Kurt at 21:21, 28 September 2024

2024-09-28T21:21:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:21, 28 September 2024
Line 1:		Line 1:

	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = Hotel Sahara		\| name = Hotel Sahara

Kurt at 00:16, 5 February 2023

2023-02-05T00:16:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:16, 4 February 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~{{Short description\|1951 British comedy film}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=June 2016}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=June 2016}}~~
	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = Hotel Sahara		\| name = Hotel Sahara
	\| image = ~~Hotsahpos~~.jpg		\| image = Hotel Sahara.jpg
	\| image_size =		\| image_size =
	\| caption = ~~US [[film poster]]~~		\| caption =
	\| director = [[Ken Annakin]]		\| director = [[Ken Annakin]]
	\| producer = George Hambley Brown		\| producer = George Hambley Brown
Line 83:		Line 81:
	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{IMDb title\|0043658}}		*{{IMDb title\|0043658}}

	~~{{Ken Annakin}}~~

	[[Category:1951 films]]		[[Category:1951 films]]
Line 101:		Line 97:
	[[Category:1950s English-language films]]		[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
	[[Category:1950s British films]]		[[Category:1950s British films]]
			[[Category:British comedy films]]

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2023-02-01T13:46:44Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 08:46, 1 February 2023
(No difference)

en>Napalatt: /* Cast */

2022-12-13T17:04:23Z

Cast

New page

{{Short description|1951 British comedy film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Hotel Sahara
| image = Hotsahpos.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = US [[film poster]]
| director = [[Ken Annakin]]
| producer = George Hambley Brown
| writer = George Hambley Brown [[Patrick Kirwan]]
| starring = [[Yvonne De Carlo]] [[Peter Ustinov]] [[David Tomlinson (actor)|David Tomlinson]] [[Roland Culver]]
| music = [[Benjamin Frankel]]
| cinematography = David Harcourt [[Jack Hildyard]]
| editing = [[Alfred Roome]]
| studio = Tower Films
| distributor = [[General Film Distributors]]
| released = 9 July 1951
| runtime = 96 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
}}
'''''Hotel Sahara''''' is a 1951 British [[war film|war]] [[comedy film]] directed by [[Ken Annakin]] and starring [[Yvonne De Carlo]], [[Peter Ustinov]] and [[David Tomlinson (actor)|David Tomlinson]]. It was produced and co-written by George Hambley Brown.

==Plot==
The Hotel Sahara, situated in a desert oasis, quickly empties when the patrons learn that the Italian Army has commenced hostilities in the [[North African Campaign]]. Emad, the hotel's owner, also wants to flee, but is persuaded by his fiancee, Yasmin, to stay and try to save the hotel, all he owns. The other two members of the staff also stay: Yasmin's mother, Madame Pallas, and Yusef, the [[major domo]].

The Italians take over the hotel, and Capitano Alberto Giuseppi (in the film, he introduces himself as Alberto Del Nobile, a more plausible Italian surname than "Giuseppi") is soon captivated by Yasmin's charms. His orderly is attracted to Madame Pallas. Later, however, the Italian Army suffers a defeat, and the small detachment is ordered to destroy any structures that may aid the enemy – including the hotel – and retreat. Emad sabotages their truck to distract them and disconnects their demolition charges just in time to save the hotel. Yusef fires into the air to speed the Italians on their way.

Next to arrive are the British. Major Randall and Captain Cheynie both vie for Yasmin's attention, while Madame Pallas flirts with the enlisted men. Randall's assignment is to recruit the Arabs to work for the British. Emad informs the major that they prefer goods, rather than money, so he sends Cheynie and Private Binns back to requisition supplies. He also orders a dozen nylons, though Cheynie lies about not being able to find any. Randall finds out when Yasmin shows off Cheynie's gift. Emad agrees to arrange a conference with the Arabs, if only to get the British to leave; Randall sends Cheynie with Emad.

While they are gone, about a dozen Germans drive up, forcing the outnumbered British to hastily leave, Randall in his bathing suit. Leutnant Gunther von Heilicke requisitions the hotel, but is (initially) immune to Yasmin's charms. He sets off Randall's booby trap, but emerges unscathed. Emad and Cheynie return to the hotel on camels, accompanied by the Arabs. Cheynie is dressed in native garb. Von Heilicke has the Arabs stay for a feast, then insists on being introduced to the sheiks. Before he gets to Cheynie, Yasmin provides a distraction, dressing up in the departed Fatima's costume and performing a [[belly dance]]. Cheynie sneaks away and rejoins Randall.

The Germans in turn depart after they sight a large column approaching. This time, it is the French. The Germans and the British lurk in the vicinity. Then both the German leutnant and the British major come up with the same idea, to disguise themselves as Arabs (Cheynie as a veiled woman) and reconnoitre, but by the time they arrive, the French have already gone. The radio brings welcome news: the war in North Africa is nearly over, but when the three men discover each other, they start shooting. Von Heilicke flees, after running out of bullets, chased by the other two. Just when it seems it is all over, Emad and Yasmin hear an American voice.

