Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Simply Perfect

Did you people see the same film I saw?

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This film dramatizes a significant historical event for the still young United States, in which the US Navy and marines, along with a small army of Egyptian Arabs and Greeks banded together for a combined assault on the Libyan port of Derma, in 1805. This marked the virtual end of the first Barbary pirate war, in which North Africans were taking over American trade ships, taking the cargo and holding the crew as captives for ransom.Lt. O'Bannon(John Payne),"General" Eaton(Herbert Heyes) and exiled former pasha of Libya, Hamet Karamanly(Phillip Reed)retain their historic names. French countess Sheila D'Arneau(Maureen O'Hara)is purely fictional, if a welcomed complication.The land forces did march about 600 miles through Egyptian and Libyan desert, although historically, they began at Alexandria instead of farther up the Nile, as portrayed. During this trip, various hazards, such as sandstorms, unsure water sources, poisoned wells and bickering between the various ethnic groups are portrayed. Hamet is portrayed as accompanying the ragtag army, which provides an excuse for including dancing girls and the countess on the trip. Before beginning the trip, there is an agreement that the Americans will back the reestablishment of Hamet as pasha, if he helps recruit mercenary Arabs for the army. However, during the march, agents of his brother, Yusuf, the ruling pasha, infiltrate the army and bring an offer of sharing the rule of Libya 50-50,if Hamet will renege on the support of the Americans. He agrees to this change of plans(very risky), remarking that "Two allies are better than one, especially if they oppose each other" He learns the detailed plans of the combined army-navy assault, and passes this on to Yusuf's agents. In turn, the countess learns of Hamet's treachery, and rides to warn O'Bannon. Yusuf modifies his defenses to conform with the American's plans. In turn, O'Bannon warns the naval ships of Yusuf's move, by semaphore. Later, after he sees the success of the attack, Hamet changes his mind again, and supports the Americans, whom he hopes will win him the entire kingdom of Libya. Historically, although the Americans took Derma, Hamet never got reinstated. The countess supported Hamet's politics, until he turned traitor to the Americans. Then, she switched her allegiance to the Americans. Through most of the film, she hated O'Bannon, who had insulted her a number of times. Interestingly, when they were hiding behind a small sand dune, they alternatively fought verbally and physically,and kissed. Toward the end, she inexplicably changed her loyalty to O'Bannon, and stuck with it through the battle.During the land battle, O'Bannon led a small group of commandos over the city wall, creating havoc inside, especially in the royal palace. O'Bannon was nearly killed in the collapsing buildings during the naval bombardment. The way he beat off the interfering Arabs outside and inside the palace reminded me of John Wayne at the Alamo, or Errol Flynn as Robin Hood: cartoonish. Historically, it's reported that O'Bannon fought bravely.Incidentally, the Americans never did take Tripoli in this war, which is where Yusuf actually was. It was considered too well defended to take without considerably more investment in ships and army personnel. Yusuf actually sent reinforcements to Derma, that arrived too late to prevent its fall, but these troops nearly recaptured the city.All in all, not a bad viewing experience, with a mix of negotiating, action, humor, and flag waving, in a reasonably historically accurate portrayal. As expected, Maureen was a definite plus, both on her own, and in her confrontations with Payne.Available at YouTube.

