There is nothing wrong with the music here, there are some tunes that will stick with you forever, and they actually make this desert soap opera of a silly intrigue with a general's daughter out of place in the desert getting mixed up with the Foreign Legion, wild bedouins and sheikhs, intrigues of foul play and Raymond Massey as the supreme villain as usual. There is nothing wrong with the cinematography either, the desert photography and scenery is tremendous, and the dramatic scenes with the Red Shadow's followers riding about in full career are perhaps what you will most like to remember of this film. In brief, everything is excellent, except for the intrigue, which is like a typical old Austrian-German operetta with plenty of soap and romantic duets to wipe away all realism with a vengeance. This is as far from "Lawrence of Arabia" as you can get, although it's the same world - "Lawrence" was also shot in Morocco, where this film is supposed to take place. Kathryn Grayson would never sing like this in the desert. But she does, and Gordon MacRae at least matches her singing. His double play is a typical operetta gimmick, there are so many faking heroes like this, like even Superman and Clark Kent - it's the same formula. But nevertheless, this is a film to enjoy for its music and colours and splendid ladies, although you never get closer to the hareem than the veils; but for me the main treat was Allyn Ann McLerie as Azuri, the only one who dances, but that steals the show entirely. She actually saves the film.
Review of The Desert Song
