Beau Geste (1939)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Robert Carson (writer)
Percival Christopher Wren (novel)

Release Date:

15 September 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

AGAIN...the three Gestes face a thousand dangers of the Sahara for each other...and love!

Plot:

Beau, John, and Digby Geste are three inseparable, adventurous brothers who haven been adopted into the wealthy household of Lady Brandon...

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Foreign Legion | Desert | Punishment | Jewel Theft

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Michael 'Beau' Geste
Ray Milland	...	John Geste
Robert Preston	...	Digby Geste
Brian Donlevy	...	Sgt. Markoff
Susan Hayward	...	Isobel Rivers
J. Carrol Naish	...	Rasinoff
Albert Dekker	...	Legionnaire Schwartz
Broderick Crawford	...	Hank Miller
Charles Barton	...	Buddy McMonigal
James Stephenson	...	Maj. Henri de Beaujolais
Heather Thatcher	...	Lady Patricia Brandon
James Burke	...	Lt. Dufour
G.P. Huntley	...	Augustus Brandon (as George P. Huntley)
Harold Huber	...	Legionnaire Voisin
Donald O'Connor	...	Beau at age 12

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Buttercup Dunes, Imperial County, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Charles Barton, who has a small part as Buddy McMonigal, was at the time an assistant director at Paramount, having started his career as an actor. He had had a bad experience working as an A.D. to Paramount's top director, Cecil B. DeMille, on Union Pacific (1939) and refused to work with him again when he was assigned to. Paramount "demoted" him to a bit actor on this picture as punishment. Barton soon left Paramount for Columbia where he was made a director, and never worked for Paramount again.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Markoff puts the first corpse back on the wall to give the illusion that there are many legionnaires on the wall, it is clear that the "corpse" is still breathing.

Quotes:

John Geste: Charming fellow, our sergeant.
Michael 'Beau' Geste: A trifle uncouth, but the best soldier we'll ever see.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hope Island: Batten Down the Hatches (#1.12)" (1999)

Brotherhood, Leadership and Gratitude

The orphan brothers Beau, John, and Digby Geste have been raised in Brandon Abbas by their dear aunt Lady Patricia Brandon (Heather Thatcher) with the also adopted Isobel Rivers and their cousin Augustus Brandon since they were children. Lady Brandon is near bankruptcy paying the debts of the absent Lord Brandon, and the fortune of the family is limited to the valuable "Blue Water" sapphire. When they are grown-ups, Lord Brandon tells that he will arrive in the property to sell the precious stone. Beau (Gary Cooper), John (Ray Milland), Digby (Robert Preston), Isobel (Susan Hayward) and Augustus (G. P. Huntley) ask to see the "Blue Water". Lady Brandon brings the stone, but the lights go out, the sapphire is stolen and Lady Brandon promises to call the police on the next morning. However, first Beau and then Digby write notes confessing the robbery, and they are followed by John. The brothers join the Foreign Legion and are sent to North Africa, Beau and John under the command of the cruel and sadistic Sergeant Markoff (Brian Donlevy) in Fort Zinderneuf in the Sahara Desert. After an unsuccessful mutiny due to the brutal treatment of Markoff, the fort is attacked by Tuaregs and the men have to join forces to fight for their lives.

"Beau Geste" is a dramatic adventure about brotherhood, leadership and gratitude. I have never watched the original version, but this remake is a great movie. The screenplay is intelligent, with two initial mysteries (what has happened in Fort Zinderneuf?, and why Beau Geste stole the stone?) and reveals the mystery in the fort in the end and the reason why Beau Geste stole the jewel in the very last scene, showing how honorable and gentle he was. Brian Donlevy is amazing and together with Gary Cooper, Ray Milland and Robert Preston, they have unforgettable performances. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Beau Geste"