Sahara (1943) (1943)
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100% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
77% of users liked it
(4,719 ratings)
Humphrey Bogart considered this World War II action epic from director Zoltan Korda one of his finest films. Sergeant Joe Gunn (Bogart) is the commander of an American M-3 tank crew allied to the British Eighth Army, which is defeated by the Germans at Tobruk. Joining the scattered retreat across… More Humphrey Bogart considered this World War II action epic from director Zoltan Korda one of his finest films. Sergeant Joe Gunn (Bogart) is the commander of an American M-3 tank crew allied to the British Eighth Army, which is defeated by the Germans at Tobruk. Joining the scattered retreat across the Libyan desert, Gunn and his two remaining men, Jimmy Doyle (Dan Duryea) and Waco Hoyt (Bruce Bennett) search for water. Instead the tank crew finds an international mix of stragglers, including an officer doctor (Richard Nugent) with several soldiers and a British Sudanese sergeant, Tambul (Rex Ingram), with his Italian prisoner of war (J. Carrol Naish). The rag-tag column shoots down an attacking plane and takes its German pilot (Kurt Kreuger) as a second captive, although a soldier, Fred Clarkson (Lloyd Bridges) is killed in the fighting. After one well turns out to be dry, the troupe finally reaches an abandoned mosque with a well that provides a trickle of water. Two more prisoners are taken while scouting the area and reveal that an entire German battalion is en route to the same well. Gunn misleads them into believing that there is plenty of water to go around, sets them free to report back to their superiors, and then persuades his fellow Allies to help him fight the enemy force that's en route, even though they are staggeringly outnumbered. A betrayal, an escaped prisoner, and bloody skirmishes follow in short order as Hoyt goes in search of help while Gunn and his compatriots attempt to crush the German battalion. Sahara (1943) inspired several subsequent action films, most notably Last of the Comanches (1952), and was remade as a 1995 cable television movie. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Directed By
- Zoltan Korda
- Written By
- Philip MacDonald, John Howard Lawson, Zoltan Korda, James O'Hanlon
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
- In Theaters
- Nov 11, 1943 Wide
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Zoltan Korda's wartime coalition is more Air Force muscularity than In Which We Serve fustiness
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Like other WWII adventures, Sahara contains elements of propaganda, but it's expertly directed by Korda, well acted by Bogart and the other men, and strikingly photographed by Rudolph Mate who received an Oscar nomination.
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Bogey's presence lends a hard-boiled nature to the picture.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Thanks to the strong performance by Bogey, at his heroic best, it's watchable.
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Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
One of the best WWII-era WWII movies a thoroughly entertaining war actioner starring Humphrey Bogart as a tough American sergeant commanding a tank crew in the Libyan desert.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Humphrey Bogart
as Sgt. Joe Gunn
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Bruce Bennett
as Waco Hoyt
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J. Carrol Naish
as Giuseppe
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Rex Ingram
as Sgt. Tambul
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Richard Nugent
as Capt. Jason Halliday
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Lloyd Bridges
as Fred Clarkson
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Dan Duryea
as Jimmy Doyle
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Pat O'Moore
as Ozzie Bates
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Louis Mercier
as Jean Leroux
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Carl Harbord
as Marty Williams
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Guy Kingsford
as Peter Stegman
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John Wengraf
as Maj. von Falken
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Hans Schumm
as Sgt. Krause
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Kurt Kreuger
as Capt. von Schletow
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Frank Lackteen
as Arab Guide
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Peter Lawford
as Bit Part
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Frederic Worlock
as Radio Newscaster
