Beau Geste (1939 film)

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Beau Geste
Image:198613~Beau-Geste-Posters.jpg
Original film poster
Directed by William A. Wellman
Produced by William A. Wellman
Written by Robert Carson
P. C. Wren (novel)
Starring Gary Cooper
Ray Milland
Robert Preston
Susan Hayward
Broderick Crawford
Brian Donlevy.
Music by Alfred Newman
Cinematography Theodor Sparkuhl
Archie Stout
Editing by Thomas Scott
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) 2 August 1939 (US)
Running time 112 min
Country Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States
Language English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Beau Geste is a 1939 film made by Paramount Pictures based on the novel by P. C. Wren. It was directed and produced by William A. Wellman from a screenplay by Robert Carson. The music score was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography by Theodor Sparkuhl and Archie Stout.

The film is a virtual scene-for-scene remake of the 1926 film starring Ronald Colman. This version is probably the best known adaptation, with Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Susan Hayward, Broderick Crawford, and Brian Donlevy. Donlevy was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Contents

[edit] Plot

A valuable sapphire called the "Blue Water" has to be sold to pay the debts of the never-seen Lord Brandon. The three Geste brothers, 'Beau' (Gary Cooper), John (Ray Milland), and Digby (Robert Preston), had lived with the family since childhood, along with adoptee Isobel Rivers (Susan Hayward). Their guardian, Lady Brandon (Heather Thatcher), brings out the gem for one last look when suddenly the lights go out and the jewel is stolen. All present proclaim their innocence, but each young man later confesses to the crime to his brothers.

Under suspicion, all three men leave England (John reluctantly leaving Isobel) and join the French Foreign Legion. They are trained by the sadistic Sergeant Markoff (Brian Donlevy), who finds out about the theft and is convinced that Beau is hiding the gem.

A detachment, including Beau and John, is sent to man Fort Zinderneuf, in a remote part of the Sahara Desert. When the officer in charge dies, Markoff takes command. His brutal treatment of the men finally leads to outright mutiny, but at that very moment, the fort is attacked by Arabs. The initial attack is beaten off, but besieged by hostile forces, the defenders are killed one by one. Markoff orders the survivors to prop up the corpses at their posts to make it look as if there are still plenty of soldiers left. The final attack is repulsed, but Beau is shot, leaving Markoff and John the only men left alive.

While John is away, the sergeant searches Beau's body and finds the sapphire. When John returns, Markoff draws his pistol to shoot the only witness to his theft. However, Beau is not yet dead and manages to distract Markoff, giving John time to kill him. Then Beau expires in his brother's arms. Just then, John hears a bugle announcing the arrival of reinforcements, Digby among them. He takes a letter Beau had written and sneaks away.

Digby is sent to discover why there is no response from the fort. He finds Beau's body and, remembering his oft-expressed wish, gives him a Viking funeral. He places Beau on a bed, with a dog (Markoff) at his feet, and sets fire to the room. Then he too deserts.

He finds John and together they begin the long journey back to England. Along the way, they run into a band of Arabs. Digby tricks them into fleeing by playing a bugle to signal a charge by non-existent Legionnaires, but he is killed by a parting shot.

John returns home. There, he reads Beau's letter to Lady Brandon. It reveals that Beau stole the gem because he knew it was a fake. Lady Brandon had sold the real one years before, and Beau wanted to conceal this from Lord Brandon. Beau knew of the sale because, as a child, he was hiding in a suit of armor when the buyer took the gem away.

[edit] Cast

[edit] See also

  • Beau Geste for a list of adaptations of the novel

[edit] External links

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Television Light's Diamond Jubilee (with Alan Handley), Christian Nyby, Roy Rowland, Norman Taurog, King Vidor and Bud Yorkin) (1954)
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