Desert Sands ** (1955, Ralph Meeker, Marla English, J Carrol Naish, John Carradine, Ron Randell, John Smith, Keith Larsen) – Classic Movie Review 10,637

Director Lesley Selander’s 1955 programmer French Foreign Legion adventure film Desert Sands is produced by Bel-Air Productions and released by United Artists. It is foolish but nevertheless some fun as it is quite quirky and exotic.

John Carradine stars as the evil Jala the Wine Merchant, who fools Princess Zara (Marla English) and El Zanal (Keith Larsen) into hatred of the Foreign Legion. Ralph Meeker plays Captain David Malcolm. Ron Randell plays Pvt. Peter Havers, J Carrol Naish plays Sergeant Diepel, and John Smith plays Pvt. Rex Tyle.

There are some rough performances by some less than ideal actors, but Carradine, Marla English, the Technicolor and SuperScope shooting and the good battle sequences (particularly the desert fort climax) are the main saving graces in this daft adventure film.

John Smith plays Pvt. Rex Tyle.

Also in the cast are Otto Waldis, Peter Mamakos, Albert Carrier, Mort Mills, Philip Tonge, Terence de Marney, Nico Minardos, Jarl Victor, Aaron Saxon, Albert Carrier and Lita Milan.

It is shot between February and March 1955 at American National Studios, Hollywood; Mojave Desert, Arizona; Yuma, Arizona; and at the Imperial Dunes in Imperial County, California. It was released by United Artists on 18 November 1955. Written by Danny Arnold, George W George and George F Slavin, the script is based on the 1954 novel Punitive Action, one of a series of French Foreign Legion novels written by John Robb. Unlike many Foreign Legion films, it is set in the Fifties.

Paul Newman was first choice for the lead role of Captain David Malcolm, but the producers offered $20,000 and his agent wanted $35,000.

Marla English [Marleine Gaile English] (January 4 1935 – December 10 2012) married San Diego businessman Allen Paul Sutherland and retired from acting at just 21 after starring in the horror film Voodoo Woman (1957).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,637

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