IMDb RATING
7.5/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
Three adopted English brothers join the French Foreign Legion in North Africa after one of them steals their adoptive family's famous heirloom sapphire.Three adopted English brothers join the French Foreign Legion in North Africa after one of them steals their adoptive family's famous heirloom sapphire.Three adopted English brothers join the French Foreign Legion in North Africa after one of them steals their adoptive family's famous heirloom sapphire.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 2 nominations total
G.P. Huntley
- Augustus Brandon
- (as George P. Huntley)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt the film's world premiere, the first reel of the 1926 silent version of "Beau Geste" was shown just before the entire 1939 sound version, in an effort to demonstrate how far films had advanced in thirteen years. This almost backfired because the film apparently, followed the 1926 one extremely closely, and some of the first-night critics were annoyed, rather than pleased at this, feeling that this remake should have been more imaginative. However, this did not keep it from becoming a smash hit and a film classic.
- GoofsWhen the "Blue Water" is stolen with the lights out it appears pitch black, but that can't be correct because there is a bright fire burning in the fireplace.
- Quotes
[last lines]
[after she reads the letter Beau had written to explain what happened to the jewel - he has signed the letter with his name - she reads...]
Lady Patricia Brandon: "Beau Geste"
Lady Patricia Brandon: [to John] Beau Geste... gallant gesture. We didn't name him wrong, did we?
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: "The love of a man for a woman wanes and waxes like the moon . . . but the love of brother for brother is steadfast as the stars, and endures like the word of the prophet."
. . . Arabian Proverb.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977)
Featured review
... which is the kind that takes place somewhere exotic with lots of sand and has hordes of attacking natives. And you never know exactly WHY the natives are attacking so ferociously. But I digress. So I sat down to watch this one not expecting much, but since a 30s Paramount is so rarely shown on TCM, I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm really glad that I did.
The film opens on a regiment of the French foreign legion coming to the fort that they are to relieve from attack, but they arrive and find not a soul alive. There is a note confessing guilt for a long-ago crime in the hand of one of the dead men, and then, when the regiment is reassembled outside the fort planning their next move, a massive fire breaks out inside. This got me wanting to know how we got to this point.
So the film now doubles back to 15 years before, when the Geste boys - Beau, John, and Digby are growing up on the Brandon estate with Patricia Brandon as a kind of foster mom. One night, after the boys are grown, the theft of an expensive jewel occurs, and the Geste brothers all write notes claiming responsibility, thinking that one of the others is guilty. They all join the French Foreign Legion to escape the reach of the law, and all three end up in the same place with each still wondering if one of the other two committed the crime back in England.
From that point forward, the story shifts to be about surviving the cruelty of one particular officer - Markoff (Brian Donlevy) and each brother trying to remain true to the other brothers while dealing with the fact that both Sergeant Markoff and their fellow legionnaires are not honorable people. Also, Markoff learns about the jewel and thinks that one of the brothers have it in their belongings.
The largest part of the film takes place inside one fort during one battle in which the fort is under relentless attack by a large band of Tuareg, but it's not boring. Donlevy as Markoff makes this part of the film, partly because he seems to enjoy sending soldiers to their death, and partly because of what he does with them after they've died.
If you like a good romance, that is not this film. It is all about comradery. The cast is truly remarkable with many later Academy Award winners -Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, and Susan Hayward. There's also some great character actors such as J. Carroll Naish, Albert Dekker, and Harold Huber. Brian Donlevy never won an Academy Award, but he's deliciously evil as the sadistic Markoff. Also look for Broderick Crawford just starting out. And only in America could Donald O'Connor ( Beau Geste as a child) grow up to be Gary Cooper (adult Beau Geste).
The film opens on a regiment of the French foreign legion coming to the fort that they are to relieve from attack, but they arrive and find not a soul alive. There is a note confessing guilt for a long-ago crime in the hand of one of the dead men, and then, when the regiment is reassembled outside the fort planning their next move, a massive fire breaks out inside. This got me wanting to know how we got to this point.
So the film now doubles back to 15 years before, when the Geste boys - Beau, John, and Digby are growing up on the Brandon estate with Patricia Brandon as a kind of foster mom. One night, after the boys are grown, the theft of an expensive jewel occurs, and the Geste brothers all write notes claiming responsibility, thinking that one of the others is guilty. They all join the French Foreign Legion to escape the reach of the law, and all three end up in the same place with each still wondering if one of the other two committed the crime back in England.
From that point forward, the story shifts to be about surviving the cruelty of one particular officer - Markoff (Brian Donlevy) and each brother trying to remain true to the other brothers while dealing with the fact that both Sergeant Markoff and their fellow legionnaires are not honorable people. Also, Markoff learns about the jewel and thinks that one of the brothers have it in their belongings.
The largest part of the film takes place inside one fort during one battle in which the fort is under relentless attack by a large band of Tuareg, but it's not boring. Donlevy as Markoff makes this part of the film, partly because he seems to enjoy sending soldiers to their death, and partly because of what he does with them after they've died.
If you like a good romance, that is not this film. It is all about comradery. The cast is truly remarkable with many later Academy Award winners -Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, and Susan Hayward. There's also some great character actors such as J. Carroll Naish, Albert Dekker, and Harold Huber. Brian Donlevy never won an Academy Award, but he's deliciously evil as the sadistic Markoff. Also look for Broderick Crawford just starting out. And only in America could Donald O'Connor ( Beau Geste as a child) grow up to be Gary Cooper (adult Beau Geste).
- How long is Beau Geste?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 52 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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