Escape in the Desert (Warner Bros.) (1945)

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E r tad, '% PHILIP ARTVELD CAPTAIN BECKER PHILIP DORN HELMUT DANTINE JEAN SULLIVAN ALAN HALE IRENE MANNING SAMUEL S. HINDS KURT KREUGER RUDOLPH ANDERS HANS SCHUMM BLAYNEY LEWIS PRODUCTION Directed by Edward Blatt. Produced by Alex Gottlieb. Screen Play by Thomas Job; Adapted by Marvin Borowsky from a play by Robert E. Sherwood. Photographed by Robert Burks, A.S.C. Art Director, John Hughes. Sound by Charles Lang. Film Editor, Owen Marks. Dialogue Director, Jesse Hibbs. Wardrobe by Milo Anderson. Special Effects by Willard Van Enger. Set Decorations by Clarence Steensen. Makeup Artist, Perc Westmore. Music by Adolph Deutsch. Orchestral Arrangements by Jerome Moross. Musical Director, Leo F. Forbstein. Assistant Director, Bill Kissel. Unit Manager, Eric Stacey. ‘Escape In The Desert At Strand Theatre Friday (Advance Theatre Story) Warner Bros.’ almost uncanny ability to record on film those special events of unusual timeliness and newsworthiness scores again in their newest hit melodrama, “Escape In The Desert,” which arrives Friday at the Strand. Like ‘Casablanca” and the more recent ‘Hotel Berlin,” “Escape In The Desert?’ makes its debut on the nation’s screens at a time when its subject matter is still making headlines on the news wires. With an excellent cast of screen favorites, including Philip Dorn, Helmut Dantine, Jean Sullivan, Alan Hale, Irene Manning and Samuel S. Hinds, “Escape In The Desert” tells the inside story of a group of Nazi prisoners of war who escape from a midwestern prison camp and make their way ruthlessly across the country into the vast Arizona desert where they are eventually brought to justice by a handful of freedom-loving men and women. Much criticism has recently been aired concerning the American treatment of Nazi prisoners on these shores. But Warners’ film should go far to dispel any delusions about American sentiment in the matter. Standing at the edge of the desert like a bent and lonely figure, is the Mile End Motel. Into this oasis for hungry truck drivers and linemen comes Philip Artveld (Philip Dorn), an exDutch flyer, crossing the country in order to join a unit of his countrymen, fighting in the Pacific. Against his will, Philip falls Still 627-28 in love with lovely Jane (Jean Sullivan), lonely granddaughter of the Motel’s owner, Gramp (Samuel S. Hinds). Their happiness is shortlived, however, for within a few hours, the hands of fate which rule the desert send a party of escaped German prisoners of war down upon them. Led by vicious Captain Becker (Helmut Dantine), the convicts enforce their rule upon the Motel’s occupants and the weary building becomes an armed camp. Philip is not the only one to fall under the spell of Jane’s warm charm and simple beauty. Capt. Becker sees in the lovely girl a proud prize to dangle before the eyes of his comrades once his escape is completed, and he forces his attentions upon the girl. Into this cauldron of boiling emotions blunders a quack dentist and his attractive wife (Alan Hale and Irene Manning) and they, too, are held captive by the Nazis. Certain that his path to freedom is insured by his hostages, Becker decides to hold his desert fortress until the arrival of an expected gasoline delivery. Before the convicts are aware of it, a police dragnet closes in on the Motel. Then, in a scene as raw and powerful as anything ever before filmed, “Escape In The Desert” comes to a thrilling climax. The film was directed by Edward Blatt and produced by Alex Gottlieb. “Escape In The Desert” was adapted from a play by Robert E. Sherwood. Mat 205—30c CORNERED by an escaped German prisoner of war (Helmut Dantine), Samuel S. Hinds and Philip Dorn stall for time as they formulate a plan to apprehend the convict, in the above scene from Warners’ “Escape In The Desert,"’ current at the Strand. Also featured in the film are Jean Sullivan, “Alan Hale and Irene Manning. » - Screen Nazi Killed In Warner Movie The Hard Way There is not much time wasted these days on the battlefields of Germany when a Nazi soldier is killed. But it is quite different on a Hollywood sound stage. The actors, with the aid of the director, spend hours, sometimes days, in developing a death scene that is realistic. In Warners’ “Escape In The Desert,” currently at the Strand, Philip Dorn, Jean Sullivan and Samuel S. Hinds, all of whom are featured in the drama, have the problem of turning the tables on a fugitive Nazi prisoner of war who has them imprisoned in a sun-baked desert motel. It would have been very simple for the script writers of this picture and the director, Edward Blatt, to devise some scene in which one of the principals could wrest the “superman’s” gun from him, shoot him dead as a doornail and dispose of the corpse quite neatly. But no— that would be too simple! Still 627-34 Mat 107—15c TOGETHER