Academy Awards, USA 1940
| Nominated Oscar | Best Actor in a Supporting Role Brian Donlevy |
| Best Art Direction Hans Dreier Robert Odell |
Paramount Pictures
Directed by William A. Wellman
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Universal)
A brief opening scene takes place at a desert fort where dead men have been propped up to fool the attacking Arabs. It works, but when reinforcements arrive they are confused by the scene. We then flashback to the childhoods of three brothers who were at the fort. They yearn for adventure in the French Foreign Legion, which continues into their young adult years. The household is threatened with bankruptcy by their absent father, forcing their overprotective mother to consider selling the family diamond. One of the brothers steals it then runs away to join the Legion, quickly followed by the other brothers. The story comes full circle and we witness the events that took place at the beginning, only this time are privy to details not earlier known. It's a bit of a gimmick but for the most part works. The three lead actors are a little old for their characters (Cooper's character is in his early 20s but Cooper was 38 years old), but the supporting character actors are superb: J. Carrol Naish as a thief and especially Brian Donlevy as the brutal Sergeant who commands the fort.
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