The Desert Rats 1953
6.7 / 10
The Desert Rats
In North Africa, German Field Marshal Rommel and his troops have successfully fended off British forces, and now intend to take Tobruk, an important port city. A ramshackle group of Australian reinforcements sent to combat the Germans is put under the command of British Captain MacRoberts. The unruly Aussies immediately clash with MacRoberts, a gruff, strict disciplinarian, however this unorthodox team must band together to protect Tobruk from the German forces.
In North Africa, German Field Marshal Rommel and his troops have successfully fended off British forces, and now intend to take Tobruk, an important port city. A ramshackle group of Australian reinforcements sent to combat the Germans is put under the command of British Captain MacRoberts. The unruly Aussies immediately clash with MacRoberts, a gruff, strict disciplinarian, however this unorthodox team must band together to protect Tobruk from the German forces.
Videos & Photos
All 1 Videos & 4 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Captain "Tammy" MacRoberts
... Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel
... Tom Bartlett
... General
... Col. Barney White
... Sgt. "Blue" Smith
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
Come out of your holes you desert rats! The Desert Rats is directed by Robert Wise and written by Richard Murphy. It stars Richard Burton, Robert Newton, Robert Douglas, Torin Thatcher, Chips Rafferty and James Mason. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by Lucien Ballard. The follow up to The Desert Fox (it's not a sequel) from two years earlier, was in essence an attempt to readdress the balance after The Desert Fox annoyed certain quarters with its admiration for what a great soldier Field Marshal Rommel was. So here we have the battle of Tobruk orchestrated by the astute Robert Wise, the plot is simple, but the characterisations are most certainly not, with lead men Burton and Newton terrific. This important part of the war is given mature treatment, with the battle sequences realistically staged and the tactical nous of allied force leaders rightly given credence. Sadly Mason is barely in the picture, which is more frustrating when you witness the extended scene that is shared between Mason and Burton, a British film fan's dream right there. While elsewhere it should be noted that this is, perhaps inevitably, not an accurate history lesson, so students of Tobruk don't be basing your thesis on this telling. Still, a good quality war pic for sure. 7/10
Producers:
Release Date:
May 20, 1953 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 28`
MMPA Rating:
NR
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
The Desert Rats
Come out of your holes you desert rats! The Desert Rats is directed by Robert Wise and written by Richard Murphy. It stars Richard Burton, Robert Newton, Robert Douglas, Torin Thatcher, Chips Rafferty and James Mason. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by Lucien Ballard. The follow up to The Desert Fox (it's not a sequel) from two years earlier, was in essence an attempt to readdress the balance after The Desert Fox annoyed certain quarters with its admiration for what a great soldier Field Marshal Rommel was. So here we have the battle of Tobruk orchestrated by the astute Robert Wise, the plot is simple, but the characterisations are most certainly not, with lead men Burton and Newton terrific. This important part of the war is given mature treatment, with the battle sequences realistically staged and the tactical nous of allied force leaders rightly given credence. Sadly Mason is barely in the picture, which is more frustrating when you witness the extended scene that is shared between Mason and Burton, a British film fan's dream right there. While elsewhere it should be noted that this is, perhaps inevitably, not an accurate history lesson, so students of Tobruk don't be basing your thesis on this telling. Still, a good quality war pic for sure. 7/10
Cast & Crew of
The Desert Rats
Directors & Credit Writers
... Director
... Assistant Director
Cast
... Captain "Tammy" MacRoberts
... Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel
... Tom Bartlett
... General
... Col. Barney White
... Sgt. "Blue" Smith
... Lt. Harry Carstairs
... Pete
... Mick
... English Officer (uncredited)
... Corporal (uncredited)
FB
Frank Baker... British Officer (uncredited)
... Sergeant (uncredited)
RB
Robert Boon... German Lieutenant (uncredited)
... German Gunner (uncredited)
... German Radio Man (uncredited)
PB
Paul Busch... German Orderly (uncredited)
... Colonel (uncredited)
... Commando (uncredited)
... German Sentry (uncredited)
Produced By
RLJ
Robert L. Jacks... Producer
Videos & Photos of
The Desert Rats
Videos ( 1)
Photos ( 4 )
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