for the first time, Philip Dorn and Jean Sullivan make a new romantic team in Warners’ "Escape In The Desert" at the Strand. Helmut Dantine, Alan Hale, Irene Manning and Samuel S. Hinds are also featured in the adventure drama. When Hollywood does away with a Nazi, it has to be a production. This is the way it works out in “Escape In The Desert.” The weekly gasoline delivery to the motel is at hand. Philip Dorn makes a mad dash toward the truck with petite Miss Sullivan in tow. But crack! crack! goes the Nazi’s gun. He wounds Dorn with one shot, pierces the gas tank with another. The truck bursts into flame. But the Nazi is foiled in the end. For Philip and Jean jump from the truck after suddenly switching the gear to reverse, and the truck goes careening back, exploding with a force that blows the villain to kingdom come. Or maybe further. An explosion like that is a tricky business. For one thing, it took fifty-two electricians to man the various baby spots, giant Kliegs and assorted other lamps used in lighting the scene as the Hitlerman got the works. It took three days to kill him off, because he had to die for long shots and close-ups, panning shots and over-the-shoulder reactions. It’s not at all like they’re doing it over in Europe and we like the European way just fine. “Escape In The Desert’ also features Alan Hale, Irene Manning and Samuel S. Hinds. Two-Fisted ! Still 627-20 Mat 201—30c PHILIP DORN seems reluctant to fight with Bill Kennedy and Jean Sullivan is rather surprised, in the above scene from Warner Bros.’ "Escape In The Desert" at the Strand. Also featured in the film are Alan Hale, Helmut Dantine, Irene Manning and Samuel S. Hinds. Jean Sullivan's Past Catches Up With Her Take it from us, Diogenes can throw away his lamp! Jean Sullivan, young Warner actress of “Uncertain Glory” fame, currently featured in Warners’ “Escape In The Desert” at the Strand, has discovered an honest woman. A little less than two years ago, when Jean was ekeing her way through U.C.L.A. with such odd jobs as minding babies, one of her clientele became a little delinquent, and moved from the city before making good. Recently, Jean received a letter from a lady for whom she had once worked. Now in Des Moines, the housewife wrote: “Dear Jean: I am so terribly, terribly sorry to have forgotten you when we left. I just remembered that we owed you $1.50 for minding the baby twice: Here is the check, and I hope you'll forgive us. We certainly could use you in this town.” But Jean Sullivan is doing nicely where she is, thank you. “Escape In The Desert?’ also features Philip Dorn, Helmut Dantine, Irene Manning, Alan Hale and Samuel S. Hinds in unusual roles. SYNOPSIS (Not For Publication) Philip Artveld (Philip Dorn), an ex-Dutch flyer, is hitchhiking across the United States to see the country before joining an Allied Air Force. In the Arizona desert he is given a lift by Gramp (Samuel S. Hinds), the owner of a Motel in Death Valley. Gramp mistakes him for one of four escaped Nazi prisoners rumored to be in the vicinity and drives him to his Motel. There Philip establishes his identity and prepares to go on his way. But despite himself, he is drawn into the lives of the little circle he finds at this forsaken outpost. Besides Gramp, the Motel’s staff consists of Danny (Blayney Lewis), Gramp’s little grandson: Jane (Jean Sullivan), his granddaughter: and good-looking, cocky Hank (Bill Kennedy), whose love for Jean is unreciprocated. Jane has romantic notions of escaping from the desert into the world outside and immediately becomes infatuated with Philip. She begs him to take her away with him, but Philip realizes that it would be unfair to her and leaves to continue his journey. He has hardly started, however, when he is intercepted by the quartet of escaped Nazis who have hi-jacked a passing truck and killed its driver. They force Philip to lead them back to the Motel, where they plan to secure clothes, weapons and a car with gas. These desperate men are Capt. Becker (Helmut Dantine), Von Kleist (Kurt Kreuger), Klaus (Hans Schumm) and Hoffman (Rudolph Anders). At the Motel they discover that the gas tanks are dry and that they must wait for the regular Friday gas delivery. The grim situation is further complicated by the appearance of two strangers, Dr. Tedder (Alan Hale), a self-promoting, self-important quack dentist, and his good-looking, acidulous and rather silly wife, Lora (Irene Manning). They are quickly captured by the PW’s. Philip manages to spirit Jane out of the hotel to the safety of an adjacent abandoned mine. When the gasoline truck arrives he shouts out a warning, but Becker shoots the driver before he can get away. The Nazis are about to make their escape when the sheriff and his men appear. The desert rings to the harsh bark of many guns and the Nazis are relieved of their weapons and their lives—western style. (Running Time: 79 minutes)