==Cast==
* [[Yvonne De Carlo]] as Yasmin Pallas
* [[Peter Ustinov]] as Emad
* [[David Tomlinson (actor)|David Tomlinson]] as Captain Edgar "Puffin" Cheynie
* [[Roland Culver]] as Major Bill Randall
* [[Albert Lieven]] as Leutnant Gunther von Heilicke
* [[Bill Owen (actor)|Bill Owen]] as Private Binns
* [[Guido Lorraine]] as Capitano Alberto Giuseppi (Del Nobile)
* [[Mireille Perrey]] as Madame Pallas
* [[Ferdy Mayne]] as Yusef
* [[Sydney Tafler]] as Corporal Pullar
* [[Eugene Deckers]] as a French [[Spahi]] officer
* [[Anton Diffring]] as a German Soldier
* [[Olga Lowe]] as Fatima

==Production==
===Development===
It was the first film from Tower Films, the new production company of producer George Brown.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95751371 |title=Postponement of Cup Ballot |newspaper=[[Kalgoorlie Miner]] |volume=56 |issue=15,793 |location=Western Australia |date=17 October 1950 |accessdate=5 November 2017 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

''Hotel Sahara'' was based on an idea of Brown's. He had a chat in a [[Fleet Street]] pub about a hotel in the [[Western Desert Campaign]] which kept changing sides, and he arranged for a script to be written. It took him five months to secure a distribution guarantee, sell the idea to the [[National Film Finance Corporation]] to get some finance, fix studio space and facilities, raise private finance to complete funding, and to secure the star he wanted, Yvonne De Carlo, from Hollywood.<ref>{{cite news |title=Noted on the London Screen Scene: Coming Up New Phase Independent |author=Stephen Watts |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=8 July 1951}}</ref>

He eventually got De Carlo by writing her and saying that he observed that she had a flair to play comedy.<ref>{{cite news |author=Tom Vallance |title=George H. Brown Obituary |newspaper=The Independent |date=9 January 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167982492 |title=Producer Has His Troubles |newspaper=[[Truth (Sydney newspaper)|Truth]] |issue=3169 |location=Sydney |date=22 October 1950 |accessdate=5 November 2017 |page=44 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23190494 |title=The British make a comedy of life among the sand dunes. A Film Preview |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |issue=33,021 |location=Melbourne|date=4 July 1952 |accessdate=5 November 2017 |page=7 (The Argus Magazine) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> De Carlo was keen for a change of pace. She later wrote that her role "did not entirely break my Hollywood stereotype" but "this time it was satire and that made all the difference."<ref>De Carlo, p. 154</ref>

George Hambley Brown knew Peter Ustinov from their time together in the [[RAF Film Unit]] during World War II. After the war, the two co-produced ''[[School for Secrets]]'' and ''[[Vice Versa (1948 film)|Vice Versa]]''.

===Filming===
De Carlo arrived in London in December 1950 and filming started in January 1951. It was shot at [[Pinewood Studios]] with sets designed by the [[art director]] [[Ralph W. Brinton]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225461486 |title=Fruitless Search |newspaper=[[Weekly Times]] |issue=4254 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=3 January 1951 |accessdate=5 November 2017 |page=36 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> There was also some location filming in Egypt.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23155539 |title=Film Preview "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |issue=32,866 |location=Melbourne|date=4 January 1952 |accessdate=5 November 2017 |page=8 (The Argus Magazine) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She later said "the production couldn't have run more smoothly and Peter was a delight to work with."<ref>De Carlo p 154</ref> During filming, Ustinov met [[Suzanne Cloutier]] who became his wife.

De Carlo sang some songs, "I Love a Man" and "Say Goodbye". It was the first time she had sung on film.<ref>{{cite news |title=It Takes Two Players To Handle Granger Role |author=Hedda Hopper |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=26 February 1951}}</ref>

The scene of de Carlo dancing had to be censored for the US cut of the film.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article212777816 |title=Inside Hollywood |newspaper=[[Brisbane Telegraph]] |date=3 March 1951 |accessdate=5 November 2017 |page=19|edition=LAST RACE |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Reception==
The film was popular in England.<ref>Drama: Yvonne De Carlo Named for British 'Sheba;' Find From 'Guys and Dolls' Set
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 21 Sep 1951: B9.</ref>

De Carlo wanted to make more films with Brown and Ustinov, including one about a matador,<ref>{{cite news |title=Yvonne De Carlo Pins Hopes for Future on Switch to Dramatic and Singing Roles |author=Philip K. Scheuer |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=27 May 1951}}</ref> but it did not happen.

==Soundtrack==
*"I Love a Man", music by Benjamin Frankel (as Ben Bernard), lyrics by [[Harold Purcell]], sung by Yvonne De Carlo
*"Say Goodbye, Soldier Boy", music by [[Benjamin Frankel]] (as Ben Bernard), lyrics by Harold Purcell, sung by Yvonne De Carlo
*"[[Early One Morning]]", traditional, sung by Yvonne De Carlo

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0043658}}

{{Ken Annakin}}

[[Category:1951 films]]
[[Category:1950s war comedy films]]
[[Category:British war comedy films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ken Annakin]]
[[Category:Films scored by Benjamin Frankel]]
[[Category:Films shot in Egypt]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:North African campaign films]]
[[Category:Films set in deserts]]
[[Category:Films set in hotels]]
[[Category:1951 comedy films]]
[[Category:British black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Patrick Kirwan]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s British films]]

Hotel Sahara - Revision history

Kurt at 21:21, 28 September 2024

Kurt at 00:16, 5 February 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Napalatt: /* Cast */