Desert Hell ** (1958, Brian Keith, Barbara Hale, Richard Denning, Johnny Desmond) – Classic Movie Review 12,088

‘The Stormy Saga of the Legion of the Damned!’

Director Charles Marquis Warren’s basic but proficient 1958 American action adventure film Desert Hell stars Brian Keith, Barbara Hale, Richard Denning, Johnny Desmond, Phillip Pine and Richard Shannon. It is a remake of Little Big Horn [The Fighting Seventh] (1951).

In the Sahara desert, French Foreign Legion Captain Edwards (Brian Keith) disobeys orders and leads his patrol on a suicide mission while in conflict with his lieutenant Richard Forbes (Johnny Desmond), after finding his wife Celie (Barbara Hale) in his arms.

Denning as Sgt. Major Pierre Benet, Keith and Desmond are adequate in the acting department, though Hale has little to do, and Warren keeps it relatively brisk and painless.

It is written by Charles Marquis Warren and Endre Bohem.

Shooting started in November 1957 and the film was released by 20th Century Fox on 25 June 1958.

It is shot at Death Valley National Park, California.

It runs 82 minutes.

It is made by Regal Films.

The cast are Brian Keith as Captain Robert Edwards, Barbara Hale as Celie Edwards, Richard Denning as Sgt. Major Pierre Benet, Johnny Desmond as Lieutenant Richard Forbes, Phillip Pine as Cpl. Carlo Parini, Richard Shannon as Pvt. Hoffstetter, Albert Carrier as Sgt. St. Clair, Duane Grey as Pvt. Aruazza, Charles H. Gray as Pvt. Bandurski, Richard Gilden as Pvt. Kabussyan, Ron Foster as Pvt. Bergstrom, John Verros as scout Pvt. Kufra, Michael Pate as Ahitagel, Patrick O’Moore as Pvt. Corbo, Felix Locher as Marsaya, William Hamel as Pvt. Brocklin, Bhogwan Singh as Holy Marabout. and Robert Etienne as Pvt. Sirmay.

The films of Charles Marquis Warren: Little Big Horn (1951), Hellgate (1952), Arrowhead (1953), Flight to Tangier (1953), Seven Angry Men (1955), Tension at Table Rock (1956), The Black Whip (1956), Back from the Dead (1957), Trooper Hook (1957), Without Incident (1957), The Unknown Terror (1957), Copper Sky (1957), Ride a Violent Mile (1957), Blood Arrow (1958), Cattle Empire (1958), Desert Hell (1958) and Charro! (1969).

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,088

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