source: Action in Arabia

Moviecut—Action in Arabia

Action in Arabia

Léonide Moguy was an international film director with a talent for international films, but among his best works was the Italian and award-winning "Domani é troppo tardi" with Pier Angeli, which was also marked by great masterful scenes of mass upheavals, which this film also is dominated by. It is set in Damascus in Syria, far from Arabia, in the beginning of the first world war, so don't think for a moment this is a second world war spy thriller. There are spies indeed, most of them are disposed of on the way, but George Sanders is the only character the film is worth watching for. You do miss Lawrence of Arabia here, and the film was shot entirely in California. Also there are no Turks, although the Arabs are bellicose enough, and the story is not easy to follow in its tendency to constant over-complications. It is good entertainment though, and the two ladies are both oriental dreams of delight. You can give it a chance, but don't expect any lasting impressions.

Michael Gordon (George Sanders) is a reporter that passes through Damascus because of an assignment, and in the beginning he is seen with another reporter that after a while is found dead. So Michael decides to discover who is responsible for the murder of his friend and the trail brings him to a glamorous secret agent (Virginia Bruce) that is also in search of some Nazi saboteurs and end up being involved with the chieftain of the Bedouin tribes but ending ok despite all the dangeous situations. While I am not into very old movies sometimes I watch them because they are often good. This was decent but nothing else, with Sanders that plays a nice guy (a rare role for him) and some funny situations. Well worth seeing despite it may look dated for 2022 standards.

This movie pops up quite regularly on late night TV-and every time I get sucked into watching it. A cut above usual B grade movies with some very good stock footage of Arabic life the plot is the usual spy Vs spy yarn -but I have to say its very enjoyable. The cast is likable with a number of familiar faces all going earnestly about their business. The real star for me are the Art directors and set decorators. They did not have much to work with on the back-lot but have created that quintessentially Hollywood interpretation of what Damascus would or rather should look like. This is great entertaining action-er that's enjoyable its Casablanca inspired introduction to the final shoot out where the good guys triumph. Well worth a look at any time of the night.

I watched this because it came on after a movie I watched on purpose. I meant to turn it off, especially because it looked so incredibly low-budget right from the get-go... but I didn't turn it off and, five minutes in, just couldn't stop watching. There are so many snarky, clever, laugh-out-loud lines! There is also as much intrigue and eccentric characters as in Casablanca (and some of the same actors as well). You will need to know a bit about the history of the time to get the plot, but all you'll need to like the film is to listen and drink in George Sanders absolutely awesome performance - this is my favorite of his films. It's low budget and a bad print, but the perfectly-cast Sanders and the hilarious one-liners make it worth the watch.

RKO produced this and a fair portion of it appears to be shot on their studio lots which makes sense considering this is 1944. George Sanders who played Simon Templar in the movies dons a formal white jacket here and stops a Nazi plot to unite Arab tribes against the allies. Lenore Albert, well known to people as a fem-me fa-tale in Abbott & Costello meets Frankenstein, is the main lady involve with the conspirators. Alan Napier also known as Alfred the butler on the 1960's series Batman has a role in this one as well. The director, interestingly enough, is a Russian National who only did a few US films as most of his other work was in Europe. While the film moves along quite quickly, there is not much to distinguish this one from many of RKO's B Pictures in the 1940's. It appears to have been cloned from WB's Casablanca but with a more minor cast. It is an interesting war film archive but not a really distinguished production unless your a George Saunders fan for who it is a must see.

Blandly entertaining WWII spy story about George Sanders getting involved with Nazis and intrigue in Damascus. Although filmed near the end of the war, the story takes play at the outset of WWI, with the Allies and Nazis both vying for Arab support. Petty low budget and nothing all that special except for the presence of the effortlessly suave Sanders, who manages to make this film worth checking out.

George Sanders experiences some "Action in Arabia" in this 1944 RKO film that also stars Virginia Bruce. Sanders is a reporter in Damascus who wants to find the killers of a fellow reporter. He uncovers a Nazi plot of the Germans attempting to turn the Arabs against the Allies. It's not much, but there's some great action, and if you're a fan of George Sanders, he's at his elegant best in this, beautifully dressed and very smooth. There are nice performances from an able supporting cast that includes Gene Lockhart, Alan Napier (that's Alfred the Butler on Batman), and H.B. Warner. A small propaganda film, reminiscent in its way of Casablanca, but pleasant enough.