The Desert Rats

1953

1h 28m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

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17 Images

War

Action

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.

Directors

Robert Wise

Writers

Richard Murphy(writer by)

Stars

Richard Burton

James Mason

Robert Newton

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Videos1

Trailer
Watch THE DESERT RATS(1953) Original Theatrical Trailer

Photos17

Top cast

Richard Burton

Captain "Tammy" MacRoberts

James Mason

Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel

Tom Bartlett

General

Col. Barney White

Sgt. "Blue" Smith

Lt. Harry Carstairs

Pete

Mick

English Officer (uncredited)

John Alderson

Corporal (uncredited)

Frank Baker

British Officer (uncredited)

John Blackburn

Sergeant (uncredited)

Robert Boon

German Lieutenant (uncredited)

Frederic Brunn

German Gunner (uncredited)

Arthur Brunner

German Radio Man (uncredited)

Paul Busch

German Orderly (uncredited)

Paul Cavanagh

Colonel (uncredited)

Directors

Robert Wise

Writers

Richard Murphy(writer by)

All cast & crew

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Review

Featured review

7/10

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

John Chard16 Apr, 2014