Every movie set in the Near East in the 40s and 50s had to have an interlude featuring dancing girls. I've always reveled in them. These are typical. Set to Lucien Cailliet's imaginative stereotypical score (oboes and drums), these half-dozen beauties whirl around and suffer abdominal contractions out of Martha Graham, followed by diaphanous veils and whatnot, but discretely dressed in harem pants and bustiers. No pipiks allowed.It's 1805 and the Barbary Pirates along the North African coast have been harassing ships plying the Mediterranean. President Jefferson decides to put a stop to it by barricading their port and sends a few naval ships and a detachment of US Marines to the shores of Tripoli. John Payne is picked to lead the group. Their uniforms are splashy enough to coagulate your eyeballs.So is Maureen O'Hara as the fiancée of the local sheik from whom Marine Lieutenant John Payne must recruit mercenaries to attack the outpost at Derne, overlooking Tripoli. She's stunning in her pastel gowns, orange flame lipstick, and eyelashes long enough to dust venetian blinds. Her comic sidekick is Connie Gilchrest, whose haimische New York accent no one tried to fix, thank God. Lieutenant Payne has the requisite earthy sergeant, Grant Withers, but it's the Victor McLaughlin role and Grant Withers looks and acts like he's been holding hands with a bottle for the past thirty years.Maureen O'Hara, outstanding in a few movies, including "Our Man in Havana," overacts outrageously, but then the director appears to have ordered everyone to overact, so the obviousness assumes a style of its own. If O'Hara is voicing an opinion that sounds suspicious and underhanded to Payne, he doesn't merely glance at her. He frowns, squints and stares directly at her for as long as she speaks. She's sassy, as usual, but the hero helps her find her identity as a compliant mate, as usual. If it isn't John Wayne it's John Payne.O'Hara's figure is fictional, delightfully so, but Presley O'Bannon was real, and so was the commander of the detachment, William Eaton, whose title was Naval Agent to the Barbary States. The titles matched the uniforms. In fact, the story, glamorized and given a commercial sheen in the Hollywood style of the period, sticks fairly close to historical fact, overlooking the occasional irritating inconsistencies that are found in real life. As in history, Payne hires a hundred or so mercenaries who turn out to be a mixed bag of Arabs and Greeks who don't like each other much.Situation report. I was never much of a technical writer and realize the observations above are a little entropic so let me summarize. Half way through the movie, John Payne is leading this motley of Arabs, Greek mercenaries, and ten Marines across the sand dunes of north Africa, with the intention of deposing the miserable wretch who is pirating our ships in the Mediterranean. Maureen O'Hara has her eyes on the wealthy Arab leader but Payne doesn't want her along and has forced her to travel with the "dancing girls." Payne and O'Hara hate each other but the discerning viewer knows how it will work out. There are the usual hazards of journeying across the desert -- lack of water, sandstorms, haboobs, intrigues, shifting allegiances. Some nice location shooting, apparently somewhere near Palm Springs. The model work and special effects are quite good too for the period.The ragtag army finally reaches the sea and gratefully draws supplies from the ships of the US Navy. The plan is to bombard the fort at Derna into submission, then have Payne and his unit charge into the rubble and mop things up. The great battle takes place.But guess what? The Arabs were a clever bunch. (They invented soap in the Middle Ages, but also algebra, an Arabic word, a dirty trick for which they can never be forgiven.) And here, just as the enemy seems about to lose Derna to the Marines, the Arabs break out thousands of hand grenades based on NUCLEAR FISSION and they blow Payne and his attackers to pieces, the disjecta membra thrown into the sea. And when the Arabs are done ravishing Maureen O'Hara, and event that has left her incandescent with pleasure, she too is flung off a cliff to the waiting Kraken. It's a tragedy, true, but an exceptionally light-hearted one.

I have to disagree with the other reviewers of this film, in that what they thought was a plus I found extremely negative. That of course I am talking about the incredibly annoying character Countess D'Arneau played by Maureen O'Hara. The character of the Countess D'Arneau seems like it was written for a different movie, or every other action was written for a different movie. The movie therefore cannot choose which way it wants to go, sweet romantic comedy or macho manly movie about solders racing across the desert. Unfortunately it tries to do both and fails miserably. It is very possible to re-cut the film and take out every scene with Maureen O'Hara. This would leave us with a dandy little historical war film (although short). Obviously this left me very disappointed because there are so few films about the time and subject and when one is as good as this it gets ruined by Hollywoods need to put a leading lady into every film.Bottom line... Unless you are willing to fast forward through the needless drivel avoid this one. If you are willing than the rest is a well acted and well staged piece of American history.

This is a strongly-scripted and well-made adventure film, with solid stars in Maureen O'Hara, John Payne and Howard da Silva . But its directorial history is a bit curious. Will Smith, then O'Hara's husband, had been wanting to direct. he got his chance with this movie and did a creditable job as producer and as director However, he had been cheating on her, so the couple divorced soon afterward and Price only directed two forgettable movies thereafter. The story told herein is of a mission featuring a force of US marines sent to combat the 18005 activities of the "Barbary Pirates", North African corsairs who were stopping the ships of other nations and robbing them or worse. The Marine's Hymn refers in the line "to the shores of Tripoli", to this same action. Maureen O'Hara, lovely and talented as ever, plays a French countess inexplicably betrothed to a local bigwig; Da Silva is humorous and excellent as a Greek mercenary hired to help Payne's marines find and destroy the pirates and their stronghold. Much of the film's footage concerns desert treks, during which the male-female conflict between Payne and O'Hara turns into something much more than mere instant dislike. There are some very -fine achievements connected with this attractive color production. James Wong Howe did the cinematography, Winston Miller and Price the script, Yvonne Wood the costumes, Alfred Kegerris the sets and Howard Pine the action and second- unit footage, which is far-above average. Those actors who contributed to this fast-moping and unusually-intelligent film included Philip Reed as the Countess's nefarious pursuer, Grant Withers, Connie Gilchrist, Alan Napier, Herbert Heyes, Lowell Gilmore, Grandon Rhodes and Rose Turich. There is a visually-exciting concluding battle and a happy ending. Favorite line: Greek da Silva modestly replying to US brass's thanks by saying, "Always glad to help a young country get started." A favorite film of mine, for several reasons; this is more than just a vehicle for the stars; it has dialogue, lovely scenic values and very good blocking, acting and overall production qualities.