Rope of Sand

1949
Approved
1h 44m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Film Noir Action Adventure Crime Thriller

A man abused by a sadistic mining company cop before he could tell where on their desert property he'd found diamonds decides to steal them instead.A man abused by a sadistic mining company cop before he could tell where on their desert property he'd found diamonds decides to steal them instead.A man abused by a sadistic mining company cop before he could tell where on their desert property he'd found diamonds decides to steal them instead.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

1.9K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Trivia
During one scene with Burt Lancaster, Corinne Calvet felt nauseated and threw up on her leading man. She was not able to film anything else that day. She remained grateful to the actor that he never mentioned it after she returned and gave her suggestions and encouragement. She credits him for her success in Hollywood.

Goofs
When Mike and his hunting companion are found with a diamond they are tortured to get information on where they found it. The two men were found in the desert with clear tracks to and from the diamond find site. It would have been simple to track where they had been.

Quotes
Suzanne Renaud: Now do you want to kiss me?
Fred Martingale: N - no, I think not. You'd better keep your kisses for emergencies.

Connections
Referenced in Native Son (1951)

Soundtracks
Zulu Warrior
(uncredited)
Written by Josef Marais
Performed by Josef Marais and Miranda Marais

User reviews29

Review

Featured review

7/10

Film noir in an exotic setting

The cast makes this one worth watching: Burt Lancaster, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains (at his silkiest), Peter Lorre, Sam Jaffe. The character Corinne Calvet plays is a screenwriter's dream since she's likely to spark unexpected changes in each of the male characters, but as an earlier contributor pointed out, Calvet isn't up to the part. It's hard to believe that a man such as Burt Lancaster's character could become so smitten with her.

The South Africa setting adds interest to the proceedings and the plot uncoils in skillful fashion until the last reel or so when the rush toward climax becomes somewhat delayed and diffused.

Burt Lancaster's whipping at the hands of Paul Henreid no longer includes details mentioned in the book "Sadism in the Cinema," which implies that some footage has been cut from prints. Even in abbreviated form, however, the scene conveys the hint that the real emotional bond in the movie is not between Lancaster and Calvet but between Lancaster and Henreid. Henreid's brutally sublimated desire for Lancaster is certainly understandable since Burt never looked better than he does here.