The Black Tent (1956)

Director:

Brian Desmond Hurst

Writers:

Bryan Forbes (screenplay)
Robin Maugham (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

July 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War | Romance

Plot:

During the British retreat, David Holland (Anthony Steel) takes shelter with a Bedouin tribe and marries the sheik's daughter (Anna-Maria Sandri)...

Plot Keywords:

Idyllic | British Soldier | Desert Combat | Family Secret | Interracial Marriage

Cast

Donald Sinden	...	Col. Sir Charles Holland
Anthony Steel	...	Capt. David Holland
Anna-Maria Sandri	...	Mabrouka ben Yussef (as Anna Maria Sandri)
André Morell	...	Sheik Salem ben Yussef (as Andre Morell)
Terence Sharkey	...	Daoud Holland
Donald Pleasence	...	Ali
Ralph Truman	...	Major Croft
Anthony Bushell	...	Ambassador Baring
Michael Craig	...	Sheik Faris
Paul Homer	...	Khalil ben Yussef
Anton Diffring	...	Senior Nazi Officer
Frederick Jaeger	...	Koch, junior Nazi officer
Derek Sydney	...	Interpreter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bryan Forbes	...	Dying Soldier (scenes deleted)
Nanette Newman	...	Mabrouka (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian Desmond Hurst

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bryan Forbes		screenplay
Robin Maugham		screenplay
Robin Maugham		story

Produced by
William MacQuitty	....	producer (as William Macquitty)
Earl St. John	....	executive producer

Original Music by
William Alwyn

Cinematography by
Desmond Dickinson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alfred Roome

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
George Provis

Costume Design by
Beatrice Dawson		(dresses)

Makeup Department
Eddie Knight	....	makeup artist
Iris Tilley	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Edward Joseph	....	production manager (as Teddy Joseph)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stanley Hosgood	....	assistant director
Patrick Clayton	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bert Gaiters	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist (as Gordon K.McCallum)
Dudley Messenger	....	sound recordist
Don Sharpe	....	sound editor (as Donald Sharpe)
John Salter	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dudley Lovell	....	camera operator
Norman Gryspeerdt	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Reg Pope	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Paul Wilson	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorothy Edwards	....	wardrobe supervisor: women (uncredited)

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor

Other crew
Arthur Alcott	....	production controller: Pinewood Studios
Beryl Booth	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Rank Organisation, The (presents)

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1956) (UK) (theatrical)
• Rank Film Distributors of America (1957) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Government and Army of Libya  the Rank Organisation wishes to thank for their co-operation during the making of this film

Runtime:

93 min | USA:83 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Libya

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

First film of Fredrick Jaeger.

Great scenery, terrible plot

Even as a fan of Donald Sinden, this is only an OK offering. The most enjoyable part has to be the amazing locations, set in Libya. The original story was obviously a long novel that was a real struggle to compress into a script