Jericho (1937)

Director:

Thornton Freeland

Writers:

George Barraud (writer)
Walter Futter (story)

Release Date:

16 August 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Adventure

Plot:

American deserter joins African tribe to avoid punishment. |

Plot Keywords:

AWOL | Desert | Military | WWI | Africa

Cast

Paul Robeson	...	Cpl. Jericho Jackson
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Capt. Mack
Wallace Ford	...	Mike Clancy
Kouka	...	Gara
John Laurie	...	Hassan
James Carew	...	Maj. J.R. Barnes
Lawrence Brown	...	Pvt. Face
Rufus Fennell	...	Sgt. Gamey
Ike Hatch	...	Pvt. Tag
Frank Cram	...	Col. Lake
Frank Cochrane	...	Agouba
George Barraud	...	Explorer
Frederick Cooper	...	Explorer
Henry Aubin	...	Explorer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eslanda Robeson	...	Tribal princess

Also Known As:

Dark Sands

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Filming Locations:

Cairo, Egypt

Company:

Buckingham Film Productions

Soundtrack:

My Way

Paul Robeson is in fine voice in this passable musical drama about a GI escaping to a desert after he accidentally killed a man.

Paul Robeson shines as a GI who disobeys orders to abandon a torpedoed ship in order to pry loose a door and free 6 fellow Negro soldiers. He punches his sergeant, who falls and hits his head and dies, while Robeson continues his effort and succeeds in rescuing the men. His captain, Henry Wilcoxon, stands up for him at a hearing, declaring it would be unjust to punish a man for a heroic deed. But the major in charge disagrees, since Robeson disobeyed orders and struck a superior officer. He is put under arrest pending a court-martial. On Christmas Eve, Wilcoxon lets Robeson out of his cell to join fellow soldiers at a Christmas songfest, but Robeson escapes in a small boat, befriending Wallace Ford, the only other person in the boat. They head for Africa and Robeson starts a new happy life in the desert, marrying Princess Kouka, who bears him two children. Meanwhile, Wilcoxon is court-martialed for complicity in the escape and sentenced to Leavenworth for five years. When he gets out, his only object in life is to find and bring back Robeson, who could clear hum of the complicity charge. Wilcoxon accidentally sees Robeson in a newsreel some explorers shot while in Africa, and he goes to bring him back.

Two original songs were written for Robeson, whose rich baritone voice is always a pleasure to hear. There's also a bit of adventure in the film, as Robeson leads a 12-mile-long caravan of camels trekking to an area to pick up a year's supply of salt. In an exciting sequence, they have to fight off a group of bandits.