The Garden of Allah *** (1927, Alice Terry, Ivan Petrovich, Marcel Vibert) – Classic Movie Review 7454

Director Rex Ingram’s 1927 romantic drama The Garden of Allah is the second – silent – film of Robert S Hichens’s 1904 British novel, most famous now in the 1936 version The Garden of Allah with Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer and Basil Rathbone.

In the extravagant, antique-style romance, jaded hostess Domini (Alice Terry, Ingram’s wife) falls for runaway monk Father Adrien (Iván Petrovich) in Algeria. Father Adrien abandons his vows at the Notre Dame d’Afrique Trappist monastery and escapes to the desert, where he rescues Domini. Marcel Vibert co-stars as Count Anteoni.

An incomplete print is preserved at the MGM/UA film archive.

The Garden of Allah was shot in the studio at Nice, France, and in the desert at Biskra, Algeria and Morocco.

Also in the cast are H H Wright, Pâquerette, Gerald Fielding, Armand Dutertre, Ben Sadour, Claude Fielding, Rehba Bent Salah and Michael Powell (as a tourist).

The Garden of Allah is directed by Rex Ingram, runs 96 minutes, is made by MGM, is written by Martin Brown (titles) and Willis Goldbeck (scenario), based on Robert S Hichens’s novel, is shot by Lee Garmes, Marcel Lucien and Monroe Bennett, is produced by Rex Ingram, is scored by William Axt and David Mendoza, and is designed by Henri Meenessier.

It was first filmed by the Selig Polyscope Company in 1916 with Helen Ware.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7454

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