Last Outpost stars Cary Grant, Claude Rains and Gertrude Michael. This forgotten film is one of Grant’s least well-known movies, made just before his superstardom.

During World War One, British officer buddies Michael Andrews and John Stevenson (Grant and Rains) escort an Armenian tribe to safety and clash over the latter’s estranged nurse wife Rosemary Haydon (Michael), but are friends to the end in battle.

The Last Outpost is a fairly rousingly done romantic adventure, based on the short story The Drum by F Britten Austin, with excellent stars on form and good action in the Sahara desert.

The feisty adventure is much more entertaining than the soppy romance.

Ill-fitting stock footage from Four Feathers (1929) is added to beef up the battle scenes towards the end of the film.

Also in the cast are Kathleen Burke, Colin Tapley, Akim Tamiroff, Billy Bevan, Jameson Thomas, George Renavent, Jameson Thomas, Nick Shaid, Meyer Ouhayou, Frazier Acosta, Malay Clu, Robert Adair, William Brown, Claude King, Olaf Hytten, Frank Elliott, Ward Lane, Frank Dawson, Ramsay Hill, Mark Strong, Carey Harrison, Elspeth Dudgeon, Beulah McDonald, Ray Rakowski, Margaret Swope, and Harry Semels.

The Last Outpost is directed by Charles Barton and Louis J Gasnier, runs 76 minutes, is made and released by Paramount, is written by Philip MacDonald, Charles Brackett and Frank Partos, based on the short story The Drum by F Britten Austin, is shot in black and white by Theodor Sparkuhl, is produced by E Lloyd Sheldon, is scored by Bernhard Kaun, Heinz Roemheld and Milan Roder, and designed by Hans Dreier and A Earl Hedrick.

It is shot at Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood; and at Iverson Ranch, 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,276

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